1-[emoji638] months in a warm-ish locale for mtb riding: AZ - NM - CA?

Looking at breaking up the winter between skiing and riding, maybe 1-2 months between November and April, not necessarily consecutively in a warm ish place for riding. We’re from Maine so looking at Western states for completely different landscape.

We’ve got a senior dog so will probably keep it to CONUS.

Not necessarily interested in a city, bonus points if it’s in reasonable distance to drive to skiing.

Flagstaff looks pretty rad but looks like winter does take over. Sedona is on the list, I’ve been there to ride and it’s killer but not sure about spending extended time there.

What town/ areas should be on the whiteboard?

Prescott?
Santa Cruz?
Santa Fe?

Current sketch for the winter looks something like 4-6 months total with 1-2 riding focused then we’ll probably bounce up to UT and/or Driggs for part of the winter.

I’m coming off knee replacement surgery in Late May so thinking about easing it into the winter with some desert riding time.









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SC is off the hook! The problem with winter is the rain. The clay content is significant on the best trails, so those are a no go for a bit after rain. We have a few sandy spots as an option, but not a destination imo. My bud from NH was out here end of March and we couldn't ride the goods. It was such a bummer! And yeah, some kooks still ride when it's wet, but they should be shot.

The wet is great for building though.

Obviously keep me in the loop if you head this way.

Seattle to Bellingham corridor winter riding is amazing.
It's definitely not dry like Sedona or Hurricane or Moab or whatever. But ive had my bestest and most favorite riding ever right outside Seattle in late January. You'll need wet weather gear.
1-2.5 hr drive for skiing when it's too wet to bother.

Thanks, any idea what months Vancouver Island is rideable? Wouldn’t mind hanging in Tofino for a bit


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I'd check out the St George area. I know some folks that have winter homes there to get away from our winter. 4ish hours to BCC/LCC
Fruita/GJ, if the weather holds, you can ride most of the winter some years. Closer to skiing too. Close enough for day trips to Moab area.
I love the PNW, but I'm not sure how long I could take winter biking there. Definitely a different kind of weather than I am used to gearing up for. Plus I'd be tempted to just ski Baker every day that the snow was good. Same goes for Vancouver Island. Would be beautiful, but the grey would be really tough to overcome for me.
Bentonville, Arkansas? Hear that can be fun, and cheap, at least aa good stopover on the way out west.

I could see making Bentonville part of the trip out for sure.

I’ve got St George / Fruita on the radar, I’ve been to fruita & GJ a couple times. Both seem like winter could take over, or not. Never been to St George and I know the riding is good there, seems like it might be a little lacking in the cool vibe department


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In terms of cool vibes, really depends on what you are after and how close to skiing you want to be. But the winter climates and riding conditions in Sedona and St George are going to be pretty comparable — which is to say about as good as it gets in the western US.I have no experience, but I’ve always wondered about Albuquerque as a winter riding destination too.

Yeah, you can generally ride Taos in the winter as well. I've only ridden the mesa fairly recent, but the foothills are probably good most of the winter also. Not sure what they've done for new builds, but in guessing a good amount.

I could see this being Nov/Dec in some riding world then we transition to another zone for Jan - March, maybe another riding zone in April.


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I've not been to Vancouver Island, but i bet you can ride there most of the winter. Van North Shore and Squamish are good through the winter.
The winter grayness is a thing in coastal PNW of course, but hey you're outside riding rad trails.
It sounds like you're looking for the desert experience though?

Albuquerque foothills are rideable all winter, but just about everything else will potentially be snowy. The safest time for bike trip planning out here is probably September-October, post-monsoon but pre-snow. The 6-9k elevation band which includes Glorieta and other Santa Fe riding is often unrideable in the wet due to clay content.

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Originally Posted by ticketchecker

Thanks, any idea what months Vancouver Island is rideable? Wouldnt mind hanging in Tofino for a bit

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On Vancouver Island, anything moderate to higher elevation will eventually be under snow. Low elevations will be rideable most of the time but even those areas can get shut down for a while by big snow storms. This happened a week into my last visit home and I got shut out the rest of the trip. Nov/Dec are a better bet than Jan-Feb and by March things would start opening up again. April would be a great time to be there. Id say this holds true across much of PNW. We used to ride regularly throughout winter but rides were usually a couple shuttle runs before we would get too cold and wet, break something, or it would rain. I never minded the gray because everything is so green. What I didnt like were the short days. Dec/Jan the sun sets around 4:15-4:30 but it seems like it starts to get dark around 2:30-3. There is lots of riding on the island but tends to be in clumps around Sooke/Victoria, Cowichan Valley, Nanaimo, Cumberland. So if you get sick of the nearby trails, youll be driving to check out new stuff. Thats the one issue with winter, even less trail can be available.

Being on the west side of the island, Tofino is a whole different environment. It is possible to luck out, but generally, expect lots of rain in fall. Or anytime, really. It can be super cool though in fall/winter when it isnt raining as its dark, gloomy, misty. Combined with the water and big trees its a pretty amazing landscape to explore. Good surfing if youre into that.


