The Verde Valley Rally is About Community and Building More Trails
There are usually a multiplicity of reasons why race organizers put on races. Most often, it’s simply never just one reason, but many. What are they? They range from tourism and exposure of an area, economic development for a community in need of a boost or turnaround, showcasing new or existing trails, and so much more. All reasons are valid and important, including financial incentives to make it work and profitable. The good news is that most often, those benefits extend to many other partners, such as local businesses like restaurants and food trucks, lodging accommodations, bike shops, and other vendors. These are all healthy and essential.
But what if one of the reasons for putting on a race was also to raise money to build more trails? Welcome to the Verde Valley Rally in Cottonwood, Arizona.
In early April, I exchanged the gray, overcast, and damp Pacific Northwest for the sun-kissed and arid desert in Arizona. I say “desert” generically because though I landed in the Sonoran Desert in Phoenix, by the time I picked up my rental car and drove north a couple of hours to Cottonwood, I was in a different desert altogether. It’s more of a transition zone between the saguaro-filled, scorching Sonoran Desert to the south and the cooler Great Basin desert farther north. As much as I’d love to nerd out about deserts, I’m here to talk about trails and mountain bike racing.
The Verde Valley Rally is more than a one-day mountain bike race. It is a weekend community event consisting of two cycling races: the Verde Valley Rally mountain bike race (“Shred the Dead”) at Dead Horse Ranch State Park and the Historic Clarkdale Road Criterium. The weekend featured free live music, a farmers’ market, and kids’ activities. This was a community event for the whole family.
I showed up on the first day of the event for the Historic Clarkdale Crit. Yeah, skinny-tired bikes and lots of lycra. I’m not going to lie; even though it was all road, it was a blast. Clarkdale sits next to Cottonwood, and the whole downtown area was blocked off for the race. That was the scene before me as I pulled up in my rental car. All I could see were hay bales lining a corner and police officers watching the race and directing traffic. I grabbed my camera and quickly made my way over to the race course.
Throughout the day, wave after wave of racers took off to speed around the course, which zigged and zagged several blocks surrounding downtown. One of the informal races was for kids and families. It was a sight to behold.
Clarkdale’s downtown park was not only a great staging area but also home to the farmer’s market and food trucks. While many were keen to watch the race, others were interested in what was being sold at the booths or food trucks. There was something for everyone.
It wasn’t long after I got there that I met up with Greg Miranda, who is not only the race organizer but also the owner of Verde Valley Bicycle Company and chair of Chain Reaction, a nonprofit that provides bicycles to those in need of transportation in the Verde Valley. While I had exchanged multiple emails with Greg and phone calls, it was a great meeting in person. I was immediately struck by his energy, enthusiasm, and tangible love for his community. This last sentence really sets up why this race weekend matters and how it directly ties to trail building.
One of the aspects I enjoy about working with local race organizers is that, most often, one of their primary motives is showcasing their communities. Not only do they live there, but they happen to care deeply about the place and its people.
I enjoyed everything about the road crit. Compared to mountain bike races, I loved hanging out within a few blocks, chatting with many people, from vendors to racers, and eating what I thought was one of the best burritos I have ever had. As the day wound down, and after enjoying the free live concert at the park, I headed back to Phoenix for the day since I was staying with my Mom.
I left Phoenix early the next day to get back up to Cottonwood before the start of the XC race. The day was a completely different vibe as it was away from town and actually at a replica old west-type of town. As I pulled up and began walking around, racers were arriving. Some camped out nearby and pedaled over while others drove in. The parking lot was quickly filling with racers as they removed bikes from their vehicles and began getting ready to race.
Before I knew it, my Trailforks app was pulled up on my phone. I trekked out into the desert to begin scouting locations to take photos, factoring in sight lines and the rising sun. Once I found my first sport, I was eagerly waiting for the first wave of racers to take off. There were multiple categories of racers, each tackling different mileage out on the trail.
