12-29-12 Saturday North Phoenix loop ride

Stage then Depart at 9a.m. from the dirt lot at the intersection of BCC and Old Black Canyon Hwy... get off I17 at exit 244. We will immediately backtrack 8 miles to Table Mesa and head over to 7 springs up to Bloody Basin. From there we plan to take the GWT to Dugas, over to Mayer, down the Blue Bell mine road crossing at Cleator and down Black Canyon Creek to come out near Maggie Mine road and back to BCC.

Depending on time of day, we might add 50 more miles into the middle there by going from Dugas down Copper Canyon to the Verde Valley, across I17 and up the other side to Cherry, down and over to Orme road to Mayer and then hooking back up with the rest of the ride.

About 157 miles round trip (including the extra loop). I'll be riding a KLR but there are quite a few sections of this ride that are a real handful... some I've not ridden at all and others I've not ridden since the summer monsoons modified things. Should be interesting.

I think I am glad I could not make this one:eek1 I think with their planned route, major mud & freezing. Chains may freeze up on the sprockets:eek1:eek1

This ride report will be a cold one!

Back. After today, I need to buy more Loctite thread locker. Every time I turned a corner something else was trying to fall apart. My bike also hit the ground today for the first time ever... and it did it all by itself. I was off poking a branch into a large puddle to see how wet I was going to get crossing it when... CRASH... my bike decided to take a nap on some rocks. No permanent damage. I did not take any pictures so I will have to see what kind of frames I can steal from the helmet cam footage. Cold, tired, hungry... RR to come later.

First time it hit the ground??? You got to start riding faster or harder trails.....

Looking forward to the ride report. Come join us on New Years Day

Glad you made it OK, thaw out

How long did the ride take?

120 miles, left at 9a.m., arrived back in BCC around 5p.m. I think. We only completed 120 miles of the intended 157.

I have only dropped my bike once before today. That was on a nasty little rocky hill. Today was the second time. I just finished washing it in the driveway. I started to walk up to it and just fell over. I quickly picked it and looked around to make sure no one saw it.

Did you go across Table Mesa road??

Yup. Started in Black Canyon city. Since the first thing of the morning we DID NOT want to do was jump on I-17 and freeze for 8 miles, instead we backtracked to Table Mesa along the power lines road. Fun stuff but time consuming and probably mistake number one. We then took Table Mesa to 7 Springs to Bloody Basin to the GWT into Dugas. By this time, we were running way behind and low on gas so we hightailed it for Cordes Junction for fuel, warmth, and food. Took the back way out of Cordes Junction back to Bloody Basin and the dirt through Bumble Bee and Maggie Mine road back.


Since I did not take any pictures, all pics here are screen captures from the helmet cam. Quality is dismal to say the least but I cleaned 'em up in Photoshop as best I could.
Weekend traffic on Table Mesa...


Table Mesa hill climb...


Unfortunately, when only one guy is filming, you get a lot of pictures of the other guy...
Wild Bill enjoying Table Mesa even more the second time 'round...


Snow on 7 Springs...


More to come...

Looks like a great day of riding but a little too chilly for my old bones. I can't comment on bike dropping as I lost count long ago. The one that sticks out in my memory was dropping my Gold Wing at a gas station about 10 years ago. Looked around to make sure no one saw me & quickly picked it up! Mistake:eek1, hence the rotator cuff surgery 1 1/2 year ago Such is life Interested in the power line rd connecting BCC & Tablemesa?

Just curious. Why didn't you stage at Table Mesa rd?

Couple of reasons... I've got friends in BCC and I like to stage from their house and, since we were to be coming down Maggie Mine road at the end of the ride, it just kind of made sense to finish the ride there.

About to tackle the hill down into Dugas...


Not too bad yet...


Lots of loose stuff, lots of big stuff, and several drop offs. Fun!


After surviving the down hill skate on marbles, Wild Bill's first question is, "Is the climb out of this canyon just like what we came down?" Nope, that's the worst of it.


Once you get down in the bottom, it's a cool ride alongside the creek.


The first water hole... it was here that my bike took a snooze while I was off testing the water depth.


Another water crossing... slightly deeper than the first two but longer with ice and the water was really cold.


Wild Bill crossing cautiously since I stirred up the mud on my way through and now he can't see where the rocks are...


Aww phooey... just gas it and go! Did I mention how cold the water was?


Just before this crossing, Wild Bill's low gas light came on and so we made the call to ditch the part of the ride down Copper Canyon to Camp Verde and back up through Cherry, instead heading right for Cordes Junction.
Food! Warmth!


The sun was starting to drop as were the temp's and so we also decided not to do Blue Bell Mine road or the route through Black Canyon and just burn for the barn instead.

Fun day. I guess I should stage further north to hit the upper end of the loop I wanted to do. Another day.

Video... I tried to keep it short and to the point.

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I'll get you details on that.

If you don't know there's a trail on the west side of I-17 from Rock Springs to Table Mesa road. I think its trail #9989

Very nice. I would like to run this with you sometime. I just did Table Mesa to FR 24 back to Cave Creek earlier this week.
I can get to Table Mesa from my house without getting on the interstate. I go up through New River

I can make out something on the aerials over there but it doesn't look like much. It also doesn't show up on MapSource. I'd be interested in finding out more though if it is faster and better quality than the power line road.

Yep, that trail up through the reserve is pretty neat!