[JohnTheLuck]

Originally Posted by Ray Dunakin

Awesome pics! Too bad about the premature end of the trip, but at least you got to cover a huge amount of territory in the time you had.

Originally Posted by spartacus

Really enjoyed reading your trip report. Thank you for sharing the amazing views.

Thanks a lot!

It was a really great trip even if it was shortened a bit. We still had time to do most of the things we planned to do. It is not like my first ever trip with the 4Runner back in spring 2016 when only a few days after finally reaching Moab our first destination my father died and we had to go back immediately. That one was really bad timing.

Anyway, we should be back in the Southwest in a near future, hopefully...
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[PaulC4]

Thank you for your posts and pictures. You did a terrific job capturing your trip through Arizona, and other parts of the southwest. Just discovered this thread today, and have spent a lot of time enjoying it. And I'll continue to work my way backwards through your earlier posts.

We live in Prescott, and have explored many of the same areas -- but you've also gotten to many places we still need to explore. Quite the mix of 'I remember that spot', and 'we need to go see that spot...'. Adding several stops to our travel list now .

We also went up to the Painted Desert & Petrified Forest about a week after you were through there. We came back in a loop back by Roosevelt Lake and Peyson. Glad we were able to do that just before the travel restrictions started to be recommended.

We only posted a few pictures of our trip up to that area in the 'what did you do today thread.' I really should post some more in the 4Runner picture thread. Or maybe start following your lead by capturing images with an 'adventures thread' approach. Even if some of the 'adventures' are just in our back yard .

If you pass through this way again, please let us know.

[JohnTheLuck]

Thanks for your kind words.

Many years ago, I decided to write a message on a blog I created to allow my parents to be able easily to follow me and my wife during these long duration trips. I found out I am using this blog myself a lot when I want to show someone a place we went. While this blog is in french (I am from the province of Quebec in Canada), a quick Google Translate and required corrections allows me to also write my Adventures Thread on T4R without too much effort. The total process is a bit time consuming but after a full day on a hiking trail or off-roading, the evening would bet spent resting anyway.

There is a high probability that we go back near Prescott in the future. But for now with this COVID-19, I can't see when we will leave for another trip in the 4Runner. The situation at my hometown is still not so great and I am watching the situation in the US as well. I am not so optimistic.

When we will go back, I will try to meet you, I as did with @MAST4R this year. We had a lot of fun together. Since then, stay safe.
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[JohnTheLuck]

After a few weeks back home from his great trip in southern New Mexico, Arizona and southern Utah, it is now time for a short recap.


Highlights:

- This trip is the first in the 4Runner since my wife decided to retire also, so we didn't have a hard return date;
- A lot of awesome off-road trails;
- A lot of great hiking trails;
- Some wildflowers but we might be a bit early in the season;
- Saguaro and Organ Pipe Cactus are so cool!;
- Unusual rainfall around Page impacted a lot of activities we had planned to do;
- Interruption caused COVID-19 and recommendation from the Canadian government to come back in Canada ASAP;


Statistics:

Trip duration: 58 days
States visited: Southern New Mexico, Arizona, Southern Utah
Pictures taken (with 3 shots exposure bracketing): 22787 / 101 GB

Distance driven (real): 20628 km / 12818 miles

Fuel used: 2950 liters / 779 US gallons
Consumption (displayed): 14.8 l/100 km / 15.9 mi/US gal
Consumption (real): 14.3 l/100 km / 16.4 mi/US gal


New Mexico Off-road trails driven:
- Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks NM, Desert Peaks Area: Kilbourne Road
- Prehistoric Trackway NM: Skyline Road
- Prehistoric Trackway NM: Apache Dam Road

