It is fall – even in Arizona. That means time for some bikepacking. In case you needed a refresher; Bikepacking is defined as “seeking adventure through multi-day, self-supported trips on lightly loaded bikes” according to Bikepacking.com
The route would take us from Flagstaff to Clarkdale Arizona. We had a few people interested, but due to various unforeseen circumstances it ended up being Jeff and I that decided that this was a good (or bad?) idea.
Thursday evening we headed to Clarkdale (just next to Cottonwood) where we dropped Jeff’s vehicle off, and relocated bikes and gear to my car. Continued onward to Flagstaff where Jeff had secured us some accommodations at some trusted friends house right in town. A 6 pack of craft Phoenix beers were graciously donated by me as payment. Host seemed to agree that this was a great idea. Thanks to Jay and Julia for hosting us!
Friday:
In the morning we loaded up bikes, ready to roll out. First stop – breakfast burritos in downtown Flagstaff.
Flagstaff is an interesting city. It is like a modern university hipster town with lumberjacks, hikers, outdoor fanatics and rednecks. You see everything from old peace VW buses, lifted Trucks with trucsticles, Prius (or Prii’), Subarus, and bicycles. Great city to visit, but even greater trail/nature there. Within 5 min biking from burrito place, we were on the Flagstaff Urban Trail and onward to the Arizona Trail where we would remain for a while.
Rolling through amazing scenery.
One amazing thing about bike-packing is that when you feel like you are done for the day, you simply just stop. Assuming you have a good campsite in sight. So we did.
Saturday
After sleeping, well, no so great, but a tasty breakfast, we were off again. Breakdown camp, and climb! Hunting season must have kicked in, because we saw a few hunters, and (live) deer.
Today’s ride would take us through more forest towards the I-17, cross under, out over Schnebly Hill, and down into Sedona. The potential of beer and lunch at Oak Creek Brewery, was a great goal.
The downhill from Schnebly hill was techie, especially when your bike weighs in at over 60 pounds. But the challenges and the scenery was more than worth it!
When we got to Sedona, we rolled into Oak Creek Brewery for some lunch and a beer or two. Clouds were looming, and they finally gave in 5 min after we left our covered restaurant. Luckily, a Circle K (convenience) store appeared on the horizon. We re-stocked on water and a couple of beverages for dinner while waiting out the rain for 10 min.
Technical Sedona Single Track was on the afternoon menu.
After enough riding for the day, and being passed by a rider (Artec) doing the Arizona Endurance Series Race (AES) Coconino 250 mile Stage Race, we decided that it was a good time to setup camp, because we were not here for racing.
Sunday
After some solid mileage, your legs start to feel it. Even more so given I was sick the week leading up to this, and didn’t ride for almost 2 weeks.
Summary
Great trails. Some hike-a-bike just south of Flagstaff. Lake Mary was pretty, but some cows had made some good dents in the soil making for a very bumpy ride. The fall colors were absolutely amazing. Schnebly Hill down was just as techie as you want it on bike packing. Sedona tech stuff was a bit tough on a heavy bike, and it took some of the fun out of it (for me), but the scenery made up for it. I wasn’t expecting much of the route from Sedona to Cottonwood, but it was gorgeous. Right before Cottonwood, there was some very fun downhill tech stuff.
Another A+ bike packing trip in the books.
Looks like a fun trip, I might have to upgrade my set-up to include margarita storage in the future. —Artec