Tried the MSP for the first time Saturday. Started at Lost Dog TH, Went up Paradise to the Gateway Loop then over Wingate pass, down the other side then up Bell and down the other side of Bell back to Paradise and the TH. Very nice
What I'm wondering is... is there a trailhead further north that would get me on the Gateway loop on my way to the climb up Wingate quicker? I'd like to try riding up Wingate down the otherside up Bell and then turnaround and come back the same way.
1. At Bell Road and 104th Street, about 1/4 mile east of Thompson Peak, there is a small parking lot. Take that trail 0.8 miles, looking for a signed left turn off the double track, and you will find the Gateway Loop. Left (clockwise) to Windgate.
2. Park at the Village at DC Ranch Health Club lot at the southeast corner of Thompson peak/Union Hills. At the southeast corner of the parking lot, you will find a trailhead. That is Horseshoe Trail; it will take you to Gateway Loop, less than 1/2 mile further up toward Windgate than the other trailhead. There is also a trail that heads north off of the Horseshoe Trail just a couple of hundred yards from the trailhead; that is Desert Park trail, and it is a mellow alternative to lower Gateway on your way up Windgate. It connects to Windgate after about three miles, and just before the steeper stuff on Windgate starts.
Or...one of our fave places to start: The McDowell Mountain Ranch Community Center/Pool/Tennis Courts parking lot on 105th St., on the east side, just south of McDowell Mtn. Ranch Rd. This lets you launch in right at the bottom of Quartz, then quickly hit Paradise and you're off...the beauty of this start is that you finish with the descent down Bell, then a north-south run down Paradise, which is down-grade and ripping fun.
Or...one of our fave places to start: The McDowell Mountain Ranch Community Center/Pool/Tennis Courts parking lot on 105th St., on the east side, just south of McDowell Mtn. Ranch Rd. This lets you launch in right at the bottom of Quartz, then quickly hit Paradise and you're off...the beauty of this start is that you finish with the descent down Bell, then a north-south run down Paradise, which is down-grade and ripping fun.
Walt and I just did this ride Sunday, and make no mistake... it's a lot of work. But the payoff is worth it. Especially when outrunning a colony of swarming bees. Never had a better pace down Bell, than that day. ;-)
1. At Bell Road and 104th Street, about 1/4 mile east of Thompson Peak, there is a small parking lot. Take that trail 0.8 miles, looking for a signed left turn off the double track, and you will find the Gateway Loop. Left (clockwise) to Windgate.
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