RIDE ON!

PRECEDING PANEL: The Los Burros Trail loops for 13 miles around Wishbone Mountain near McNary at an altitude of approximately 8,000 feet. Bicyclists can expect to share the trail with hikers and horseback-riders. | PAUL GILL BELOW: The Icehouse Trail in the Pinal Mountains is an exciting-but-difficult route with a lot of ups and downs for 9 solid miles. | PAUL GILL Fall is the season of choice for cyclists. The gusts of cool air, wheels churning over a forest floor carpeted with aspen leaves, serene silence punctuated by the shifting of gears, the startling beauty that arrives at the end of summer in a blaze of red, yellow and orange foliage. It's all right here in Arizona, a state that's often stereotyped as having only one season: summer. But up in the high country, aspens are turning gold this month, and maples, sumacs, oaks and sycamores are festooned in their own fall finery. To get a firsthand look, two-wheel-touring is the way to go. As Ernest Hemingway wrote in an article for Collier's, “You have no such accurate remembrance of country you have driven through as you gain by riding a bicycle.” Enough said.

LOS BURROS TRAIL | McNary

Like the forests around Flagstaff, the White Mountains offer all kinds of fall color. On the Los Bur-ros Trail, it's the aspens that stand out most, their leaves ablaze in gold, offering a colorful contrast to the towering spruce, pines and firs. The trail, which loops around Wishbone Mountain near McNary, is ideal for hikers, bikers and horseback-riders. Wildlife is drawn to this route, too. In addition to fall foliage, look for chance encounters with elk, mule deer and the occasional black bear.

DISTANCE: 13 miles round-trip

RATING: Moderate

DIRECTIONS: From McNary, drive north on Forest Road 224 for 18 miles to Vernon. From there, continue for approximately 8 miles to the Los Burros Campground. The trailhead is located at the far end of the campground.

INFORMATION: Lakeside Ranger District, 928-368-2100 or www. fs.usda.gov/asnf

ICEHOUSE TRAIL | Pinal Mountains

Unless you're a highly skilled and experienced mountain-biker, you'll want to classify the Ice-house Trail as “don't even think about it.” But for the adventurous few who've already gained a Zen-like mastery over their mountain bikes, this trail can be like a roller-coaster ride that makes grown-ups (in helmets and full-body protection, of course) want to shout like a kid: “Let's do it again!” The trek goes from desert scrub in the lower elevations to color-ful stands of maples, sumacs, walnuts and aspens in the higher elevations. It's an amazing ride, but as Paul Burghard of the Globe Ranger District says, “You might be too busy hanging on for dear life to even notice the trees.”

DISTANCE: 9 miles round-trip

RATING: Difficult DIRECTIONS: From Globe, follow the signs toward Besh-Ba-Gowah Pueblo Ruins. Just past the turnoff, turn right onto Icehouse Canyon Road and continue 1.7 miles to the intersection of forest roads 112 and 55. Continue straight for 2.5 miles, then turn left at the sign for trails 197 and 192. From there, drive a quarter-mile to the Icehouse CCC Recreation Site.

INFORMATION: Globe Ranger District, 928-402-6200 or www. fs.usda.gov/tonto

GRANITE BASIN RECREATION AREA | Prescott

Fall is a beautiful time to explore Prescott's scenic beauty, especially along smooth and meandering paths such as the West Lake Trail, which leads past scattered stands of piñon pines, alligator junipers and granite boulders. You'll also see Granite Mountain looming on the horizon. Travel clockwise for an easier ride, or counterclockwise if you'd like to burn some extra calories. The easy single-track trail measures less than 2 miles and connects with the Balancing Rock Trail. Both routes are popular with equestrians, so mountain-bikers are encouraged to exercise caution and avoid wearing headphones that can hinder an awareness of their surroundings.