This year’s “Shred the Dead” XC race had 153 racers. Greg noted they got a late start in promoting the event due to a fire at the nearby Tuzigoot National Monument. Tuzigoot features 1,000-year-old ruins of a multi-room pueblo built by the Sinagua people. While out on the trail, I had unobstructed views of Tuzigoot. Part of the course for the advanced racers circumnavigated the ruins.
Resilience could be not only a great word to describe a group of people who built spectacular structures, created beautiful pottery, and carved out an existence in this arid climate a millennia ago. I’d also attribute that to Greg. Like many other race organizers, COVID-19 was a great disrupter. However, the motivating factor was the vision of a grassroots race to showcase local trails.
Another differentiating factor of the race is that some of the proceeds go to building new trails at the Clarkdale-Jerome Elementary School. In fact, when Greg was meeting with town officials to cast the vision of the race and get buy-in, this was the selling point that won them over. A selling point that Greg admits to overlooking. Once the leaders heard, they were sold on the idea of the race. While sometimes it feels like it takes forever to go from concept to shovels in the ground, the good news is that Phase 1 of 4 of these new trails will be completed in the next couple of weeks. Greg noted, “In a short amount of time, we were able to cut in about a mile trail on the school property.” Greg went on to share more in an email with me …
As far as the rest of the plan for trails? Phase 1 of 4 will be 1.5 miles long. Phase 2 of 4 will be just under a mile, and Phase 3 of 4 will be a partnership with the Town of Clarkdale. It will reflect trails identified in the Town of Clarkdale Master Plan. Phase 4 of 4 will be a pump track. After completion of Phase 4, it will continue to be a fundraising endevor that will contribute towards the Town of Clarkdale Master Trail Plan.
What is the long-term vision for trails around Cottonwood and Clarkdale? If you’re at all familiar with the area, you may have noticed I have not mentioned the name of an iconic mountain bike destination a mere 19 miles away from Cottonwood. You might have heard of it. Sedona. What captures me about what is happening in Cottonwood-Clarkdale is the passion behind local trails. There’s a sense that “mountain biking in Sedona is for visitors, but these are trails for locals” (those are my words).
One vision for expanding trails in the whole area is called the Verde Valley Circle Trail Project. The Verde Valley Circle Trail (VVCT) is planned to be an approximately 180-mile non-motorized loop that touches the Valley communities and provides multi-use recreational opportunities for residents and visitors. The VVCT will link to existing trail systems throughout the Verde Valley and will help to connect trail systems and communities. One of the integral partners is the Verde Valley Cyclists Coalition, a nonprofit founded in 2003 to promote road and mountain bike advocacy in and around the Verde Valley.
I’ve seen how racer organizers are integral to communities. Not only do community members volunteer and beam with pride about their town, but these races bring in riders not only from around the state but often from several other nearby states as well. Racers show up, enjoy a well-organized race, shred the trails, and discover new places to ride. It’s hard not to fall in love with these communities.
While it is easy to get lost in the minutia of all that it takes to build trails, from advocacy to raising funds, to permitting, to then the actual construction of the trails, I’d contend that all of these are all byproducts of something deeper and more profound. A love for your community. Why is all of the bureaucratic process worth it? Because you want what is best for your community. You want to see it thrive and, in the process, invite others to come and see why your home trails are so rad.
That is how I describe the Verde Valley Rally. It is the vision of someone who’s invested in his community and wants to see it flourish. This is the type of vision we all need to keep going in the thankless work of trail building.
Thank you all. Keep it up!
Words: Sean Benesh Photos: Sean Benesh
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Sean Benesh
Sean is the Founder and Editor-in-Chief of Trail Builder Mag. He is also the Communications Director for the Northwest Trail Alliance in Portland, Oregon. While in grad school, he worked as a mountain biking guide in Southern Arizona. Sean also spends time in the classroom as a digital media instructor at Warner Pacific University.