Arizona Off-Road trails driven:
- Bisbee Area: Mule Mountains Road
- Coronado NF, Santa Catalina RD: Redington Road
- Coronado NF, Douglas RD: Pine Canyon Road (partial due to permanent closure)
- Coronado NF, Douglas RD: Pinery Canyon Road
- Coronado NF, Douglas RD: Tex Canyon Road
- Coronado NF, Douglas RD: Carr Canyon Road (partial due to seasonal closure)
- Coronado NF, Sierra Vista RD: Mexican Border Road
- Coronado NF, Nogales RD: Ruby Road (FR 39)
- Wilcox Area: Jackson Cabin Road
- Mammoth Area: Copper Creek Mining District Road
- Robbins Butte Wildlife Area: Robbins Butte WA Road
- Salome Area: Saddle Mountain Road (full loop around mountain)
- Kofa NWR: Engesser Pass Road (with @MAST4R )
- Kofa NWR: Yaqui Tanks Road (with @MAST4R )
- Kofa NWR: King Valley Road (with @MAST4R )
- Quartzsite Area: New Water Mountains Road
- Quartzsite Area: South Plomosa Range Road
- Organ Pipe Cactus NM: Puerto Blanco Drive
- Organ Pipe Cactus NM: Ajo Mountain Drive
- Wickenburg Area: Box Canyon of the Hassayampa Road
- Florence Area: Price Road
- Florence Area: Box Canyon Road
- Florence Area: Sandman Road
- Superior Area: Historic Pinal Cemetery Road
- Superior Area: Walnut Canyon Road (with @MAST4R )
- Superior Area: Mineral Mountain Road
- Superior Area: Cottonwood Canyon Petroglyphs Road
- Superior Area: Reymert Mine Road
- Agua Fria NM and Tonto NF, Cave Creek RD: Bloody Basin Road
- Prescott NF: Jerome-Perkinsville Road (FR318)
- Tonto NF, Globe RD: Montana Mountain Road
- Tonto NF, Mesa RD: Willow Springs Road
- Tonto NF, Mesa RD: Bulldog Canyon Road
- Tonto NF, Mesa RD: Mount Ord Road
- Tonto NF, Cave Creek RD: New River (Table Mesa) Road
- Tonto NF, Cave Creek RD: Camp Creek Road
- Tonto NF, Mesa RD: Mount Ord Road
- Tonto NF, Mesa RD: Pine Mountain Road (FR 201)
- Tonto NF, Mesa RD: Saddle Mountain Road (FR 25)
- Tonto NF, Mesa RD: Four Peaks (El Oso) Road
- Tonto NF, Tonto Basin RD: Edwards Park Road (FR 422)
- Tonto NF, Tonto Basin RD: A-Cross Road (FR 60)
- Tonto NF, Mesa RD: Roosevelt Vista Road (FR 140)
- Tonto NF, Mesa RD: Parker Point Road (FR 488)
- Coconino NF, Flagstaff RD: O'Leary Basin Road
- Flagstaff Area: SP Crater Road
- Cameron Area: Gray Mountain Road
- Glen Canyon NRA: Stud Horse Point Road
- Glen Canyon NRA: Smoky Mountain Road
- Grand Staircase-Escalante NM: House Rock Valley Road
- Vermililon Cliffs NM: Sand Hills Road

Utah Off-Road trails driven:
- Grand Staircase-Escalante NM: Cockscomb Wilderness Road
- Grand Staircase-Escalante NM: Cottonwood Canyon Road (BLM 400)
- Grand Staircase-Escalante NM: Paria Canyon Road
- Grand Staircase-Escalante NM: Paria Breaks Road
- Parunuweap Canyon WSA: Twin Hollow Road


New Mexico Scenic Roads:
- White Sands NM: Dune Drive

Arizona Scenic Roads:
- Saguaro NP, Rincon Mountain District (E): Cactus Forest Drive
- Coronado NF, Santa Catalina RD: Catalina Highway Scenic Drive
- Chiricahua NM: Bonita Canyon Scenic Drive
- Organ Pipe Cactus Scenic Road (AZ 85)
- Gila-Pinal Scenic Road (US 60)
- Copper Corridor Scenic Road (AZ 77, AZ 177)
- Prescott NF: White Spar Road (AZ 89)
- Prescott NF: Mingus Mountain Scenic Road (US 89A)
- Jerome, Clarkdale, Cottonwood Historic Road
- From the Desert to Tall Pines Scenic Byway (AZ 288, FR 512)
- Fredonia-Vermillion Cliffs Scenic Byway (US 89A)
- Naat'tsis'aan-Navajo Mountain Scenic Road (AZ 88)

