Riding the Goldfields is like having my very own personal time machine. One that can only take me back to the mid 1800s. But I’m not searching for gold – I’m seeking singletrack…The hills out here are alive with history, wildlife and endless adventure. Just let the primitive horsetrail be your guide. All you have to do is follow.

My first ride out this way was more than three years ago. This place always called out to me. I had to see what was in them mountains. I’ve only been out a half dozen times or so, but each has been an adventure.

I once thought that the Goldfields could be a regular ride for mountain bikers, but now I know that only the truly adventurous will come out to soak up the Superstition views from this vantage. I saw one other set of tracks this time. An adventurer for sure. Perhaps is was the spirit of Everett Ruess? There is plenty of Beauty in the Goldfields to go around. Come out and see for yourself.

Complete.

From East Mesa Epic

East Mesa Epic

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From East Mesa Epic

Yesterday was a triumph for me on the bike. Hawes to Peralta trailhead. 60 miles, sunrise to sunset in the saddle. A direct route would have been about 45, but I wanted to push myself so I added a few trails along the way. Climbing the Mine trail, Moon Rock tail in Usery, and the full Pass Mountain loop.

I’d planned about 10 more miles of singletrack in the Lost Goldmine area, but light was really fading on me so I cut those out. Options are good on a long ride…

Biggest mistake of the day: not drinking enough water in the beginning. At 30 miles, just finishing up Pass Mountain I cramped up and had to take a 20 minute decramping break. After eating and drinking I continued onward at a slower even pace.

Best decision of the day (there were actually two): First. mile 42 I decided to make a 2 mile detour and head to the Ray Ruiz Marina Snack Bar and gift shop. A chocolate shake and a hot dog really hit the spot, not to mention the refill on water as I was out. Second, deciding to skip the Lost Goldmine miles and just head straight to Peralta before dark, achieving my goal even though it was not 70 miles like I wanted.

Biggest time waster of the day: Taking so many pictures. I could have put in more miles if I just didn’t stop so much for the sake of a shot. My pictures aren’t even that good, so next time I’ll do it in the fall when it won’t be so gorgeous and green out.

It’s also amazing I had no mechanicals, no falls, no injuries. Simply, I can’t believe I stayed on the bike all day, especially when the last 15 miles was the most technical of the day. Lost Goldmine West! That trail is tough when I am fresh, throw in 50 miles worth of used up legs and it was even more of a beast. By that point I was close enough that nothing was going to stop me, except the setting sun. But I beat that sunset.

Then I hitched a ride from Peralta to Walgreens with some really nice hikers, and met my family who took me home. Couch, dinner and a movie with my wife: the perfect end to a perfect day.

Some of the better shots:

From East Mesa Epic

From East Mesa Epic

From East Mesa Epic

From East Mesa Epic

From East Mesa Epic

I’d been wanting to get out to the Goldfields for more exploratory riding for a while. I’ve previously been to the Goldfield Mountains a half dozen times or so, but stayed pretty close to the Blue Ridge area west of Packsaddle road. Then last week I dreamed up a loop to connect a few different pieces of trail together that I had not yet ridden. I called it Jacob’s Gold Loop.

During that ride, I saw so many spurs East of Packsaddle, that I resolved with absolute determination to spend a day exploring…that day was Wednesday. It was beautiful weather, rain imminent but not at least for a few hours, so I headed out.

Please forgive the poor quality photos. I’ve shopped them up as best I can…but with nothing more than a camera phone, it’s tough to get any decent shots…hence the Google Adsense >> Saving for a Canon.

From Goldfields 2-10-10

The good news is all these trails are on Tonto Forest Land. Accessible by hoof, foot and wheel.

The general terrain for these trails east of Packsaddle is rolling desert hills. Much less technical than the trails west of Packsaddle. I was surprise to find the trails pretty hardpacked, not sandy, and well trod for flow. The horses sure use the area quite a bit (but not on Wednesday afternoons, I didn’t see a soul on the singletrack).

