Sammie Shuttle Work

Samaniego Ridge twice in one week? Lucky!

I left home in the dark again, pedaling to a different pickup spot. This time there were five of us, shuttling in to meet three who were already bikepacking on the mountain.

First up, we were forced to descend a couple thousand feet on singletrack to the work site, with fair to moderate views.

“It’s all downhill….” — a favorite lie of the day, second only to “that’s the last of the briars.”

This area has much more of a ‘wilderness’ feel to it than all of the front side of the mountain — which actually is (cap W) Wilderness.

Mike sneaking between trees. It was fun to see everyone’s reaction to the trail, since it was new to them.

Jim coasting through a corridor cleared by previous volunteer MTB crews.

Kent heading towards Samaniego Peak.

Eventually we met up with the three bikepackers. They had worked all day Saturday, clearing an impressive amount of trail, and they even did some benching and switchback construction.

Louis grubs out yet another briar bush. His thousandth of the weekend.

photo by Steve Steinberg

I had a blast throwing the pulaski around, uprooting and chopping many an evil briar. Where there was only pain before, there is now open trail.

Even more fun was chopping into deadfall. Most of it is so rotten that I felt like Paul Bunyan, chopping through big trees in a single blow. Well, OK, more like several blows because I’m a terrible sawyer, but still, it was fun.

There wasn’t a whole lot of time to work, given the sizeable (and tiring) “ride out” in front of us. But we did get a solid three hours in, and everyone was working hard. To me, the trail is ready for “prime time.” Meaning, I’m considering riding it from home already — even though there is still a lot of work to be done.

AZT and trail building veteran Tim McCabe

Louis, Steve and Tim get studman points for riding/hike-a-biking all of Samaniego with bikepacking gear. It’s the first known bikepacking trip on the ridge, for sure. Louis was not exactly “ultralight” — his pack was at least 30 pounds — on the way out!

Once a rock monkey, always a rock monkey. He rode the fun lines anyway, bottoming out his suspension big time!

photo by Steve Steinberg

photo by Vernie Aikins

Pointing shot, for Chad. Thanks Vern.

We took a break before the corkscrew, where the bicycle mountaineering begins (see previous post). My camera battery died, so I have no more pics, but everyone made it safely out, and it seemed like a piece of cake compared to previous bouts with the ‘screw.

Once we were all on real trail, I started thinking about my own safety, and doing the math it seemed I might have just enough daylight to make it to ‘safety’ (i.e. the river path – ~25 miles away) before dark. I said goodbye to the troops, thanked Louis for the opportunity and for the day, and forged on ahead.

What followed was some of the best riding I can remember. Funny how 4000′ descents can go that way…

Schralp Lower Sammie trail with the aid of Thursday’s trail memory. Blitz Charouleau Gap, which seems soft, friendly and fast. I pass 4 different groups of jeepers, heading the same direction. “Hey-yo! Can I sneak by you guys?” Surprised look, “sorry man!”. One is timed perfectly — I ride onto rock, get behind my seat, and pop back onto the trail just in front of the jeep buggy. More surprised looks.

Daylight burning, I improve on the Chutes connection that Louis had shown me, by way of tire tracks, getting lucky on a few TopoFusion-educated guesses. I power out of the Chutes, out of the saddle, catching some uphill air.

Downhill run into Catalina State Park, nothing can stop me, not climbs, not headwind, not sudden rocky sections with sun in my eyes and rice crispy treat hanging out of my mouth. I feel like I could race anyone and win, and just as in Coco, if someone offered to take my heavy pack, loppers and all, I’d refuse. I like things just the way they are. Mind-body-bike.

18 mph, uphill, out of Oro Valley?! I feel like I can ride to the ends of the earth. River path at sunset. Strafed by bats flying out of the First Avenue bridge, my first clue that it’s Halloween. It’s nearly dark. What’s that? I can’t see, a snufalufagus? Someone riding a horse, on the paved path, with no lights, so confusing. First dodging bats, then devils, ghosts and Harry Potters. My route is apparently the most popular area in the city for trick or treating — Treat [sic] Ave through Winterhaven. Easily a thousand kids/parents in less than a mile. Some houses have 50 people waiting in line. Halloween is such a cool holiday — what other of our traditions encourages people to walk around, at night and take over the streets? Weaving through still more costumed kids, one of them sings “I can ride a bike with no handlebars”, yeah, that’s the way I feel too.