Seeking Shade at the 2026 Queen's Ransom

Twenty-eight riders, including nine women, showed up for the 2026 Queen’s Ransom group ride last month, all set on tackling the challenging 230-mile route around Phoenix, Arizona. Kara Woolgar put together a detailed reflection from the weekend, paired with loads of photos from the group. Find it here…

Words by Kara Woolgar, photos by Kara and other riders

The Queen’s Ransom (QR) is a 230-mile route with about 18,500 feet of elevation gain that starts in Queen Creek, southeast of Phoenix, Arizona, and was designed by John Schilling. Thirteen years ago, John invited a few friends along to test a route he created from his house. He wanted a big multi-day loop he could just roll from home, making logistics easy. The route connects canals and dirt roads to the best singletrack the East Valley has to offer and includes an iconic section of the Arizona National Scenic Trail (AZT).

I bet 13 years ago, John never imagined the impact this route and group ride would have on so many. I just finished the 13th annual group ride a few weeks ago, which was my third time completing the route, and I’m already looking forward to next year. This route will always hold a special place in my heart. Three years ago, I showed up in John’s driveway with very little bikepacking experience under my belt. I had only done a few overnight trips. That year, I ran out of water, had excruciating knee pain, and suffered from saddle sores that made me fall off my bike because it hurt so bad. I keep coming back because of the people who show up to take on this ride.

What I remember most about my first QR was the bike angels who would appear out of nowhere. Just when I needed it most, another rider would appear and ride a few miles with me, or ride well into the night. Even though I pedaled many miles alone, it was the other riders who got me to the end. This special community is built because of the group campsite format. You roll out of camp whenever you are ready and navigate the course at your own pace. However, at the end of each day, you finish at a designated camping area. As you roll into camp, battered from the day of riding, you can’t help but smile when everyone starts cheering. This group campsite format creates a community around this trail that will leave a lasting impression.

About a week before the ride, there was a lot of chatter about the coming heat wave. When I looked at the forecast, I gasped. It was going to hover around 90 degrees for all five days! I have been a local for 20 years, but I was not ready for this heat yet. I started coming up with a game plan that would include starting before dawn, carrying plenty of water, and stopping whenever I found shade (which is not often in the desert). I’m glad I didn’t let the heat scare me away. I showed up in John’s driveway with 28 other brave souls, including nine ladies! The wildflowers and the shade parties we had along the route this year became highlights for me.

Last year, I met Rich Wolf on the route. He became a fast friend and amazes me at 73 years young! In the few months leading up to the ride, he teased that he would never do QR again. It just beat him up too much last year. I was so surprised when I pulled up and saw him getting ready to ride! The QR community has a gravitational pull. Every year, you will find yourself penciling it in on your calendar. You temporarily forget about those hard miles and sign up a month before when the sign-up goes out. After many hugs to new and long-time friends, we started pedaling as a group.

The first 15 miles are flat along the Arizona canals. I found myself chatting the entire way to our first regroup at a park just before the Hawes trail system. I was just so excited to ride with friends I only see a few times a year. The first few miles, I enjoyed catching up with Scott Petrie. I met him on the AZTR last year. He was my carpool buddy. He is usually many miles or days ahead of me, but this ride is not a race. We settled in and chatted over the next 10 miles. It was fun catching up with friends who are usually much faster than I am.

After a nice, long break at Desert Trails Park, we hit the first singletrack for the day in the Hawes trail system. These are my local trails, only a few miles from my house. I ride them often. I rolled up on Kristiina Beary. She was just amazed by the saguaros and wanted her picture taken with one towering above us. I love seeing the trails through the eyes of out-of-towners. I ride these trails so much that I forget to really stop and admire what is around me. The landscape is amazing. I found myself looking up more and really enjoying the views.

The day was getting hot. I was so happy to see people hanging out in the shade as I rolled up to the drinking fountain in Usury Park. Time for our first shade party and to wet my shirt. It was a futile effort to keep cool. Just after pedaling, my shirt was dry! Usury Park is another trail system I take for granted. It is a series of easy trails that I often overlook and ride somewhere else. However, many people who ride QR for the first time love this trail system. It makes me appreciate the trails I have in my backyard. It is a good place to admire the green desert this time of year and the towering cholla. Be careful through here because it is a good place to get poked! Make sure you bring your comb and tweezers along because the cholla are after you.

