Review Date
December 8, 2006

Overall Rating
 5 of 5

Aerobic Difficulty
 4 of 5

Technical Difficulty
 5 of 5

Ridden Trail:
Once a month

Reviewed by: adamrobinson ,  Cross Country Rider

Summary:
The best loop in the Tucson area. We climb the highway and drop from the Molino saddle. As a loop, its roughly 15 miles, but I think they are some of the toughest I've ridden. Everything is highstakes: cliffs, cactus, barbwire, heat, sun... the typical Sonoran ride. But Millie adds the danger element of some really techy sections, both up and down.
Cheers to whoever cleaned up the trail and put hits along the side. The monsoons wrecked the trail in many sections, and some kind souls put it back together. peace.
We ride this trail on 5/6" travel bikes and always carry knee/shin pads. Only thing is, you gotta be sparing on the weight for the 6 mile highway uphill. Ride it fast and this trail will beat the snot out of you. It saves the best for last, the Narrows and the skinny skin skins.
Last thing, the Core Coolers from 661 are the shizzz. Tell ABE to get em in. It's $50 well spent.

Other recommended trails in the same area:
Cactusy, flat-tire, goat-heady, crap.

Review Date
June 21, 2004

Overall Rating
 5 of 5

Aerobic Difficulty
 3 of 5

Technical Difficulty
 5 of 5

Ridden Trail:
Once a week

Reviewed by: chollapincushion ,  Weekend Warrior

Summary:
This is my first post to MTBreview. I've been lurking for a while, assimilating the knowledge of those unselfish souls who have gone before me, wasting their money on sheisty products and their time on lame trails so I don't have to. I have decided that it is time I contribute, and I have deemed the most appropriate topic to be this spectacular trail.

This trail is gnar-gnar sweetness! Did it my first couple of times on a Slingshot with rigid forks and Softride stem. Probably went over the bars 3-4 times on the first descent to the tank. Finally built a FS with 5"F/6"R. Now I'm rockin stretches of Milagrosa I never thought I'd grow the cahones to ride. Anyway, this trail has it all: fast steep descents, technical rock gardens and drops, slickrock, fast, tight single track. If you are new to the trail and the downhill and technical stuff it offers, you could spend 5 hrs getting from Molino Basin to the bottom pretty easily. I've managed to do top to bottom in about two, not really pushing the pace including a couple flats. Given that, it is feasible to ride this trail in the summer, if you start early you can be out and beat the heat. I've recently (June) been riding it 1-2X/week. Armor is recommended as per a previous reviewer.

I haven't ridden anything further up the mountain yet. If you live on the east side, you can get to Molino Basin pretty quickly and bang out a sweet downhill ride before work if you have a partner and shuttle it. Check it out.

Recommended Route:
If it is your first time be extra careful about finding the turn onto Milagrosa. Got dark on me the first time after I missed it and ended up on Reddington Road at night in December. Hitchhiked to the bottom.

Other recommended trails in the same area:
50 Year Trail northeast out of the Chutes - fun at night. Still so many trails to check out in the Catalinas.

Review Date
February 5, 2004

Overall Rating
 5 of 5

Aerobic Difficulty
 3 of 5

Technical Difficulty
 4 of 5

Ridden Trail:
Every few months

Review Date
January 14, 2004

Overall Rating
 5 of 5

Aerobic Difficulty
 3 of 5

Technical Difficulty
 4 of 5

Ridden Trail:
Ridden Once

Review Date
November 10, 2003

Overall Rating
 5 of 5

Aerobic Difficulty
 3 of 5

Technical Difficulty
 4 of 5

Ridden Trail:
Ridden Once