Utah Scenic Roads:
- Glen Canyon NRA: Lakeshore Drive


Texas Parks/Monuments/Forests:
- Palo Duro Canyon SP

New Mexico Parks/Monuments/Forests:
- Organ Mountains Desert Peaks NM, Organ Mountains Area
- Organ Mountains Desert Peaks NM, Desert Peaks Area
- Prehistoric Trackways NM
- White Sands NM

Arizona Parks/Monuments/Forests:
- Agua Fria NM
- Casa Grande Ruins NM
- Chiricahua NM
- Coconino NF, Flagstaff RD
- Coronado National Memorial
- Coronado NF, Douglas RD
- Coronado NF, Nogales RD
- Coronado NF, Santa Catalina RD
- Coronado NF, Sabino Canyon RA
- Coronado NF, Sierra Vista RD
- Glen Canyon NRA
- Homolovi Ruins SP
- Kofa National Wildlife Refuge
- Little Painted Desert Country Park
- Organ Pipe Cactus NM
- Petrified Forest NP
- Phoenix Mountains Preserve
- Phoenix South Mountains Preserve
- Prescott NF
- Prescott Watson Lake Park
- Prescott Willow Lake Park
- Robbins Butte Wildlife Area
- Tonto NF, Cave Creek RD
- Tonto NF, Globe RD
- Tonto NF, Mesa RD
- Tonto NF, Mesa RD (Superstition Wilderness)
- Tonto NF, Tonto Basin RD
- Saguaro NP, Red Hills Tucson Mountain District
- Saguaro NP, Rincon Mountain District
- Sonoran Desert NM
- Sunset Crater Volcano NM
- Vermililon Cliffs NM
- Walnut Canyon NM

Utah Parks/Monuments/Forests:
- Glen Canyon NRA
- Grand Staircase-Escalante NM
- Parunuweap Canyon WSA
- Zion NP


In conclusion, it was another great trip, unfortunately cut a bit short because of an early return home due to the COVID-19.
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[JohnTheLuck]

After this long COVID pause, my wife and I are getting ready for another long epic trip in the american southwest. This time, we will concentrate our exploration in southern Utah and northern Arizona. This is payback time since our last trip was cut short by the beginning of the pandemic while we were exploring this exact region.

I have some concern about the weather though. According to some maps on GaiaGPS and others, there seems to be an anormally high accumulation of snow in southern Utah and our depart is in less than two weeks.

I would like to know from valuable members of this forum who live in these regions what are the current conditions.

Thanks!

[JohnTheLuck]

Day 1:

Start point: Montréal QC
End point: Lexington VA

Distance driven: 1165 km
States travelled: QC, ON, NY, PA, MD, WV, VA

Finally, the big day for a new trip has finally arrived, after an enforced break of almost three years. How good it feels, even if today we only drove on the highways!

So we left the house around 6:15 this morning under a slightly overcast sky. Quickly, the clouds gave way to a completely clear sky, with mercury slightly above the freezing point.

Everything was fine until I checked the fuel gauge. I had taken good care to reset it when I left the house. Horror and consternation when I read 17.5 l/100km... Usually when I drive around town, with traffic lights, it is quite common for it to indicate around 15, but this one goes down very quickly around 12 to 13 delivered on the highway.

Looking for a reason:
- I checked the tire pressure; normal.
- I checked the temperature of the wheels near the brakes to verify that none of them were stuck; normal.
- No suspicious sound, nothing abnormal.
- I closed the headlights because the sun was rising; no effect.
- Gasoline that is too old; I filled the tank the day before yesterday.
- Heavier load than usual; Not really.

So we hit the road again, without any obvious explaination.

I had to change the truck's battery a few weeks ago because the old one was showing signs of weakness, being already 7 years old. I realized this when it was completely flat. Maybe the fuel supply computer didn't like it and needs to re-learn. This reason seems to be logical because the consumption starts to go down again and currently indicates 14.3 l/100km. We will follow the situation.

The sky becane overcast and the rain began to fall steadily and the temperature plummeted from the maximum of 8C to reach 0C. At this time, a few flakes were falling with the rain. The trees were covered in a very thin layer of ice.

We have just returned to our hotel for the night, in Lexington, Virginia.

Tomorrow, we continue a little on the I-81 freeway to join the I-40 which will lead us to Arizona in three days.

Stay tuned for more interesting things to read and my usual picture festival!

