A Fierce Green Ride: Grand Depart on El Lobo Lupus
A Fierce Green Ride is a bikepacking event through the White Mountains of eastern Arizona! Named after Aldo Leopold’s perspective-changing encounter with a Mexican gray wolf, this ride is completely self-supported and takes riders 400 miles and 32,000 feet of gain through the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest. A Fierce Green Ride (AFGR) travels along a modified version of El Lobo Lupus with a start and finish in Pinetop-Lakeside, Arizona at the WME Village 8 Movie Theater. The event takes place on September 26, 2025 at 7 AM.
AFGR takes bikepackers through the high elevation heart of the White Mountains, Blue Range, and Mogollon Rim of eastern Arizona where the Mexican Gray Wolf has been reintroduced. “Lupus” reflects the track’s looping path and its goal of providing riders the opportunity to see Mexican Wolves (Canis lupus baileyi), commonly called "El Lobo." The Mexican Wolf is a highly endangered subspecies of the Gray Wolf. It was nearly wiped out by predator-eradication programs, but the species was reintroduced to Arizona and New Mexico in 1998 and has slowly increased to a population of over 200. Riders will travel through the territory of El Lobo - mountainous terrain known as the "Alps of Arizona." This land encompasses not only tributary headwaters of the Gila and Little Colorado Rivers but also some of the tallest peaks in Arizona at Escudilla and Baldy.
Bikepackers will traverse through miles of subalpine meadows lined with conifers and aspens, travel through dense ponderosa pine forests, ride along trout-filled rivers and lakes, and get endless high-elevation views. Cyclists will ride up to 10,000 feet on Escudilla Mountain and down to 5,800 feet along the Blue River near the last federally-designated Primitive Area in the United States. Look forward to riding along the banks of the Black River, staring at the complex neon greens of Hannagan Meadow, seeing the ecological succession of montane forests after the Wallow Fire, riding the perimeter of high-altitude Terry Flat, passing by enormous lakes in big sky country, and catching glimpses of wildlife such as Mexican Wolves, Black Bears, Mountain Lions, Elk, Big Horn Sheep, and Deer.
There will be two categories for riders to register under: Solo or Duo (2-person teams)
There will be three course routes for riders to set their intentions:
- Official Version: For competitive riders looking to push themselves against a self-paced clock.
- Touring Version: Optional full El Lobo Lupus version for noncompetitive riders looking to ride the route at touring speed.
- Greer Lakes Loop Version: For riders looking to ride a 1-2 day weekend loop from Pinetop to Greer and back and still participate in the Grand Depart.
Both competitive racing and noncompetitive touring is encouraged for A Fierce Green Ride. All riders’ start and finishing times will be recorded for those who complete the whole route.
To find out more about the event, click here.
