Deem Hill -Trail conditions First week August

[JoePAz]

Guys,
This weekend I rode Deem Hills for the first time. Found some pretty interesting trails. The only downside is that there just not a lot of miles there, but it is still interesting enough to do few loops in different directions.

For those that run there a lot are conditions pretty normal or are they rockier or smoother than they have been normally? Have the monsoon rains impacted the trails?

[phatmike2112]

Hey Joe...I ride there quite a bit since it's close to my house. The monsoon of this year really didn't do too much to the trails (At least compared to what happened last year). It maybe exposed a bit more rock on the southern downhill heading back to the park. So, the conditions you ran into this weekend are pretty typical, at least for this year. Who knows what the next big rain storm might bring.

And you are right in that there are not a lot of miles to be had, but the plus side is you can get quite a bit of elevation gain - you are either going up or down...not a lot of flat at all. But if you do want the miles, just link up with Sonoran or even TBird (but you knew that already because I saw that you linked to Deem from Sonoran on Strava)

[dirtbyte]

But if you do want the miles, just link up with Sonoran or even TBird (but you knew that already because I saw that you linked to Deem from Sonoran on Strava)

^^^ This ^^^

Oh, and not not mention all the good stuff on the other side of the canal

[JoePAz]

..But if you do want the miles, just link up with Sonoran or even TBird (but you knew that already because I saw that you linked to Deem from Sonoran on Strava)

yeah I wanted to add in some Sonoran on this ride so I parked then found the connector, but I ran out of time. I liked Deem enough that I did the ridgeline switch back climb twice and when I got back to Sonoran it was too late in the morning to do another loop. I was ready to do it, but I needed to get back home for family stuff. This winter I want to big "backyard" loop starting in Anthem with Maricopa to Sonoran North, then Sonoran south and then over to Deem and back. I figure it will be 55 to 60 miles. I could even add in T-bird for even more miles.

[phatmike2112]

Cool. I've done a Tbird/Deem/South Sonoran a couple of times. I want to expand that to include North Sonoran when the weather gets nice again. If I do that, that would for sure be in the 60 mile range.

[metalaficionado]

Deems can be very satisfying if you do it right, the climbs are tough and the descends are hairy. Here is my standard - ride it all - double loop. You must include the climb and descent from 39th - it's the $**t

Mountain Bike Ride Profile | Busy Deems near Phoenix | Times and Records | Strava

[JoePAz]

Bart... Interesting Loop. Hits everything with minor retracing. My first ride there was a little hap hap hazard as I was mostly just exploring. I did hit the descent to 39th. Next ride there I will be sure to have that as my closer as I will probably just park there and do a few loops. I really like hitting the ridgeline switch back climb twice. Hardwork, but I need more practice on my sustained technincal climbing. That left hand switch back at mile .44 on "N Deem Hills Pkwy Climb" segment kicked my butt both times. I have to figure how to make the turn and have enough momentum/power to clear the climb right after.

[metalaficionado]

Bart... Interesting Loop. Hits everything with minor retracing. My first ride there was a little hap hap hazard as I was mostly just exploring. I did hit the descent to 39th. Next ride there I will be sure to have that as my closer as I will probably just park there and do a few loops. I really like hitting the ridgeline switch back climb twice. Hardwork, but I need more practice on my sustained technincal climbing. That left hand switch back at mile .44 on "N Deem Hills Pkwy Climb" segment kicked my butt both times. I have to figure how to make the turn and have enough momentum/power to clear the climb right after.

That's a tough section, last time I tried my back tire was too worn and I had no traction - ended up spinning out.

Try stairway to heaven for some high grade sustained climbing.
Mountain Bike Ride Profile | Deems, Sonoran and heat near Phoenix | Times and Records | Strava

[phatmike2112]

Bart... Interesting Loop. Hits everything with minor retracing. My first ride there was a little hap hap hazard as I was mostly just exploring. I did hit the descent to 39th. Next ride there I will be sure to have that as my closer as I will probably just park there and do a few loops. I really like hitting the ridgeline switch back climb twice. Hardwork, but I need more practice on my sustained technincal climbing. That left hand switch back at mile .44 on "N Deem Hills Pkwy Climb" segment kicked my butt both times. I have to figure how to make the turn and have enough momentum/power to clear the climb right after.

Yep, that's a tough one for sure. Used to be able to clean that whole section before the monsoons last year, haven't cleaned that switchback since.

[boomvader]

Deem Hills is just down the street from my house. I have logged a ton of miles there. It is definitely possible to get 20 miles w/ 2000' of climbing in one ride without leaving the park with some hardy climbs, too. If you want to stretch it out and get a bit of recovery in the process, head over to Sonoran, Pyramid Peak (State Trust Area), or T-bird. Also, Deem is pretty fun on the SS!

Hope to see you guys on the trails!

[JoePAz]

I am not strong enough to do Deem on a SS! Anyone that can is really strong. Rich you have some really good times out there both up and and down.