[JohnTheLuck]

Day 2:

Start point: Lexington VA
End point: Memphis TN

Distance driven: 1068 km
States travelled: VA, TN

It was a day with the temperature in a roller coaster!

This morning, before leaving Lexington, Virginia, it was -1C and the 4Runner was completely icy. Luckily, I had brought a scraper just in case! The sky was partly clear but the sun had not yet risen.

The road was a little slippery on the road leading to I-81. On this one, everything was fine. The temperature soared to 8C.

After an hour or two, we started noticing snow covered vehicles moving in the other direction. The road then climbed a mountain range and a band of clouds loomed over their summit. The temperature then drops to 0C. Luckily, we passed very close to the band of clouds but without experiencing any precipitation. Around us, an all too familiar completely snow-covered landscape surrounded us under about 5cm of freshly fallen snow. In Virginia!!!

Continuing, we finally joined the I-40 highway to lead us in two days to Arizona. The temperature kept climbing as we progressed, reaching a more than comfortable 21C in Tennesse. We have also changed time zones; we are therefore one hour behind Montreal.

Tomorrow we continue west on the I-40.

[JohnTheLuck]

Day 3:

Start point: Memphis TN
End point: Shamrock TX

States traveled: TN, AR, OK, TX
Distance driven: 1035 km

We hit the road again under an overcast sky, a little worried about the bad weather to come. A very vigorous cold front was to cross our route, bringing with it gusty winds of up to 80 km/h.

As we stayed in Memphis, we quickly left the endless state of Tennesse to reach Arkansas. The fairly heavy and sustained rain started around 10 a.m. and lasted about two hours. We had to slow down a few times. The drizzle raised by the very many trucks bothered us a little.

Thereafter, the sky cleared up and the roadway dried quickly. This clearing brought with it strong winds and gusts. Several truck drivers preferred to park in the rest areas and on-ramps, leaving us the road practically to ourselves. The winds hit the front of the 4Runner at a slight angle and the engine worked hard to maintain a respectable speed (so underpowered these things...). Bye bye acceptable fuel consumption.

When reaching the Texas panhandle, the wind began to decrease rapidly.

Tomorrow, we will reach our first destination of the trip, at the end of the day however.

[JohnTheLuck]

Day 4:

Start point: Shamrock TX
End point: Holbrook AZ

Distance driven: 1013 km
States traveled: TX, NM, AZ


We left Shamrock TX while it was still dark. Once the sun rose, we had a very beautiful light with a completely clear sky. The winds were very calm.

We then reached New Mexico, and made another time zone change; we are therefore now two hours behind Montreal. We will keep this gap for the rest of the trip.

Further into New Mexico, the road climbs to cross a high plateau. The clouds appeared and the temperature began to drop. A light snow began to fall, but without accumulations on the roadway.

Approaching Albuquerque, the high mountains nearby caused noticeable snowfall. The vehicles were loaded with snow and the landscape all white. To say that we are in this region to escape the Quebec winter...

Albuquerque is located at the bottom of a valley between two plateaus. Normally the temperature is quite warm. Well, we had the hottest temperature of the day there, a very meager 2C. We went to a Ranger Station, local office of a national forest to try to buy an annual pass allowing free access to all the national parks. The offices were closed due to "bad weather".

As we got back on the road, a road sign informed us that the I-40 highway was closed in Holbrook AZ because of the snow... Precisely our destination. Great...

Still continuing on I-40, we experienced heavy snowfall as we approached Gallup NM, located very close to the Arizona border. Here's a capture from the 4Runner's traffic camera (which doesn't do it justice as usual).




And another through the passenger side window.




We stopped to refuel in case we had to wait a long time on the road. At that time, the snow was falling very hard and the wind had picked up. We even discussed the possibility of looking for accommodation for the night, as recommended on another road sign.

We decided to press on to try our luck, having an uncancellable reservation for the night in Holbrook AZ. Good decision because the snow stopped and the sun made several short appearances.

We finally reached Petrified Forest National Park, our first destination of the trip, located near Holbrook. During a stop at the Visitor Center, they confirmed that the I-40 was closed at Holbrook, and that there was a very long waiting line. The Ranger told us that it would be advantageous to cross the entire park to join Holbrook by a secondary road, allowing to bypass the queue. We took the opportunity to stop at a few viewpoints. What a change from the usual view, when everything was covered in snow.










