Last year when we were boondocking out by Tubac, AZ we tried this ride but after about 5 miles in Derek got a flat tire that couldn’t be fixed and we had to quit. This time the ride was a success! We got this ride from our friends at Dirty Freehub who spend a couple months in the area during winter. Our loop was 35.8 miles with 2122′ of climbing.
The refuge is 117,464 acres of semi-desert grasslands that blend into the cottonwoods and willow that line river banks and wetlands. At home on the refuge are coyotes, foxes, bobcats, javelina, four types of skunks, two kinds of jackrabbits. mule deer, pronghorn, rattlesnakes, desert tortoises and occasional Gila monsters. We saw a herd of pronghorn and about a thousand birds.
We started riding out Pronghorn Drive which looked to be freshly grated. After the recent heavy rains we were worried about the conditions but they were fast and relatively smooth for the first half of the ride. A few border patrol trucks passed us as we made our way to Mexico. We got pretty close to the “wall” before turning and heading back north. But not before noticing that an entire section of the wall is missing!
From here the dirt road winds in and out of a gravely wash that was still holding some water the day we rode. It’s a bit more technical in this section and then we hit the climb. It’s not that big a deal and the descent off the back is fast! This part might give people on skinnier tires a bit of trouble but we flew down. The rest of the ride rolls and winds with outstanding views of Baboquivari Peak (7730′) which rises sharply to dominate the scenic desert terrain. We hit a bit of headwind coming back to the Visitor’s Center but the ride is generally fast at the end.
What I like about this ride? Twists ad turns dominate the route instead of long straight stretches so it’s constantly interesting. There are GREAT views along the way, little to no people, and lots of varied terrain to mix it up. Overall, two thumbs up.
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