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DEFINING THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN CYCLIST

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There’s a certain strangeness to riding in Arizona’s WhiteMountains. While aspiring mountain biking Meccas clamor forattention, this place seems to prefer anonymity. It is the mountain biking destination that time and most everyone else itseems has forgotten.

The White Mountains stand quietly at eastern edge of theGrand Canyon State as an ocean of towering Ponderosa pinesvisible as far as the eye can see. Beneath this whispering greencanopy, nearly 200 miles of superb, well-marked, non-motorizedtrails remain hidden in plain sight.

Within reach of the trails, the nearby community of Pinetop-Lakeside hugs the skirt of Highway 260, looking as ifnothing beyond 1950 ever took root here. Rustic lakeside cabinsand A-frames that might have been second homes for Ward andJune Cleaver are tucked neatly into the trees. The region is ananachronism of sorts, as if it had been preserved beneath a belljar of benign disinterest and stored in a forgotten attic somewhere.

THE EDGES OF THE BELL JAR END A FEW MILES AWAYTo the north in Show Low, the noise and disorientation of

modern society are palpable inside the discount stores and TacoBells that have become monuments to American Progress. A fewmiles south, the Hon-Dah Casino, its parking lot brimming withRVs, provides a doorway to capitalist culture for the WhiteMountain Apache tribe and marks the edge of reservation land.

Yet in between, Pinetop-Lakeside clings to the ragged edgeof days gone by on the Mogollon Rim—where the southernmostedge of the Colorado Plateau abdicates its majesty to the Basinand Range below. Sitting on the edge of the rim up here gives the impression that this fragile area could suddenly sheer off andcareen into the valley below, colliding head on with the

Riding Beneaththe Bubble in the White Mountainsof Arizona

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by James E. Rickman

Every day is a good one in the White Mountains.

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unchecked commercialization and artificiality of Phoenix andScottsdale 150 miles to the southwest.

As much as the pull of progress beckons tiny Pinetop-Lakeside into the abyss, sojourners from the mega-metropolis below make regular pilgrimages to the WhiteMountains to escape the oppressive desert heat, traffic jams and nonstop ambient noise of civilization.

People come here to savor the sticky darkness of the nightsky or to bask under the brilliant blue ceiling of the day. Up herethe vanilla essence of Ponderosa pine floats lazily on the temperate air. This is a world where solitude is easy to find and aperson can hear himself think.

A CONNECTION WITH NATUREBack in 1987, an enlightened group comprised of the U.S.

Forest Service, the Arizona Game and Fish Department, theWhite Mountains Horsemen’s Association and the AudubonSociety decided to embark on an initiative to create a network oftrails that would connect the town and forest. The group calleditself Pinetop-Lakeside TRACKS, a clumsy acronym paying homage to the multiple user groups involved. Thanks to a steadystream of public and private donations and an army of eagerlocal volunteers, the group officially gave birth to the WhiteMountain Trail system by sculpting 10 miles of tight singletrackinto the rocky soil.

Now, 20 years later, the White Mountain Trail System could

serve as model of success for modern communities seeking tocapitalize on outdoor recreation. More than 180 miles of trail areofficially part of the network, with more on the way. FromPinedale—15 miles northwest of Show Low—to the edges of theApache reservation 10 miles southeast of Pinetop-Lakeside, thetrail system meanders through the Apache Sitgreaves NationalForest and now includes a dozen major loops, most of which areinterconnected by fire roads or singletrack trails. The system isspecifically designated only for hiking, biking and equestrian use.Motorized vehicles are restricted to fire and forest roads thatdon’t conflict with non-motorized trails for the most part.

A contingent of 200 TRACKS volunteers and a progressiveland manager—Ed Collins of the Apache Sitgreaves NationalForest Lakeside Ranger District—are instrumental to the continuing success of the trail system, said Nick Lund, presidentof TRACKS. Members are constantly seeking to improve the network. Proposed routes go through formal NationalEnvironmental Policy Act (NEPA) review, and the TRACKSgroup meets one day a week for trail construction and maintenance activities.

“This really is one of the most dedicated groups of peopleI’ve ever had the pleasure of working with,” said Lund.

UNEXPECTED PRAISEAll of the hard work has paid off. Some heavy hitters have

noticed the success of the network, and funding continues to roll

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The Panorama Trail offers some of the best views of any trail in the WhiteMountains Trail System.