We followed the Ranger's directions to reach Holbrook with no problem. Passing under the I-40 overpass, we noticed that it was then reopened to traffic.

The presence of snow will complicate our activities, especially since the mercury should drop overnight to reach -13C. Brrrrrr.

[honda250xtitan]

Originally Posted by JohnTheLuck

Day 4:

Start point: Shamrock TX
End point: Holbrook AZ

Distance driven: 1013 km
States traveled: TX, NM, AZ


We left Shamrock TX while it was still dark. Once the sun rose, we had a very beautiful light with a completely clear sky. The winds were very calm.

We then reached New Mexico, and made another time zone change; we are therefore now two hours behind Montreal. We will keep this gap for the rest of the trip.

Further into New Mexico, the road climbs to cross a high plateau. The clouds appeared and the temperature began to drop. A light snow began to fall, but without accumulations on the roadway.

Approaching Albuquerque, the high mountains nearby caused noticeable snowfall. The vehicles were loaded with snow and the landscape all white. To say that we are in this region to escape the Quebec winter...

Albuquerque is located at the bottom of a valley between two plateaus. Normally the temperature is quite warm. Well, we had the hottest temperature of the day there, a very meager 2C. We went to a Ranger Station, local office of a national forest to try to buy an annual pass allowing free access to all the national parks. The offices were closed due to "bad weather".

As we got back on the road, a road sign informed us that the I-40 highway was closed in Holbrook AZ because of the snow... Precisely our destination. Great...

Still continuing on I-40, we experienced heavy snowfall as we approached Gallup NM, located very close to the Arizona border. Here's a capture from the 4Runner's traffic camera (which doesn't do it justice as usual).



We followed the Ranger's directions to reach Holbrook with no problem. Passing under the I-40 overpass, we noticed that it was then reopened to traffic.

The presence of snow will complicate our activities, especially since the mercury should drop overnight to reach -13C. Brrrrrr.

warming trend this week. you guys are gonna get to enjoy the true az winter now

[JohnTheLuck]

Originally Posted by honda250xtitan

warming trend this week. you guys are gonna get to enjoy the true az winter now

I hope!!! This is why we travel in this amazing region, hoping to escape our canadian winter. BTW, today, it was warmer in Montreal back home than here!!!

[JohnTheLuck]

Day 5:

Start point: Holbrook AZ
End point: Holbrook AZ

Distance driven: 158 km
Distance hiked: 9.5 km


When we woke up, it was a tiny -16C, here in Arizona... Colder than in Quebec... The world turned upside down.

We spent the whole day at Petrified Forest National Park. The landscapes were magical, the cold of the night and the humidity of yesterday having covered everything with an envelope of frost.






Given the snow cover and the presence of ice, we opted to hike on maintained trails, contrary to our original plan which was to do some Off the Beaten Path hikes. It felt good to walk, especially after those four days on the road.

The first trail we hiked was the Crystal Forest trail. The snow on the ground showing the pieces of petrified tree trunks, dating back more than 278 million years.




Then we hiked the Blue Mesa trail we had done on our last trip. The presence of snow brought out the reliefs and the colors.






Finally, we hiked the Long Logs and Agate House trail. The size of the trunks and their large number were impressive.






Agate House is a dwelling that was built by Native American Ancestral Puebloans around the year 1100. Archaeologists thought this building was unique, but more than a hundred others have been discovered in the park.




Tomorrow we will return to Petrified Forest NP for more hiking. Unfortunately, this snow may have an impact on our off-roading planned for this trip. I hope the melting will not make mst of them impassable due to erosion. Will see.

[JohnTheLuck]

Day 6:

Start point: Holbrook AZ
End point: Holbrook AZ

Distance driven: 239 km


NOTE: The backroads and hiking trails conditions forces us to visit things accessible only from paved roads. This thread begins to turn as a vacation report, which I don't specifically like. I hope we can start off-roading soon when this snow melt and the ground dries up.


Today we went back to Petrified Forest NP, with the goal being to focus on the northern part of the park. We had originally planned to do other long hikes but the snow still on the ground, the temperatures above zero turning everything into mud, and the strong winds got the better of us. In addition, the sky remained very cloudy all day, a slight disappointment compared to the magnificent conditions of yesterday.

