1 Antelope Peak Challenge

The start of the Arizona Trail with Antelope Peak in the background.

When: Sunday January 25, 2009 at 7:00 am Where: Willow Springs, near Oracle, Arizona What: Antelope Peak Challenge, an endurance mountain bike race We will be meeting at the Willow Springs Road, just off Highway 77, where we will be riding up some single track near the Biosphere II and toward the AZ Trail just east of Oracle. Join today.

The GPX file is now available on the Google Group.

Route caution: There is a high probability that you will get more than 1 flat during the ride. If you are running tubeless or tubes, make sure to plan accordingly with 2-3 spare slime tubes. Sealant is highly recommended in all tubes.

Route Maps will be made courtesy from Topofusion.com

Route Description:

We will have a neutral start until the town of Oracle. From Oracle, simply head east on highway 77, until Tiger Mine Road, the first dirt road on the left.

Cues were measured from GPS data, so they may be slightly on the short side. Absolutely no guarantees on accuracy!

0.0 Junction of Tiger Mine Road (graded dirt) and Hwy 77
1.5 AZT begins on left under large sign
* Follow AZT, using GPS, cairns, tire tracks, maps and general trail sense
7.4 begin gasline heading northwest, signed AZT

16.3 Bloodsucker Wash. Gasline continues (signed private). Turn right down Bloodsucker wash, still on AZT
18.5 Faint singletrack leaves wash on left / north side. Look for cairn / AZT sign (possibly on ground)
19.1 Singletrack merges onto road. Follow sign to left.
20.4 Beehive Well. Old ranch and windwill. Possible water source. Turn left / up wash.
20.8 Singletrack leaves wash on right. Look for cairn.
28.4 turn left on graded Freeman road, following AZT sign
28.7 AZT continues on the right, continue straight on Freeman Road
32.8 turn left on Willow Springs Road
38.5 EASY TO MISS TURN

* Well graded road turns HARD right and climbs
* Don’t take it, but at the same intersection a more faint road heads southwest (still a right turn off main road)
* BAILOUT – Easiest way back at this point is to stay on main road (Willow Springs), bypassing the 24 hour course and Painter Boy singletracks. Willow Springs road goes directly back to the Start / Finish.

39.1 Road drops into wash, turn left and look for VERY faint road climbing out of wash, more a clearing than a road
39.2 Clearing leads to place to cross fence (one wire cut) go through fence and continue on faint singletrack.
39.8 Faint singetrack hits 4×4 road, turn left on road
40.2 Road curves to right where singletrack proceeds straight. Take singletrack (Painter Boy trail).

40.7 EASY TO MISS TURN. Look for a trail junction (possibly flagged with orange tape). Turn left on singletrack here. * Continuing straight will lead on more singletrack back to the 24 hour course start/finish area, but it is not the course.

43.3 Junction with 24 hour course “high point” singletrack. Turn right. Begin descending towards 24 hour start/finish shortly.
45.0 24 hour start finish area. People camping in this area. Turn left on main dirt road, climbing for a bit.
45.2 Look for singletrack on the right (signed with a carsonite a bit off the road)
45.3 Junction with His / Hers trail, turn left (southeast) to proceed to the Willow Springs Arch parking lot

45.7 “Arch” parking lot, continue south, back to Willow Springs Road

47.0 “Arch” parking lot, continue southeast, and turn right on Willow Springs Road
53.3 Willow Springs road ends at highway 77 – Finish

Time bonuses will be given for:

* Cleaning all of the hills on the gasline– 15 minutes

*Reaching the summit of Antelope Peak (~0.5 miles and ~400 feet off route)– 75 minutes

*Doing first lap of the 2008 Old Pueblo 24 hour course–60 minutes any lap thereafter– 90 minutes

This race has been made available largely in part from the collaboration with Scott Morris at Topofusion.com (many thanks to Scott and Topofusion.com).

Upated 1/24/2009