prescott monstercross, AZTR and riding thru Phoenix?

[taprider]

plan to fly to Phoenix Easter weekend and bike from the airport up to Prescot and do the Monstercross, then bike back to Phoenix/Apache Junction and ride AZT southbound to Oracle then base out of Tucson until AZTR
what advice do you have to ride from Sky Harbour Airport to the Black Canyon Trail, then back across Phoenix and avoid 4x4s and drunks with guns?

[AZAnn]

MAG Bikeways app is the Maricopa County bikeways map.  That might be a help.


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[AZTtripper]

Aaron reports the Maricopa trail under I 17 is blown out from flooding as is the first segment of the BCT recommend picking up BCT at Emory Henderson TH instead. I guess it depends on how bad you don't want to be on the freeway.

Bus and bike http://www.valleymetro.org/getting_on_board/bikes_bus http://www.valleymetro.org/images/uploads/system-map-whole-150926.pdf   

I would look at using the bus system to get away from the airport and then the Flagstone route back across town.

Otherwise google maps shows plenty of bike lanes to get you north to pick up the trail.

[Eszter]

Talk to John Schilling. I followed his route across PHX once and only passed one dude with a big semi-automatic looking gun guarding a dump with giant pigs. But other than that...

[taprider]

does that mean if I don't follow his route, I will pass several guys with fully automatics?

[AZTtripper]

Riding into Scottsdale reminded me a line from Empire of the Sun, the little kid says to the John Malkovich character "I can show you opulence" then you get to Fountain Hills and it's another level of fancy.

Here's the track the John S and Ray H help me work out for  the BCT to AZT connection. Aaron W from Solida used this track just last month. He didn't say anything about automatic weapons. But hey it's Phx so someone could start sniping bike trails any day.

I left out the hateful stuff east of Lost Dutchman State Park and you'll want to work out a different way under I-17 from what Aaron said. Other then that be sure to save your appetite for the posh C-stores of Scottsdale.

[aaron w]

Did I fail to mention automatic weapons?  I thought CO was gun happy but AZ is on another level.  Of note was machine gun fire of a larger caliber than I've ever heard!

[AZTtripper]

Guns, exploding targets, yea ha.

[schillingsworth]

Taprider,
I think I have a slightly updated track from BCT to AZT, I'll check tonight when I get home.

Riding north from Sky Harbor may not be all that bad. Leaving the terminal the SkyTrain will drop you off on Washington & 44th St. A quick spin north on 44th, right on Van Buren then left on 48th puts you on a nice urban bikepath / parkway kind of road. This will head north & tie into the Arizona Canal which happens to be a bike route. Check out: http://geo.azmag.gov/maps/bikemap/ for all the Phoenix bike routes. Try and stay on the red, yellow & brown the most.

Eszter, I'm not ever going to live that one down, huh? (That was a southern Phoenix routing from Queen Creek - Gilbert - Chandler - Phoenix via South Mountain)

It's not truly an AZ ride if gunfire isn't heard....

[Eszter]

Eszter, I'm not ever going to live that one down, huh? (That was a southern Phoenix routing from Queen Creek - Gilbert - Chandler - Phoenix via South Mountain)

It's not truly an AZ ride if gunfire isn't heard....

I just think it's funny because I was so freaked out then. Now, I'm like, 'Oh, gun. You don't even need a license to get one of those!'

[schillingsworth]

Here's the current version I have for the Flagstone500

http://www.schillingsworth.com/gpx/Routes/Flagstone500/

File was too large to attach it. The most notable changes are where the track traverses through North Phoenix and into the East Valley towards the Superstitions. I tried to add in more trails and up the fun factor.

I would add this re: BCT northbound. Skip the 6 miles between the Carefree Hwy & Emery Henderson TH - flat, sandy & hard to follow. Take the BCT north from EH, staying right at the Boy Scout Loop and the Little Pan Loop (unsigned about 1 1/2 miles north of Table Mesa TH). Take the right at the top of the climb following the 2nd river crossing into the Rock Springs TH. There's resupply available at the Rock Springs Cafe and PIE!! From here ride north on the paved frontage road, take a left onto Maggie Mine rd and continue north. About 18 miles after Rock Springs the road splits at a large metal tank, go right onto Antelope Creek rd. Climb for 3 miles. At the top the BCT crosses, hang a left onto a dirt road marked as the BCT. Take this north to another crossing of Antelope Creek rd. take this into Mayer. You're on your own for a route into Prescott from there, plenty of dirt options. Ride the entire BCT on your southbound return, this time stay right when you reach the top of the Little Pan Loop and left at the Boy Scout Loop to repeat the east side of the loop. (The west side is a boring jeep road). Post up if you have any questions.

-John