Best time for trip to Southern Arizona and NM? | GTAMotorcycle.com

Best time for trip to Southern Arizona and NM?

B

BeastieGirl

Well-known member
Next year is time for a real trip again - this year was kind of a touring bust :-(

On my last trip out west I found out that even early June is just too hot to head to the southern part of these states (at least for me). In mid-June around Albuquerque I was hitting the road at 3:30 in the morning just to get some mileage to my next destination. I have an urge to see Carlsbad and the White Sands in NM, as well as the southern more desert part of Arizona, around Tucson.

Unfortunately early spring takes you through the midwest in peak tornado season, summer is too hot - winter just can't get there on my bike (no trailer, no car, no G licence).

So I'm thinking late September/early October? Anybody been in those areas in that timeframe?
 
I was in Arizona last week and anything above 3000 vertical feet was in the -5 to 0*C range in the late afternoon evening. I know you said early October but thought it may give you an idea.
 
BeastieGirl said:
So I'm thinking late September/early October? Anybody been in those areas in that timeframe?
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I have been there in September several times on my bike and the temperature was OK. Hot but tolerable with the textile jacket I wear with the pinholes in them. Have to watch out for the desert storms, it is the Monsoon season there and the although infrequent, the storms can come up fast and furious.

I'm thinking of next year spending some quality time in the Ozarks mountains. It's only 1 1/2 days away and there are some serious roads down there
 
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I have a house in Arizona, I'm there a lot. July is the monsoon season, the storms come in late afternoon and are very violent and last 20 mins to an hour, then in 20 mins the pavement is dry. June July and August is HOT in southern AZ. Feb to May is great and Sept to Dec is nice in SOUTHERN Az.

But you have to get to south of Pheonix. The mountains between NM and Flagstaff are at 6-8,000 ft you can find ice in almost any month at night. Personally I'd go when you can have a clear window from here , May/late Oct and put up with the heat. You do get used to it, sort of. When the air temp is 100d the pavement can be 130-140. Pull onto gravel or grass to park, paved lots are brutal.

For me south of Tucson is "interesting" enough, Bisbee and Nogales are kind of cool but the area between Tucson and North to Sedona seem to have the most things to look at.

We were there three weeks ago ( I'm 1.5hrs N of Pheonix in Presscott) and it was 0, -2 at night and 18-20 during the day, but I'm at 5,600ft elevation.

If your there in Feb, July or Sept drop by and I'll make you dinner.
 
crankcall said:
I have a house in Arizona, I'm there a lot. July is the monsoon season, the storms come in late afternoon and are very violent and last 20 mins to an hour, then in 20 mins the pavement is dry. June July and August is HOT in southern AZ. Feb to May is great and Sept to Dec is nice in SOUTHERN Az.

But you have to get to south of Pheonix. The mountains between NM and Flagstaff are at 6-8,000 ft you can find ice in almost any month at night. Personally I'd go when you can have a clear window from here , May/late Oct and put up with the heat. You do get used to it, sort of. When the air temp is 100d the pavement can be 130-140. Pull onto gravel or grass to park, paved lots are brutal.

For me south of Tucson is "interesting" enough, Bisbee and Nogales are kind of cool but the area between Tucson and North to Sedona seem to have the most things to look at.

We were there three weeks ago ( I'm 1.5hrs N of Pheonix in Presscott) and it was 0, -2 at night and 18-20 during the day, but I'm at 5,600ft elevation.

If your there in Feb, July or Sept drop by and I'll make you dinner.
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I've been to Prescott, but that was the furthest south I got in my journeys. I camped just outside of Flagstaff for four nights, but there was just too much to see - Sedona, Oak Creek Canyon - and I ran that stretch several times just for the fun of riding it, Jerome, of course the Grand Canyon itself. The next year (2012) I ran into that record heat wave and only made it as far south as Albuquerque, NM.

I do love the mountains, but I was surprised at how much I enjoyed being in the desert :-( I'm thinking my best bet might be to make it a winter get-away and fly into Phoenix and rent a bike.
 
BeastieGirl said:
I've been to Prescott, but that was the furthest south I got in my journeys. I camped just outside of Flagstaff for four nights, but there was just too much to see - Sedona, Oak Creek Canyon - and I ran that stretch several times just for the fun of riding it, Jerome, of course the Grand Canyon itself. The next year (2012) I ran into that record heat wave and only made it as far south as Albuquerque, NM.

