Estrella BeerDuo/Pirate Trails

Pirate/East Side Trail Review

Estrelladuro description

From the staging area to segment one there is a quick street crossing to a dirt powerline road that will take you to the start of our pristine single track.　

We will then ride a "soon to be closed" segment called Buccaneer trail. This is not timed and goes up and down through some washes over a low saddle.　

At the end of Buccaneer will be timed segment one. This segment will consist of climbing the Saddle Up trail and descending on the What Up trail. Climbing will consist of several techy switchback areas that will have you choosing the proper line on the fly. The descent is also heavy in switchbacks, and may even give advantage to those still rocking the 26 inch wheels. Total segment length will be approximately 1.2 miles.　

Segment two will be the the infamous Pirate trail. Pirate trail is desert single track at its best, and runs along the mountain foothills north to south. There are numerous wash crossings, ups and downs, and twistes that guarantee to put a smile on your face. Beware of the "pirate cove" which is the tech challenge on the trail, As it twists close to the mountain you need to navigate around larger rocks while heading through a wash. Approximate segment length is 1.6 miles.　

After pirate trail there will be a quick 200 yard jaunt down a fireroad to the next segment, titled Bootlegger trail.　

Bootlegger starts by descending down and through a wash, but don't be fooled, this is a climbing segment. The climb is gradual, and may include a mulligan at one of the optional tech lines. Approximate segment length is 0.7 miles.　

At the top of Bootlegger trail is Brethetn Court, 　a four way trail intersection perfect for the beer chug. Logs for sitting and a bike rack are just some of the amenities you will find at this semi oasis in the Estrella foothills.　

Segment four, named after Captian Hook's ship, is Jolly Roger. Jolly Roger is the longest and most demanding segment of the course. It starts with a descent to a fireroad crossing and gradually climbs to the fenceline of the Estrella Mountain Regional Park. The trail dips down into a wash and has a climb out that will have you shifting for an easier gear, or standing if you are a single speed guy. Once to the top of the climb there is a rocking flowly descent back to the finish at a fireroad. A possible jump mulligan is in the works for the end of this segment. Be ready for the course's loose and chunky sections to be displayed on this trail. Approximate length is 2 miles.　

After The Jolly Roger segment there will be a quick climb back up to Brethern Court, which will be the start of the final planned segment of the evening. This segment is the Rum Runner trail, a flowy descent back down to civilization. The first half of the trail is a quick straight shot down hill with a few slight turns. It is easy to get up to speed quick so 　ride smart. You will cross a jeep road and continue on the second half of the trail which twists around on relatively level ground to the end of the trail at the same powerline road we traveled in on. Approximate segment length is 1.2 miles.　

We will then have about a 1 mile ride along the powerline road to get back to our starting place to tap the keg of ice cold PBR. There is also an option to travel the mile back on a wide sidewalk depending on how you are feeling after the ride.　

We locals in Estrella are really looking forward to hosting this event! Get excited, it is bound to be a great time.　

　

　

　

FINS estrella

FINS

Off of Weststar drive there is a now well known trail system, formerly an “illegal” trail system, that goes by the name of FINS, or Fantasy Island North Singletrack. This review will be a great starting point for beginners and experienced riders alike to plan a ride and explore this well signed trail system.

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Murel's Mile

Murels Mile is just that - 1 mile - named after one of the original builders of the FINS mountain bike trail system. Starting at the Stone Throne landmark (a big rock rising out of the desert floor at the junction of multiple trails) and ending at Proposal Pass, this trail offers a great experience for beginning riders who are looking to try out what mountain biking has to offer. The trail is well maintained by one of our local trail builders and offers everything that a beginning rider will need to gain some experience. Moving west to east the trail starts with a minimal climb and then a quick little descent that will have a newer rider reaching for the breaks, and an experienced rider looking for an opportunity to gain some speed. The trail then turns south and goes through some dips and finally heads back west up a steady climb that will get your heart pumping. This climb is a great place for a beginner to experience some climbing by keeping rear wheel traction to the ground, and a great place for an experienced rider to push the limits on a steeper gear. At the top of the climb there are some junction opportunities with other trails. You can continue west onto the rest of the trail system, or head north to proposal pass - a junction point with even more trail opportunities! This trail is great to ride in either direction. Heading in the opposite way you will start with a nice descent - a great place to work on cornering skills, and finish with a climb that brings you back to the Stone Throne, close to the trailhead.

Kim’s Climb

Kim’s Climb - like Mural’s Mile, is a self describing trail. It is an uphill stretch named after Kim, also one of the original builders of the FINS mountain bike trail system. This “climb” is mellow, but will make you pedal. Starting at the Stone Throne landmark and ending at Proposal Pass, it is an alternate way of getting places, which will become a trend in this review. This climb is a great way for beginning mountain bikers to experience that first real hill and to conquer those first real switchbacks. It is a great way for the more experienced rider to get some fun climbing in! The trail starts mellow going up a gentle incline to a few easy riding switchbacks and then hits a rocky section that will test a newer mountain biker and have the more experienced rider out of their saddle to avoid shifting on the way up. The rocky section will get your heart beating, but afterwards the climb mellows out a bit again taking you the rest of the way up to Proposal Pass - a junction with more trails. From here, most of the options lead to going down hill. One of my favorite things to do is link up the Kim’s Climb trail with the Spent Spade trail, which will be reviewed next. Getting to the top of Kim’s and going down Spent Spade without resting at the top creates one nice long segment with both an up and down hill. Riding Kim’s Climb downhill is also a fun option, but a less popular one due to the other down hill runs starting at Proposal Pass that will be reviewed later - but I suggest giving it a go. Is not downhill always fun no matter what the trail!?

