Thursday, February 21, 2013
Chunk
I am letting the pixels do the talking for this Wednesday ride from a few weeks ago....Add your own soundtrack.
AZ Trail Jamboree Charity Ride
A group of people coming together to raise funds for a common trail... not much more to say. Well, perhaps, a recommendation for you to come out and join us in 2014.
Enjoy the riding this weekend!
Enjoy the riding this weekend!
Wednesday, February 20, 2013
Pinacate Day 2
As usual tour style, we waited for the sun to hit the tent. I slept very well, mostly due to the music and the sandy sections from the previous day. Donuts and tea for breakfast to start the day....mmmmmmmm.
Our goal this morning was to finish riding to Cono Rojo and perhaps *begin* the climb the Pinacate to check out the trail.
Max's sidewall finally went out from the Gila. Looks like super glue only lasts 3 weeks.
The singletrack at Pinacate Volcano was signed with the following:
Pinacate
25km
10-12 hours
It also mentioned that you had to get permission from the reserve if you had wanted to climb the peak. Interesting. We rode up about 1 mile before hitting some sand and opting to turn around (water was getting scarce, having almost used 210 ounces each. I would consider the climb another option to do in the park if you wanted another day.
Although, from what I researched, you would probably have to ditch the bike for the last, steep pitch to the top (30% slope toward the end).
We headed back down in the early afternoon to the car and beyond. Surprisingly, I was beat. I think the heat and sand combo really made this a beat down. Bummer the route was not a little longer so we could ride a little longer this day (see below for an option to lengthen the route).
While at the car drinking beer, we met some of the reserve workers. One old guy showed up his old, 1980s mountain bike drinking mescal like it was water.
"There is always someone out there that is more hard core...."
Directions: Once in Mexico, follow signs for Hwy 2 into the town of Sonoyta (spelled Sonoita on some maps). Turn left on Hwy 2. You'll stay on Hwy 8 all the way to the Biosphere Visitor Center
Leave Hwy 8 at the Biosphere Visitor Center 35 miles from the US Border. There's a large green sign which says Reserva da la Biosfera and Pinacate. Technically, it's "Reserva de la Biosfera de El Pinacate y Gran Desierto Altar". Turn north on the paved side road leading to a gate at the visitor center, which is open 8am to 8pm. We paid $4/person to enter. Since the road is gated and the visitor center seems not to be staffed, you may have to stop and find someone.
Other options
If I had more days, I would add the other side of the mountain and, just east of our route and ride through the Gran Desierto Altar (sand dunes) and make it a loop by using Highway 2 and 8. Finding water would be very, very interesting if you planned to do this version.
I thought about making the loop an option, and saw a building off Highway 2 at these coordinates 32.045024,-113.500596
Finally, look for more trips to Mexico from me. It will be the go-to place for exploration.....
Our goal this morning was to finish riding to Cono Rojo and perhaps *begin* the climb the Pinacate to check out the trail.
Max's sidewall finally went out from the Gila. Looks like super glue only lasts 3 weeks.
Pinacate Volcano in the background
The singletrack at Pinacate Volcano was signed with the following:
Pinacate
25km
10-12 hours
It also mentioned that you had to get permission from the reserve if you had wanted to climb the peak. Interesting. We rode up about 1 mile before hitting some sand and opting to turn around (water was getting scarce, having almost used 210 ounces each. I would consider the climb another option to do in the park if you wanted another day.
Although, from what I researched, you would probably have to ditch the bike for the last, steep pitch to the top (30% slope toward the end).
We headed back down in the early afternoon to the car and beyond. Surprisingly, I was beat. I think the heat and sand combo really made this a beat down. Bummer the route was not a little longer so we could ride a little longer this day (see below for an option to lengthen the route).
While at the car drinking beer, we met some of the reserve workers. One old guy showed up his old, 1980s mountain bike drinking mescal like it was water.
"There is always someone out there that is more hard core...."
In the city of Why, stop at the gas station for a burrito....or 3!
The need to know about the trip
If you plan on doing this trip, call before you go. As noted before, our trip was an exception. Normally, bikes are not really recommended in the park. Directions: Once in Mexico, follow signs for Hwy 2 into the town of Sonoyta (spelled Sonoita on some maps). Turn left on Hwy 2. You'll stay on Hwy 8 all the way to the Biosphere Visitor Center
Leave Hwy 8 at the Biosphere Visitor Center 35 miles from the US Border. There's a large green sign which says Reserva da la Biosfera and Pinacate. Technically, it's "Reserva de la Biosfera de El Pinacate y Gran Desierto Altar". Turn north on the paved side road leading to a gate at the visitor center, which is open 8am to 8pm. We paid $4/person to enter. Since the road is gated and the visitor center seems not to be staffed, you may have to stop and find someone.