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in. Arizona Sen. John McCain has dropped in on a TRACKSmeeting for an impromptu trails briefing, while Hillary RodhamClinton visited in 2000 as First Lady of the United States tobestow a Millennium Trail designation on the system’s Land ofthe Pioneers loop.

Legendary Wheelman Keith Bontrager discovered the WhiteMountains in 2006 while taking part in the annual Tour of theWhite Mountains event as a warm up for the 24 Hours of Moab.He became an instant fan.

“The singletrack there is very good, well laid out, with theright mix of technical bits and flowing fast sections,” Bontragersaid. “Almost all of it is in the trees, too. There are climbs butthey are not killers like the Alps. And the system is so big, sothere’s plenty of variety.”

The way the network is laid out, riders can enjoy a quickromp around one of the shorter singletrack loops such as theclassic Country Club Trail or string together multiple loops foran epic like riders enjoy during the annual Tour that captivatedBontrager.

Navigation through the labyrinth of trails is easy thanks toregular markers along the way. Blue diamonds indicate mainroutes, green dots indicate trail connectors, yellow dots indicatea shortcut back to the trailhead and red dots denote a route to avista. These colorful lucky charms stand out on the trees like colorful marshmallow treats in a box of monotonous oat bits.The never-failing markers and an inexpensive trail guide available at the Lakeside Ranger District headquarters means

Some good rides in the White MountainsWe had only planned to ride three days during our visit to theWhite Mountains. But because the trails were so great, weended up riding five out of our six days there (even God rest-ed…). During that time we saw exactly two riders on horse-back and three on bikes. Here are some notes about some ofthe more notable trails we encountered:

Los Burros Trail: If you had to choose one ride to do on yourway through Pinetop-Lakeside, this might be the one. This13-mile loop is listed as “moderate” but does include a cou-ple of hairy sections. Like everything in the White Mountains,rocks are numerous and challenging. But this beauty of atrail also includes long, smooth stretches through alpinemeadow and fern-dappled forest. The final downhill sectionwill peg the fun meter.

Panorama Trail: While many trails in the White Mountainswind through endless stands of trees, Panorama, like thename suggests, is a trail with views. Only six miles in length,the entertainment value makes it seem much longer (orshorter, depending on your personal predilections). Theclimb near the end makes you work for the final breathtakingview, but the short, fast, final downhill will keep you gigglinghalfway through your beer back at the trailhead. Sultan ofSpokes Keith Bontrager gives Panorama two enthusiasticthumbs up.

Country Club Trail: Who’d have thought you could pack somuch fun into just three and a half miles? This trail is thesmoothest of the bunch and astoundingly fast. We enjoyed itso much we kept stringing together routes that would let usride it over and over again. You’ll kick yourself in the head ifyou don’t take the time to ride the spur to the top of PatMullen Mountain. Add on the nearby Springs Trail for alonger ride.

Springs Trail: The first mile of this relatively flat trail is sorocky that it’s nearly unrideable. What’s more, hungry cloudsof mosquitoes near the soggy lowlands make the frustrationfactor climb like the nearby Blue Ridge Trail. But good thingscome to those who persevere: The last mile or so of this shortride will have you zigging and zagging through the trees asfast as your little legs can carry you as you gleefully movebackward in time to your former childhood.

Blue Ridge Trail: Locals winced when we told them we rodethis as our first ride. We did so to get an objective reading ofwhat the “difficult” designation in the trail guide reallymeant. The term fit—underscoring the accuracy and useful-ness of the guidebook. Nevertheless, Blue Ridge was fun ina kind of spooky, if-I-lose-my-concentration-I-could-get-seriously-injured kind of way. This was the only trail thatgave us some navigating difficulties.

Secret Trails: Rumor has it that some of the best trails in theWhite Mountains aren’t listed in the guides. Locals take totheir secret trails for group rides at regular intervals. Sidle onup to a local rider to see if you can get hooked in or, even bet-ter, pay a visit to Cycle Mania in Show Low and strike up aconversation with owner Todd Fernau for the lowdown.

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riders can spend more time enjoying the trails and less timescratching their heads over a trail map.

We logged a leisurely 70 miles of riding in our first threedays in Pinetop-Lakeside. Some sections of the forest ravaged byfire years ago have been reborn into the kind of roomy forest thatallows a generous amount of sunlight to pass through the treecanopies and energize the forest floor. The area radiates withinspiration that seemed to bring out the better parts of our stamina and balance.

