[JohnTheLuck]

Originally Posted by MAST4R

We are also staying put this weekend; I have work to do.

Great pics, as always. Bulldog Canyon is rated easy in the last book but used to be rated difficult on account of one hill that tends to deteriorate without maintenance.

It was an interesting trail, mostly easy but very rocky. The scenery was good but nothing exceptionnal. It was still a good trail to do.

[JohnTheLuck]

Note: for a reason I don't understand, yesterday's post doesn't show up. Here it is again...

Day 32:

Start point: Mesa AZ
End point: Mesa AZ

Distance driven: 75 km
Distance hiked: 5.8 km

We had a short day today. The temperature was warmer and wetter than usual as the clouds filled the sky.

After the necessary laundry, we went to Gold Canyon to meet friends we met during our trip to Utah and Arizona in October 2016. We were warmly welcomed and thank them from the bottom of our hearts.

After having lunch with them in the town / museum of Goldfield with its period constructions of a typical mining town of the 1890s, we headed to Tonto National Forest to walk the Wave Cave trail. This cave is located on the cliffs and reached after a relatively steep climb.










This cave takes its name from the wave-shaped rock formation probably sculpted by winds and water in a layer of ancient ash from volcanic rocks. Our friends took the pose of circumstance, surf the wave!




Layers of the harder rocks of the ground and the ceiling of the cave are also of volcanic origin but the presence of included rocks suggests that they originate rather from lava spewed out by the volcano.







It was a very pleasant day in very good company. Tomorrow, the weather forecast is even less favorable with the risk of rain showers. We will decide tomorrow morning for our activities.
.

[JohnTheLuck]

Day 33:

Start point: Mesa AZ
End point: Mesa AZ

Distance driven: 367 km

Today, to celebrate the mid-trip, we had scattered showers, sometimes quite strong.

This morning we took the opportunity to sleep a little later to recover a bit from the relatively fast pace of the trip. Then, we did a little shopping, among other things to replace my trekking poles that I had folded at the very beginning of the trip.

After a good meal, and as the precipitation did not stop, we decided not to hike or to venture on unpaved roads due to the risk of flash floods. So we decided to go do a little exploration for our next days in the area north of Phoenix in Tonto National Forest. With this very gray sky the colors were very bland, apart from a few flowerbeds by the roadside.








Heavy rains transformed normally dry washes into vigorous streams.






The relief north of Phoenix becomes very mountainous and quickly we reached the altitude of the clouds and the thick mist made traffic quite slow. Farther on, we went back down and regained visibility as we entered the AZ 188 route. We then reached the approaches of Roosevelt Reservoir.




A little further, several thinnings appeared above the mountains and more and more frequent breaches in the clouds let glimpse of the blue sky, giving us hope for the future. We then returned to the same place to finally see the view without mist in the distance (compare the following photo with the previous one).











Ah, what a difference the presence of the sun make. We returned to Mesa again passing Globe. When we reached Superior, the sky was practically clear.

Tomorrow will be already our last day in the Mesa region. We are going to take a last hike to make the most of the beautiful greenery that this winter's fairly frequent rains in southern Arizona generated.
.

[JohnTheLuck]

Day 34:

Start point: Mesa AZ
End point: Mesa AZ

Distance driven: 267 km

When we left the hotel early this morning, the sky was variable but the humidity generated by yesterday's heavy rain was present. Cloudiness increased during the day.

We wanted to do one last long hike in the Superstition Wilderness before leaving the area. However, when trying to reach the trailhead, the dirt road gradually turned into an excessively slippery mud bath, similar to the worst freezing rain conditions in Quebec. During a long, slightly sloping muddy area, I even felt the 4Runner begin to slowly slide sideways towards the lower side as we were going to cross an oncoming vehicle. I had no control over the direction of my vehicle and we moved about 75 cm from each other. Noting that the road continued to deteriorate, we wisely decided to turn around and settle for paved roads once again.

As my wife had shown interest in a visit to the former mining town of Goldfield where we had dinner two days ago with our Ontario friends, we returned.






