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I hit the San Tans again this week, the day after the big rains. I was back to explore the new singletrack I found last week.

At the Park entrance I spoke with a ranger and she gave me a new map of the park. The south side of the park has three newly designated trails: the Malpais trail, Hedgehog trail, and Rock Peak trail. She said they haven’t officially opened yet, meaning there is no trailhead signage, but they do have trail markers and are open to hike, bike, and horse. The Hedgehog trail we’ve been riding for a while now. It just the new name given to the second half of the singletrack that wraps around the mountain. The San Tan loop trail got an extra 2.7 miles added as well.

I headed back to finish off what I started on the Malpais trail. Just knowing the name of the trail made it less adventurous. Being less adventurous, there seemed to be more sandy spots as well. Good thing for all the rain it made the singletrack (sandy or not) nice to ride.

I still had to explore the section of trail from the boulders down to the big wash. It turned out to be good stuff. More technical than the other segments of the trail. It is a modest descent on various gradients of desert earth – Loose stuff, sandy stuff, some granite, some hardpack. It didn’t last long enough though before the fun ran right into an endless beach.

I walked the coastline for more than a half mile looking for signs of an escape route but to no avail. The scenic nature of the wash was amazing though. It follows near the base of the Malpais mountains which shoot right up in to the sky. The solitude, the scenery, the sand… I made it as far as a fallen cactus strewn across the wash, then turned around to salvage the ride with the singletrack back to the San Tan trail.

I still have a couple more segments to ride along the new San Tan Trail, as well as the Rock Peak Trail. Although Rock Peak looks like it’s going to be a beach. There are still a few other unmarked spurs that beg exploration out there. It looks like exploring the San Tans is going to be a longer adventure than I thought. Good thing I live close.

From San Tan Malpais Trail

After a couple of weeks out of the saddle fighting colds, flues, and viruses, I made it out to San Tan Park this week for a short “see how I feel” ride. I opted to drive out to the park entrance on Phillips and pay the extra 5 bucks so I didn’t have to gruel through the rite of passage over Goldmine Mountain. The best 5 bucks I ever spent.

I warmed up over Moonlight trail and connected with the San Tan singletrack. Conditions were dry, soft and sandy in more places than the last time I rode out here. Still rideable, it just takes a bit more energy to push. The horses sure chew up the trail as they klopp, klopp, klopp. I saw more horse tracks than tire tracks on this ride. Riding after the rains is San Tan’s finest riding.

I was planning to just ride the singletrack CCW around the mountain till it meets the sandy doublewide back to the entrance. Here I’d turn around and ride CW back the way I came. It’s a good thing I had a game plan, because there is nothing better than ditching your game plan when you see fresh new singletrack, especially in the San Tans.

A couple of small yellow flags and a herd of hoof prints caught my eye one mile into the singletrack on San Tan trail. I didn’t see it last time I rode out here. It looked so inviting – all the hoof prints and all – I just couldn’t wait to leave my tracks over the top.

I rode the “new” trail for about 2 miles out. The connection to the San Tan trail looked new but there were stretches that looked and felt like old trails. It had a Wild Horse kind of feel – winding through the desert in and out of washes. Occasionally more in washes than out. There were at least two long stretches I could have broken out the beach towel. No worries for me though, exploring new trails trumps sand.

I ran out of time before I could drop down into what looks like a big wash in Google Earth. No signs of any trail looping back, other than the big wash. The original trail plan for the area shows a trail named 1-9 that looks like the route I followed. I know the original plan has been changed a lot, but maybe 1-9 made the cut. All I know is the 2 mile stretch I rode was fun. It needs a lot more bike traffic to pack the trail. I know I’ll be back finish the loop and do even more exploring.

When I look back at my ride log I see 443 miles for the year. That’s the equivalent of riding from Phoenix to Moab but still only a warm-up ride for Scott Morris, who logged over 5,000 miles last year. So I’m no Scott Morris, but I’m OK with that.

My 443 miles of trail included 41 rides covering 19 destination/trails. I went on three road trips – to Gooseberry Mesa in the spring, Little Creek Mesa in the fall, and Bootleg Canyon for Interbike.

I rode my favorite trails a handful of time each: Pass Mountain, Hawes, Desert Classic, and Casa Grande Mountain. I even explored a few new trails I’d been dreaming about for a long time…FINS, Sunrise, Santan, and Geronimo. I had a great year – despite a short “break” from riding that drove me (and my wife) insane for a full hundred days.

My mountain biking dreams this year are simple: Adventure – Explore. Forget about the classic rides, I’m looking for new trails, new turns, and new tech. On target are: Goat Camp, Black Canyon Trail System, Cave Creek, Six Shooters, Area 52, Tucson, Flagstaff, and Sedona.

I may not ride more this year, but at least I’ll see new dirt. Road trips to Fruita, New Mexico and Moab are simmering on the back burner too. So even though my 443 miles last year pale in comparison to other riders out there, these 443 miles are all mine. My sweat and my blood burned the tread on my tires to earn spectacular views of this desert paradise. I wouldn’t trade my miles for anyone’s.

So here’s to 2008…the adventure never ends.