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PMP "Everything Including the Kitchen Sink" Ride

4K views 45 replies 16 participants last post by  GR1822 
#1 ·
After years of tinkering with various options for the "ultimate PMP" ride, I've finally come up with a really fun "do it all" route in the Phoenix Mtn Preserve that involves a lot of everything -- classic swoopy XC, gnarly DH, long climbs, short climbs, and traditional T100 fast-as-hell hardpack. And it's a nice long ride to boot.

Last week I made a few more changes to my route and I think I finally have it all dialed in. Bob Monahan (Chongoman) and I rode it this weekend and it worked out just the way I hoped. It's hard...long...and fun. I still don't have my GPS working, but I am guessing it was around 30-35 miles. It took us right around 4.5 hours with a few short breaks (YMMV). And this isn't for the feint of heart -- some of the downhills are pretty damn difficult. Bob and I were both on XC bikes and had to walk a number of sections...and even walking was difficult!

Anyway, here's the general route starting at Shea (where it dead ends). Obviously you can jump on anywhere along the route.

1) Starting at Shea where it dead ends, jump on T100 and head West.
2) Ride West on T100 all the way past 7th St and the Visitor's center. Stay on T100 proper the entire time.
3) When you get near the Shaw Butte dam, veer right and head over to the Shaw Butte parking lot.
4) Climb to the top of Shaw Butte on the 306
5) Ride down the back side of Shaw Butte on the 306 (careful - this is really gnarly in spots)
6) At the bottom of the 306 you will climb and descend yet another hill. Go over this and hook back up with T100.
7) Ride East on T100. Go past Pointe Tapatillo.
8) Just after Pointe Tapatillo is a small hill and another drop. Look for a trail here (just past the road). Turn right. This is "Tapatillo Loop" in Dale's map.
9) Climb up the pass and go back down again. When you hit a neighborhood stay left. The trail swings around and meanders and eventually turns uphill again. When the trail widens, look for another trail that goes uphill to the left. Climb this. It's steep. And it hurts. :)
10) This trail connects back with T100 again. Get on and ride East.
11) Just East of Cave Creek Rd, veer left at the junction and take T100A ("Disneyland"). This runs behind 2 hills and eventually connects back with T100 again.
12) When you join T100, ride East all the way past Dreamy Draw parking lot.
13) After the DD lot, T100 climbs a sustained hill. Near the top is the 1A junction. Climb 1A and stay on it going East.
14) At the intersection of 1A/VOAZ, hang a right at VOAZ. Go up and over. Drop down Cheesegrater (careful -- another tough section).
15) Cheesegrater runs into the 1A again, which in turn connects to the 8. Go East/South on the 8.
16) At the 8/8A junction, veer right to get on the 8A. Climb to the top -- all the way to the A&W House.
17) After the A&W House the 8 climbs even more, drops down, and then splits. Take the 8 going downhill (NW direction), not the 8 marked as "To 40th St".
18) Take the 8 downhill and circle around to the 1A again. This time ride West on the 1A.
19) At Irregular Link, veer left and climb up Irregular to the top of the saddle.
20) Go over the saddle and descend down 1A/302 ("Hairball"). Be *very* careful as this is a really nasty descent.
21) At the bottom of Hairball follow signs to stay on the 1A. You will climb another steep hill and then drop down the back side. Careful -- this is yet *another* really nasty section.
22) 1A climbs once more and then drops down to meet the 51. Veer right and follow the 1A North/East.
23) Take the shortcut to get back on T100 again. RIde West on T100.
24) Once you go under the 51 freeway, T100 makes a hard left and goes uphill. Turn Right here.
25) Climb Birthday Hill. Once you go over, the trail joins into T100 again.
26) Continue on T100 until your starting point.

There are plenty of options for more distance or climbing. This can easily be extended to include Porcupine Rim, Zipper, 220 "Black Diamond", 8 (to the 40th St side), and Rocky Ridge (on the West end).

Anyway, if you have any suggestions for improving on this ride, feel free to share your ideas.

Hopefully some of you will try this route. It really is an epic route with a fun mix of everything...all within the city limits!

Thx...Doug
 

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#3 ·
That was a great ride Doug. Since I spend most of my time at SoMo going to PMP is a real treat. PMP is definitely my favorite tough XC in Phoenix.
I think VOAZ and Irregular Link are couple of my favorite xc climbs around. Those trails are really well laid out and have tough, but all make-able, moves.
 
