WEST SILVERBELLS

Level: Intermediate (3-B)

Description: The West Silverbells are situated in the Ironwood National Monument, and a ride through them tells you why this land was set aside. It's Sonoran Desert scenery at its best, and if you aren't moved by the views you should really clean the layer of dust off your sunglasses.

The ride is not technically challenging but has a surprising effect on the legs by the time you are finished. It's hillier than it looks. If you go and it's warm, bring plenty of water. This is a hot ride in more ways than one, best enjoyed when temperatures are 80 or lower.

To begin the ride take the road down and to the left from the cemetary (see driving directions below). You will cross a wash, then climb a short hill. Note the road coming in from the right on top of the hill. You'll come out here on your second loop.

Continue on the road about a mile, watching for another road that goes off to your right. Try to memorize it because it's the beginning of the second loop. You will be on a gradual descent, and after a couple of short sandy wash crossings you will hit some serious sand. This is the El Tiro Wash. There are cowpaths to the left, connecting to a powerline that isn't so sandy, but since this has become a part of the National Monument using them may no longer be legal for mountain bikes. The powerline road reconnects to the main road in about a half mile.

The main road follows the El Tiro, and you will go through three gates. At the first, you will see a road coming down. This is where your first loop begins and ends. Continue straight. Doing the loop in a clockwise direction puts you on the sandy part with a slight downhill, which is much easier riding.

Immediately after the third gate, take a right on an old Jeep road. After crossing the El Tiro wash it will bend back to the east, then turn north and climb a short hill that is too big to qualify as a roller. You will descend and come to a T intersection. Go left and cross the wash. You will come to two more intersections on this road. Keep left at both.

The road ends at another major dirt road. You are approximately 7.4 miles into your ride. Take a right, and then the next right about 100 yards up the road. You will climb in a southeasterly direction before turning east. Right after the turn is a "guzzler," a wildlife water collection and storage facility. The road continues east until it comes to a fence, where you will turn right and head south along the fence. There is a cow trail a couple of hundred yards before the fence that shortcuts the corner, but again, riding it may not be legal in the monument.

You will descend to the wash and come out at the gate, closing the loop. Retrace your route back to the entrance to the second loop, which is about two miles if you don't explore side roads. Take a left and follow this road, which leads you into a beautiful valley with ironwoods and saguaro in abuncance. Take the first right and you will loop back to the main road, where you will take a left and be back at the cemetery in about a half mile.

There are several roads that take off to the left, but they all dead end. If you have the time and energy, they are fun to explore, and add some hill climbing to the ride.

Directions: Take Avra Valley Road west from I-10, and set your trip odometer to zero. You will pass the Marana Regional Airport (which has a nice coffee shop) and a last-chance market at Anway Road (which has great home-made chocolate chip cookies). At mile 19.9 turn left on the road to Red Rock. If you miss it and go straight you will end up at the Silverbell Mine.

This is a dirt road that has some nasty wash crossings, and they can be problematic for low clearance vehicles at times.

Follow this road to mile 27.9, where you will see a road on your left. Take it, and in about 100 yards you will be at the Silverbell Cemetery, which is a collection of graves — no signs of fencing. Ride begins here.

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