1/19/2026, 46.65 mi, 5:05 hr: min, 2917 ft. vertical
The Patagonia 50 extends the 30-mile loop south to the Mexico border, riding through the Patagonia Mountains and down into the San Rafael Valley. This valley was used by the first European explorers to enter what is now the United States, west of the Rocky Mountains. It looks much the same as it did in 1539, all grassland. Most other areas in Patagonia are being encroached upon by Mesquite trees. According to Google, in Southern Arizona, the transition from open grasslands to mesquite-dominated shrublands is a complex ecological shift. While it might seem like a simple case of trees moving in, it is actually the result of several human and environmental factors, primarily fire suppression, livestock grazing, and climate shifts, working in tandem over the last 150 years.
The valley soil has a high clay content, which makes a superb riding surface when dry, but as we were warned, it becomes “death mud” when wet.