Trails and forest roads are covered with pea-sized, rust-colored volcanic cinder that crunches under the tires. Inother areas, sections of cruel pockmarked babyheads force you tokeep hands and feet light on the bars and pedals and danceabove the seat while the machine below bucks and heaves itsway toward the next brief smooth section. The red cast of thesoil and abundance of rock made me imagine how biking onMars must feel.

Unlike the desert portion of Arizona, the White Mountainsare blessed with life-giving moisture. The mosquitoes certainlyhad amassed for our late-fall visit, and we took to the trails onlyafter basting ourselves with a chemical broth of SPF 30 sunscreen and 100 percent DEET.

We tested this mixture for several days under the harshestconditions of sweat and dirt, and we can attest that neitherchemical affects the performance of the other when used simultaneously. Were it not for sunscreen, we would fry likebacon during the long daily rides we enjoyed, and if we had notpacked the DEET, our flesh would have been as raw and bumpyas some of the sections of trail we mastered. Any breather wetook out in the wide-open expanses of trees brought clouds ofmosquitoes that hovered just out of range of the DEET molecules we exuded.

THE FORTRESS OF SOLITUDEAll our riding worked up a healthy appetite and a craving for

trash talk over beers. Oddly enough, despite the abundance ofexcellent trails, there were few people of our ilk hanging out inPinetop-Lakeside that we could regale with tales of our dailyadventures. The parking lots of local lodging establishments weredevoid of vehicles with bikes on the roofs or hitch racks. Instead,larger luxury vehicles dominated the terrain.

As we later found out, Pinetop-Lakeside exists in the farthestcorner of the time-share universe. It is a default location forresort-goers who have procrastinated in their annual vacationplanning and were unable to trade up to more desirable condominiums elsewhere. Older folks who’ve given up thegumption to wheel and deal for more exotic locations find themselves marooned here for weeklong jaunts away from the city.

People of this age demographic eat dinner early. Restaurantsin town are standing room only from 5 to 6:30 p.m. Then thetown empties out like one of those spooky hamlets where thelocals engage in unspeakable rituals to guarantee a favorable harvest. At night the entire community slips into a state of comfortable emptiness beneath the twinkling heavens.

SAY WHAT?Perhaps part of the reason Pinetop-Lakeside has remained in

abject isolation is that no one’s anxious to talk about it.When we approached a local business leader to gather some

On a clear day on the Panorama Trail, you can see all the way toFlagstaff.

Los Burros Trail is sometimes nothing more than a smooth skinny ribbonwinding through the forest.

In some areas of the White Mountains, it’s easy to visualize what it wouldbe like if reptiles lived on Mars. Wildlife is abundant in the WhiteMountains and several different species—including a thimble-sizedvole—greeted us on our rides.

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basic information about the community and region, the businessleader squirmed uncomfortably in front of us and suddenlyunleashed a heavy downpour of sweat—as if we were a 60Minutes crew intent on uncovering some sweeping scandal. Theexecutive twitched like a trapped animal while answering thehandful of softball questions we tossed out, so we quickly calledoff the interview fearing for her well-being. A town so calm did-n’t need that kind of stress.

“What on Earth do you suppose that was all about?” mycompanion asked as we exited the office into the parking lot.I had no idea.

“Maybe she had to poop,” was the best I could offer.We turned to the Lakeside Ranger District for answers, but

we were told that key personnel were unavailable each time weshowed up for a visit. Dozens of phone calls over the course ofsix months went unreturned as well.

But not everyone seems intent on preserving Pinetop-Lakeside’s inauspicious character. Next to a dirt lot off ofHighway 260, the Kabuki Japanese restaurant is a stark contrastto the mom-and-pop sandwich shops and gingham-laced greasyspoons dominating the community’s culinary landscape.

If you eat nowhere else, the Kabuki is certainly worth a try,particularly if you like sushi. Chef and owner Gilles Desjardins—co-sponsor of the original Good Will Games and the manresponsible for bringing Japan’s Kabuki Ballet to America for itspremier performance—serves up a literal schooner of primo rawfish as dinner for two along with other traditional Japanese fare.Stumbling upon the Kabuki was like accidentally finding anarrowhead in an expanse of desert pebbles. We were thrilled yetnot quite ready to accept that it was real.

Why sushi? Why here? We wondered.Desjardins explained that many of Pinetop-Lakeside’s

residents had done missionary work in Japan, providing aninherent demand for sushi, tempura and 31 types of sake.

