|   Suggestions for easy Sedona trail(s)? | Stine
Dec 29, 2001 4:35 PM | | Looks like O'Pher and I will visit Sedona for a few days sometime in 2002. Don't know when yet. We got a Christmas present from his brother to go with he and his wife (all expenses paid) for a long weekend there, the dates of which have yet to be decided.
We thought we'd rent a couple bikes one of those days and I'd like to try to ride there. Need something pretty easy though compared to what most of you ride out there. Any suggestions for me? I looked at the trail reviews and the only one that sounds good for me might be Bell Rock. I'm sure after I'm blown out, O'Pher would like to hit something pretty technical. What would you suggest for him to get the local flavor?
Seeing as how this is a gift to spend some time with them (they do not ride), we will probably only ride one day, so I'd like to not waste time trying to find some fun.
I do know that if we're there in the summer that we should get out early early because of the heat.
While we're at it, any recommendations for a bike rental shop? I have only found one so far. Mountain Bike Heaven. |
| Pagin' Gnarly1.... | celly
Dec 29, 2001 4:45 PM | | etc. |
| (dang drugs...) | Stine
Dec 29, 2001 4:56 PM | | I have her e-mail addy. I forgot she lived there. Could have just asked her first! ahhh well, lets see what I get anyway. Thanks celly!
Have you done any skiing yet? I went snowboarding Thursday and did blue runs for the first time! It was a great time. Then I got too sick to do the second day.
:/
Stine (I'z gots bronchial pneumonia) |
| No DH yet..... | celly
Dec 29, 2001 6:11 PM | | Went for a GREAT XC ski out in the Rocks two days ago with skogan and Spike out near Lake Louise. Planned to ski all weekend, but Spike and I are both battling a bit of a bug thanks to my mom spreading it to us on Xmas Dat. We're planning to do a lot of DH after the crowds go down after the holidays.
Can't wait.
Happy NY, Stine.
bc |
| Happy New Year to you and Spike too. (nm) | Stine
Dec 29, 2001 6:19 PM | | nm |
| yea, Stine.... | Gnarly1
Dec 30, 2001 10:10 PM | | ...email me!
Sedona is GREAT, what can I say! There are a lot of trails that meander along -- with these playgrounds that have all sorts of technical stuff. So it really handles all sorts of abilities well.
I wouldn't do just the plain Bell Rock Pathways, as they are like riding down a very well-graded dirt road.
An easy and very scenic ride (with stops at these playgrounds) is the Broken Arrow ride. It'll get you out to SubRock, and even over to ChickenPoint. Depending on how much time you have, you can head out a bit on the Bell Rock Pathway to hook up with the Mystic Trail -- which is good fun!
Lemme know when you will be here -- I may have a mediumish-sized bike still (skogan's Arizona bike), that one of you guys could borrow. And I'd love to show y'all around one of our MTB playgrounds!
With the AtHome fiasco, my email may be changing....I'll keep you posted if/when it does change.....
Happy Trails! |
| clarification... | Gnarly1
Dec 30, 2001 10:25 PM | | ...The BellRock Pathways are not the same as the BellRock Loops -- which, as I think of it, might be what you were looking at. The Pathways are what's more like a road, with lots of foot traffic.
The Loops are fun -- but I'd still try to head out to SubRock/ChickenPoint via one of the many trails that you could take.... |
| Thanky! | Stine
Dec 31, 2001 12:12 PM | | I'll let you know when we're coming.
Some of those pics in the link Craig posted below look pretty easy (and fun!).
I'm just getting out of bed after 3 days. Got bronchial pneumonia while we were off snowboarding Thurs and Fri. Got to at least get in one day (Thursday). I did blue runs for the first time! It was great.
