Suicidal Tendencies Trail

Difficulty: Extreme/Most Difficult. To reach the beginning of the trail, take either Barrel Roll Trail or Precipice Trail to Sidewinder Trail. Note that the round trip from the Cove Wash Trailhead and back is about 13.2 miles. From the top of Sidewinder Trail, Suicidal Tendencies immediately drops down a steep slope with exposed switchbacks. You should expect a steep descent, filled with switchbacks and precipitous exposure. After you navigate down the edge of Sidewinder Mesa, you’ll wind across the valley floor before ascending up the next mesa.The ascent is similar in technicality to the previous descent, a few technical rock sections with some exposure. Near the top of the climb is “Hangover,” a large rock that hangs above the trail. Watch your head. Past the Hangover is a technical rock move nicknamed “Thread the Needle,” because you must fit between rocks on each side of the trail. After this section, you’ve reached the top of the Mesa.Once on top of the mesa, the riding changes dramatically. The technicality drops significantly and you simply follow gentle switchbacks to the high point of the mesa. Here you are rewarded with views of the Beaver Dam Mountains to the west. Continuing on after the point, you descend through Juniper trees and occasional slick rock sections to complete the loop back to the top of Thread the Needle. From this point you will ride the first part of the trail in reverse. Enjoy the ride but keep an eye out for other riders and desert wildlife.