NO ESCAPING PROGRESSThe fact that a French-Canadian restaurateur would pull up

stakes and relocate to tiny Pinetop-Lakeside perhaps signals thatbig things are on the horizon for the White Mountains.

New development is booming in nearby Show Low, saidTodd Fernau, owner of Cycle Mania, the area’s only bike shop.People are moving in to get in on the ground floor of a life awayfrom the city. Nevertheless, more and more “city” is moving intothe area in the form of fast-food restaurants and ubiquitous big-box stores.

This year TRACKS is in the process of connecting the westside of the trail system with the east side, making Show Low—and new housing development Show Low Bluffs—the new epi-center of the system. Show Low Bluffs, now a co-sponsor of theTour of the White Mountains event, is promising buyers a devel-opment in which residents can access trail systems from theirfront doors or from green areas situated just down the block.

With modernization in full swing just a stone’s throw away,it’s probably only a matter of time before someone tilts back thebell jar and peers into Pinetop-Lakeside looking for opportunity.While some may rejoice at such a thing, it would almost be ashame to see the area become a real mountain biking Mecca.

There is, after all, a certain endearing strangeness to riding inArizona’s White Mountains.

The Pinetop-Lakeside LowdownPinetop-Lakeside Chamber of Commerce—Avail yourself ofracks of local information and free Wi-Fi access at this friend-ly fixture located smack-dab in the middle of town. 102-C W.White Mountain Blvd. (Highway 260); 1.800.573.4031 or928.367.4290; www.pinetoplakesidechamber.com

Cycle Mania—The area’s only bike shop is located in ShowLow, the emerging epicenter of the White Mountain TrailSystem; 100 N. White Mountain Rd., #101; 928.537.8812

Kabuki, a Japanese Restaurant—This ain’t some redneckdumping frozen shrimp into a pan of Bisquick and calling ittempura or carving up a couple of Gorton’s frozen fish pattiesand serving it as sushi. Owners Gilles and Barbara Dejardinsoffer fine cuisine, a great selection of sake and great atmos-phere. Kabuki’s specialties are sushi, tempura and teppan-yaki (you know, that crazy thing where chefs prepare meals ona grill at tableside using fire and fanfare to entertain and sati-ate diners); 814 E. White Mountain Blvd.; 928.367.2167

El Rancho Restaurant—As people who come from the homeof good Mexican food, we often shy away from restaurantsoffering tastes from south of the border. While some dinersmuttered that the food was too spicy, our Southwesterntongues found it mild and well prepared. The margaritas had agood kick to them, too; 1523 E. White Mountain Blvd.;928.367.4557

Coffee Hut Café—Good food and caffeinated beverages in alow-key atmosphere. This place never seemed overrun bytourists like the rest of the local eateries; 485 E. WhiteMountain Blvd.; 928.367.9977

Red Devil Pizza—The name frightened us at first, giving usvisions of pitchforks and fiery esophageal eruptions. But thefood at this Italian restaurant was actually very good. Thepizza was outstanding. It was a haven for the old folks, so tryto get there right at 5 p.m. or after 6:30 p.m.; 1774 E. WhiteMountain Blvd.; 928.367.5570

Mogollon Rim Overlook—You won’t really appreciate whereyou are until you’ve hiked the easy one-mile loop trail andstared out over the end of the Colorado Plateau. The Overlookis located two miles north of Pinetop-Lakeside on Highway 260between Camp Tatiyee and Camp Grace.

Pinetop-Lakeside Festivals—The community holds severalfestivals each year: 21st Annual Native American Festival,July 12-13, 2008; 18th Annual White Mountain BluegrassMusical Festival, Aug. 9-10, 2008; 33rd Annual Fall Artisan’sFestival, Sept. 26-28, 2008; www.pinetoplakesidechamber.com

TRACKS—A 20-year labor of love by the seemingly hardest-working volunteer trail group in the American West is respon-sible for the White Mountain’s fantastic trail system. Praisethem! www.tracks-pinetop-lakeside.org

13th Annual Tour of the White Mountains—This annual eventbrought to you by the folks at Epic Rides features 10-mile, 35-mile, 41-mile, 52-mile and 66-mile offerings that showcase thebest parts of the White Mountain Trail System. Scheduled thisyear for Oct. 4, 2008. www.epicrides.com/towm/towm.htm