The Tortolita Tour

Photo from Scott

After 4 months of riding in the Tortolitas, I have come to one conclusion....this is my favorite place to ride in Tucson.

Scott said it best while we were riding Wild Mustang, "This is like a piece of the Arizona Trail that we just discovered, over-built, amazing views with an occasional over growth section. I love it. Chad, you are the best mountain biker ever."

Well, I think it went something like that.

The Tortolita Tour....a little under 40 miles, 7 hours with only about 3 miles of pavement. GPS or guide required. If you want the later, I am available for hire. Just bring some coffee, a camera, and a sense of humor.

Plenty of slickrock to keep you happy and grinning.




and of course, plenty of b-line technical sections to make you wish you had bought that 4-inch bike.




Nathan, Scott, Kurt, and I headed out from the over to Pocket Trail (HoneyBee Canyon) before heading over to Como Trail. Laughter set in as I quickly realized that maybe Pocket Trail was not quite to the "trail" status yet. It may need a few more weeks of cow traffic.




Scott and I went solo over to Wild Burro, ascending Upper Javelina (west of the resort). It was our first ascent of the trail. Scott was doing his thing, it must be the new bike, right?



Ritz Carlton in the background




This is how mountain biking used to be. Nobody on the trail, you have to find the line (it is not made from overuse) while dodging the overgrowth....the result, as seen below, is a big grin that continues during the length of the singletrack.



At the Upper Javelina-Wild Mustang Intersection, we headed east on Wild Mustang.

Picture from Scott

Mt Lemmon in the background as we topped out at 4300 feet on Wild Mustang. An angle of Lemmon that you rarely see....




Can you see the shiny observatory on the top of Lemmon?



Click here to see the entire Tortolita GPX Network if you want to ride in the Tortolitas. You can email me about possible routes.

Photo from Scott

Another Tuesday Techy Taco

Pictures tell the tale.



The sign read 9.6 miles to Summerhaven on Lemmon. One day this ride is going to head up Sutherland to Lemmon, all 9.6 miles of that trail. Any takers?

As usual, the loyal, strong rider Duncan showed up along Scott Morris!



Duncan with the Catalinas in the background.




Pushed and encouraged by my fellow riders, we made it to CP and Deer Camp.

More light=more techy time.

Photo courtesy of Scott

Lockett Meadow

Snow...I am hard pressed to travel north to do snow sports when we seem to always have stellar weather down here in Tucson. This year, Flagstaff has seen a plethora of snow. What better year to take your first step into doing more snow sports...



Kendall and I headed up to Flagstaff for a snow-filled weekend.



Looking east from Sugarloaf Mountain







Lockett Meadow



Plenty of powder to entertain us for a quick lunch on the meadow...



and some more exploration.



The weather was cooling down, it was quiet, peaceful...






Clouds were moving in as we started to ascend pick up sticks, we turned around and headed back to the car.

On the way back, I found an old baby food jar with this paper in it on a survey site. 1980?



The snow started to come down, adding even more fresh powder as we topped out just below Sugarloaf Mountain.





Great company followed by one of the best places in northern Arizona made for an unforgettable trip. Methinks it may be time for 2 snowbikes!

AZSF 2010

The biggest mountain bike gathering in Arizona is almost here, March 10-14, 2010...shirt designs are up courtesy of David P:



Three color options available. Check out the website for ride info. Hope to see you out there.

Diversify

Taking a year off from the 24 Hours of Old Pueblo seemed to coincide nicely with some recent weather. I had planned to be a cheerleader of sorts at the race, but things seemed to fall into place for another activity unrelated to the bike. Several weeks ago, I realized that I was riding my bike too much losing site of some things I used to hold dear, people and old hobbies alike.

Running was run of them (I went for a trail run today) and snowboarding was another. Diversify being on the agenda, I set out on the once forgotten passion of snowboarding.




In an attempt to rid myself of said bike craze, I opted for some mellow riding in the Kachina Peaks/Snowbowl area. Stunning views from the top, almost 12,000 feet. Can you see Bill Williams Mtn in the background?



Same spot facing north



On cue with diversify, we added a lot of hiking to snowboarding passion



and more hiking. While not "backcountry" as some do, it was a little bit out of the sem-crowded, groomed runs. Fresh powder was plentiful on some of these runs.



Aided by the lifts, we went high and rode down low.









Repeat process several times as needed.




It's hard not to be in awe of snow, especially this much.



10 day forecasts hint at snow coming to Flagstaff again....hmmmmmmmmm.

More in the Tortolitas?

Yes, there are even more things to ride in the Tortolitas, largely in part to some existing trail made by cows. Can you find the singletrack in this next photo?



If you answered yes, you are invited on the next fun ride out here.

Sutherland Wash

Another Techy Tuesday Taco Ride followed by some grub at Rubio's. Nathan, Duncan, Max and I took Catalina State Par to Sutherland Wash over to 50 Year, back to Catalina State Park, up Pumpkin and returned back on Sutherland Wash.





I had one of my best cleaning moments riding this section on Sutherland





and this section on the way back down Sutherland Wash. Sporadic yelling is common along these rides...a sure sign that someone has cleaned a new line.





Great day on the bike