Antelope Peak Challenge

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

The Antelope Peak Challenge is to ride the Arizona Trail from Oracle, AZ to Antelope Peak, which lies in the middle of a remote piece of the Sonoran Desert. A time bonus is given for optionally reaching the summit of the peak (which has no trail). Then ride back using a combination of dirt roads, cattle trails and the 24 hour course.

Course Information

When:
January 21, 2023  8:00am

Where:
The loop will be ridden counterclockwise.  We will stage at a parking area on the west side of Willow Springs Road – about 6.5 miles north of 77. Click here for google maps. A State Trust Land permit is required to ride trails (except for the AZT) in the area, and to park or camp at Willow Springs (where we stage). Permit information available here. Permits are available by mail and also online now, so make sure you send in your application early.

GPX:
APC_2021.gpx

See TopoFusion’s Tutorial on uploading GPX tracks for help loading these files onto your GPS.

Time Bonuses:
75 minutes — Reaching the summit of Antelope Peak (~0.5 miles and ~400 feet off route)

60 minutes – for riding a partial loop of the 24 hour course, from where Painter Boy joins the route to Willow Springs. That is, when you get to the start/finish area of 24 hour town, you head out towards ‘the bitches’ and complete a lap to Willow Springs, rather than following the GPX, which cuts to the His/Hers trail directly.

120 minutes – for each additional lap of the 24 hour course — NO LIMIT on the number of extra laps a rider can log!

Route caution: There is a high probability that you will get more than 1 flat during the ride. Tubeless with fresh sealant is highly recommended. 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.

Course Map :

Route Description:

From Willow Springs Road, ride south toward 77 in a neutral start. Continue the neutral start east on 77, past Oracle to Tiger Mine Road. At the start of Tiger Mine Road the race officially starts. Head north on Tiger Mine to the Arizona Trail – about 1.5 miles. Ride the AZT some 30 miles, past and around Antelope Peak (optional stop to climb the peak on foot – good for time bonus but there is no trail — figure out your own route!) to Freeman Road. Take Freeman Road West to Willow Springs / Barkerville Road. Continue South on Willow Springs Road to the Painter Boy trail, 24 hour downhill, to 24 hour town, then His/Hers trails. His/Hers will dump you out into the finish.

This race has been made available largely in collaboration with Scott Morris of TopoFusion.com

SUPER BONUS APC ROUTE 

Back by popular demand (ok one person asked about it) is the mega APC loop. Essentially it is the usual APC course with a little jaunt to the Ripsey trailhead added in. Is it long? You betcha. Will it hurt? Oh, it will. On to details.

When:
January 23, 2021 – 5:00am.

Where:
Same place as the “short” loop.

GPX:
APC_2021_long.gpx

Course Map :

Click here for results

Use the comment section below to ask questions or write comments. 

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