Other options
If I had more days, I would add the other side of the mountain and, just east of our route and ride through the Gran Desierto Altar (sand dunes) and make it a loop by using Highway 2 and 8. Finding water would be very, very interesting if you planned to do this version.
I thought about making the loop an option, and saw a building off Highway 2 at these coordinates 32.045024,-113.500596
Finally, look for more trips to Mexico from me. It will be the go-to place for exploration.....
Tuesday, February 19, 2013
Pinacate Day 1
New, different....words that sometimes undermine our riding, with dead ends or sometimes results in us being able to boast about a sick, new trail. The fact is that we all desire to see something new, right?
I was looking for something new, different last week when I came across some guys that really pushed the limit back in 1995. "Check out those sick headbands!" Scott gasped when I sent him the link of the Altar. Motivated by Bicimapas, I called La Reserva Pinacate to explain about my idea to bikepack in the reserve, on the opposite side the 1995 trip.
It would entail riding around craters, lava fields and cinder cones as seen on the official website:
After some emails and the phone call detailing my plan and bikepacking equipment , we got approval...the summary of the response..."una excepcion."
Ah si!
Max and I packed our bags and drove south, camping out one night in the Organ Pipe National Monument before crossing the border and arriving at Pinacate a few minutes before they opened. We paid our $4.50 entrance fee and began pedaling a little after 8am.
The 72km popsicle-style loop was the main route, we would tack on el Cono Rojo and the northern part of the reserve, which is closed to cars.
First, we rode to the Crater Elegante (shown above). Max had a similar feeling about riding something different..."It is nice to not know what is around the next corner. ". The colors changed constantly as we rode.....
From a black-red...
to the typical desert.
Repeat color process. The Crater Elegante had some great singltrack that rounded the entire crater.
The high was 74, but the lava really made it hotter.
After touring the old mine, we cruised back to Tecolote Campground in search of more singletrack and views.
Different, yet stunning. I really was enjoying the ride thus far. Max is always known for his faster pace, even in a "tour" kind of ride. We pushed it faster than what I would normally prefer, but for each site, we managed to have some good rest.
There were some sections of deep sand. Although it was not really difficult, it did take its toll toward the end of the day.
I did get dusted by two cars trying to make sure they arrived before the 5pm gate was locked. Classic.....I had a moment of irritation (I was also hot a tired). Simple to fix....
...stop and take some pictures. I went from irritated to who am I that I have the opportunity to be in Mexico riding a bike in such a beautiful place.
"Who am I that I can ride around craters, lava rocks and cinder cones?" I said that several times as I was looking off into craters the rest of the day, riding down lava rock that has probably yet to have felt a tire or even sleeping under the stars.
Irritated from dirt, heat or lack of water....phew. "First wold problems" as the fiance and I like to call them....
I am riding around a crater! Freaking eh, get over it.
And so the rest of the day was one of "pinch me" and thinking of the fact that we were even allowed to get into the park. We headed to Cono Rojo to camp and cook our dinners under cloudless stars and with little trace of any person. We went to bed with coyotes howling in the background under a half moon....
I was looking for something new, different last week when I came across some guys that really pushed the limit back in 1995. "Check out those sick headbands!" Scott gasped when I sent him the link of the Altar. Motivated by Bicimapas, I called La Reserva Pinacate to explain about my idea to bikepack in the reserve, on the opposite side the 1995 trip.
It would entail riding around craters, lava fields and cinder cones as seen on the official website:
Do you see some singletrack going around the crater in that picture?!
After some emails and the phone call detailing my plan and bikepacking equipment , we got approval...the summary of the response..."una excepcion."
Ah si!
Max and I packed our bags and drove south, camping out one night in the Organ Pipe National Monument before crossing the border and arriving at Pinacate a few minutes before they opened. We paid our $4.50 entrance fee and began pedaling a little after 8am.
The 72km popsicle-style loop was the main route, we would tack on el Cono Rojo and the northern part of the reserve, which is closed to cars.
First, we rode to the Crater Elegante (shown above). Max had a similar feeling about riding something different..."It is nice to not know what is around the next corner. ". The colors changed constantly as we rode.....