DISTANCE: 1.5 miles one way (West Lake Trail); 3.2 miles one way (Balancing Rock Trail)

RATING: Easy to moderate

DIRECTIONS: From its intersection with Willow Creek Road in Prescott, drive northwest on Iron Springs Road for 3 miles, turn right onto Granite Basin Road, and continue 2.4 miles to the Cayuse Equestrian Trailhead on the right. From there, drive 0.1 miles to the parking area.

INFORMATION: Bradshaw Ranger District. 928-443-8000 or www. fs.usda.gov/prescott

URBAN TRAILS SYSTEM | Flagstaff

When it comes to city routes, nothing beats Flagstaff's Urban Trails System (FUTS), a network of nonmotorized pathways ideal for two-wheel touring. According to Martin Ince, the city's multimodal transportation planner, one of the best routes for fall is the 2-mile Buffalo Park Loop, which rambles over an expansive mesa of native grasslands that includes panoramic views of the San Francisco Peaks. Another great option is the 5.7-mile Sinclair Wash Trail, which travels north from Fort Tuthill County Park through a rural area of open grasslands and ponderosa pines and down to a verdant limestone-walled canyon. A third route is the 3.6-mile Karen Cooper Trail, which begins at Wheeler Park in downtown Flagstaff and winds past willow-lined riparian wetlands, stands of mature ponderosa pines and thickets of oaks.

DISTANCE: Variable

RATING: Easy

DIRECTIONS: The trails can be accessed at various points throughout Flagstaff.

INFORMATION: Flagstaff Visitor Center, 800-379-0065 or www. flagstaffarizona.org

HART PRAIRIE ROAD | Flagstaff

For fall color in Arizona, it doesn't get any better than Hart Prairie Road (Forest Road 151) near Flagstaff. About a mile into the route, where the dirt road crests a hill, riders will get their first glimpse of the forest's spectacular golden aspens, which are surrounded by a sea of forest-green pines. A half-mile later, the San Francisco Peaks, flanked by meadows and golden plumes of aspens, come into view. Although fall color takes center stage on this route, it's also a great place to see elk and mule deer, and maybe a bear.

DISTANCE: 10 miles one way

RATING: Easy to moderate

DIRECTIONS: From Flagstaff, drive west on U.S. Route 180 for approximately 10 miles, and turn right onto Hart Prairie Road (Forest Road 151), which is just before Milepost 226. Continue on FR 151 for approximately 8 miles to the intersection of Forest Road 418, veer left to stay on FR 151, and continue approximately 2 miles to U.S. 180.

INFORMATION: Flagstaff Ranger District, 928-526-0866 or www. fs.usda.gov/coconino

NORTH RIM PARKWAY | Kaibab Plateau

Designated a National Scenic Byway in 1998, this 44-mile trek begins at Jacob Lake and winds through fragrant pine forests beneath a vault of turquoise sky, over grassy meadows and past groves of quaking aspens ablaze in gold.

It's also one of the few places in the world where you might catch a glimpse of a Kaibab squirrel, a shy sprite known for the tufts of long hair on its ears and its white, bushy tail. For the grand finale, the route ends at the historic stone-and-log Grand Canyon Lodge, which includes a terrace that invites weary cyclists to linger and enjoy sweeping panoramas of the Grand Canyon.

DISTANCE: 44 miles one way

RATING: Easy to moderate

DIRECTIONS: From Flagstaff, drive north on U.S. Route 89 for 110 miles to U.S. Route 89A (25 miles south of Page). Drive west on U.S. 89A for 55 miles to Jacob Lake. The scenic drive starts on State Route 67 at Jacob Lake and continues for 30 miles to the entrance of Grand Canyon National Park. The rim itself is 14 miles farther south.

