AZT #18: Gauging the Sufferfest

Why would anyone ride UP Montana Mtn on the Arizona Trail? Good question, but I have an answer. In spite of the perceived hike-a-bike, HAB, that lie ahead on those upper 2 1/2 miles, I am determined to ride as much of the bike legal AZT that is feasible during this year's AZTR750. I figure if I'm going to do it in April, I might as well see how brutal it's going to be.

I opted to sleep in a bit on Friday and didn't start pedaling north out of Picketpost TH until 10:30a. There were plenty of other trail users milling about, a large group of equestrians were heading south along with a few hikers. I didn't expect to see much, if any, trail users going north.

Of course barely a half mile into the ride I came up on another group of equestrians riding northbound. I crossed under US60 and then Queen Creek making my way to Hewitt Station rd where the rest of the AZTR750 riders will turn left. More than likely my tires will turn right and head to Superior for a burrito before heading up the trail.

The 3 B's of the AZT: Bones, Barbed Wire & Bikes.

As I approached Hewitt Station rd, I noticed a fresh set of tire tracks in the dirt. How old were they? Couldn't have been more than a day old since they weren't trampled by hoof prints. The more I looked at them the more I became convinced the rider wasn't too far ahead.

The trail began a gentle ascent after crossing some railroad tracks and the rubble began to appear. Initially it wasn't a show stopper, but soon the pitch increased along with the number of baseball sized rocks. Time for a bit of HAB.

Beautiful morning to be out of the trail.

A few of these greeted me early on, only a couple minutes here & there.

I think I was cresting the second ridgeline when I noticed some hikers up ahead...and someone pushing their bike! I found the owner of those tire tracks. Five minutes later I caught up to him, out for a day ride. I motored on as the trail was getting pretty good, even mixed in some fun downhill.

Montana Mtn doesn't tower above anything, I think it's the rounded peak on the far left horizon.

Plenty of green in Whitford Canyon.

As soon as I dropped into Whitford Canyon I saw something I had never seen there before: flowing water!! It was a welcome change to the typically bone dry canyon. The water mostly stayed above ground as it made its way towards Queen Creek.

A large group of day hikers were just ahead finishing off their trek as I rode by. I reached the first crossing of FR650 without too much trouble. So far the ride was going well. I wasn't so sure how the next segment would ride as I recall most of it being downhill gong southbound. I'm glad my memory wasn't correct, this section was a blast to ride. Desert wildflowers even made an appearance!!

A splash of gold already on the hillside at this elevation?!? It's going to be a fantastic wildflower year.

Well contoured trail leading towards the larger mountains.

Your typical Arizona jeep road.

A short downhill led me to the second crossing of FR650 at the Reavis Canyon TH. There were only a couple of miles left before the big push up Montana Mtn.

Reavis Canyon TH.

Proof! Water!!

Spotted some trail flagging for a future re-route near a severely washed out section of trail.

There were two portions of the trail that were completely obliterated from last season's monsoon. At least it was only the portions that dipped into the wash, but it was a little difficult to see where the trail picked up again. That's one reason I always ride with a GPS with a loaded track when possible. You simply never know what type of conditions you may encounter on these remote outings.

The GPS now read 13.3 miles, time to get my HAB on. The lower flanks of Montana Mtn are narrow, steep & loose, but not to bad to walk. The elevation gain comes rapidly as you peer back down the canyon.

Typical photo, doesn't really convey the steepness.

Starting to rise out of Reavis Canyon.

Higher up, the trail surface has less rubble to navigate.

The Voodoo was getting tired, so we took a break.

Freshly manicured switchbacks all the way up. Should be real nice to ride down these.

There it is!! The gate just below the saddle signifying the end of the climb.

I love the views up here, so much to take in.

As I neared the top I could hear OHV's up on the ridgeline, it almost sounded like they would be coming down the trail!! I spotted them traversing eastward on FR650 as it wraps around the north side of Montana Mtn.

The GPS was now showing 15.8 miles, 1 1/2 hours in, I crested the saddle. Of the 2 1/2 miles of climbing I think I rode about 0.4 miles. It's a stout climb for sure, but I'd just as soon get in over with in one push in April. Climbing up on the forest roads isn't exactly a cake walk and even though the AZT trends downhill going south, it's still makes you work. Instead I'll enjoy 16 downhill miles on FR172.

On the north side of the saddle were patches of snow even though it was 60º outside. This vantage point provides you with views of Pinal Peak, Mt. Lemmon, Picketpost Mtn, Superstition Mtns and some of Four Peaks. It's quite incredible.

I don't often find snow so close to home.

Part of the Four Peaks behind FR650.

The downhill began on FR650 as it continues north as the AZT to Roger's Trough TH. FR172 splits off about a half mile from Roger's Trough, but I opted to take the detour to the trailhead for a snack. There was plenty of running water crossing the road along with slushy sections!! Snowpack was melting fast, but sure made things interesting.

Popular trailhead for day hikers.

I may have a pic of my Voodoo next to every one of these along the trail.

End of the line for bikes.

