Apparently there are several rumors going around that this ride has been
canceled and that the trails are too muddy to be safe. This is simply not
true. Yes we did have a very severe winter but the desert is amazing and
has recovered very well. We rode the trail last weekend and it is
wonderful. The heavy snow helped some of the worse whooped out areas and
leveled the roads. The trails are not muddy. There may still be some
patches of snow off the trail in a couple of the areas but the trails themselves
are dry. We laughed about riding in t-shirts with snow back drops and what
a great desert ride photo that would be.
We did make a major change to the second loop of the 50. This year we
will not be going up through the tough canyons that you all hated so much.
You will go over the big hill and then do about 15 miles of essentially flat
roads (one small section of single track) then over the hill again to the
corals. There are 4-5 water stops out there now as well. When you go
back over the big hill we are using a new trail that has some of the most
amazing views. We knew that training had been slim for all this year due
to weather and really wanted to make it a more doable ride.
The weather is predicted to be clear - highs in the 50's and lows in the
high 30's so we are not expecting the horrible heat we had last year.
I hope this clarifies some of the rumor and conjecture going around.
Too bad I can't attach the photos from last weekend. There are still a few
spots left and if anyone has any questions or concerns please give me a
call. Also, for the nice lady who keeps calling and asking about corals to
rent (sorry your number got cut off, I am not ignoring you), there is a
stabling/boarding area across the street from ride camp. They are
wonderful people, they have openings and would love to help anyone out.