I rolled into the SAG stop ready for some cold drinks, which really hit the spot. Friends of John’s open up their garage for us every year. After a long shade party, I started pedaling again and headed toward camp. The route takes you up a rocky climb with lots of hike-a-bike thrown in. Enjoying the views of the Goldfield Mountains, I rolled into camp with plenty of daylight. I couldn’t believe I was able to ride all the punchy climbs on the dirt roads through the Goldfields. Last year, I rolled into camp in the dark and walked most of those punchy climbs. I was happy with how strong I felt on day one. I have come so far in three years since I did my first QR. Lindsay Nohl and John inspired me to cowboy camp for the first time and ditch my tent. I couldn’t believe I didn’t even bring it along. I loved it! I fell asleep to a very bright, almost full moon—I wanted to turn off the nightlight!

The next morning, I got an early start. I found myself rolling out at about 5:30 a.m. I knew I wanted some early miles while it was still cool. This would become a theme for me throughout the ride. The payoff for starting that early is enjoying the sunrise. In Arizona, we have the most epic sunrises and sunsets. I love getting out into the middle of nowhere, away from the city lights.

I was pedaling along solo through the infamous Jacob’s Crosscut when Mike Symons rolled up on me. It was fun retelling AZT800 stories with Mike and going down memory lane. Many of the miles over the next two days are also a part of the AZT800 route. Just in the opposite direction. We reminisced about which direction we liked better, going through Jacob’s Crosscut. Oddly, we both agreed the direction we ride it during the AZT800 is better, and climbing the rocky mess isn’t too bad! I think many will probably disagree with us. After trying to rattle our teeth loose, we hit some smooth trails rolling into the Basha’s shopping center in Gold Canyon. Mike and I decided to eat breakfast at Li’l Miner Diner. As we were finishing up, an older couple came out and whispered something to Mike. They said, “Did you know it is illegal to pedal your bike?” We both laughed. Later, we found out they picked up our tab. So sweet of them, and a magical trail angel moment.

I rolled out toward Gold Canyon. I love these trails, but boy, was it getting hot. I found myself solo again as I made my way through the black singletrack with no shade. I started to lose steam. I just kept dreaming about the cold drinks that awaited me at the store in Queens Valley, so I pushed on. Just when the miles were starting to feel slow, Lindsay Shepard appeared, seemingly out of nowhere. Sharing some miles with Lindsay gave me a second wind, and before I knew it, I was at the little store in Queens Valley, where a few riders were already gathering. We hung out in the shade for well over an hour. I enjoyed a cold Coke and a fruit popsicle.

This year was unique. With the heat, we found opportunities to hang out in the shade during the day instead of just pushing on to camp. I loved our shade parties, and I was starting to look forward to them. I rolled with my local friends Karey Miles and Patrick White about 10 miles on ATV roads to camp. Karey, Patrick, and I have known each other for years, but have never done a bikepacking trip together. It was special to share some miles with them. Famous last words. I told them I remember these miles to camp being easy. Oops, I guess I forgot about all the hills. So much more climbing than I remember. As we crested the last hill, John’s friend Ben greeted us with his fancy camera and took some great pictures.

The talk of the evening was how the heck he got his low-clearance minivan back there and how he was going to get out! He said he had a mission to get the beer to us, and he was following through. Thankfully, the next day, we got word he made it out in one piece! Another great evening of tacos and cold sodas. It was fun seeing my husband, Todd, and brother-in-law, Scott, out there. Thanks for braving the rough road to bring us cold drinks and snacks. Todd also brought out our propane fire pit. We ended the night sitting around the fire telling stories. The QR party in the desert.

Day three, I rolled out before dawn again. I timed it perfectly and got to Buckboard City Cafe right when it opened. Reirey rolled in right behind me. I was going to take my breakfast to go, but decided to eat with Reirey, and I am so glad I did. The staff was amazing, and the food was good. It became a popular spot this year to refuel before hitting the challenging singletrack up through Alamo Canyon. After leaving the cafe and Circle K, I chased Lindsay Nohl through Arnett Canyon. These trails along Arnett Creek are magical and unlike our typical desert trails. It was fun following her line and riding many parts I had to walk in previous years.

We started to see runners, and little did we know we had just joined an Aravapai ultra-distance running race! An area that sees little trail traffic typically, and we encountered the one day a year when a race is going on. We ended up hop skipping about 100 racers through Arnett and Alamo Canyon. It sure did make things interesting and entertaining. Gerrit couldn’t do the whole route with us this year, but it was a fun surprise seeing him at the end of Arnett Canyon. Even in the heat, I was surprised I felt so good going up Alamo Canyon from the Picketpost trailhead. I settled into my easy gear for the next 13 miles and and focussed on the runners. It was an odd distraction from the pain this trail always brings.

