Yuma, AZ. What comes to mind? The Sand People from the original Star Wars? A territorial prison from the pioneer days? Heat? Sand? A gas stop on the way to San Diego? Perhaps all of the above. I had heard of some trails there years ago, seen some pics and it looked interesting at the very least. It was never a place I'd consider driving 3 hours just to check out. I figured if I was ever passing through the area with both my bike & a bit of time to spare, I'd give it a whirl. The time had come.
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I must be getting close!! The Imperial Sand Dunes rise above the I-8 corridor along the border in CA. |
I thought Sugarloaf Mtn. would be a bit more pronounced from afar, but it blends into the surroundings and looks more like a series of hills or folds in the landscape. I drove north of town a few miles on two-lane farm roads to find a few cars parked at the trailhead. This must be the place.
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Very cool stonework. Found out later that it was done by a friend's father who lives in Yuma. |
My plan was to keep it short, 1 1/2 hours max. I also wanted to ride the high point of the system to take in the views. I found a route online that fit the bill, a CCW loop just under 10 miles.
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There's not much vegetation here, but what grows is the heartiest around. |
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The Lunar has landed. |
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More craftsmanship with trail markers. |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKs01xsmTERUwRRHi7UoSXDKnfkUJROgcrw2oLjZLk8NN_uPB9ExudWlWUcvELXDO-BsHCDxoylBfFAwbXAkeIp506g7xIa7IwmBtTsmfpRsnNKsRMKF_dTZ7NH_5iz1ZSM5CSi0Z6JUNY/s400/MVIMG_20180225_145649.jpg) |
I may have missed a turn or two, but the plus-sized tires didn't mind the short sandy wash sections. |
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Considering how rocky this place is, the trails are relatively smooth. |
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Pop the champagne, top of Sugarloaf!! |
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Ocotillo are one of the few local residents. |
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Champagne trail carves a path along the upper ridgeline. |
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The trails rode very well, great routing too. |
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Party spot on a Friday night. |
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I didn't find any Gold or Silver, but struck it rich in singletrack. |
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One final up & over on the way down to the trailhead. |
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The Azul hues of the Gila Main Gravity Canal seemed so foreign to this land. |
I finished up right on schedule, then realized I forgot about the 1 hour timezone change on the drive over. I had promised I'd be home around dinner, ok maybe a late dinner now.
All in all, I had a great time on the
Sugarloaf trails and would love to come back and ride the rest of them. I'm guessing you could easily link together a 30, maybe 40 mile ride to hit everything without a ton of overlapping. I also really lucked out with the weather as it was in the high 60's with a light breeze. This is NOT a summer ride!!
If you have time and a bike the next trip through Yuma, give the singletrack a look. It's worth it.
Route: