Patagonia

Blow by Blow: First off, we’ll climb Gates Pass (the
easy way) in Saguaro National
Park – a virtual saguaro and cactus forest. After that we’re only on
the streets of Tucson for a short time before heading south to the
border town of Arivaca, home to the

Buenos Aires Wildlife Refuge.

After leaving Arivaca, we’ll head further south through
Tumacácori
National HIstorical Park on our way toward Nogales. Before we get to
the border, we’ll head back north and ride through the self-proclaimed
“quirky” town, and ride namesake, of Patagonia.
This is a natural riparian area between the Santa Rita and Patagonia
Mountains. Our control is up the road, but you’ll have the opportunity to
enjoy some of the local flavor if you’re hungry.

At this point we’ll be entering the high desert wine region of
Southern AZ. Elevations will stay between 4000′ to a maximum of 5200′
just before we plunge out of the mountains. Springtime temperatures should be very pleasant during the
day and can be quite cool/cold after dark. The desert cools down very
quickly as the sun sets. Winds can also be a friend or foe depending
on one’s direction of travel.

Green Valley will be your next “metropolis” visited after a really nice descent. After the Green Valley control, you’ll climb out of the valley then descend back to Tucson. Just before Tucson, you’ll pass by Mission San Xavier del Bac. Day or night, it will be a beautiful sight as you ride by. Your next stop will be the 400k mark of the ride. Most will stop and rest for the night and begin the final 200k the next morning.

The final loop will take you to the little town of Oracle. This is the location of Biosphere and Biosphere 2. You probably won’t have time to stop and tour the facility, but it’s a nice destination before or after the ride.

From there, you’re done with all the big climbs and will have a ton of descending to the finish. Your next control will be at a Dairy Queen, in case there might be a rider or 3 who enjoys ice cream on long events. You’ll finish by taking another beautiful section of roadway through Saguaro National Park. That’s it. 375 miles and a lot of AZ wilderness, desert and some high plains.