Hooked up Saturday morning with some of the MTBR crowd for the infamous Goat Camp ride. The park's map on their website depicts a mountain goat graphic in the title with good reason- this was the most challenging ride I've done. EVER.
It starts with a four hour climb and then less than an hour turn around to come back down. The stats going up were 3000+ feet of climbing in about 6.9 miles. There were two groups on the ride, those with body armor making the loop down the treacherous Goat Camp downhill and the rest of us who did a "casual" out and back.
We started at the parking area at the park entrance and rode over several miles on the road to the Mesquite Canyon trail head to begin the climb. This section starts almost immediately with a hike-a-bike through some large loose rocks followed by a series of switchbacks then around and over a saddle. This dropped us into a section of some nicely packed single track with some exposure and great views. All too soon this section ended and we started up the Willow Canyon trail. This begins with a loose rocky climb and just keeps going on up from there. I was at the tail end of the pack so I stopped to take pictures quite a bit. This also explains the lack of riders in the shots.
Willow Canyon eventually connected with the Ford Canyon trail for another series of switchbacks and rock step ups for almost a mile where it levels out and junctions with the back side of Mesquite and Goat Camp.
My friend Doode waited up for me here and we stopped at this point for some food. Although still climbing but not quite as steeply at this point we started down Goat Camp and rode on until we connected with the rest of the group at the turn around point where one of the riders was changing out a tire. Doode went on to the next saddle to join the DHers and the rest of the group started back down the way we came. I was able to hang with the group a bit better going in a downward direction.
We got down to the rocky section on Willow when one of the Bobs on the ride took a pretty good digger at speed in the loose stuff. He had the wind knocked out of him and some fairly painful ribs and had to walk out from that point. I was fortunate and got through the day without a crash and rode most of the trail going down except for the extreme part of the hike-a-bike section.
When we got back to the parking lot and met up with the DH group we found out that Greg who was visiting from Boston aced the downhill section without batting an eye and amazed all with his superb riding skills.
As usual, post ride cervezas on the tailgate to celebrate a great ride and new friends.
Preparing for the ride
Getting started
Starting up Mesquite
Looking back down the first set of switchbacks
Up and over the first saddle
View up the wash
Starting up Willow Canyon
Loose rocky stuff on Willow
Which finally yielded to some nicer riding
The view back toward Phoenix
View of the trail ahead
I wouldn't want to be the guy that missed this corner, decent drop off the other side
Pretty steep exposure over the edge
Step up at the beginning of the Ford Canyon trail
Some old mining refuse along the trail
Wash crossing on Ford before the switchbacks
Finally at the trail intersection and a stopping place for lunch
Mmm... good!
The view from up here
At this point I was fairly convinced this would be my grave marker
Finally the turn around point and the rest of the group- here we were 700 ft. shy of the towers at 4100 ft. elevation
The DHers dove off of this peak in the distance
Tire repair almost complete and then the plunge back down
Finally back to the beer- the now famous Boston Greg sitting in the background
Time to relax, a good effort by all
The damage
It starts with a four hour climb and then less than an hour turn around to come back down. The stats going up were 3000+ feet of climbing in about 6.9 miles. There were two groups on the ride, those with body armor making the loop down the treacherous Goat Camp downhill and the rest of us who did a "casual" out and back.
We started at the parking area at the park entrance and rode over several miles on the road to the Mesquite Canyon trail head to begin the climb. This section starts almost immediately with a hike-a-bike through some large loose rocks followed by a series of switchbacks then around and over a saddle. This dropped us into a section of some nicely packed single track with some exposure and great views. All too soon this section ended and we started up the Willow Canyon trail. This begins with a loose rocky climb and just keeps going on up from there. I was at the tail end of the pack so I stopped to take pictures quite a bit. This also explains the lack of riders in the shots.
Willow Canyon eventually connected with the Ford Canyon trail for another series of switchbacks and rock step ups for almost a mile where it levels out and junctions with the back side of Mesquite and Goat Camp.
My friend Doode waited up for me here and we stopped at this point for some food. Although still climbing but not quite as steeply at this point we started down Goat Camp and rode on until we connected with the rest of the group at the turn around point where one of the riders was changing out a tire. Doode went on to the next saddle to join the DHers and the rest of the group started back down the way we came. I was able to hang with the group a bit better going in a downward direction.
We got down to the rocky section on Willow when one of the Bobs on the ride took a pretty good digger at speed in the loose stuff. He had the wind knocked out of him and some fairly painful ribs and had to walk out from that point. I was fortunate and got through the day without a crash and rode most of the trail going down except for the extreme part of the hike-a-bike section.
When we got back to the parking lot and met up with the DH group we found out that Greg who was visiting from Boston aced the downhill section without batting an eye and amazed all with his superb riding skills.
As usual, post ride cervezas on the tailgate to celebrate a great ride and new friends.
Preparing for the ride
Getting started
Starting up Mesquite
Looking back down the first set of switchbacks
Up and over the first saddle
View up the wash
Starting up Willow Canyon
Loose rocky stuff on Willow
Which finally yielded to some nicer riding
The view back toward Phoenix
View of the trail ahead
I wouldn't want to be the guy that missed this corner, decent drop off the other side
Pretty steep exposure over the edge
Step up at the beginning of the Ford Canyon trail
Some old mining refuse along the trail
Wash crossing on Ford before the switchbacks
Finally at the trail intersection and a stopping place for lunch
Mmm... good!
The view from up here
At this point I was fairly convinced this would be my grave marker
Finally the turn around point and the rest of the group- here we were 700 ft. shy of the towers at 4100 ft. elevation
The DHers dove off of this peak in the distance
Tire repair almost complete and then the plunge back down
Finally back to the beer- the now famous Boston Greg sitting in the background
Time to relax, a good effort by all
The damage
