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PostPosted: Tue Jan 18, 2011 6:41 pm 
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About the mid-way point on Interstate 8 between San Diego, CA and Casa Grande, AZ lies the town of Yuma, AZ. Most folks don’t take notice of it other than a last chance to fill up with cheap gas before entering into the neighboring state of Taxifornia. Yes, people do live here. Take notice of the vehicles during the winter months, you’d wonder if Canada invaded the US with plates from British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, and the like. With a population north of 200,000, these folks need some place to recreate besides the sand dunes to the west.

In my numerous travels to Phoenix from San Diego, I couldn’t help but notice cars parked at the end of a frontage road as I sat in line at the Border Patrol check point, leaving the east side of town. One particular Phoenix meeting ended early only to find widespread rain as I exited the building. Since Phoenix was out of the plan, I headed to sunny Yuma for some exploring. Occupying me for nearly 3 hours, I brought back some fellow riders the following month to share the experience. From the eastern most exit on I-8 in Yuma, Foothills Blvd, jump on the north frontage road and head east to the very end of the pavement start the adventure.

The communication towers up on the ridge would be the day’s high point.

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Hitting the dirt access road, singletrack goodness starts under the powerline poles and starts the climb,

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Which gets a bit technical,

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And then mellows out with some flow.

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Oh, but what do we have here?

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Once the singletrack ends, so does the fun. The service road to the towers is rough poured concrete and starts out at an 11% grade.

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But then you hit a wall halfway into the 0.9 mi climb when it steepens into an average of 24% for the remainder. Hikers thought we were crazy but what’s new?

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If you’re still on the saddle between here and the top, you’ll enjoy several short sections exceeding 30% slope.

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Should you find superhero power and make it to the top without stopping, descend and repeat the 800’ climb for some brutal humiliation while averaging an 18% grade. Else enjoy the view from the top from Telegraph Pass as your heart rate lowers below 300.

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Everyone arrived at the top with preconceived notions of an awesome singletrack descent. I gave them the option of this trail off the top, but after seeing the highly visible X, likely marking where the last person died on the XXX descent,

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Everyone unanimously approved of back tracking.

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Being the only time I’ve ever lowered my seat on the road, canyon air smelled nothing short of a descending 18-wheeler.

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Then back track on the singletrack.

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After the 4.3 mile out & back, we’re back at the start…but hold your horse part’ner. We’re not done yet as there’s a whole ‘nother section of trail system to be ridden. We picked up a faint trail on the other side of the wash and followed it along the base of the mountains.

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Then picked up some ATV tracks once it disappeared, heading in the general direction of the big rock mound. Eventually hooking up with a trail around the circumference of the mound.

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On the western most side, a trail heads up to the cross on the hill.

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Although primarily a hiking trail, those wanting to get their black diamond descent fix definitely don’t want to miss this option.

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We took in the view,

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Wow’d the hikers on the descent with our Jedi-like prowess,

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Then picked up the trail along the base and headed around.

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On the southeast side, either turn south on an ATV track to the frontage road and back to the vehicle or spend more time exploring a couple of optional HAB routes. Not a destination ride in and of itself, but it fills the bill if you need a few hours out of the car with a killer climbing experience with some 1,400’ of climbing in 9 miles.

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Fortuna Hills (aka Telegraph Pass)
Yuma, AZ
8+ miles of trail/ATV/dirt road
4.6 miles of singletrack

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bajamtnbkr, Broke That, Canaan, Christ D., EMFC, evdog, Gman, K2Brandon, kreechan, Mudd, OhNooo, PacMan, Ray Dolor, Red Hot Sloth, Robo, sierragoldens, Spec-ED, tfitz
PostPosted: Tue Jan 18, 2011 8:08 pm 
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That climb to the towers was insane! By far the steepest grade I've ever climbed. I hope I never meet it's equal!


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PostPosted: Tue Jan 18, 2011 10:15 pm 
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Awesome - Makes me want to get on my bike and ride!


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PostPosted: Wed Jan 19, 2011 10:14 am 
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nice sean!!
i approve of the top trail that you guys did not ride, lets giver her a go on the next pheonix trip!


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PostPosted: Wed Jan 19, 2011 11:57 am 
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dft wrote:
nice sean!!
i approve of the top trail that you guys did not ride, lets giver her a go on the next pheonix trip!


That'd be right up your alley! Death on a stick for us mere mortals though.


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PostPosted: Wed Jan 19, 2011 12:03 pm 
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dft wrote:
nice sean!!
i approve of the top trail that you guys did not ride, lets giver her a go on the next pheonix trip!

Yeah, as soon as I saw it I said I'd save it for DFT to have the first offical run.


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PostPosted: Wed Jan 19, 2011 12:04 pm 
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and i thought elfin forest was a bad climb. props to you. :thumbsup: :thumbsup:


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PostPosted: Wed Jan 19, 2011 1:36 pm 
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PostPosted: Wed Jan 19, 2011 5:26 pm 
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Nice Pics!

I've been looking for something to break up the boring slog of a drive across the desert and though Yuma would be my chance, but haven't seen anything promising till this. I'm putting this on the list to check so I can survive sitting in the car on the way to Phoenix.


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PostPosted: Wed Jan 19, 2011 11:47 pm 
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3blackbikes wrote:
Nice Pics!

I've been looking for something to break up the boring slog of a drive across the desert and though Yuma would be my chance, but haven't seen anything promising till this. I'm putting this on the list to check so I can survive sitting in the car on the way to Phoenix.


Better option would be Sugarloaf. The second time I rode in Yuma was on the way to Tucson. We left San Diego late morning, so there was no way of getting a daylight ride once we got to Tucson. We burned the afternoon light til sunset, then jumped back in the vehicle. Yuma lies nearly mid-way between Phoenix and San Diego.


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PostPosted: Thu Jan 20, 2011 1:26 pm 
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Nice reports on this off the beaten path stuff! We saw these trails while in line at the checkpoint and asked the border patrol guys about them, they said there were some good trails here.

Are you going to post ride reports from Tucson? I'm interested to see what you guys rode...its definitely a great destination.


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PostPosted: Thu Jan 20, 2011 6:38 pm 
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evdog wrote:
Are you going to post ride reports from Tucson? I'm interested to see what you guys rode...its definitely a great destination.

Yep, working down a big back log of reports over the last 4 months. Tucson has lots of great riding and beer drinking afterwards.


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PostPosted: Thu Jan 20, 2011 7:58 pm 
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Great report. I especially love the picture that showed the steep grade of the road you guys climbed. It makes me want to do it and not do it at the same time. Haha.

What were the temps like?

I'd like to check out that trail you guys didn't do, but I don't think I'd survive the climb.

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PostPosted: Thu Jan 20, 2011 8:20 pm 
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badkittyjing wrote:
Great report. I especially love the picture that showed the steep grade of the road you guys climbed. It makes me want to do it and not do it at the same time. Haha.

What were the temps like?

I'd like to check out that trail you guys didn't do, but I don't think I'd survive the climb.


Temps were low 70's--great riding weather! I don't think anyone short of a Red Bull contestant would/could ride that "trail". Seriously, it was death on a stick. The first part in the pic is the "easy" part.


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PostPosted: Thu Jan 20, 2011 8:27 pm 
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PacMan wrote:
I don't think anyone short of a Red Bull contestant would/could ride that "trail". Seriously, it was death on a stick. The first part in the pic is the "easy" part.


You haven't seen dft ride, have you?


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