I came around the corner to a group enthusiastically cheering for me. They said, “We cheer for bikers too!” Made my day. They hiked out there to cheer on two of their friends who were doing the running race. I made it to the rain collector two hours faster than last year! Maybe my fitness from AZT800 is paying off. Another shade party greeted me. We sat huddled under the shade from the massive rain collector built by the Arizona Trail Association (ATA). The next section through Martinez Canyon is beautiful. However, during my first QR, I almost cried through there and thought I was going to fall off the mountain. It is exposed with sketchy singletrack. It is amazing how much more stable you feel on these backcountry trails when your gear is distributed evenly on your bike. I couldn’t stop smiling. I was having fun on the downhill to camp with sneaky hike-a-bike sections thrown in. The day ended with an epic sunset over Martinez Canyon.

Day four is mostly along the Gila River, an amazing, remote section of the AZT. I am so glad I started early because I made it through that area before it was too hot. I enjoyed some solo miles and took in all the wildflowers. I refueled and filled up on water at the ADOT spigot before heading up Florence-Kevlin Highway to the best party in the desert. I had contemplated just taking the road from the ADOT spigot and skipping two miles of trail. But John motivated me before the ride to do no shortcuts this year. So, I decided to hit the trail. Wow, I was rewarded with the best wildflowers of the route! They were popping on that section of the trail.

Four miles of a relentless climb up the Florence-Kelvin Highway lay between me and the SAG stop. Far in the distance, I saw something weaving back and forth across the road. Was it my imagination, or was the heat making me hallucinate? After about another mile, I realized it was Lindsay N making her way up the climb. Thanks, Lindsay, for being my carrot and giving me something to focus on up that climb. Finally, I made it to the top and turned the corner. Downhill to the SAG. John’s wife, Kara, and two of our friends, Jennifer and Jason Hason, came out to host the best SAG stop and party in the desert. The cold drinks, pickles, chips, and salsa were a favorite among the riders. We found shade wherever we could. Even under the truck! The best shade party of the ride. We hung out for almost four hours!

After helping clean up, Mike, John, and I started to roll to camp. We found Hannah Luz taking pictures. We stopped and admired the view. John pointed out where we camped last night. Wow, it was crazy to see how much ground we had covered. I love this nine-mile section of ATV roads. It goes along a ridge and has 360-degree views of the Boo Mountains. As a bonus, it is mostly downhill. Golden hour was spectacular. The wash we had to hike-a-bike through to get to camp was worth it to sleep on sand! Area 52, just outside of Florence, is a perfect spot for our last campsite. I am a pyro at heart and couldn’t resist gathering wood and starting a fire. Thanks, Mike, for helping. A few of us gathered and told more stories. I am always motivated by everyone’s adventures.

I rolled out of camp on day five with Mike. He had done a substantial tire repair the day before. He had to put in a tube, and he also booted it on the outside of the tire. He used duct tape and a Voile strap to hold it all together. I am so glad his tire made it. You get creative in the backcountry. You have to rely on your own skills and anything you brought with you. Rich also had a crazy mechanical and used a hair tie to repair his derailleur spring. Mike and I were greeted by a blood moon setting. It was magical, and pictures didn’t do it justice. Before I knew it, we were in a paceline on the pavement heading to Florence. We were flying with a tailwind. So fun and so much better than the crazy headwind we encountered last year.

After a stop at the Florence Cafe, I enjoyed some miles with Mike and John. Great way to finish off a five-day bikepacking adventure. We made a quick stop just inside San Tan Park to see the crested saguaro. As I climbed up the final singletrack climb, I ran into Hannah. Perfect timing. Hanah and I pedaled to Old Ellsworth Brewing Company together, where other riders were already there. We could hear the cheers as we turned the corner into the plaza. Time for cold drinks, food, and to swap stories about our five-day ride. We rolled the last few miles back to John’s house together and picked up our amazing swag. The custom mugs by Hello Fern Creations (Katie Anderson) are on point and top-notch. What a cool way to commemorate our time in the desert. Revelate Designs put together tool bags using the QR patch for us. I already love mine and have put it to use.

Twenty-one hardy souls braved the heat and finished the QR! Thanks, John, for creating something special in the desert and bringing the bikepacking community together.

For more information on the route, check out the route guide here. You can also learn more about the Queen’s Ransom group ride on Instagram.

Seeking Shade at the 2026 Queen’s Ransom

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