It sucks being sick. Feeling a bit better today though. |
| Copy of Fat Tire by Cosmic Ray. | TNC
Dec 29, 2001 5:12 PM | | It's a small trail guide of the Sedona and other Arizona area trails. In Sedona you can get a copy at a local MTB store, Mountain Bike Heaven on hwy. 89A. It's what I used when I was totally green to the Sedona area. The Soldier Pass/Secret Trails area was one of my favorites. The book rates the trails for difficulty, distance, etc., so that you can guage you effort. |
| It is nice, but the difficulty factor is sometimes overrated | Jm
Dec 29, 2001 5:29 PM | | some of the "techical" rides it describes are anything but, but then again there are places like South Mountain. |
| Thanks you guys... | Stine
Dec 29, 2001 6:21 PM | | I saw that trail guide on Mountain Bike Heavens web site. |
| Most of the ones I've ridden were pretty easy | Jm
Dec 29, 2001 5:25 PM | | The whole bell rock, cathedral,coyote point, submarine rock area is pretty easy and fun. As you get "deeper" into the trails they get a bit harder, basically the further you get from bell rock and into the canyons. At that point there are a couple small tech sections, usually less than 10 feet long, definatly worth it if you can't handle the areas to get off, and go around, because there is great riding still. All in all I would rate what I have ridden maybe 5 or 6 on a scale to 10, with 1 being fireroad and 10 being the krazy karpiel run at Northstar. In other words I think it is at the most intermediate level for the most part, definatly doable by most and worth the ride.
This is not to say there isn't harder stuff around Sedona, even where I have ridden there were lines to take if you want to callenge yourself, but you don't have to either. There are also the "secret trails" and a trail around the airport mesa that I know about.
The scenery is breathtaking though, I strongly suggest going during winter or spring, it is usually pretty warm in Sedona(compared to Flagstaff and Prescott(where I live)).
There are a few shops in town, I don't think renting will be a problem, but I have never done so, so I have no "recommendations". |
| I'll ask if we can go sometime in the spring then... | Stine
Dec 29, 2001 6:28 PM | | they said something about August because of the fantastic light shows of lightening. It would be way too hot then to enjoy a long leasurely day of riding though I'm guessing.
I plan on taking loads of pictures of course. Maybe even bring the SLR for some artsy-fartsy stuff.
Never been to AZ, but Flagstaff area looks like THE place to live if I had to pick a spot. Lucky you!
Thanks again |
| that is Monsoon Season | Jm
Dec 29, 2001 8:00 PM | | lots of thunderstorms and rain, conditions are unreliable. Most of the year, even in winter, Sedona(and other parts of AZ) are usaully sure bets for perfect weather, just not doing that monsoon season.
I am not in Flagstaff, I am in Prescott which is even better. Not as cold as Flagstaff, but still surrounded by mountains(with trails!) and riding year round. In the summer it is much cooler up in prescott than phoenix, and sedona is usually in the 90s or so. In prescott we can escape to at least the 70s in the mountains above. Only about 80 in town(while its 100+ in phoenix). The climate is great, and having great trails in town is a first for me, very fun. |
| You'll have fun! | Pirate Girl
Dec 29, 2001 6:03 PM | | The Bell Rock Path is a great place to start, and if you take it from one end to the other it's only a few miles long. You can do an up & back pretty easily on that one. Just watch out for plenty of hikers on that path. It's easy to pass them safely on that one though because it's all doubletrack. There are some great beginner singletrack loops to the east off of that path that stick close to Courthouse Butte. The next step up would be to take the Templeton trail (west off of Bell Rock Path) that goes through a tunnel under Hwy 89A. It loops around and hooks up with H.T. Trail that will take you back to a second tunnel and up a small hill to a neat wooden bridge back on Bell Rock Path.
For more technical stuff in that same area, continue up Bell Rock Path through some residential streets (see Submarine Rock Loop in Cosmic Ray) up to the Mystic Trail. Then catch the Broken Arrow trail to Sub Rock, Chicken Point, and down Little Horse, which spits back out on to Bell Rock by the wooden bridge. Or you can continue on the Templeton trail, and take that all the way to the Cathedral Rock trail. The Cosmic Ray book also has a bunch more technical trails listed.
Mountain Bike Heaven is a good shop. Bike & Bean is directly across the street from the Bell Rock trailhead, so quite a few people rent from there to do those trails.
Bell Rock was the first trail for me on a mountain bike, and that's what got me hooked. You'll love it out there. Have fun!