A woodpecker, normally attacking saguaro cacti, had targeted the building of the village's former brothel.












I was very reluctant to visit Goldfield thinking it was just another tourist trap. Although some activities probably fall into this category, the very large number of remains make it a very interesting visit.

Then we headed to the Superstition Mountain Museum, originally Apacheland Movie Ranch where several film productions were made between 1959 and 2004. However, very few buildings survived the two fires that occurred in 1969 and 2004. From our days, the museum presents an exhibition on films made in the region, some miniature trains, and some mining remains including a crusher used to crush the ore and still functional.












Then we returned onto the Apache Trail to reach Tortilla Flat. The road was still closed there, but today there was one more reason. Yesterday's rains brought dry washes back to life and the road was completely flooded. The trend in the water level, however, was downward.




Tomorrow we will leave the Mesa area while making another attempt to hike the trail we hoped to hike today.
.

[MAST4R]

"However, when trying to reach the trailhead, the dirt road gradually turned into an excessively slippery mud bath, similar to the worst freezing rain conditions in Quebec. During a long, slightly sloping muddy area, I even felt the 4Runner begin to slowly slide sideways towards the lower side as we were going to cross an oncoming vehicle. I had no control over the direction of my vehicle..."

Yup, that's awful and it is the issue with KO2 offroad. They should do better at 15-18 psi but they are not a hybrid tire. @Decipher knows a thing or two about the KO2s in mud

As for flooded roads, AZ has a law about it:
Arizona's Stupid Motorist Law | lawforveterans.org

The speed of the water can be too much off or on road for military trucks as well:
Discovery made in search for missing girl swept away in vehicle near Tonto Basin | Tonto Basin Tragedy | azfamily.com

[JohnTheLuck]

Originally Posted by MAST4R

Yup, that's awful and it is the issue with KO2 offroad. They should do better at 15-18 psi but they are not a hybrid tire. @Decipher knows a thing or two about the KO2s in mud

Sadly, there are not many choice of tires than meet all my requirements: snowflake pictogram for winter conditions, confortable for long strtch on interstate, resistant for rocks, good traction in sand and mud (... not the KO2 ...), etc

Most of the time I am leaving my hometown during winter but end-up where it is already the summer (for me!).

[JohnTheLuck]

Day 35:

Start point: Mesa AZ
End point: Prescott AZ

Distance driven: 238 km
Distance hiked: 10.0 km

After getting out of bed quite slowly, we hit the road after early morning traffic and under a completely clear sky. We originally planned to do one last hike in the Mesa area, but we changed our mind. Our destination was Prescott AZ, a little north of Phoenix but in the mountains. We then left for a few days the Sonoran desert and its beautiful saguaro.

Our only activity of the day was a loop hike around Watson Lake. This artificial reservoir is bordered to the north by a superb area of ​​rounded granite rocks.






The lake was formed following the construction of the dam around 1935 on the northern part.




Throughout this section, rocks of various shapes appeared after each turn and formed a real labyrinth. Luckily, the trail is fairly well indicated by numerous signs and markers on the rock.






After having skirted the lake from the north, the trail reach an area of ​​gentle slope without these beautiful rocks.




However, this section offers refuge to several bird species thanks to sheltered areas of shallow water.








Back near our starting point, we crossed a Disc Golf course, a kind of game / sport in which the golf ball and sticks are replaced by an assortment of Frisbee, each of slightly different shape for either long distance or for shorter ones. Instead of holes in a green, baskets located about 1 meter high form the goals to be achieved. Prescott's course is an 18 holes of difficulty par 3.

After completing the loop, we stopped on a promontory to admire once again this enchanting setting, bathed in the light of the sun falling on the horizon.









We are in Prescott for the next four nights. Tomorrow we will go on a long off-road trail in a region of volcanic origin. After two days without precipitation, the conditions of the slopes in the region should have returned very good.
.