I do love the mountains, but I was surprised at how much I enjoyed being in the desert :-( I'm thinking my best bet might be to make it a winter get-away and fly into Phoenix and rent a bike.
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My wife has a serious desert love issue, I dont get it. But thats why we have a place near the desert. If you've seen Jerome, Sedona and Flagstaff, get out to the Painted desert, into Verde Canyon and mostly the Sonoran desert. Its pretty interesting scenery. Meals are really inexpensive most places and drinking is almost too cheap.
From Pheonix the route east to Apache Junction is interesting and then you could go south into Tucson. If you get to Tucson , dont miss the Sobino Canyon and take a swimsuit, the river creates natural hot tub pools. Great hike with swimming in the desert.

Just check Football schedules and if hotels are needed when NFL is in Pheonix , or the college game is in Tucson, the places sell out. They are Football nuts.

Down near pheonix go find the desert bar, its in the Buckskin Mountains near Parker, in an abandoned mining town the church is now a converted bar, back wall fell down so they left it out and now you look at the mountains. Outdoor plumbing and the hours are really stupid, 1-5 and weeknends, they dont want you driving the mountain roads in the dark (and drunk) . They only open one evening a year, NewYrs eve, but only if New yr eve is a weekend. An old firetruck used to provide the water supply.
 
I've never been to Arizona but I road a bike in and around Palm Springs last March, and found the scenery spectacular. I want to go back.
 
The 15th of Sept 2 years ago - was up around 95 in Texas - Arizona - Albuquerque when we went through.
(Maybe the end of Sept or Oct would be better)
 
crankcall said:
My wife has a serious desert love issue, I dont get it. But thats why we have a place near the desert. If you've seen Jerome, Sedona and Flagstaff, get out to the Painted desert, into Verde Canyon and mostly the Sonoran desert. Its pretty interesting scenery. Meals are really inexpensive most places and drinking is almost too cheap.
From Pheonix the route east to Apache Junction is interesting and then you could go south into Tucson. If you get to Tucson , dont miss the Sobino Canyon and take a swimsuit, the river creates natural hot tub pools. Great hike with swimming in the desert.

Just check Football schedules and if hotels are needed when NFL is in Pheonix , or the college game is in Tucson, the places sell out. They are Football nuts.

Down near pheonix go find the desert bar, its in the Buckskin Mountains near Parker, in an abandoned mining town the church is now a converted bar, back wall fell down so they left it out and now you look at the mountains. Outdoor plumbing and the hours are really stupid, 1-5 and weeknends, they dont want you driving the mountain roads in the dark (and drunk) . They only open one evening a year, NewYrs eve, but only if New yr eve is a weekend. An old firetruck used to provide the water supply.
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I'm thinking end of February-early March - before Spring break though. Found a couple of good deals on Expedia, but will do a little more searching. Also found a place that rents sport bikes and could pick up a little SV650 for $70 (base - add on insurance, etc.) a day. Wouldn't need more than that for day trips. How far I travel will depend on the actual weather at the time.
 
Feb/Mar would be pretty nice, you can still get ice up high in the mountains, but by mid morn its usually melted , or sty out of high country passes:) . Your far enough south that it will be really nice during the day for riding and great for walking around. If you get as far south as Bisbee, there is a tour through an closed down copper mine, they run a little train 1 mile in that's really fun , and the town of Bisbee is a hippy haven. I liked it. I wouldn't get to close to Nogales or the Mexican border, theres not much to see and its really part of the heavily patrolled areas ( drug mules) , seemed almost military. Tucson is nice and lots to see. The big airplane museum and base between phoenix and Tucson is worth a look. Have fun
 
crankcall said:
Feb/Mar would be pretty nice, you can still get ice up high in the mountains, but by mid morn its usually melted , or sty out of high country passes:) . Your far enough south that it will be really nice during the day for riding and great for walking around. If you get as far south as Bisbee, there is a tour through an closed down copper mine, they run a little train 1 mile in that's really fun , and the town of Bisbee is a hippy haven. I liked it. I wouldn't get to close to Nogales or the Mexican border, theres not much to see and its really part of the heavily patrolled areas ( drug mules) , seemed almost military. Tucson is nice and lots to see. The big airplane museum and base between phoenix and Tucson is worth a look. Have fun
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Well I went a little later and booked for the week of March 16th - should give me a little more range in where I wander. January and February look really crazy at work anyway - so by mid March I think I'll need a break!
 
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