Spent Spade

Starting at Proposal Pass this trail is a spectacular downhill run but does not have the tech that can steer some away from trying it. The trail is named after a trail building tool that met it’s match against the desert rocks. The head of a spade can still be seen on the side of the trail on each ends if you are looking close enough. Legend says it is good fortune when riding to acknowledge the “Spent Spade” out of respect for all the work trail building tools have done on this system that was built by hand, not machine. From Proposal Pass this trail starts out as quite the downhill, eventually going through a wash that will have you thinking that you are on a roller coaster. Above the wash the trail flattens out a bit as it turns right going through the Enchanted Forest, where stuffed animals have come to rest on trees and cactus. Through the Enchanted Forest the trail continues on a slight downhill and takes a sharp left. Be ready for this turn - missing it could land you in a pencil Cholla cactus! After the sharp left turn the trail twists a little on an easy downhill until it’s completion at the Connie’s Causeway trail where you can continue on in either direction. Climbing Spent Spade in the opposite direction is also a fun way to get from one place to another, and it will make you work. Like Kim’s Climb, riding up this trail is a great opportunity for beginners to start growing some climbing legs, and a great opportunity for the more experienced rider to continue to strengthen theirs.

Quartz Peak Hike, Sierra Estrella Wilderness

Quartz Peak

Nestled down south in the massive Estrella Mountain range lies the only trail up to any of it's peaks, the Quartz Peak Trail. 

It was a busy day, with about 10 other people starting out on the hike when we got to the trailhead. We expected to be the only ones in this remote area, but the weather was beautiful and the mountains must have called. We decided we would have a pre hike beer while we waited for the other group to get ahead of us. Ken checked out the facilities that the desert had to offer... 

The trail starts out as a half mile path from the parking lot to the mountain, then rises incredibly steep up the ridge line. One of the hikers in the group in front of us was wearing an orange sweatshirt. Seeing it up ahead was intimidating, we were about to begin to climb that high. It is a 3 mile total hike to the top, but the 2,500 feet in elevation gain takes place in about 2.5 miles! 

The trail consists of short switchbacks that cross back and forth over a steep spider ridge until you get to the main ridge of the Estrella mountain range. With each step you are higher on the mountain. There is a lot of exposure that takes a little while to get used to! 

2.5 miles into the hike, when you are on the main ridge line, the trail fades away due to the steep and rocky landscape. In the last half mile expect to use your hands as it turns into more of a "climb" than a "hike." Follow the large rock carins that mark the best way to the top. Even without the presence of a trail, route finding is no problem with the carins that have been set up. At this point you can see the giant slab of Quartz at the top looming over you like something out of this world. 

Getting up to the final Quartz slab at the very top requires about a 6 to 7 foot near vertical rock climb. If you are uncomfortable doing this, it will not hinder the view - but it sure was worth it to touch the cold white stones that made up the peak. 

Stepping up to the top of this mountain is an amazing experience. The whole hike takes place on the south western corner of the Estrella's, in other words - the middle of nowhere! Looking over the ridge at the top has views of the entire valley! Downtown Phoenix, the amazingly tiny South Mountain, Camelback, Squaw Peak, the McDowells, Superstitions, Mazatals, Papago, all in the distance. You can distinctly see Awatukee and the Gila River basin as well. Just incredible! Looking south and west you can see the Maricopa Mountains, Buckeye Hills, and the rest of the rugged landscape that surrounds the valley of the sun. It was a great time to sit at the top, enjoy the views, drink a beer, and have a snack! It took us an hour and a half to get to the top, we were able to pass every other hiker on the trail in the group that started before us. 

After our break enjoying the views at the summit it was time to start our trek back down. It was slow going at first, we took caution hiking back down the scramble section we endured on the way up. There was a lot of use of hands. I even did some sliding on my rear end. It didn't take too long and surprisingly was not as difficult or slow going as I expected. We were relived though, once the first half mile of the descent was complete and the trail started again on the spider ridge line. 

We stopped to have a second beer at this point, at a little flat spot before the trail started again. We were out to have some fun, enjoy ourselves and the nature - all during working hard. 

After our quick break we began the main descent. It was quick going and we used a jog/hike technique to get us down the hill fast. I cannot even describe how much fun this was. We ended up making it back down to the trailhead in a total time of 3 hours, with a moving time of 2hrs and 4 minutes. Not bad for a hike that suggests 4-5 hours of allotted time! Our total moving descent over 3 miles was only 40 minutes! 

Once back at the trailhead we celebrated with a final beverage, then made our way back to civilization.