[JohnTheLuck]

Day 36:

Start point: Prescott AZ
End point: Prescott AZ

Distance driven: 248 km
Distance hiked: 2.3 km

Our only destination for the day was the 60 km long Bloody Basin Road. This begins in Agua Fria National Monument and ends in Tonto National Forest. This road is in excellent condition at the start as we crossed the first mountains.




However, while crossing Bloody Basin, traces of precipitation from three days ago were still very apparent with many muddy areas. We had identified several points of interest on secondary roads but the condition of these was even worse. So we decided to try to visit them when we returned.




Further on, the road crosses other mountains before descending into a valley by long switchbacks. We also crossed several streams where clear water was flowing.








Then we crossed another mountain range. The road then became much more rocky.






In addition, the vegetation has once again become that of the Sonoran desert with its majestic saguaros and a few flowers here and there.






Towards the end of the road, the type of rock changes from volcanic origin to granite.




Our final point of interest at the end of the road was the Sheep Bridge over the Verde River.






On the way to Sheep Bridge, we encountered a person in a Jeep who gave us directions to walk to a hot spring near the bridge. To our great astonishment, we found the path leading to a passage arranged in reeds and leading to an artificial basin in which flowed warm and clear water.




On our return, we went to see a stone cabin at the end of a short side road.




Our last point of interest was the Pueblo La Plata, the ruins of an ancient Native American village that occupied the plateau around the 1300s. Although the ruins are in a fairly deteriorated condition, the presence of countless pieces of pottery made the visit very interesting. The decor was also very beautiful and we can imagine the difficult life that the occupants had. Agua Fria NM protects around 400 archaeological sites from this period.




Tomorrow, we should be travelling a scenic forest road and doind a few hiking trails around Prescott.
.

[JohnTheLuck]

Day 37:

Start point: Prescott AZ
End point: Prescott AZ

Distance driven: 274 km
Distance hiked: 4.1 km

Today, we explored the surroundings of Prescott by driving two loops, one to the southwest and the other to the northeast.

To start, we drove the White Spar Road (AZ 89) in Prescott National Forest. This winding road crosses the mountains lined with tall pines before descending into the neighboring valley.






To complete this first loop, we returned by Iron Springs Road. Near the small village of Kirkland, we crossed an area where the rocks formed of volcanic ash were carved into pinacles of various shapes. We can easily imagine that the name of the neighboring village, Skull Valley, comes from the shape of one of these promontories.






As we approached Prescott, our next destination became visible, Willow Lake, another artificial reservoir bordered by spectacular rocks.




As with Watson Lake which we visited two days ago, Willow Lake represents a privileged place for aquatic fauna and birds.




We hiked a portion of the Willow Lake Loop trail. The view of the lake, the shape but above all the textures, colors, and patterns of the rocks were really spectacular.












After returning to the 4Runner, we headed to the ancient mining town of Jerome located in the mountains via the Mingus Mountain Scenic Road (AZ 89A). As the road descends with switchbacks towards Jerome, a stop allow admiring the spectacular landscape in the distance, bordered by the cliffs of a canyon; the cliffs of the Red Rock Country in which the famous town of Sedona is located.




The former mining town of Jerome was founded in the late 1800s. The mine finally ceased operations in 1950.




We then continued our loop by crossing a portion of the Dry Creek Scenic Road from Jerome to Cottonwood. As the sun was about to set, we returned by Camp Verde then on AZ 169 and AZ 69 to complete this second loop.

Tomorrow we should go onto some off-road tracks a little further south.
.

[RichinRidgewood]

More beautiful adventure pictures John. Thanks.

[JohnTheLuck]

Originally Posted by RichinRidgewood

More beautiful adventure pictures John. Thanks.

Thanks! Yes, thanks to my wife, this thread is becoming a bit picture-heavy...!!!

And more to come...

[JohnTheLuck]

Day 38:

Start point: Prescott AZ
End point: Prescott AZ

Distance driven: 304 km
Distance hiked: 2.8 km

We had another great day exploring the mountains north of Phoenix. This time we drove the Table Mesa (New River) off-road trail in Tonto National Forest. This long route generally runs along the New River either up close at the bottom of the canyons, or further up the mountain ridges. As we traveled from west to east, several of the photos were taken in a west direction opposite to the morning sun.

