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Here in our home state of Arizona we have a whole lot of trails. From the rocks and sand of the low desert to the red rocks of Sedona all the way up to flowy singletrack in the pine trees of the high country. But, as to be expected, with all of these trails come a fair amount users and the ups and downs that go along with it. Access issues, trail erosion, and user conflicts inevitably arise and we do the best that we can to iron out all the kinks and make everybody happy.
– A good example of this is what is currently happening up in Sedona. A recent surge in popularity (and quality of the trails) has brought a lot more attention to area and they are going through some growing pains. Old school meets new school combined with a little Forest Service and other trail users makes for a pretty complex issue. Pinkbike.com did a good job of breaking down the issues in this recent article.
I went up there for the Sedona Singletrack Celebration last weekend and you should probably put that one on your calendar for next year. Grassroots MTB fun at it’s finest.
– I heard some grumbling out of Tucson this week about the proposed paving of trail right through the middle of a popular riding area. Our friends over at Tuscon Velo are staying on top of the story and you can read about it here
Nothing says natural beauty and mountain bike fun like some good old fashioned pavement. I hope for the future generations of shredders that they can change the county’s mind on this one.
– The Arizona Trail Race went down a few weeks ago and the men’s winner, Aaron Gulley, broke the race record (51 hours and 59 minutes) for the 300 mile portion. He tells his story of what it takes to complete a ride like that,over at Outside Magazine I think Aaron summed it up best with this one line:
“No matter how tough you are, the desert is tougher, and enduring sometimes means yielding.”
– Women’s AZT300 winner (and 3rd overall), Eszter Horanyi, tells the two part story of her ride HERE. With part two right HERE.
Those are two really bad ass rides right there but in all honesty, anybody who finishes those 300 miles self supported can call themselves a bad ass I am obsessed with that few hundred miles of trail and I should really just suck it up and toe the start line for the damn race.
– I will leave you with this great video. It is some pretty entertaining stuff and showcases some of my favorite trails on my favorite pile of rocks and sand. I don’t know this guy personally, but I see him on the mountain a whole bunch. I always wondered why he was wearing that full face helmet…
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This post was very timely! We’re planning a visit to the SW from AR with the MtB in the next 2 weeks. I would very much appreciate a few more links dumped for recommended trailheads in Flagstaff and Sedona. wordup, cheers!
@Nate
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