From a black-red...
to the typical desert.
Repeat color process. The Crater Elegante had some great singltrack that rounded the entire crater.
The high was 74, but the lava really made it hotter.
An old mine at the reserve pictured in the background
After touring the old mine, we cruised back to Tecolote Campground in search of more singletrack and views.
Different, yet stunning. I really was enjoying the ride thus far. Max is always known for his faster pace, even in a "tour" kind of ride. We pushed it faster than what I would normally prefer, but for each site, we managed to have some good rest.
There were some sections of deep sand. Although it was not really difficult, it did take its toll toward the end of the day.
I did get dusted by two cars trying to make sure they arrived before the 5pm gate was locked. Classic.....I had a moment of irritation (I was also hot a tired). Simple to fix....
...stop and take some pictures. I went from irritated to who am I that I have the opportunity to be in Mexico riding a bike in such a beautiful place.
"Who am I that I can ride around craters, lava rocks and cinder cones?" I said that several times as I was looking off into craters the rest of the day, riding down lava rock that has probably yet to have felt a tire or even sleeping under the stars.
Irritated from dirt, heat or lack of water....phew. "First wold problems" as the fiance and I like to call them....
I am riding around a crater! Freaking eh, get over it.
Crater Colorado in the afternoon
And so the rest of the day was one of "pinch me" and thinking of the fact that we were even allowed to get into the park. We headed to Cono Rojo to camp and cook our dinners under cloudless stars and with little trace of any person. We went to bed with coyotes howling in the background under a half moon....
Wednesday, February 13, 2013
Wednesday, February 06, 2013
Gila 100
Few things are more beautiful than orchestrating your own suffer fest. For years now, we have been flying under the radar doing things we never thought possible. Now, we have found that not only is it possible, but people are doing it far better than we are. There is rarely a clap or shout when we begin; these are not the things that we strive for....in fact, on the contrary, we are here because we want to see *what* our body will do when pushed and pushed and pushed. With that, comes the newest race that we have conjured up...the Gila 100. It has been something we knew was possible with the completion of the Gila Canyons section of the AZT.
And so, we started at 5am last Saturday after a sleepless night filled with coyotes howling and 18-wheeler jake brakes. Only two spectators were there, a giant crowd by normal standards. Things were going well in the beginning from the climb out Picket Post. We chatted and rode. A normal beginning to what would become a long, long day.
Until, I realized I had dropped my GPS probably several miles back. The amount $250 dollars popped into my head. Go back or continue? Money is futile. Continue.
You can't buy a sunset like the one that was over the Gila Canyons that morning. Look to the left and the sun was coming up with some tints of orange, yellow and pink. Look to the right and you saw those being echoed on the canyon walls. Glad I continued to see this moment. We are at one of the highest points of the trail as the sun creeped up, drop into the shade and bomb down what should be called the best trail in Arizona. I could see the front runners about 30 minutes ahead of me, clearly riding faster than I could. I kept pedaling hoping to keep my 4th place.
As I stopped to take off some layers, Ray caught me on his singlespeed. Continue. The moment came to descend, where I closed the gap and pressed on toward the river. Aaron passed as we rode near Gila River. That was the last time I saw him, or Kurt or Max in the distance. Everyone is familiar with the next state of racing. You dig in and just ride.Water stops are made to be short. Fill up your water, and ride. Resting only slows you down.
The ache in my legs happened as I started to go up Ripsey. I started losing ground. Neil, Tom and Ray passed me during the Ripsey Section. Pain. This is what I wanted, right? I started making excuses. If I had only ridden more. Maybe that running over Christmas Break did not really help. I thought cross training would have helped. The mind wanders at its own will. We have all been there. I stopped thinking of excuses and just tried to stay within sight of Neil, who was having knee pain. Again, I am sure you have been here. It is when the ordinary becomes the extraordinary, where each pedal stroke seems like it is harder than the last. Mentally, this is why I was out here... where you match up the pain with your strong will. I often choose to slow down during these tough crossroads. Hammering turns into survival. Excuses become reality. Thoughts like "If I had only ridden a few dozen more hours each week...." become concrete facts and you slow your pace to avoid the pain.