At first, the state left something to be desired given the damage caused by the vehicles that had driven it while it was still muddy. Today, it was practically dry over its entire length, apart from the numerous crossings of the New River, of course.






The road alternates between fairly high passages and other at the bottom of the canyons. The table-shaped mountains of volcanic origin surrounded us on practically all sides. The saguaros were once again very present.








In some places, the last rain a few days ago had left traces of fairly significant road erosion, leaving very little room to pass.




We then reached an area mainly composed of large granite rocks. Given the proximity of the river, it is assumed that the volcanic rocks deposited on them have been eroded over time.




Further on, a succession of dry streams with large rocks presented a certain degree of difficulty in crossing them, but nothing insurmountable with a good choice of trajectory and a fairly slow speed.




Luckily, several of these passages had already been improved by drivers of vehicles having traveled the road before us. In this kind of terrain, we don't usually take a chance and my wife is kind enough to act as a spotter.






We crossed a few small streams still flowing a little and allowing different vegetation to grow and brighten up the landscape with vibrant colors.




While we were at two-thirds of the way, this goes up on the ridges and would normally have allowed a faster pace. This is without counting the unobstructed views and the magnificent landscapes, causing numerous stops for pictures! @MAST4R there are no fast going roads around here for us !!!












At the end, New River Road joins Camp Creek Road. Towards the north, it eventually joins Bloody Basin Road which we traveled two days ago. Since we wanted to have enough time for a hike, we instead took Camp Creek Road south and reached the northern suburbs of Phoenix.

We then hiked the Badger Springs Trail in Agua Fria National Monument. This relaxing trail follows a small creek in which a thin trickle of water flowed and eventually joins the Agua Fria River.




At the confluence, we could admire this pretty river and its waterfalls in rocks of volcanic origin, rounded by the waters. Nearby, we saw several petroglyphs.





Tomorrow we have an appointment at a Toyota dealer north of Phoenix for the oil change, tire rotation, but also to check the front suspension and annoying noise.
.

[JohnTheLuck]

Day 39:

Start point: Prescott AZ
End point: Payson AZ

Distance driven: 380 km
Distance hiked: 4.2 km

The beautiful clear sky of the last few days has given way to the clouds with a few small breaks at the end of the day. But at least it's not snowing and I'm in shorts!

We had an appointment with a Toyota dealer north of Phoenix for oil change, tire rotation, and verification of suspicious front-end noise. As nothing abnormal was found, the noise must come from something minor. It should be noted that there were more 4Runners in the yard than what my dealer is selling in a full year ...

Our first destination of the day was Mount Ord in Tonto National Forest near Payson AZ. The top of the mountain is accessible by a well maintained road and giving access to the multiple telecommunications facilities installed there. Strange rocks drew our attention to a wall while climbing the road.




The last portion must be done on foot along the road for about 1.4 km. The cold wind blew persistently and, despite the superb view of the surroundings, we did not linger too long. In the distance, the Roosevelt reservoir was visible, as well as the Four Peaks mountain which we should see more closely tomorrow.




The AZ 87 road we had just travelled was visible below in the distance, as well as the start of the access road to Mount Ord.




A road climbing in the heights on a nearby summit attracted the attention of my wife who made it our next destination.




This road is part of the Sunflower OHV Trail System, also in Tonto National Forest. We drove the NF 201, a narrow shelf road climbing on the edge of the mountain and giving access to some trailheads.








At the end of the road, we reached the Mount Peely Trailhead and hiked a short segment for a nice view towards the mountains.




After descending, we then headed onto the NF 25 road that my wife has spotted while we were on Mount Ord, clearly visible from this point.






After, we reached Payson where we will spend the next two nights.
.

[4xColt]

Great thread and excellent pictures.

Thanks
Colt

[JohnTheLuck]

Originally Posted by 4xColt

Great thread and excellent pictures.

Thanks
Colt

Thanks ! It is all my pleasure.

Warning: A lot more pictures to come!!!