24 Hours in the Old Pueblo Course

Race - Feb 15, 2020

Dogs Unknown

E-Bikes Unknown

Away from everything, this trail is only busy one week out of the year.

Watch out for ruts on the Gasline. You carry a lot of speed here and they can be hard to see. There is also the singletrack Gasline bypass that makes for a more enjoyable ride and makes the loop 99% singletrack. I will try to add this trail ASAP.

Watch for Cows! They can be moody. Watch for Cow pies. They can be gross.

Bring plenty of water. No water is available on the trail. A GPS is recommended. The MTBProject.com app works great.

Thanks to SDMB.org for the description.

Located north of Oracle off of Willow Springs Road, the course for Epic Rides Kona Bikes 24 Hours in the Old Pueblo has added some singletrack. This course is appropriate for all riders, from beginners who have accomplished the basic skills of speed and direction control to the elite level racer, as it meanders on jeep roads and singletrack over rolling terrain. Long, gradual climbs precede long, gradual descents on the singletrack, and short, steep climbs precede short steep descents on the rolling gasline jeep road (aka The Bitches). If you dont like the Bitches, feel free to use the new, fun Skip The Bitches trail, which breaks off to the right just after you cross the cattle guard and road. Experienced riders need to check out the Slickrock Woohoo , a short descent on a big rock face at the end of the race lap. This is a popular spot for spectators!

This is an early morning ride or cool weather outing. Bring lots of water as there is none available. You'll have to stop and go through a few fences and corral. Always close the gates behind you, as it is open-range and you'll see cattle. Also be aware this is State Land so you MUST have a State Land Permit (or be ready to pay the fine if youre caught without one). Though enforcement typically isnt that common during the year, it is ramped up close to the race in February.

There is also a couple new trails, Bones and Painter Boy, which break off of Highpoint trail after you pass under the powerlines. These are not officially part of the racecourse, but are quite a bit of fun if youd like to add a couple more miles into your ride.

Directions: Head north on Oracle past Oracle Junction to Willow Springs Road which is about 1.2 mile before the turn to Biosphere II. Take a left (the only way you can go) on Willow Springs for about 6.5 miles until you get to an arch which crosses the road announcing Willow Springs Ranch. Just past the arch the main road curves right with a less-used road breaking of straight/left. Turn on this less-used road, and youll find a large parking area. Park here, and the singletrack starts on the right side of the parking area. Looking at the map, you are in the lower right corner and would ride counter-clockwise up JuneBug Trail.