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| Mtn Biking | 10.41 Miles |
467 AEG |
| | Mtn Biking | 10.41 Miles | 1 Hour 39 Mns | | 6.31 mph |
| 467 ft AEG | | | | |
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| no partners | | My plan was to bike a 10-mile “mega loop” including part of Ansazi Loop, most of Campbell Mesa Loop, all of Walnut Meadows Loop, part of Sinagua Loop, and all of Continental Loop. And, if I felt frisky, do it a second time. Or maybe just do one of the shorter loops again. 
I started biking up the dark gravel road past the info kiosk, under the powerlines, onto singletrack Anasazi Loop. After 200 yds., Anasazi Loop splits: Left for clockwise, right for counter-clockwise. I went left.
I passed several hikers on Anasazi Loop and Continental Loop, always approaching cautiously. Everybody was friendly, with the exception of a gal with headphones on who had no clue I was behind her. Stay alert! Stay alive!
There are many small climbs on the Campbell Mesa Trail System, but the two steepest ones are 75 ft. @ 5.9% on Anasazi Loop as it approaches Campbell Mesa Loop, and 60 ft. @ 4.0% on Walnut Meadows Loop from the Arizona Trail intersection. There’s climbs that have more gain, or more distance, but those two are the steepest. This fat man made it up both without dabbing. 
… Which was no easy task due to the often rocky trail surface. (Rocks either causing loss of traction, or a step you need to lift over on climbs.) Frequent switchbacks on MTB-optimized trails, such as Campbell Mesa Trail System, also make it harder to maintain pace. Personally, I’d trade switchbacks for the risk of bombing a descent.
At 1.4 miles, at the top of that 5.9% climb, Campbell Mesa Loop splits left from Anasazi Loop. At 2.5 miles, I initially split left onto Flagstaff Loop Trail. I only went a few yards before correcting my mistake. At 4.9 miles, after a couple of moderate climbs, I made a sharp left off Campbell Mesa Trail onto Walnut Meadows Loop. 
Because of the switchbacks on Walnut Meadows Loop, I slow rolled the sketchy bits down to the Arizona Trail intersection, at the 6.2 mile mark. Stay right, or you will end up at heading towards Fisher Point. The 4.0% climb up from that intersection was thankfully less twisty, so I made it up without too much problem.
At 7.6 miles, I split left onto Sinagua Loop. It looked like my route would take me on a long climb up a powerline road, but luckily it was only a few hundred yards. Just after re-entering the forest, I headed straight across a trail intersection, paralleling the powerline back to the dark gravel road. I went straight across that as well, past the information kiosk, onto Continental Loop, which I rode counter-clockwise.
The mild climb up Continental Loop, to the bluff above the Rio de Flag, has really nice views of Mount Elden. The surface was mild. However, the downhill to close the loop was probably the rockiest part of my ride. Being somewhat straighter, I attacked it as much as an old guy can, and my experience was actually smoother than Walnut Meadows Trail.
Because I knew I was running low on GoPro battery, I rode Continental Loop as fast as I was able. I made it back to the dark gravel road with 100 ft. of power to spare. I would definitely ride Campbell Mesa Trail System more often if I lived closer!  |
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Wildflowers Observation Light
Blue wirelettuce (?), foothill paintbrush, Dalmatian toadflax, lots of tiny fleabane, lupine on the hill near the AZT connector. Maybe more, but that's all I can remember off hand. |
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| http://prestonm.com : Everyone's enjoyment of the outdoors is different and should be equally honored. |
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