MTBikeAZ.com

Arizona Mountain Biking

MTBikeAZ.com
Mogollon

Summer Ride on the Rim

mogollon helmet

I eased back into summer Arizona riding by hitting the Rim Country over the weekend. Temps in the low 80s up on the rim were perfect for fishing, lounging outside, and riding…

I only had a couple of hours so I bit off a small piece of the Highline Trail. My favorite stretch, the climb from the See Canyon trailhead up, up, up, to the Drew 291 junction. It’s only a short 2+ mile climb. The first mile merely a warm-up to the second mile of 11 percent incline. This short stint on the Highline is beautiful. You surely earn your descent.

The lower segment of the trail was in pretty bad shape. Horse divots and flood debris made the already technical ascent even tougher. Normally I would be trash talking the equestrians who tore up the trail, but instead I blew it off and relished in the extra challenge the hoofed up terrain offered. There was only one downed Ponderosa on this short stretch.

I love this climb because it always challenges. I haven’t cleaned it completely yet and probably never will, but each new root or rock I glide over is a point for me. The Mogollon Rim always puts up a good fight. But I always come back down the trail victorious and ready for the next match. Fourth of July weekend, game on.

Highline See to Drew elevation profile

mogollon bike

highline trail.jpg