Grand Canyon 600k w/Wupatki

First Loop:
Starting in historic Flagstaff, AZ in the ponderosa pine forest at 7000′ (2133m), you’ll make your way northwest to one of the seven Natural Wonders of the World, the Grand Canyon. Along the way, you traverse an aspen forest at over 8000′ (2438m) before a long and satisfying descent to Grand Canyon Jct and your first control. Get your cameras ready. At this junction is the Flintstones’s Bedrock City. Yabba Dabba Doo!

From GC jct, it’s a gradual climb to reach the Canyon. After the entrance station, you will first encounter Grand Canyon Village with spectacular views of Bright Angel Lodge, El Tovar Hotel, Grand Canyon Railway and, of course, The Canyon. It’s worth a quick stop for photos here. Immediately west of the Village is Hermit Rd (West Rim Drive) which goes along the edge of the Canyon on its “west rim.” It will be closed to cars in the summer months. This is the perfect way to see multiple Canyon overlooks on your way to your control at Hermit’s Rest. There’s a small snack bar there and a viewing area that is perfect for eating your ice cream while gazing at an unbelievable view of the Grand Canyon.

After your stop, you’ll return on Hermit Rd to GC Village, making your way toward South Rim Drive. Just before exiting the Village, there’s a market & deli that you will want to take advantage of. It will be a long way until your next food stop. Your ride along South Rim Dr will have you rolling between 7000′-7500′ (2133m-2268m) to your final views of the Canyon at Desert View Overlook where you will see the iconic Watchtower. Make sure you gaze into the Canyon here. Some of the best views of the Colorado River are from this vantage point. Alas, it will be time to push on.

There will be a 3000′ (914m) descent from Desert View to the city of Cameron. Keep your cameras handy, though. There are some spectacular views of the Little Colorado River Gorge and its many crevices carved into the Kaibab Plateau. It will heat up as you descend. Cameron will be a welcome respite and time to recover and refuel for the long climb ahead. The next 20 miles will have you climbing to the turn which will take you to your next adventure loop – Wupatki National Monument (NM) and Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument. It will be a quick, pleasantly car-free downhill to your control at Wupatki NM Visitor Center. If you have the interest, there are numerous ruins along this route with access right off the road. Pre planning will help you choose which to stop at and which might be too far off road. After the Wupatki control, you will start your 2000′ (610m) climb up to Sunset Crater Volcano and its Lava Fields. Shortly after the Sunset Crater Visitors Center, you’ll be back into reality and start your rolling descent back into Flagstaff.

Second Loop:
The Coconino National Forest covers 1.9 million acres in Northern Arizona and ranges in elevation from 2600′ (800m) to 12,633′ (3850m). We won’t be able to explore all of it, but this route will whet your whistle imploring you to come back and quench that appetite. We will start our day a couple miles from the Lowell Observatory where Pluto was discovered in 1930. It’s 1 of 3 Lowell Observatories in the area. We will be visiting the other two on the route. First, though, we will ride thru Northern AZ University by the Skydome while most students will be on summer break. Our first destination will be Walnut Canyon National Monument (WCNM). We won’t have time to visit the ruins and geology, but I highly recommend that you make time to visit while you’re here. After your control at WCNM, you will ride 4 miles of Arizona dirt. It should be just enough for you to want to come back and explore nearly endless miles of dirt roads in the high country.

We will make our way back to Lake Mary Rd. This will look like a bicycle highway as it’s a favorite route of locals and the desert dwellers coming to Flagstaff to escape the summer heat. We will ride past Lower Lake Mary before we make the turn to the Lowell Observatory Perkins Telescope and the NPOI Telescope. Not familiar with NPOI? Check it out HERE. It’s quite unique. After the descent from the telescopes, we’ll ride by Upper Lake Mary to our control at Mormon Lake. This will be a good place to grab food it you need it. After Mormon Lake and just before we reach Happy Jack, we will do a Lowell Discovery Telescope “fly-by”. This telescope is not open to the public, but is visible as you climb to your high point (7639′, 2328m) on today’s route. There is a really nice descent after Happy Jack and it’s Aspen groves. Your turn around and control will be at Clint’s Well. You can refuel here before your trip back to Flagstaff retracing your route.

After riding past Lake Mary, you will head directly back to the start/finish. You will be back early enough to shower and be able to sample some of the local food and brew available to a bustling college town and desert getaway.

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