The only concern I had riding down FR172 was whether or not my brakes would combust. The road isn't super steep, but speed comes easily and there are a handful of tight turns. I tried taking in the views all the way down, pausing a few times to snap some pics.

The ruggedness of the Superstition Mtns. guards its famed gold stash.

Layers & layers of foothills.

Thick stand of Saguaros.

Such an amazing place to ride.

Towering cliffs and cacti around every corner.

Exiting the canyon.

The entire ride down I only saw one vehicle, a truck that I caught and passed. I could see a wall of dust waiting for me as I approached Hewitt Station rd. The OHV crew was tearing it up, but they were headed the other direction and the dust settled quickly.

It was now late afternoon as Picketpost came back into sight. A few miles of graded dirt led me back to the first couple of AZT miles from the morning. Sure was a fine way to wind down the ride.

Finish line in sight.

It took me about 6 hours to complete the portion I'll ride in April. How long will it take then? Who knows, but hopefully not too much longer. 7 hours? 8?? We'll see.

Hawes: Gidro Pass

Were my eyes deceiving me? I was looking at a recent friend's ride at Hawes on Strava and something didn't look right. There were a whole bunch of squiggly lines going up & over the mountain to the north of the microwave towers. Upon further inspection, this route had only recently been ridden, since December!

I might as well make good use of my free Fridays and check it out. So, off I went after I swiped his track, since I wasn't sure how obvious this trail would be to find.

Bike ready to go, new pedals: check, plenty of tire sealant: check!!

I snagged a spot at the Park-n-Ride location off of Power rd and made a beeline to this new trail via the upper Hawes trail. Simply getting to this junction requires some climbing, nothing hard, but enough to get the heart rate pumping.

Not a real obvious trail split, but one nonetheless.

Same location below the microwave tower.

Right out of the gate the trail had a primitive feel, this didn't change the entire way. There was some good climbing though, then some really steep loose stuff, invading vegetation and tight switchbacks that required hike-a-bike. I was digging it. The views kept getting better and bigger the higher I went.

This had the feel of big kitty country.

Almost as high as Red Mountain.

Spotted a few cool locations to throw down a tent along the way.

Incredible view from a false summit.

Red Mountain now below, such a different perspective up here.

The trail has some real potential.

Near the top I learned what trail I was on. Accurately named.

Stunning vista to the east, Four Peaks, Bulldog Canyon and Weaver's Needle tucked in the background.

As I was snapping pics near the Cactus Garden sign I noticed another rider hiking up the trail. When he topped out I asked if it was his first time up here. He said he'd been hiking the trail up to the summit for a while, but this was his first time with his bike. Based on what I saw of the trail, I'd say it's been there well before December.

I got going while he soaked up the views and caught his breath.

At the top!! Let's see what this downhill is all about.

A short stint on this ridgeline led to a white knuckle descent. (and more HAB!!)

If you have an aversion to heights and sketchy trail, the Goat trail may not be for you. It's narrow, loose in sections, exposed, has some tight turns and is steep. So, I walked a bit, but rode plenty as well. That is, until I felt my front tire go soft. Huh, that pre-ride photo shows plenty of sealant in my front tire or at least ON my front tire. I hadn't topped off in a while and the small pinhole from a likely culprit - read: cactus spine, just wouldn't seal.

While I was prepping my wheel for some goop, the other guy rode on by. A few minutes later I was back in business ready to push my bike up an ultra steep grade to the second summit.

The Goat trail looked relatively new, perhaps this was the missing link?

A trail worthy of its name.

Most of the second downhill was rideable, just beware of the slippery kitty litter surface.

At the bottom of L'Alpe d'Huez. I think this would climb better than Cactus Garden. I'll give it a go next time.

I've been riding out at Hawes for over 20 years now (way to date myself) and I had never ridden Wild Horse in the westbound, downhill direction until this ride. What was I thinking? I'm not necessarily a huge fan of out-n-back rides, so maybe that's why, but after completing what seemed like a 10 mile descent it won't be my only time.

Red Mountain from Twisted Sister.

I had brief thoughts of stringing together a sizable ride, but opted to back off since I was all set to ride the grueling AES APC65 + bonus miles the next day. I finished off my loop going up & over the Mine trail which seemed so small after coming down Gidro Pass.

Little did I know my weekend plans of riding were about to be altered. As I put the wraps on the Hawes ride, I was less than a mile from my car on the fast, flat, easy Canal trail when a lone rogue bee met me head-on. I heard it clip the underside of my helmet, then it got caught under the right arm of my sunglasses! Like a spaz I tried to swat it away while I kept riding. Of course it zapped me, just above the temple - ouch!

I finished the ride, packed up and took a look in the rear view mirror - the stinger was still protruding from my head. I yanked that sucker out and drove home. I didn't think much of it, continued to prep for the following big day. My eye showed some signs of swelling before I went to bed, but nothing I was concerned about. At least not until 5am when my alarm went off...

Rut-roh, doesn't 'look' like I'm going anywhere today. Drat.

I looked like I'd been in a bar brawl. While it looks horrendous, it didn't hurt. By Sunday night it was almost back to normal. Jeez.