12/16 - Two and a Half Bypass, Phoenix

prev contents next

The Phoenix Triple Bypass - by Waltaz

Or almost, in really today I think is was "just" a double bypass.

In short, this was a very fun large-ish group ride with a bunch of the Phoenix locals (DirtGirl, Waltaz, Doode, and a number of others who equally deserve recognition yet my brain completely fails to recall their names, sorry gang, I warned you)..

They were a fun group to be sure.

For my home-y people, this ride had the same soul as one of our good romping-the-BCGB rides. Nobody left behind, good pacing, BUT there was a bunch more climbing to be had here. We only did two big climbs, but totalled over 4100 ft of climbing at just over 20m of distance.

Nice.

The trail network out there is really well done, it's obvious there's been a crazy amount of work to build that network, and sign it.

The riding route I can not give you by the names of the trails, what I can say is that we left from the 128th street trailhead (north of Shea, near Scotsdale IIRC), rolled seme mixed up/down singletrack/jeep rd, up to a saddle overlooking the valley, down some more and through a wash that provided us with great roller-coastering, and to the the trail that circumnavigates McDowell Peak (going up and over Windgate Pass first).

The climb up and over Windgate was fairly difficult. I did not even come close to cleaning it, some sections were simply too steep for my tired legs.

The climb up and over the second pass was in comparison easy.

We didn't do the third pass.

Coming down out of the passes was just simple rip-roaring ear-2-ear-smile type of fun.

For my Austin buddies, the thing these trails have that we lack is the long sustained climbing, coupled with the long sustained dowhilling.

But, with the spice of lots and lots of cactus to go along with the rocks.

Crud I'm pooped, going to post this short version, maybe add some more thoughts tomorrow.

The GPS tracklog is available in both GPS Exchange and Google Earth KML formats.

I'd post a Google Earth snapshot, but there's really not much point (kind of like Bootleg), as the track goes around behind the mountain, making single-viewpoint image difficult to capture all of the essentials.

See, rocky trails.

James rolls in...

... as does DirtGurl

Yes, there is some cactus by the trail, why do you ask?

View from up the hill, looking into the Phoenix valley

The view of a shrub on the top of Windgate pass

Great trail signage.

One tired rider, up there, somewhere...

Waltaz, organizing the troops

Bear gets another mug-shot, heh.

Switchback riding example No 1...

Switchback riding example No2

DirtGurl brought some interesting during-ride snacks. Required spoon.

Ahhh, cruisng the DH action....

At lunch, Bear becomes the center of a Kingsman Samwich

:D

Alas, this is the end of my visit to Phoenix.

See you next time, if I can...

Tomorrow? Milagrosa shuttle run. Parked at chadf's place for the night.

prev contents next