The system felt endless, a web of tracks that each led to a new fork. There were more forks than I could explore in one day. But I covered some nice trail. It’s hard to get lost though, each path leads to either West to Packsaddle, East to the big shed, or south to the doubletrack skirting the Forest boundary.

You can’t beat the distant views of the Supes. Even Weaver’s Needle is majestic from up north on Packsaddle. No shot, sorry.

This cactus needs a proper name! Hillbilly Joe? He looks like cactus version of the tree from poltergeist.

Hat Top Hill from as close as I could get riding. There’s little bit of “golden slickrock” to play on up there, not much, but still fun to spin around on.

Where’s my bulletproof armor? Looks like someone’s been having too much fun up here.

The rain hit me hard on my way back out, But it didn’t stop me from exploring one last spur, up the north east part of the system.

I was prepared with a makeshift poncho — fashioned out of a trash bag — that kept my CamelBak and core warm and dry. This last spur was the most tech of them all, and with slippery rocks, steep pitches, and mud building on my tires…I turned back before I could see the trail through to a connection. Looks like I’ll be back again soon…

Goldfield Exploration to Hat Top Hill

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I finally found a few hours to get out and explore. My favorite thing about riding. I have the west side of packsaddle road in the Goldfields mapped out. Now it was time to ride east of Packsaddle and make the connection to Jacob’s Crosscut trail at the base of the Supes.

Chollaball and I rode from Lost Goldmine to the Shed a couple of weeks ago to find the connection. I wanted to scout the trails east of Packsaddle so I know what we are in for when we ride the East Mesa Epic. Hawes to Peralta. From Packsaddle down to the 88 is beautiful fast horse trail. Wide in spots, narrow in others. There is a real backcountry feel out there. I was surprised to find a plethora of spurs, which will make for another exploration ride.

It had been a while since I hit up the Goldfields trails. From the looks of it, a pack of horses had just hoofed their way up Blueridge and Orohai. The trail was trampled and loose but easy to follow. So easy I missed my turn on Spider Bite, which shot invisibly off the horse tracks. I had to backtrack my way and make the turn off my GPS. Once on Spider Bite (named so, because I got bit by a spider on it last year) the trail was reminiscent of my first rides in the Goldfields. Adventurous, rough and primitive.

The horses lead me through to the First Waster road and I opted to explore a track into Jacobs Crosscut instead of ride the dirt road to the TH. It made for some great scenic riding. I met a couple along the way that were tending to their chocolate lab with a gnarly chollaball pinned to her paw. I got to play vet as I whipped out the Leatherman and carefully removed the ball and the straggler spines.

Jacobs north of Siphon Draw is full of some good flow. It’s a fast ride (if there are not too many people on it, which may be very soon due to pending closure). You can’t beat the views of the Superstition mountains towering above.

The East Mesa Epic is going to happen soon. Time to piece together all the GPS and build the final route with minimal and extended mileage options. I’m hoping for fifty plus, but I’d like to make it at least 64. One mile further than my longest epic ride yet.

Jacob’s Gold Loop

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Out in the Goldfield Mountains this morning for my second exploratory ride. I had a decent camera this time and managed to get a few teasers.

I am very impressed with this remote trail system. There’s a little bit of everything…If you can manage the maze of jeep roads out there you’ll find some doubletrack and virtually virgin singletrack tucked away. I heard the motos and quads out there but didn’t see a soul on the singletrack. If you like adventure and have a hankering for some fresh new trail, the Goldfields await you.

I’ve got enough gps track to make a mountain bikers’ map of one section of the area. I’ll be posting that soon…or maybe not… holiday weekend and not a soul on the trail with me? Might be fun to keep it that way for a while :)

There is singletrack up in them there Goldfield Mountains…

And it’s all mine!

(well, at least it was on Saturday morning)

I’ll be sure to share the wealth, after I’ve mined a few loops for myself…