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The main page says the course is changed, but the registration page says the event is cancelled. Which is it?
I have fixed the registration page. Sorry about that…
Looks like the Registration Page hasn’t been updated for 2012, the closure comment is from 2011. The 2011 event was cancelled due to the forest closure and Pacheco fire in the Rancho Viejo section of the course. The 2012 event will have a modified course due to the ongoing closure of the Pacheco fire area. http://santafefattiresociety.org/sites/default/files/PachecoClosureMap.pdf
The Santa Fe Conservation trust is working on creating a connector trail between Dale Ball North and the Little Tesuque Trail that connects to the bottom of the Juan trail. The course is still TBD, I hope Mike (event owner) will be able to use the new trail to avoid the road section between DBT and Chamisa of previous years.
Brent
Hey Lenny and all-
I’ve been pondering the route for this year and here’s what I’m thinking:
I’m pretty sure that we cannot use the borrego trail going north from REM due to the fire last year, I’m also under the impression that the forest service does not want us on ravins ridge. With that in mind we could do atalya/dale ball to start, hopefully use the new connector to get to nunn’s corner, then take the burn trail to the base of the winsor trial. Then winsor to big t to aspen vista to towers. Drop though ski area then drop REM. Climb pacheco canyon rd to winsor tr. Drop winsor to chamisa, climb chamisa to sidewinder, take sidewinder to nunn’s corner. Climb to new connector if it’s reasonably climbable or climb road (I’d like some feedback here, I don’t really want to do a gnarly climb that late in the day) then take dale ball (the direct line) back to cerro gordo and back to the pub.
I figure that adding burn and bottom of winsor will somewhat make up for not doing the rancho viego loop.
I also have mixed feelings about starting with atalaya. I know its always been that way but I think starting with atalaya is stupid. It also seems like people get off route a lot on the descent. There are a couple of turns on the way to dale ball that are very easy to miss. Another option would be to traverse from st. johns through dale ball south. There is a new trail that splits from low on atalaya and connects to dale ball at the saddle at Junction #40. From there, traverse to upper canyon rd, then continue through dale ball counter clockwise on the perimeter until we hit the new connector.
I think this route would be easier to navigate for those who are unfamiliar with those trails. But if people really want to start the day with atalaya then I don’t want to be the one to deprive them of that.
What do you think?
Mike C.
Hey Mike,
The route you suggest sounds great! I have GPS tracks for all but the DB –> Nunn’s –> Burn -> Windsor. Hopefully we can get up there early June to map it in.
I think we should keep Atalaya in for the full BFL and then offer skipping Atalaya and skipping REM (cut over from Aspen Ranch to Winsor) for shorter/easier options.
Are you thinking of keeping the start at the original 2nd street brewery? There had been talk about starting at the new location, but parking there will be an issue.
Thanks for owning this one!!
Lenny
In re: Atalaya, fwiw, it wasn’t always included. I was on this ride the second year Matt put it on, ’06 maybe? We did a nice and challenging route over to Upper Canyon sans Atalaya that year and some knucklehead kept goading Matt into including Atalaya the next year. He kept muttering about riding it over and over in some ridiculous quest to finally clean it. WTF? It is clearly more suited to hiking.
Anyway, he must have talked him into it because Atalaya has been included ever since. It is an extremely rude way to start what is otherwise a pretty enjoyable ride. IMO, you guys already have a route to designed to hurt people (Cochiti). The BFL is more of just a long fun day.
You guys should include it if you want to ride it but not for the sake of tradition.
And who was this muttering knucklehead? I think I might know him. “clearly more suited to hiking”?? I was worried that Cali might make you soft. Dang
Sounds good Lenny. I would like to avoid dropping into the arroyo at st johns at the beginning. The only reason for this is to not piss off the couple of dog walkers that are likely to be down there. Instead we will take wilderness gate rd and connect to atayala at the steps.
I’ll look into parking at the newery, otherwise we will keep it at the original.
-mike
Great ideas… I for one was not a fan of the slog up Atalya right off the start. Good to have two options for BFL or sortaBFL! Plus it will help to keep some of the back markers (like me) in with the studs (& studetts) through out the race.
And yeah, if the connector is ready let’s stay off of Hyde Park road.. that freaking road scares me!
FWIW, I live by Atalaya and I’d be happy to host a post party for those interested. This is my first time doing this, so I’m not really sure what happens after the race. I know I’ll be drinking and eating my share.
Hey Keith, thanks for the offer but we start and end at 2nd street brewery and hang out there (drinking and eating) while we wait for eveyone to finish.
Been dodging this for years but usually been out there same day anyway seeing the dirt peleton, so give it a go this year. Always questioned Atalaya start to this, realize some enjoy it, if that’s the right word? Break with tradition, but railyard 2nd street seems a better location.
Bill- glad you’ll be joining us. Rail yard would be nice but parking is an issue. Also it’s a nice direct shot from 2nd st via San Mateo to st johns. From rail yard we would have to go straight thru down town which might be a cluster f#ck, even though it would be early.
whats up mike.
veggieman here. personally i liked atalaya first as it would be brutttall late in the day. The new “connector” trail from dale ball to the creek is not climbable on the way back to town. the alt. route would be to follow the creek downstream, stay left, and come out on top of bishops lodge road at brownell howlling. quick and easy riding, the road back to town sucks, but the downtown location could be good for that, and riding up the trails next to the creek of alameda street is fun and fast for the route in the morning. and dont know what the milage is at with the current trail idea, but if i could recommend the trail on the backside of atalaya that skirts the watershed and leads you to the Very end of old santa fe trail, to the national forest parking, past canada de los alamos, then you can dip down to the back side of la barbaria rd, and hook up with arroyo chamisa back to st johns. all via single track with fun wide open fields hardly ever ridden, there is a creek to filter water as well. maybe we could do a figure eight loop? ok hope this helps.
