Drillium Dude 

Almost ready to hit the road (looking like Saturday morning) for Phoenix and a month of visiting family/friends. Driving down with Sacha and the MTB

If anyone wants to do some riding, I'd be up for it. Off-road only, however. I'm not bringing down any road rigs.

After some research, I think my first ride is going to be the Cholla Loop out at Thunderbird Park. Looks like fun!

Hope to see some of you during my visit. Happy Holidays!

DD

Wildwood 

mtn bikes also roll on pavement.
Have fun.
Those of us on the ski slopes will not miss you, sorry.
Are you going to organize the Spring Puget Sound C&V Convention upon your return?

Drillium Dude 

^ True, and I'll be doing the pavement on my way to some off-road locations, but I don't want to make a habit of it. The entire reason for buying an MTB was to get out in the s**t and get dirty

That and open up the opportunity to enjoy scenery I just can't with a road bike. AZ is full of that kinda stuff!

Have fun on the slopes Wildwood - and we'll try to set something up in the spring.

DD

Pemetic2006

Not sure exactly where you'll be but South Mountain Park has miles and miles of trails. My aunt lives 1 mile from it and I've hiked/run countless miles there.
White Tank Mountain Park is a good one too.

Drillium Dude 

Correct on both accounts, and they're both on my "to do" list while in town I'm within easy driving distance of both, and could probably ride from the house to the site when it comes to South Mountain Park.

DD

Pemetic2006

Good place to be this time of year. If you drink beer I recommend Huss Brewing in Tempe (just west of Priest and north of Elliot).

Drillium Dude 

Yeah, I was down last winter for a month or so, too. While I'll miss the wet, cold hiking in my local mountain range here, I'm really looking forward to some desert off-road stuff for a change. And I'll try to check out Huss Brewing if I can - thanks for the tip!

DD

Darth Lefty 

Fascinating. When I was a kid in the area, Thunderbird Park was only the amphitheater between the peaks and a picnic area at the top of the pass. We clambered and rode our BMX's all over the plains and mountains and the state trust land with no concern. While I was at college the area contiued its long process of suburbifaction, and soon there were well-marked trails all over the hills and signs saying not to go off them. The dog-walker parking lot between 53rd and 55th is right where we used to jaywalk from home. I sort of think the State Trust land north of the CAP canal around Pyramid Peak would be better for goofing around on a MTB than Thunderbird, although I haven't been out there in a while. I'm not sure where the boundaries of the park now lie, but it used to be you could park by 35th by Adobe dam and hike or bike along the north side of the dam, behind the gokart track and the model airplane field etc.

This is important: DO NOT HUG THE TEDDY BEAR CHOLLA

I see looking at a map that they've made the Deems a park too. That's news to me.

Drillium Dude 

Same here. Today? Wow, is it built up! I remember BITD when it was all desert from 51st Avenue and Cactus all the way out to T-Bird Park. Nice, tho, that there's still a great deal of the hillsides out there still undeveloped.

Seems from Google Earth views that the area called Thunderbird Conservation Park has some great trail riding. There's a site near there dedicated to a model railroad club and even a kart racing track (pro-level).

That being said, I appreciate your bringing Pyramid Peak to my attention. I'll have to add that to my "must ride" list, too.

DD

Darth Lefty 

See my edits. Pyramid was still jeep-and-ATV area back then but don't know about now. It's been too long.

Pemetic2006

The Valley changes before one's eyes monthly it seems. Once small outposts are now suburbs with 200,000 people. Amazing.

Belg-Ital Steel 

We're currently in NW Peoria, AZ area and there must to 1000+ new house starts ongoing within 5 miles of our place at this time.

satbuilder 

Are you allowed to ride the Apache Trail? Was out there in '06 on a job interview in Gilbert and we drove it. Pretty impressed.

Fahrenheit531 

I'm no fan of Phoenix and don't expect to be up there, but if you get lost and end up around Tucson look me up!

Cougrrcj

I was just in the PHX area last weekend to visit my mother out East in Gold Canyon. Bought a '86 Miyata 710 in Tempe from a graduating ASU student while I was out there. Leaving that bike at Mom's so I have something to ride when I visit. Going out there again the first week of March and hope to ride the ~75 miles to Tucson to visit other family down there.

Lots of MTB trails out in the Apache Junction/Superstition Mountain area, too. Make sure you have good puncture-resistant tires! Everything out there is trying to stick you -- and puncture your tires! Tires/tubes are expen$$$$ive at bike shops out there since they know you're gonna flat. $60 for a Conti Gatorskin 700c and $10 for a tube!!! I can only imagine what they'd charge for off-road tires!

rootboy 

Ah, memories. When I was there, 1970-72, Thunderbird Park was way out in the boonies! No more, I take it.

To get to the desert, all I had to do was walk across the street, and on up to Squaw Peak for a hike.
And to smoke a doobie.

Pemetic2006

It's changed so much that Squaw Peak isn't named Squaw Peak any longer.

rootboy 

I figured as much. Phooey.

CV-6 

Looking forward to the road trip photos.

Darth Lefty 

You can guess why the name was contentious, the Indians had already been petitioning to change it for a long, long time. When the idea came up to name it after Lori Ann Piestewa, an early casualty of the 2003 Iraq invasion, the few people who stood in opposition wound up looking pretty churlish.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piestewa_Peak

jiangshi

Probably not. El Nino, baby...cool and wet in PHX.

Pemetic2006

I see that next week lows will be in the low 30's. Time to break out the Arctic parka.

johnlp37

There are a lot of good trails in the McDowell Sonoran Preserve you might want to check out as well.

RFC

I suggest you do a little gravel grinding on the SRP Canal trail running from the Pima trail head 15 miles across the reservation to Granite Reef Dam and the base of Red Mountain. You will go through the tribe agricultural lands and great desert scenery. You have to come out the way you went in, so it's a 30 mile trip.

Drillium Dude 

Yup, that area's really going to town. Saw your PM, btw. I'm going to give road riding a pass this time around, tho - too many side-trips this visit. I'll be up in Flag for a week, then Tucson and on to Round Rock, TX a day after Christmas for another week at least. So I'm just going to pound about on the dirty bike this time - but thanks for the offer!

Hope to at least stop and say hello - got your number in any case

DD