#4 ·
Hey Doug, Nixw Loop. Try this on for size, add Sassy's Porcupine Rim, 220 and MM on the east side of SR 51 and Lave Lane, Disney Land, Rocky Ridge and 101 on the west side. This would be a great ride for a fit rider. Comes in around 30+ miles and close to 5000' of climbing. Here is a MAP of Doug's route modified with my suggestions. These additions minimize riding the same trail more than once. This should wear you youngsters out. :D
 
#7 ·
GeeDubb said:
You guys passed me on the steep downhill blacktop headed to the west side of the Butte, sadly I was hiking and not on my dust gathering bike. Health issues suck....

Looks like a great ride and the day was perfect.
I saw you too and it registered a bit late. I was probably a little dizzy from the climb :D
Hope you're back on the bike soon.
 
#11 ·
I tried exporting my PMP TPO file out to a GPX file using GPSBable, but could not convert it. My TPO file has way to many individual tracks in it to translate. If I did get it to translate, it would be a PIA to connect all the individual tracks into one GPX big loop to upload into your GPS.

randyharris said:
Hi Dale, great modification - by chance can you turn that into a GPX file? I haven't ridden a few of those sections and would sure like to follow a course if I give it a try.

:)
 
#17 ·
randyharris said:
Question, on the map there is a green marked trail to the north of Hairball. Anybody know how that trail compares to Hairball? Hit some new DD trails to me today and really loved VOAZ and Cheese Grater though I had to walk a few sections of Cheese Grater, Irregular Link was awesome too, but Hairball / Shredder was a bit too gnar for me, walked a bunch of it which was a drag - so wondering how that other trail is.

Also, took 8A up over the crest and down toward Lincoln, was looking for 8B and never spotted it, ended up all the way down at the 32nd Street lot. Does anybody know if there is a sign for 8B? If I do find it next time, when you take 8B east and then head up to the AW house, to you take the road up to the top or is there an actual trail.

Thanks!

Randy
That green line to the north is what I call "Bloody Knuckes". It's not nearly as scary as Hairball, but I would still rate it a solid Black.

But removing the gnar removes the point of this ride -- to make it an all-around challenge, both in the fitness and riding skills factor.

As far as trail 8 goes, you missed the junction that takes you straight East. If you reach the crest and start to drop down towards 32nd St, you've gone too far. Just before you get to the crest (bench), there is a doubletrack trail that goes directly East. Take that...it runs slightly downhill and narrows into singletrack, hits a few fun kickers, and eventually hits a road. At this road you turn left (uphill) and a few hundred feet is the A&W house on the left.

Otherwise, what did you think of the route?

Thx...Doug
 
#20 ·
randyharris said:
So Doug's Kitchen Sink ride got me to thinking about a very slight modification of a DD Kitchen Sink Ride. I'll record this and post a GPX file when I have a chance.

* Start at DD parking Lot, head up 1A Mine Trail to T100
* Continue up T100 hill and up 1A
* Take Irregular Link to the summit.
* OPTIONAL: 1A: Hairball and shredder back toward DD Parking Lot, and if take this option all the way back up to the start of Irregular Link. (Doug seems to think this option a must, it's too much walking for my gnar skills - or lack thereof.)
* After descending Irregular Link back to 1A continue east on 1A a short distance and head up VOAZ to the summit and then down Cheese Grater,
* Take 1A roughly north and then west, this will end up taking you past the start of VOAZ and Irregular as you follow it around,
* Now hop onto Zipper and take it down to the Fence Line,
* Do Snake Hill (just north of Fence Line), going counter clockwise. It is small but has a nice climb and descent.
* Take Fence Line toward the 40th St Lot and just before the lot turn south on 8.
* When 8 meets T100, take T100 to the Tatum lot and return.
* After Tatum, take 8 up to the AW house
* When descending back down 8, there is an optional left turn which goes down to a wash, take this and stay to the right of the wash. This will lead back down to T100 at almost the same spot you will cross T100
* Now head west on the trail up Porcupine Rim
* Head over to 220 Black Diamond Descent
* Turn left off 220 back to T100, descend for less than 1/2 mile and veer left
* Descent down the lower half of the Mine Trail section of 1A
* Back to the parking lot.

I am biased, sure Disneyland and the Mine Drop areas are nice but all in all I far prefer DD to the rest of PMP and I think this makes a pretty inclusive DD route without too much riding over the same sections, and it stays off T100 as much as possible.
Can you please revise this with actual Trail #'s that are printed on City of Phoenix literature?
 
#26 ·
KavuRider said:
Doug, quick question, how is 306 on Shaw Butte compared to Hairball?
The ruts are not as deep, and the drops not as far, but the rocks are messier and harder to deal with in spots IMO.
I think 306 definitely easier to ride and not as intimidating as Hairball, but it's definitely hard and there are plenty of chances to get gouged up.
 
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