Personally I prefer desert areas these days. Sedona/Prescott would both be good in Nov/Dec and Mar/Apr although temps can get lower since theyre 4-6k elevation. They can get snow and cold in peak winter but a lot is generally be rideable, and its an easy trip down to Phx if stuff further north isnt rideable. Same with St George - although there you can get really bad mud and freeze/thaw trying to get to some of the mesas after any rain/snow. Cool thing with St George would be off season access to Zion and Bryce. Vegas would actually be a great option. There is tons of riding, and spots like Mojave Preserve and Death Valley are close by to explore. St George would also be a day or weekend trip.

I like Tucson and could easily spend a winter there. There is enough riding although its kinda spread out. But you could still get up Mt Lemmon in Nov and maybe Dec. I love the riding in Phx but the riding is even more spread out. Weather would be good though.

Dont ignore Socal. Yeah youll have to drive some and theres traffic, but it can somewhat be avoided since you can pick where youll stay. Somewhere near base of San Gabriel Mtns would access a ton of great trail. Same with Simi Valley/Thousand Oaks area. Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo would be cool as well. From SLO you could also access Big Sur mtns in Ventana Wilderness (a bit limited currently due to Hwy 1 closure). Big Bear would actually be pretty good in Nov and maybe Dec. Idyllwild is a cool little town with two excellent trail systems and a bunch more down in the valleys. Beach towns in South OC or north San Diego county would also be a cool spot to hang out with good access to trails.

Thanks, I think we’re pretty into desert landscape. Would like to surf Tofino but not adding that to the mix on the new wheel just yet since I’m not a very good surfer.

What’s the off season access to Zion and Bryce all about? Is riding allowed places where it normally isn’t?




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Need RaisingAZ to give some tips on the AZ scene. It would seem that would be ideal winter riding.

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Originally Posted by ticketchecker

What’s the off season access to Zion and Bryce all about? Is riding allowed places where it normally isn’t? Sent from my iPhone using TGR Forums

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They are just less busy. In Zion the park road is closed to private vehicles much of the year and you have to take a shuttle. November to March-ish you can drive your own vehicle.

evdog, this is a great post and excellent Beta, thankyou. Can't believe you abandoned coastal BC for the dry ass murican west but to each their own. Where you at again?
When i lived in the mountains in CO, I'd occasionally get down to Grand Junction and less often to Moab.
Both could be great in winter but it's always a crapshoot of too much rain or freeze thaw.
Ive only been to Sedona once and it was primo in early April but that's probably par for the course.

That third expresso martini, was a big mistake.

If you want to ride desert and still ski occasionally, Grand Junction/Fruita.
Get an Icon and your three hours to Aspen, four to Deer Valley and Snowbird. Powderhorn's a lot smaller, at an hour.

If you're really motivated, you can ride year round, almost anywhere.
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...bd9b53c1ac.jpg
I've ridden everyday, for the last eight years, in Snowmass. Before that in Chicago. Just change your expectations.

Yeah, I knew evdog would have the mega beta download he gets around.

Oh I’ve owned four fat bikes in Maine, I’ve got all the gear just losing the desire to use it in favor of riding in shorts.

This winter is all about shaking the snow globe of life, been working at a Boyne resort full time year round for the last six years here which means being pretty much tied to the area. Now that the burden of gainful employment has been removed albeit temporarily the goal is to not be in Maine during the winter or at least not most of it.

We’re probably going to get Ikons and I should have our Boyne employee passes as part of a severance so we can use those at Brighton and Big Sky if for some reason we used up the iconic days at either of those.


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A lot of these desert locations may be snow free, but I wouldn't necessarily count on riding in shorts.
Some times you'll be riding frozen trails.

Good luck!

East side of the Sierras off 395, Carson City down? Bump up to Heavenly, Kirkwood, Mammoth depending where you are. I don’t know the riding that way, but it is dry and pretty quiet in the Winter. Lots of good ski touring options. Markleeville, CA is one of my favorite mountain towns.

If you are thinking spending the late winter/spring closer to skiing, maybe go for riding focus in winter? I like Evdogs suggestions. I would probably pick Sedona...AZ Snowbowl has always interested me and side country looks good if it is a wet winter. If dry/normal winter, you have all the Sedona riding, plus easy drive to lots more.

If you are wanting to mix in beginner level surfing, San Diego would move up the list. If you include unsanctioned trails, the riding is pretty good. If we get an early rain and then typical high pressure, can be really good in Jan & Feb.

I typically do Thanksgiving week in Santa Cruz area, riding is amazing, but if it ends up being a wet winter would be stuck.

I don't think I could take more than a week or two in SW UT, love the area, but it has grown way too much.

We’re starting to lean Tucson until DEC before heading up to UT / CO for a couple months. Probably leave Maine mid October and spend a couple weeks getting to Tucson.


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Sounds like a plan. I'd wait to choose your first ski stop, as long as possible. Early season conditions can be fickle and you never know where will get slammed.
That being said, Copper and Steamboat are good unlimited Ikon, early season bets.
Rifle or New Castle both have good trail systems, that aren't too far from skiing.