Author: wmatlin

1/27/2026, 61.1 miles, 5:o8 hr: min, 1824 ft. vertical

What took 2 days of uphill riding flew past in a few hours, as we descended over 3000 feet into Tucson.   The no shoulder section of Highway 83 that took half a day on the way up flew by in less than an hour, as we descended as fast as our nerves would allow on fully loaded bikes. Arriving before 4PM, we had enough time to drive a few hours to Willox, AZ, where we stopped at Taco Bell before checking into a KOA cabin for the evening.

Strava (link 1, link 2)

 

 

1/26/2026, 22.4 mi, 1:48 hr: min, 538 ft. vertical

A short, easy, mostly downhill ride into Patagonia. We even had a tailwind!  We rolled into Terra Sol shortly after luch lounged around all afternoon, and went to the Wagon Wheel for dinner.

 

1/25/2026, 52.5 mi., 5:39 hr: min, 3226 ft. vertical

For the final three days of the trip, we took our bikepacking gear out for a ride.  After parking the truck in long-term parking at the airport, we headed up to Sonita.  We rode the busy Valencia Drive on an acceptably wide shoulder.  From there, we connected to the Tucson Loop Bike Path. As a side note, the loop has 137 miles of paved, car-free pathways (link). The bike path got us most of the way to Valencia, where we connected to Old Sonita Highway.  This section had new pavement and no traffic.  Unfortunately, after ~6 miles, it tees into Highway 83. For the next 12 miles, it was slow going with grades up to 9% and no shoulder at all for miles at a time.  Finally, we made a left into the Las Cienegas National Conservation Area, got water at the Empire Ranch Visitor Center, and started looking for a place to camp.  The Cieneguita Campground was full of campers, and the dirt road beyond it was mostly full. We asked one of the campers where we could camp, and he said it was dispersed camping, so anywhere.  Great, I replied, “How about that clear spot close to your camp. ”  Oh he replied, I was afraid you would ask, you probably want something more secluded. There is a much better site about 1/4 mile down the road on the left by a big tree.

So we continued on as the sun went down over the mountains. The site he recommended was taken.  The next spot had a decaying cow closeby.  The next site was too muddy due to the recent rain.  The next spot had a no camping sign.  We ended up settling for a marginally acceptable spot that was flat, not too muddy, and clear of poky plants.  By this time, we needed to put on our headlamps to set up the tents and cook dinner.  The temperature had also dropped into the 30’s F, so it was going to get cold that night.  It is amazing how big my bladder is when it is below freezing, and I am cosied up in a warm sleeping bag.  I had my 13F comfort-rated sleeping bag and slept well.

The next morning, we woke up to a half-frozen water bottle and a thermometer that read 28F.  By the time we boiled water for instant coffee and oatmeal, took down the tent, and packed up the bikes, it was past 9 am and still in the 30s.  Luckily, there was no wind, and as soon as the sun rose over the mountains, it warmed up into the 50s.

1/24/2026, 38.1 mi, 3:45 hr:min, 1886 ft. vertical

We changed venue from Bisbee to Tucson, and after hiding out from the rain at the 3 Palms Hotel in Tucson, we drove north to the trailhead in Mariana, under cloudy skies. The granite soil shed the recent rain, and we rode on hero gravel all day. The views were wide, and the Saguaro Cactus extended to the horizon. Green grass and flowering plants were intertwined between the Cactus.

Strava Link, RWGPS Link

 

Rest Day.

Stayed at the Jonquil Inn of Motorcycle Travel Channel YouTube fame. Link It’s a vintage hotel, but it had plenty of hot water, and the bed was comfortable.   Bisbee has an interesting history and was a big copper mining town until the 1970s.  Link

 

1/22/2026, 31.8 mi, 3:43 hr: min, 2962 ft. vertical

With rain predicted the next day, we packed up camp and drove over to Sierra Vista on our way to Bisbee.  On the way, we stopped at the Coronado National Memorial (link) and rode an out-and-back over Montezuma Pass, trying to reach Parker Lake.  We ended up running out of daylight about 5 miles short of the lake and had to turn around.  Massive border wall construction is going on, but all the construction trucks and border protection folks were polite, slowing down to minimize dust and waving.

Strava Link, RWGPS Link

1/21/2026, 52.7 miles,  5:24 hr: min, 2748 ft. vertical

This ride heads northeast out of Patagonia on Highway 82, on a good shoulder to Sonita.  The Spaniards have been growing wine in Sonita since the 16th century.  Later in the year, the wineries are a big attraction – not so muchin January. From Sonita, you head south on pavement, then right and over Canelo Pass on gravel, where many border control trucks were hanging out.  The ride drops down into the San Rafael Valley, connecting with the last part of the Patagonia 50.

Strava Link, RWGPS Link, Gravel Adventures Field Guide Link

1/20/2026 41.3 mi, 4:44 hr: min, 2917 ft. vertical.

Started out the day, headed south on HWY 89 toward Nogales to do the Wild Hog 50, link.  The road had a decent shoulder, but it is still 2 lane, and Nogales is a major port of entry, bringing in 30 billion dollars of goods from Mexico each year – so one can imagine there were a few semi trucks. Unfortunately, the turn onto the forest service road was gated and signed private property. Not sure what was up with that, but we turned around and rode back to Patagonia. At least it was an easy way to log 14 miles in an hour. With the remainder of the day, we rode an out-and-back to Alto Ruins.  This ride passes through the Patagonia-Sonoita Creek Preserve passes by a Hummingbird Sanctuary , and then heads uphill through Salaro Ranch, which is an exclusive “gated ranch community.” The translation is that they have really nice gravel roads and you can hardly see the houses from the main road.  The last 1.5 miles get steep and chunky, and we pushed through a few sections.  The ruins are anticlimactic, but the views are great.

Strava Link, Link,  DirtyFreeHub Link