Estrella Competitive Track

Description:

• Estrella Mountain Regional Park is home to one of the local Mountain Bike Association of Arizona's cross country race's and NORBA's - American Mountain Bike Challenge Race 1. Last year it was also a qualifying race for the Olympics. The MBAA/AMBC race usually in March is popular with National Pro's warming up for the NORBA series. An awesome new course was designed for the 2001 race. Estrella Mountain Regional Park is located in Goodyear Arizona, about 20 miles southwest of Phoenix. 5 miles south of the I-10 Freeway via Estrella Parkway. The 19,840-acre park near the west end of South Mountain features 65 acres of grass with ten covered ramadas, picnic tables, grills, restrooms, playground equipment, two lighted ball fields, an 18-hole golf course, and a rodeo arena. The Estrellas large peaks with the highest at 3,200 feet are great for those who want gradual climbs or fast descents. There are 6 main trails in the park, all overlapping, so any combination or mileage can be had. The Competitive track at Estrella Mountain had it's first race in the fall of 2000. I think this may be the best race course in the state. Great kudos go out to the trail designers and trail workers. The expert loop is the best course any of the state races and has steep ravine crossings, rocky and loose downhill's, short steep climbs out of ravines and fast smooth downhill. There is one very difficult switchback turn coming down the mountain. The long loop starts with a fun gradual downhill, turns into a gradual uphill through some sandy washes and then crises crosses all over the mountain with a climb and then downhill to the finish. Watch out for some very sharp corners. You think you can put the hammer down and then you have a sharp turn causing you to lose all momentum. Also, it has a few unexpected technical sections in the middle with some ravine crossings.