Date:  Monday, October 6, 2025

Distance: 137 miles

Start Time: 6:00 AM
There will be a mass start at 6 AM and announcements and time for questions at 5:55.

Start Location: Alpine Country Store (Get directions)

Time Limit: 14:40 hours

Sunrise:  5:17 AM
Sunset:  7:30 PM

Cost: $15 All riders must pre register. There is no day-of-event registration.

RUSA sanctioned.

WAIVER NOTE: You will be automatically directed to the online waiver after you submit your PayPal payment. If you are not automatically directed to the online waiver after your pay, you may press the "Return to Merchant" button to sign the waiver. The online waiver may also be found at tinyurl.com/AZBrevetWaiver.

REGISTRATION NOTE: Once you are registered for a ride, you will see your name in the Registered Riders tab. It may take a day or so for it to appear. Registered riders WILL be sent a "Last Minute Notes" email the day after registration closes, normally the Thursday before the ride. If you do not receive it, please let me know. Also, check your spam folder for the email.

RIDE VERIFICATION: All of these events are sanctioned by Randonneurs USA (RUSA). As such, all of them will be verified using approved RUSA methods. Click HERE to see the details of available options for AZ Radonneurs' events.

Description

The White Mountains of AZ are a stark contrast to what most riders think about when they think about Arizona. This is a challenging route, as are all of the 8k600 routes. It officially has 8000 meters of climbing over 600km. The time allowed for completion is also only 40 hours. Efficiency will be key to making the time cutoff.

With that said, the White Mountains are a gem to ride. The population density is quite low and the elevations reach 9400’. There are resources available to refuel and lodging options available based upon one’s own preferences for how to split the route.

After Alpine on the return, riders will “descend” the Coronado Trail. This descent loses 4000’ in elevation, but still manages to climb over 9000’ in those 100 miles. Hannagan Meadow (9100’) is on your route and is not much more than a wide spot in the road, but there is an awesome lodge and restaurant there. You will definitely want to resupply here. This will be your last water availability until you get to Morenci. Descending the Coronado Trail will be an experience you won’t soon forget. Some of the tightest hairpin turns I’ve ever experienced are on this road.

After a couple major climbs on the descent, you’ll finally reach the Morenci Mine. It is one of the largest copper mines in the world. This mine started in 1871 and has continuously grown as an open-pit mine to this day. It’s mind-boggling to look into the mine and see how enormous it is! The Coronado Trail (US-191) has been re-routed and rebuilt countless times around the mine to account for its remarkable growth.

After your refuel stop in Morenci, there are still a couple climbs to negotiate. With about 25 miles to go, you’ll summit the last climb and descend back to the finish. Phew!

Cattle in Alpine Meadow

Directions to the start

Location: Alpine Country Store

Address: Alpine Country Store
42651 US-180 Alpine, AZ 85920

Phone: 928.339.1982

Google map:Click HERE

Directions:  Small town, lots of charm!

 

 

Route Map

View  RWGPS online map here

High elevation climbing will be on the agenda!

Cue sheets may be downloaded and printed by riders if they wish. Cue sheets will NOT be passed out at the start. Make sure you have a cue sheet as a backup in case your GPS fails.

(Excel sheet is not available.)

Download cue sheet (pdf)

Elevation Profile

This is Day 3 of the 8k600 route with 8000m (28,000') of climbing over a 600 km distance. This is still a tough day. White Mountains sampler the hard way!

Requirements

Lights: Required. There will be a light inspection at check-in to verify front and rear lights are working and are sufficient for night riding. Also required are reflective vest or sash and ankle reflectors.

Services

This route is very remote in a couple areas and riders must plan accordingly for:
1) Food & water
2) Clothing - due to elevation differences
3) Overnight lodging

The RWGPS and cue sheet list the areas where resources are reliably available. There will be few other places to find food/water/lodging.

Accommodations - Accommodations are the rider's responsibility so that you may choose your price and overnight options. The route lists areas where overnight accommodations are available on-route.

0 Registered Riders.

No registered riders at this time.