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| South Mtn. pedal around, AZ | | -
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| | South Mtn. pedal around, AZ | | | |
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South Mtn. pedal around, AZ
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| Mtn Biking | 30.00 Miles |
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| | Mtn Biking | 30.00 Miles | 4 Hrs | | 7.50 mph |
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| no partners | | This triplog may seem a little out of place but maybe it'll appeal to other PHX hikers with a mtn. bike in the garage.
First, this is not for serious mtn. bike people, its for us once a year types who'd rather walk the bike up or down a hill than hurt or strain ourselves. The idea is to go all around South Mtn. without riding in traffic.
If you get the nice Green Trails Map from REI the route is almost obvious. Start at the Pima Canyon trailhead near 48th and Guadalupe (#1 on attached map). The first 9 miles uses the famous Desert Classic bike trail and is the most technical part of the trip. If by the time you get to the end at the Telegraph Pass trailhead (#2), your exhausted, just ride back on the roads through Ahwatukee.
Continuing however, head west and south on the suburban roads, down the hill, and right on Chandler till the road ends. Go past the barrier and take the dirt road out toward the Ahwatukee island of new homes. When you hit pavement (#3) head south to Pecos and then west (through the barrier) again on a dirt road. After another couple miles you hit that awkward interface with the Gila River Reservation. There's a sign warning against various activities (including trespassing) but I really don't think there talking about bikes on the road...it seems perfectly OK to approach from the other side. Continue on out to the paved road (51st Ave) and get a 99cent Arizona Iced Tea at the Komatke Market.
Ride a couple miles north on 51st Ave (mainly a wide shoulder) and take the 1st right (Estrella Dr.) after entering Laveen (#4). Pedal to the end, keeping an eye out for a path which climbs the hill to the SE. Casual bike people will push the bike up this short climb but on the other side you quickly reach the Ramada at the end of San Juan Road within the Park (#5). From here you can pedal on the pavement but riding the flat part of the National Trail (from the Ramada) is fun. The road seems to be closed so your sharing the area with road bikers only. It's rolling hills until you hit the fork (~2.5 mi), and from there its mainly downhill as you coast out of the park on Central Ave.
Take a right on Dobbins (#6) which curves north up onto 20th St. Now you're heading for the paved path along the Highline Canal (#7), which you take east before getting to Baseline. This is nice riding -it curves north and hits Baseline at 40th St. From here its actually OK to ride the sidewalk along Baseline for a few hundred yards until the canal crosses back, and then take the dirt canal path SE. It soon joins a little road (Beautiful Lane) which takes you to 48th St. From here go right and when you reach the roundabout below Rustler's Roost, go right (8), climb a hill, go through a gated community (bikes OK!), and your back to the trailhead where you started.
I'd been thinking about this trip for a while and it didn't disappoint. 30 mi is a gross estimate for the distance and I'm sure there are smarter/more elegant shortcuts than I found. Again that map from Green Trails makes this description more intelligible. |
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