INFORMATION: North Kaibab Ranger District, 928-643-7395 or www.fs.usda.gov/kaibab

PATAGONIA-SONOITA SCENIC BYWAY | Santa Cruz County

This scenic byway, which begins about 20 miles east of Tucson and ends in the old ranch town of Sonoita, features rolling grasslands, windmills that pivot lazily along hillsides, and two of the largest ranches in the history of the West: the family owned San Ignacio del Babacomari land grant and the legendary Empire Ranch, which was established in the 1860s and grew to more than a million acres by the turn of the 20th century. In addition to their aesthetic benefits, the grasslands have lent authenticity to movies that run the gamut from Oklahoma! and Red River to Tin Cup and Young Guns. Although this route is more about "fall air" than "fall color," there will be autumn leaves farther south in Patagonia, where the cottonwoods along the San Pedro River

"THE CRAVING FOR COLOUR IS A NATURAL NECESSITY JUST AS FOR WATER AND FIRE. COLOUR IS A RAW MATERIAL INDISPENSABLE TO LIFE. AT EVERY ERA OF HIS EXISTENCE AND HIS HISTORY, THE HUMAN BEING HAS ASSOCIATED COLOUR WITH HIS JOYS, HIS ACTIONS AND HIS PLEASURES." - FERNAND LÉGER

sparkle in bright yellows.

DISTANCE: 27 miles one way

RATING: Easy to moderate

DIRECTIONS: From Tucson, drive east on Interstate 10 to Exit 281, which connects to State Route 83. Continue south on SR 83 for 27 miles to Patagonia.

INFORMATION: Sonoita/ Elgin Chamber of Commerce, 520-455-5498 or www. sonoitaelginchamber.org

GRANT HILL LOOP TRAIL | Pinaleño Mountains

For adventurous types who like to get their fall color fix by riding through the woods, and negotiat-ing twists and turns and roots and rocks, take note: The Grant Hill Loop Trail and the adjoining Cunningham Loop Trail in the Pinaleño Mountains near Safford were designed with the mountainbiker in mind. The trails are made up of old logging roads and new paths that wind through a mixed conifer forest of Douglas firs, white firs, Engelmann spruce and aspens. Located at an elevation Of more than 9,000 feet, the first (easternmost) logging road offers sweeping vistas of Sulphur Springs Valley, Fort Grant and the Galiuro Mountains. If you're looking for a more challenging route, ride the Grant Hill Loop Trail in a counterclockwise direction. You also have the option of venturing down the Cunningham Loop Trail, which crosses a few small drainages and Grant Creek.

DISTANCE: 5.9 miles one way (Grant Hill Loop); 5.6 miles one way (Cunningham Loop)

RATING: Difficult

DIRECTIONS: From Safford, drive south on U.S. Route 191 for 8 miles to State Route 366 (the Swift Trail). Turn right onto the Swift Trail and continue 23.5 miles past the Hospital Flat Campground to the Grant Hill Loop trailhead.

INFORMATION: Safford Ranger District, 928-428-4150 or www. fs.usda.gov/coronado

ARIZONA TRAIL | San Francisco Peaks Segment

If you've been thinking about tackingling ling a piece of the 819-mile Arizona Trail, be sure to consider Segment No. 34-the San Francisco Peaks segment - in the fall. In addition to the golden aspens, it's a Technicolor tour of gorgeous three-leaf sumacs and box elders decked out in golds and reds. The route also offers a sweeping 360-degree vista that includes Humphreys Peak, the highest point in Arizona; Kendrick Peak hugging the horizon; and The Nature Conservancy's Hart Prairie Preserve below. The trail, which begins on Snowbowl Road and ends where the Arizona Trail intersects Forest Road 418, is a favorite of Shawn Redfield. the trail director of the Arizona Trail Association.

DISTANCE: 7.5 miles one way

RATING: Easy to moderate

DIRECTIONS: From Flagstaff, drive north on U.S. Route 180 for 7 miles to Forest Road 516 (Snowbowl Road), turn right and continue another 5.1 miles to the parking area.

INFORMATION: Flagstaff Ranger District, 928-526-0866 or www. fs.usda.gov/coconino; Arizona Trail Association, www.aztrail.org AH