RR: AZSF Tucson - La Milagrosa

[CalEpic]

Ladd Jasper and I drove out Wednesday night to Tucson in what can only be described as the drive from hell. First Shinken has a last minute bail-out in Pomona (he can explain) then two I-10 closures, 100 miles detour, etc. After 9 1/2 hours we finally made it to the hotel. Thursday's ride was Molino Basin and La Milagrosa (the miracle) trail. This was worth the drive and hassle. While this was a shuttle that didn't mean there wasn't any climbing (and hiking) involved. I didn't take many pic's this time. The trail is just too fun to stop.

Ladd Jasper overseeing the loading of the short bus and trailer:


We met up with some friends from Las Vegas and rode the short bus up to the Prison Camp trail head.


It was already getting hot and we hadn't even started yet. Yikes, it's a good thing we filled the Camelbaks to the top. After a short climb we descended through the Molino Basin to a campground for a regroup and respite from the heat in the only real shade for the ride. At this point Short Bus James (dressed in full Dainese battle armor, moto pants and jersey in 90+ heat) showed us what the locals consume during a break. A giant Slim Jim and 24 oz energy drink . After the break was the tough climb/hike up to the ridgeline for La Milagrosa trail. The heat made this rough but it was worth it.

Ladd Jasper pushes his way to the top:


We again regrouped up top:


From here on the ride took on a whole new dimension. This is a technical riders dream. Everything from loose and steep to rocky chunk. One of the locals Aaron went down hard and bloodied his face pretty good.

Vegas boys Redmon and Beagledadi make their way down:


The gravity dropper was worth it's weight in gold on this ride. Steep gnarly descents followed by sometimes tough climbs back up the narrow, cactus lined singletrack.

One of the signature spots on the ride is the staircase. The link below is of Ladd Jasper making it look easy:
Video of Dell Staircase - Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting

Tscheezy and Barney (the girl has some serious skills):


Redmon hiding in the precious shade:


The ride ended at the shuttle vehicle that Short Bus James' girl drove down to meet us. Another local also named James kindly offered us cold bevvies while we waited for the rest of the group. What a great guy. Most of the group capped off the ride with some good Mexican food and margaritas that went down far too easy.

Next up Tempe - South Mountain

[dstepper]

Nice job Dell!

[bananaseat]

thanks for the "rr". was looking forward to seeing the photos and vids when i heard you guys had split. man, is jasper getting every inch of travel out of his bike on staircase.

[Ladd Jasper]

Originally Posted by dstepper

Nice job Dell!

Thanks, Dean. There's an uphill approach that, if you pause, makes the entrance a bit tricky. Once you're in though, it's not too bad.

There's a more aggressive line to the right I wanted to try, but couldn't find the sack this year.

Damn, guess I'm in for '08 already...