We once again traveled the park route from north to south stopping at a few viewpoints. From Kachina Point, you could see the trail to Onyx Bridge, which we hiked in March 2020. Couldn't hike it today.



Also at Kachina Point, we visited the interior of the Painted Desert Inn, a former hotel that has become a National Historic Site.

At the southern end of the park, we visited the Rainbow Forest Museum, providing a lot of information on the geological history of the park, but also that of its ancient inhabitants, the ancestors of the dinosaurs aged over 210 million years.



We then returned to Holbrook to visit the Navajo County Historical Society museum, presenting the history of Holbrook and the region in a historic building.




This place served several vocations, including the prison and the courthouse.






Several rooms adjoining the court room served as a library of legal books, the oldest of which dated from 1850.




In the afternoon, we went to Winslow AZ to visit the historic La Posada hotel. It was built when the arrival of the railway allowed a marked growth of the city. It was then considered the most luxurious in the region. The hotel is still in operation.








The last two days consisted of a reserve in case we had suffered unforeseen events between Montreal and Arizona. Tomorrow we set out on the established itinerary of the actual trip. We will then visit some sites in the Navajo reservation, including their capital Window Rock.

[JohnTheLuck]

Day 7:

Start point: Holbrook AZ
End point: Chinle AZ

Distance driven: 400 km
Distance hiked: 2.8 km


This morning we left Holbrook AZ under cloudy skies. We came back a bit west near the New Mexico border to take the Among the People Scenic Byway starting on Hwy I-40 in Lupton AZ.

This road joins Window Rock AZ, the capital of the Navajo Nation. We wanted to find out about the regulations regarding access to certain roads that we hope to travel later in the trip.

We also wanted to visit the Navajo Nation Museum to learn more about this native nation. Unfortunately, the museum was closed on weekends for this time of year.

We went to see the Window Rock Tribal Park, located at the base of a cliff with a large opening, the Window Rock. This park honors Navajo veterans who participated in the Second World War, as well as the Navajo Code Talker, soldiers whose task was to encrypt messages in order to thwart the Japanese.




Several Navajo Nation government buildings located in Window Rock are very beautiful, such as the Navajo Nation Council Chamber.




Continuing on the Among the People Scenic Byway, the road skirts a long sandstone cliff.




The road gains greatly in altitude and joins forests of tall pines. In some places, the snow of the last few days had caused significant accumulations and the icy road surface made traffic a little perilous. This did not bother horses grazing peacefully on the side of the road.




The last segment of this road consists of the North Rim Drive of the Canyon de Chelly National Monument. This park, created in concert with the Navajo Nation, protects several ruins of homes of the Ancestral Puebloans, the ancestors of today's Navajos. We visited this park in April 2010 on our very first trip to the American Southwest. At that time, there was no snow like today.






After completing the North Rim Drive, we made a brief stop at the Visitor Center where we saw a replica of a traditional Navajo dwelling.






We then traveled the South Rim Drive allowing us to see, from elevated vantage points, the canyon and the Navajo settlements occupying it today, as well as other ruins. It is possible to visit the bottom of the canyon when accompanied by a local guide.




The end of the South Rim Drive allows you to see Spider Rock, a huge monument in the center of the valley.






Tomorrow, we continue our journey north to join Moab in Utah.

[MAST4R]

Great posts as always. I would personally rather have Moab like what the canyons look in the picture than melting. What I see is fine for easy and moderate trails.

I drove much of the Yellow Cat area in the Outback and with another Subaru often breaking snow and did a lot in the 4Runner including breaking snow on Tower Arch trail and Deadman point. We also drove Rainbow Terrace which is now rated difficult due to one spot breaking snow but we were 3 vehicles for that one. I did turn back from a moderate trail with an icy, steep rock to descend, so no thanks there but otherwise the entire trip was fine.

Of course I did not plan on driving Hells Revenge or Fins and Things or similar on that one.

So I would not personally consider snow a show stopper for many of the trails and often there is no snow on rocky steps and the like as the sun bakes them and folks spin enough to clear them up

Also, the sun is strong enough to change conditions from frozen to mud and from mud to dry between early morning and late afternoon so there is that, too.