Friday I picked up the new whip, did a short spin with George to check it out. Saturday was the day for a longer outing, so Mike and I pointed the van north to Flagstaff. We didn't have much of a plan other than making sure we rode down Heart trail this time. I've ridden it twice so far, both times climbing it.
We pulled into a crowded trailhead at the Y, it was a nice weekend morning at 9:20a so we weren't surprised. We managed to snag one of the final spots, then pushed off up the Elden Lookout Rd. Where'd everybody go?
 |
| Up we go. Crews have been hard at work to re-establish stabilization on Elden Lookout road after heavy rains through the Museum Burn Scar. |
 |
| Mike is all smiles...because he's leaving me in the dust!! Photo by Mike. |
 |
| Clear skies, no smoke here unlike a vast majority of the west. |
 |
| Upper Elden Lookout Rd. and thick green trees were a nice sight. |
 |
| Nearing the summit we didn't realize how many clusters of towers were up top. One here. |
 |
| Another here. |
 |
| Taking in the view. Had to use my buff as a head cover since I forgot my new helmet & accessories in Casa Grande the day before. Gah!! Photo by Mike. |
 |
| Mike also has a new whip: Revel Rascal. Sweet looking & riding rig. Photo by Mike. |
 |
| Flagstaff overview from Mt. Elden. |
 |
| Named peaks to the south & west. PeakFinder app. |
 |
| Peaks to the south. |
 |
| The Copper Bandit enjoying the vista. |
 |
| No wonder I was breathing heavy. Photo by Mike. |
 |
| Another large cluster of towers. |
 |
| Humphreys Peak not quite visible behind Agassiz Peak. |
 |
| Peaks to the north. |
 |
| It's time to head downhill. |
 |
| Snafu!! No bikes. We'll join Sunset trail a bit farther down. Photo by Mike. |
 |
| But first, some hike-a-bike. |
 |
| This was my first time riding upper Sunset trail. Photo by Mike. |
 |
| It was a good rip with some chunky bits. Photo by Mike. |
 |
| Mike tucking into the more familiar section of Sunset. |
 |
| Top of Heart trail and the beginning of its 4 mile downhill. |
 |
| Looking back, we've already descended a bunch from the towers. |
 |
| San Francisco Peaks now visible through the Museum burn scar. |
 |
| Iconic rock feature of upper Heart trail. |
 |
| We could tell the trail received a ton of rain. While plenty rideable, some light trailwork is needed to stave off bigger erosion issues. Photo by Mike. |
 |
| Mike rolls the main rock feature, getting way back!! |
 |
| The S turn after the above feature. Photo by Mike. |
 |
| I forgot my gloves too!! Photo by Mike. |
 |
| Glorious contoured trail. Photo by Mike. |
 |
| Where's Waldo?? He's in there... |
 |
| Just like that, the dirt is Sedona red. |
 |
| Mike exits the ribbon of excellence. |
 |
| Another Phoenix friend, Bart, caught up to us while we took a break. Bart was the guy who gave me my last bike, the Motobecane. What a guy!! That bike served me well and saw many grand adventures. I have since paid it forward sending back east to a buddy who will continue to keep it going. |
The lower half of Heart was in much better condition and rode great. It's a really fun downhill and I'm looking forward to another run after the upper trailwork is completed.
 |
| Dodging boulders on Little Elden trail. |
We had entertained thoughts of climbing Little Bear trail, but as we rounded Little Elden, my legs were fading. This was my first ride back at any sort of elevation in over 5 weeks and I was feeling it. We opted to stay low and remain on Little Elden all the way to Schultz Creek trail. We'd then cut over to Lower Moto via the AZT and finish with Easter Island.
 |
| Lupines were still popping. Photo by Mike. |
 |
| Making our way towards Schultz Tank. Photo by Mike. |
 |
| Mike was feeling much better than myself at this point of the ride. |
 |
| Lush trail. |
 |
| Made it to the Sunset trailhead and the start of Schultz Creek. |
It had been years since I rode the upper portion of Schultz Creek, newsflash: still fun!! We stayed on it for about a mile or so before the AZT peeled off to the west. This section of trail had been re-routed last year and this was our first time on it. It was beautiful!! Nicely contoured trail that won't get washed out each time it rains. Well done, trail crew.
 |
| New-ish AZT re-route west of Schultz Creek. |
 |
| Mike splashes down in one of the many water crossings along Easter Island. |
 |
| Look at that, it now has dirt. |
It was a fun loop and we both agreed we need to spend more time exploring the many trails braiding off the Schultz Tank area. You can put a really nice ride together in that area alone.
Great riding, Mike. Let's head north again soon!!
Flyover via Ayvri.com
Route:
Nice loop. Looks like you hit all of the highlights.
ReplyDelete