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Thanksgiving 2010 in AZ - Day 1: Estrella
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Author:  evdog [ Mon Nov 29, 2010 11:35 pm ]
Post subject:  Thanksgiving 2010 in AZ - Day 1: Estrella

With Thanksgiving approaching plans were made to head to Arizona for some more sweet trails. By taking off Mon-Wed we could get in a full week of riding - the only question was whether to break up the trip and spend a few days in Phoenix in addition to our main destination, Sedona. The storm which would be moving through San diego and into AZ sealed the deal, so a stop in Phx it would be, where at least the temps wouldn't be freezing and there would be less chance of rain.

After a late start and some delays we would only have a few hours to burn on day 1, so after some discussion we settled on Estrella preserve. Most other places seemed like they would require more time than we had to properly explore. Estrella on the other hand is fairly small yet enough to keep us busy, and with cheap camping on site.

Setting up camp beneath pretty, yet sharp-spined Ironwood trees. Watch your head and your hands, these things are sharp!
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Road runner. Meep, meep! (Pic courtesy Gman)
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I was responsible for the bad trail decisions today, suggesting we ride the outer trails first starting with Rainbow Valley. It was steep and loose, not a ton of fun to ride. On the bright side, everything else would seem that much better....
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406 on a nicer section of trail
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Descending past cactus. (Pic courtesy Gman)
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Picturesque
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Gman on a steep
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406 follows
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And slides into a loose corner
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Still surfing rock
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Onwards
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Through a cool trench
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We turn off onto another trail in search of flow
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And flow we find (Pic courtesy Gman)
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Gman styling it up
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Meanwhile, I smack my hand on one of these, embedding a thorn under the skin in my knuckle. We could see a lump moving under the skin when I moved my fingers, but the only way to get it out would have been to cut my knuckle open. So the thorn stayed in. After a couple days it is long forgotten.
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406 and Gman wait while I put my gloves back on
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Moving along
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We head back out the valley
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Late afternoon light
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Gman and 406 decide to take the sure thing back to the trailhead. I wanted to check out a different trail rather than double back.
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Gadsden was another of the outermost trails. Half a mile of it went down this wash (fail!), and a good part of the rest of the trail was thrashed by horses. Don't ride Gadsden!
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Toward the end I finally get some flow back. Of course, there was little time to enjoy it with the sun going down
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406 having more fun than me (Pic courtesy Gman)
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Gman flowing (Pic courtesy Gman)
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More fading light
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Darker and darker
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It wasn't as dark on the trail as the camera makes it out to be, but it would be by the time I pedal back to camp.
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There was a fair bit of trail we didn't get to hit, so with the nearby camping this place is definitely worthy of another visit at some point. We headed back into town and found a great pizza place just a few blocks away, then headed back to camp to relax by the fire for a little before getting some rest in anticipation of South Mtn.

Author:  sierragoldens [ Mon Nov 29, 2010 11:46 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Thanksgiving 2010 in AZ - Day 1: Estrella

The new 2011 Sultan sure is purdy. Thanks for the TR.

Author:  406 [ Tue Nov 30, 2010 9:14 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Thanksgiving 2010 in AZ - Day 1: Estrella

The photos turned out really well and we did find a few fun trails, so wasn't that bad.

You forgot to mention the fairy festival, evdog's real reason for checking out Estrella.

Regarding the delay, I found this on the net that explains some of my questions:
Quote:
* Normally under the Fourth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, the American people are not generally subject to random and arbitrary stops and searches.
* The border, however, has always been an exception. There, the longstanding view is that the normal rules do not apply. For example the authorities do not need a warrant or probable cause to conduct a “routine search.”
* But what is “the border”? According to the government, it is a 100-mile wide strip that wraps around the “external boundary” of the United States.
* As a result of this claimed authority, individuals who are far away from the border, American citizens traveling from one place in America to another, are being stopped and harassed in ways that our Constitution does not permit.

100 mile wide Constitution-free zone, don't like the sound of that.

Author:  Gman [ Tue Nov 30, 2010 6:03 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Thanksgiving 2010 in AZ - Day 1: Estrella

These trails turned out to be a nice warm up for what was to come.

As far as the delay, all I gots to say is: FREAKING DOGS!!! :crying:

Author:  kreechan [ Tue Nov 30, 2010 8:13 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Thanksgiving 2010 in AZ - Day 1: Estrella

Gman wrote:
These trails turned out to be a nice warm up for what was to come.

As far as the delay, all I gots to say is: FREAKING DOGS!!! :crying:


I hear you had an entire week of mountain biking with a completely new mindset :lol:

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