Adventure Cycling Association Forum
Bicycle Travel => Routes => Topic started by: MrBent on June 25, 2011, 02:30:03 pm
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Ahoy, Arizona bike tourists: Doing some thinking about our big tour next year. What do you think about taking Apache Trail? I know it's dirt. I've only driven it once many years ago. I assume NO water? How good/bad is the road? I remember it was exceedingly beautiful. We'd be riding east to west in November.
Thanks.
Scott
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try a search on crazyguyonabike and you'll pick up some hits. here is one http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/page/?o=1r4vFb6&page_id=180586&v=Lv#pic_876838 (http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/page/?o=1r4vFb6&page_id=180586&v=Lv#pic_876838)
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Thanks, Hem! That looks fantastic. We will definitely be on the north side of the Superstitions!
Scott
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It can be real dusty with traffic and some deep sandy places. I would plan on hitting it mid-week to try and miss the weekend traffic. Awesome views.
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I rode the Apache Trail 16 years ago and it was incredible. Highly recommended. The dirt portion is 22 miles and it was hard packed and very smooth, from what I remember. I drove the route a couple of years ago and it didn't seem to have changed other than more traffic. I think there was water at Tortilla Flat and Roosevelt Lake. There is a creek or two along the dirt portion of the trail as well, if you have a filter, but we found plenty of water without having to filter. Regarding traffic, I remember most of it being snowbirds so there could be a lot of it even midweek. Probably still better than the weekend though. The Anasazi ruins (cliff dwellings) are pretty cool too.
My journal from that trip: http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/lazylewis1995
The route: http://ridewithgps.com/routes/169095
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... Regarding traffic, I remember most of it being snowbirds so there could be a lot of it even midweek.
My journal from that trip: http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/lazylewis1995
The route: http://ridewithgps.com/routes/169095
Actually most of the traffic seems to be lake traffic with a lot of campers and boats. And good luck on that "hard pack" too unless we get some monsoon rains soon. Still it is a great route.