2014 Nomads

**rionapo** · 06-07-2014, 01:56 PM

We've started our 2014 journey, heading west from NM towards Nevada in search of little-known bike trails, and a few of the already famous. While we began in our local fave, the Zuni Mtns, we have to give a nod to Flagstaff and its renowned local guide, JoeH. Great tips for boondocking and riding including an escorted jaunt on the Arizona Trail

with this reaction at the end of the ride

although we didn't make the full run

While we celebrated with the best of North and South America in the Zunis, the sentiment stands for Joe's help

and Luna agrees

As we toast in Chile, 'arriba, abajo, afuera, adentro'

Don

**rionapo** · 06-07-2014, 02:10 PM

Back to the trip and an interesting historical note. Like most of the West, the Zunis were clearcut at the end of the 19th and early 20th centuries. Loggers in the Zunis laid narrow track RR lines to their worksites, not unlike hardrock miners in Colorado and elsewhere. On of the Zuni MTB trails (Malcolm Tank) follows an old grade that we had never noticed before until we investigated this pile of logs above Malcolm Tank

They leveled the grade coming into the present-day tank, which didn't exist with the railroad. As we walked the hill above the logs, we found various spurs from the main line. It looks like the RR came up the draw to this point where the countryside opens and then fanned out to retrieve trees from various locations and minimize the effort of moving the old growth guys the loggers were cutting down. Given the amount of work that went into the RR grade, that says a lot.

For the record, here's a pic of the tank today

Don

JoeH · 06-07-2014, 05:28 PM

Great to see you guys and fun ride! Hard to stump these two on the local flora and fauna. I thought for sure they'd never figure we had stopped at a Bristlecone Pine but no, they had it ID'd in seconds flat. Not often you see them at 8800 feet.

I know it will be hard to tear yourself away from a night in Lost Wages but if you head north via the north rim and hit Rainbow Rim trail the point in the middle to camp at is called Locust. North Timp is also nice.