P-) |
| Well, that sounds perfect! | Stine
Dec 29, 2001 6:17 PM | | Thanks a bunch! I've never been there and am looking forward to it very much. Is it very hot in March or April? When do the cactus bloom? |
| Not bad in March... | Pirate Girl
Dec 29, 2001 6:58 PM | | ...but hotels are more expensive in the spring I've noticed. We tend to go in August, but you're talkin' to a native desert girl, so I would advise against that if you're not used to the heat. If it gets warm when you go, try to get in the habit of getting on the trails early. That's what we did. We got up early, rode before the hikers got up, got back to the hotel and had the pool to ourselves since it was early morning, and were cleaned up and ready for some great food by mid-morning. Oh that's the other thing...Sedona has GREAT restaurants. Wild Toucan, Rosebud's, Spices, and Zen Bistro are some of my favorites. And you HAVE to go to the Black Cow Cafe. It's in the middle of the tourist shops on the main strip. They have great ice cream and other goodies! Mmmmm...I'm getting hungry now.
Luckily Sedona doesn't have too much cactus. Some prickly pears here and there, but mostly trees. Definitely not like the stuff down here in the southern half of the state. Enjoy!
P-) |
| cool..... | Stine
Dec 29, 2001 7:08 PM | | money is no object since it's a gift. His brother is fairly well off and we'll be in a condo somewhere. The only money we will need is for eating out and souveniers. (THAT is where I get in trouble)
;) |
| cactus, what, huh? | Gnarly1
Dec 30, 2001 10:19 PM | | In the southern part of the state? Huh? :-)
I still can't get over the fact that they are going to run a 24 hour race, with the trail zipping in and out of the cacti like that! |
| My suggestions | Paul B
Dec 30, 2001 1:39 PM | | There's something for everyone in Sedona. For easy rides, I'd recommend the Bell Rock Loops (as you've already found), which are easy to get to, close to parking, and generally fairly easy although there are a few surprises to keep you sharp. You can also take the Bell Rock Pathway all the way up to the Mystic Trail trailhead for more distance and some gorgeous views. The pathway is way, way easy, just a little climb-y here and there.
For more sophisticated rides, the options widen. In the same area as Bell Rock Pathway you can zip off to Little Horse Trail, which takes you up primo singletrack to Chicken Point. Across the highway to the west, there's the Cathedral Rock Trail, also a very nice, more advanced ride. Actually, heading west from Bell Rock Pathway toward Cathedral Rock, both of you could probably ride that together.
My favorite shop in town is the Bike and Bean. Decent rentals, and very close to the rides I've mentioned here. Mountain Bike Heaven is okay, but it's out of the way of these rides (closer to Secret Trails/Soldier's Pass, north of town; if you only have a day or two to ride, hit the rides south of town, in Oak Creek).
For good maps and clear directions, I recommend my own trail guide, available at Amazon.com.
Good luck! Feel free to email me if you have any questions.
Paul |
| Thanks much Paul (nm) | Stine
Dec 30, 2001 1:56 PM | | nm |
| re: Suggestions for easy Sedona trail(s)? | slimtim
Dec 31, 2001 2:45 AM | | Although I live in England, I've been making twice yearly pilgrimages to the US for several years now.
I can definately recommend Sedona. The surrounding scenery looks like a film backdrop the first time you approach it from distance.
Cosmic Rays book is a goodun and you won't go far wrong attempting submarine rock. There are a few technical sections (hey, I'm used to flat forest) but they can be walked easily and the route is also pretty well marked.
I'm over to AZ in two weeks time and, although heading for Phoenix and Tucson, will head up to Sedona for a day if the weather's okay. |
| Thanks for the suggestions! (nm) | Stine
Dec 31, 2001 12:05 PM | | nm |
| Some trail ideas from our week after AZSF2 | CraigH
Dec 31, 2001 10:57 AM | | http://www.mtbr.com/passion/messages/574435.shtml
Secret Trails (sink holes & 7 pools)
Broken Arrow, Sub Rock & Little Horses
The other bike place is called Sedona Bike & Bean.
http://www.bike-bean.com/ |
| wow... all of those look cool to me | Stine
Dec 31, 2001 12:06 PM | | Thanks Craig! |
| Have fun! | CraigH
Dec 31, 2001 12:34 PM | | I'd like to do another AZ trip this year, but with the Cdn $ sucking so bad, it might be a while before I spend much time in the US.
Like others have mentioned, I'd go in the winter or spring for the most comfortable weather. Northern Climate people don't do so well when it is over 100deg F.!
Even in the middle of winter when it snows at night, it is close to room temprature during the day in Sedona. |
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