I rode the connector trail this morning. I think we should avoid it all together. Lenny- are you planning on coming up here to map what you don’t have? Let me know.
-Mike
I heard one section of switchbacks is not rideable due to the narrow strip of land they had access to. Short and even long hike-a-bikes are common in the NMES events. If the trail to/from that section is good riding (i.e. better than pavement…) then I suggest we use it.
As for GPS track, I can come up there and map in any new sections if needed, but if some up there has a track of the new stuff, please send it to me at lennygoodell@comcast.net.
Fair enough.
The trail to and from the switchbacks is quite nice. It will probably add 30-45 minutes on the way out and over an hour on the way back. The pavement alternative will take 10 minutes in each direction. Personally, I will be skipping that trail when I head for the high country from town and that’s why I suggested that we skip it. But I forget that this is the BFL and if that means avoiding pavement where ever possible then let’s include it. I’m happy to hear some more opinions on the matter anyone wants to chime in.
-m
Veggieman (I’m thinking this is Sean?)- If we follow the creek out to bishops lodge rd then we have to go though the bishops lodge firing range, I think we should avoid that. I do like the ride off atalaya to canada but that is going in the opposite direction of the where we eventually head. I think with the inclusion of burn and lower windsor and possibly the new connector, the route will be plenty long.
-m
I agree, we should stay away from the bishops lodge area. Either the connector which sounds brutal at the end or the same ending that we have done the past few times.
Mr. Chapman – While I am banned from these proceedings (this may not even get posted), I would consider the following route, which is very different from prior years. It would be fun with plenty of options for shorter efforts:
Begin 2nd street.
Up middle route of DB.
Cross the street to upper DB and take the new connector trail.
At Little T Creek, turn left. (Yes, this takes you through BL’s firing range, but it would be early!)
Right on Bishops Lodge rode to the bottom of Windsor.
Take Windsor all the way to the towers.
Down ReM.
Up Pacheco to the top of Windsor.
Down Windsor.
Up Borrego
Down Bear Wallow
Up Chamisa
Serpent
At the bottom of Serpent the brave can take the new connector trail, others take a left and head up to the rode
Down middle DB back to 2nd street or ….
The uber brave can finish w/ Atalaya, but how about in the opposite direction?
Given the burn scar restrictions it would be great to see you include more of the trail for which SAF is most famous. In fact, you could even inlcude the top of Windsor!
Having just ridden much of these trails this past weekend, watch for the dead fall on upper Big T and ReM. Don’t suspect much will get cleared between now and then. Enjoy!
Mike,
I’d agree with leaving the new connector off. It isn’t good up or down and will be a real drag. It may be years before we can get things fixed up. For those that haven’t “done” it, you may have not see anything like it before. The IMBA Summit was going through there, but we have taken it off. Riding up that short bit of road after coming down Juan will be fine.
Ok, I would like to include the connector on the way out and skip it on the way back.
The full route will be as follows:
From 2nd st Brewery up San Mateo to St. John’s College. Up Wilderness Gate Rd. to the steps on the main Atayala trail and up to the top of Atalaya.
Descend of north side of Atalaya to junction 36 of south dale ball. Through south dale ball to upper canyon rd. Through central and north dale ball on the counter clockwise parameter until we reach the connector. Down connector to little tesuque creek. Go right at creek trail approx 1/4 mile to juan trail. Up juan to burn trail, down burn to windsor trail. Up windsor to big T, up big T to aspen vista. Up aspen vista to radio towers. From radio towers, descend ski area via sunset (skier’s right), eventually the trail will spit out on a service road, follow service road to ski area parking lot. Proceed to bottom of parking lot to windsor trail access point. Go left (down windsor) to juntion with Rio Emedio. Descend REM to the village of rio emedio. Take main road through village and continue to the junction with pacheco canyon road. Climb up pacheco canyon rd to juction with windsor trail. Descend windsor to junction with chamisa trail. Climb chamisa to saddle. At saddle go right on sidewinder. Take sidewinder to juan trail. Go right (down) at jaun to little tesuque creek trail. Go left at creek trail to junction with hyde park rd. Go right at hyde park rd. Intersect Dale ball central at junction #13. Take dale ball central via the “luge” (13,12,18,20,24) to cerro gordo. Go left at cerro gordo to upper canyon rd. Go right at UCR to camino cabra. Go left at camino cabra and retrace via san mateo back to 2nd st. brewery.
Any objections?
muy bueno!!!
“Go right (down) at jaun to little tesuque creek trail.”
Mike, you mean left, correct? I believe a right turn would put you back down the Burn Trail.
Yes, thx Chandler. After sidewinder go LEFT at fence line down juan trail.
Sounds good Mike. I think this is a good compromise.
whew. that’s a mouthful. you gonna pre-run it and send out a gpx? : )
No I’m not going to pre-ride it, once will definitely be enough. We might need some help getting gpx on the new stuff so Lenny doesn’t have to come up and do it. Let me know if you could help with that.
You betcha.
Chandler – Right is correct for advanced riders like you to start the 2nd loop. Repeat as necessary until tired or darkness prevails.
Touche my friend. Note the new connector trail, La Piedra, opens June 1st. Think there should be a beer prize for anyone who can clean that sucker up or down. Rode it several weeks ago and it is a brute.