Best winter ride destinations?

[Roxtar]

TO: Rox

What the hell is wrong with you? Go skiing you dumbass.

FROM: Your friend Skini

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New bikes, losing over half the season to shoulder surgery, temps in the high 40s, and lack of snow have me firmly ensconced in riding mode.

[raisingarizona13]

I think Vegas looks sick. There's a ton of trails there and a lot of them look fun to me. I haven't been yet but I'm hoping to change that soon.

Phoenix is really beautiful in December, January and February. I just rode Hawes a week ago and I thought that place was sweet. I wish a town like Superior or Bisbee had a progressive and modern trail system. I'd be all about that place if it did.

St. George/Hurricane can be damn great in the winter. Sedona, Tucson yada yada.

[rpearce1475]

Having ridden Tucson in Feb, trails were in great shape, good weather, but the higher trails on Mt Lemmon were closed due to snow. Something to consider. You could always do a few days in Tucson and a few days in Phoenix. In my experience southern Utah trails can be super windy and kinda cold up on the Mesas that time of year.

Someone mentioned fun trails in Santa Fe, NM area. Probably talking about Glorieta Camps trails, really great trails. Again, a good chunk of those are going to be snow covered and/or freeze thaw so I'd probably avoid those in Feb.

[Roxtar]

Having ridden Tucson in Feb, trails were in great shape, good weather, but the higher trails on Mt Lemmon were closed due to snow. Something to consider. You could always do a few days in Tucson and a few days in Phoenix. In my experience southern Utah trails can be super windy and kinda cold up on the Mesas that time of year.

Someone mentioned fun trails in Santa Fe, NM area. Probably talking about Glorieta Camps trails, really great trails. Again, a good chunk of those are going to be snow covered and/or freeze thaw so I'd probably avoid those in Feb.

I'm about an hr from the high goods in Santa Fe (Glorietta, Rio En Medio, Winsor) and it's all buried. Same with our stuff in Los Alamos.

[east or bust]

Do yourself a favor and go to Phoenix. South Mountain has some nice chunk if you're into that kind of thing. Phoenix Mtn Preserve has good XC riding. There is a very small area tucked away near Papago/Scottsdale that has jumps/drops. Then you also have Sedona like an hour 30 north.

[NuMexJoe]

I'm about an hr from the high goods in Santa Fe (Glorietta, Rio En Medio, Winsor) and it's all buried. Same with our stuff in Los Alamos.

Mesa Rojo was warm and dry today, and I get to sleep in my own bed tonight despite having escaped the snow and mud! But yeah, unless you're looking to do a big trip south of the border, then Tucson/PHX is a good bet for a winter escape. Milagrosa, National and Holbert are all good fun. Steel yourself for the traffic and crowds; it's why I left 25 years ago.

[Roxtar]

Mesa Rojo was warm and dry today, and I get to sleep in my own bed tonight despite having escaped the snow and mud! But yeah, unless you're looking to do a big trip south of the border, then Tucson/PHX is a good bet for a winter escape. Milagrosa, National and Holbert are all good fun. Steel yourself for the traffic and crowds; it's why I left 25 years ago.

This past weekend, Mrs Roxtar and I got what looks like the last days of the season here. Rode dry trails on Friday and Saturday followed by skinning up to ski 12" of untracked fresh on Monday and Tuesday.
Life in northern NM does not suck.