At Freeman Road, things changed, both mentally and physically. I had seen Tom leave the water cache and Neil, unfortunately, would be forced to quite do to knee issues. I put water in my bags, dropped some food and started what I would call, my race. The music started playing in my head, the zeal was back in my body and pain had completely gone. I cruised past Tom and Ray and continued to ride fast. Where had this zeal been during the morning? Ray's handlebar had a saying that had replaced the "If I had only...." ideas, it said "If it was easy, everyone would be out here."
The lighting from atop the new gasline bypasss was another reminder of the best part of biking, riding sunrise to sunset. The Galileros lit up with yellow and pink colors. Night fell as I pressed on into the Black Hills. The eerie qualities of darkness that some acquaint with night riding was exceeded by a calm, brisk night. One could complain about the lack of trail during this section. No complaining from me. It was silent and calm. One could also complain about the hike-a-bike here. Nothing here, just a love of the race.
A could see a LED light in the distance and a light behind me. I had better hurry up if I was going to finish this thing.
Fifteen hours, not bad.
Ask me what I felt about that day and I have nothing but positive things to say. The pictures says otherwise. Don't be fooled, I love this stuff. It is, after all, an *individual struggle* made easier with knowledge, experience and a few other racers around you....
And so, we started at 5am last Saturday after a sleepless night filled with coyotes howling and 18-wheeler jake brakes. Only two spectators were there, a giant crowd by normal standards. Things were going well in the beginning from the climb out Picket Post. We chatted and rode. A normal beginning to what would become a long, long day.
Until, I realized I had dropped my GPS probably several miles back. The amount $250 dollars popped into my head. Go back or continue? Money is futile. Continue.
You can't buy a sunset like the one that was over the Gila Canyons that morning. Look to the left and the sun was coming up with some tints of orange, yellow and pink. Look to the right and you saw those being echoed on the canyon walls. Glad I continued to see this moment. We are at one of the highest points of the trail as the sun creeped up, drop into the shade and bomb down what should be called the best trail in Arizona. I could see the front runners about 30 minutes ahead of me, clearly riding faster than I could. I kept pedaling hoping to keep my 4th place.
As I stopped to take off some layers, Ray caught me on his singlespeed. Continue. The moment came to descend, where I closed the gap and pressed on toward the river. Aaron passed as we rode near Gila River. That was the last time I saw him, or Kurt or Max in the distance. Everyone is familiar with the next state of racing. You dig in and just ride.Water stops are made to be short. Fill up your water, and ride. Resting only slows you down.
Aaron new the Gila River
The ache in my legs happened as I started to go up Ripsey. I started losing ground. Neil, Tom and Ray passed me during the Ripsey Section. Pain. This is what I wanted, right? I started making excuses. If I had only ridden more. Maybe that running over Christmas Break did not really help. I thought cross training would have helped. The mind wanders at its own will. We have all been there. I stopped thinking of excuses and just tried to stay within sight of Neil, who was having knee pain. Again, I am sure you have been here. It is when the ordinary becomes the extraordinary, where each pedal stroke seems like it is harder than the last. Mentally, this is why I was out here... where you match up the pain with your strong will. I often choose to slow down during these tough crossroads. Hammering turns into survival. Excuses become reality. Thoughts like "If I had only ridden a few dozen more hours each week...." become concrete facts and you slow your pace to avoid the pain.
Ripsey Segment
At Freeman Road, things changed, both mentally and physically. I had seen Tom leave the water cache and Neil, unfortunately, would be forced to quite do to knee issues. I put water in my bags, dropped some food and started what I would call, my race. The music started playing in my head, the zeal was back in my body and pain had completely gone. I cruised past Tom and Ray and continued to ride fast. Where had this zeal been during the morning? Ray's handlebar had a saying that had replaced the "If I had only...." ideas, it said "If it was easy, everyone would be out here."
The lighting from atop the new gasline bypasss was another reminder of the best part of biking, riding sunrise to sunset. The Galileros lit up with yellow and pink colors. Night fell as I pressed on into the Black Hills. The eerie qualities of darkness that some acquaint with night riding was exceeded by a calm, brisk night. One could complain about the lack of trail during this section. No complaining from me. It was silent and calm. One could also complain about the hike-a-bike here. Nothing here, just a love of the race.
A could see a LED light in the distance and a light behind me. I had better hurry up if I was going to finish this thing.
Fifteen hours, not bad.
Photo by Caroline
Ask me what I felt about that day and I have nothing but positive things to say. The pictures says otherwise. Don't be fooled, I love this stuff. It is, after all, an *individual struggle* made easier with knowledge, experience and a few other racers around you....
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