Mountain Biking in Alpine, Arizona
The eastern White Mountains provideds the best area to mountain bike in the state. Outside of alpine, AZ & Nutrioso, Az there are thousands of miles of National forest Roads with numerous secondary off shoots. Here are a few of my favorite places to ride in the area by Forest Road location :
Terry Flat Loop - Forest Road 56 - Located at the base of Escudilla Mountain this 6 mile loop rides at 9400-9800′. It is best to ride the loop counter-clockwise, in that manner the 1.5 mile steep hill on the western side of Terry Flat can be tackled first, the remaining 4.5 miles of the loop is a full on cruise with speeds in excess of 25 mph. Take a ride along the offshoot ”P” side road for some good technical cranking…
East Fork of the Black River - Forest Road 276 - This scenic tour does not have any offshoots, but is great for Sunday afternoons when the crowds leave. Elevation is around 7700′ and is an easy crusier. Start at the Buffalo Crossing Campground and ride up to the Diamond Rock Campground. There is less than 300′ elevation change and it’s close to a 14 mile trip up and then back down. Proceeding north beyond Diamond Rock is a gut wrenching uphill slog for those that love punishing their thighs.
Blue Road - Forest Road 281 - A great late fall, winter or spring ride “down on the Blue”. Start out at the Upper Blue Campground and ride down to the Blue Crossing, approximately a 12 mile round trip. You will be cruising along on a fairly hard packed gravel Forest Road at 5500 - 5300′ elevation. Don’t bother riding there in the summer unless you really like rattlesnakes and 90 degree temperatures. There are no offshoots to the “Blue Road” as the road is located in the Blue Range Primitive Area.
Red Hill Road - Forest Road 567 - You’ve really got to like going uphill for hours on end to ride this punishing road. Start at the bottom of the Blue River and ride up to US191 and then back down. It’s a 26 miler with over 4000′ of vertical ! The good news is going down hill is better than the best video game you’ve ever played - speeds in excess of 35 mph are common. Watch out for the cows in the middle of the road when you cruise the downhill corners, narrowly missed one two years ago and ended up bundling over the bars into the bar ditch.
Indian Springs Trail - Trail # 627 - Located just southeast of Big Lake this trail can get some serious traffic. A designated hiking and biking thoroughfare designed for begining to intermediate riders. This 7 mile loop takes you from just over 9000′ to just above 8600′ and then exits you uphill on the old Apache Railway Maverick Line - a super sweet 4% grade on the way out. This is a great place to do multi-loops, hang-out, then do a few more.
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