Tortilla Flat - By fairbanksdmt
Posted By
By fairbanksdmt (6 McR Points) on Feb 11, 2017
Creator : Fairbanksdmt
Motorcycle Type : Sport
This road simply put is a total waste of time for motorcyclists in it's current condition. The route and scenery are 5 stars, however the quality of the pavement is renders it worthless. The surface is 100% washboards, tons of gravel and littered with tourists from the Minnesota, Canada, Michigan and such who go 15 miles per hour. With that said, even if said tourists were absent, the washboards ruin the experience and make it unsafe.
HOWEVER, ADOT has posted that this beautiful route is to be resurfaced in 2017, starting in March and should be completed by October 2017. So if this road does get smoothed out, you will be able to run endless twisty turns and take in amazing scenery. If you're a beginner, you might stay clear of this road. If a mistake is made at the wrong place you will be on a helicopter ride out of the canyon (if you're lucky) because there are areas that literally drop off several hundred feet.
The food at Tortilla Flats is nothing to write home about, but will do in a pinch if you are starving. The ideal situation would be a resurfaced road, and then go in the summer months when it's cooler out as the snowbirds will be gone.
Be sure and fuel up before you get on the Apache Trail because there is not a gas station of any sort. You will need enough fuel to get you 50 miles minimum.
Many people get to Tortilla Flats and turn around. Mistake. The best part of the run is an 8 mile or so stretch of pavement from Tortilla Flats to the dirt road where you can turn around. If you have an enduro bike you can continue to Roosevelt, but again you better have plenty of fuel to get you there because it's an unforgiving and desolate region, yet filled with gorgeous scenery. Don't get in a hurry or things will turn tragic.
Go to google earth and pull up the area and view it from your computer if you have never seen this route before.
HOWEVER, ADOT has posted that this beautiful route is to be resurfaced in 2017, starting in March and should be completed by October 2017. So if this road does get smoothed out, you will be able to run endless twisty turns and take in amazing scenery. If you're a beginner, you might stay clear of this road. If a mistake is made at the wrong place you will be on a helicopter ride out of the canyon (if you're lucky) because there are areas that literally drop off several hundred feet.
The food at Tortilla Flats is nothing to write home about, but will do in a pinch if you are starving. The ideal situation would be a resurfaced road, and then go in the summer months when it's cooler out as the snowbirds will be gone.
Be sure and fuel up before you get on the Apache Trail because there is not a gas station of any sort. You will need enough fuel to get you 50 miles minimum.
Many people get to Tortilla Flats and turn around. Mistake. The best part of the run is an 8 mile or so stretch of pavement from Tortilla Flats to the dirt road where you can turn around. If you have an enduro bike you can continue to Roosevelt, but again you better have plenty of fuel to get you there because it's an unforgiving and desolate region, yet filled with gorgeous scenery. Don't get in a hurry or things will turn tragic.
Go to google earth and pull up the area and view it from your computer if you have never seen this route before.