JohnTheLuck
Member
This is why I post this! Sometimes I get my inspiration from other T4R members also.
JohnTheLuck's Adventures Thread
- Thread starter JohnTheLuck
- Start date
This is why I post this! Sometimes I get my inspiration from other T4R members also.
JohnTheLuck
Member
Day 27:
Start point: Globe AZ
End point: Mesa AZ
Distance driven: 210 km
Distance hiked: 2.3 km
What a superb day we had in this enchanting setting and in good company with [MENTION=306890]MAST4R[/MENTION], his two boys and his dog who came to join us to travel the Walnut Canyon Road a little southwest of Globe. As it is a fairly remote place, it was better to do this road accompanied in case something unexpected arose.
As the meeting time was relatively late to allow time to join us, we decided to make a loop further south and travel the Copper Corridor East / West Scenic Road, circulating in the mountains with steep cliffs and several copper mines. We passed through several villages that had seen better days when the mines had to be more active.
Then, we arrived at the start of Walnut Canyon Road and drove it until we reached the meeting point fixed with MAST4R. At the beginning, the road is very easy. After a while, it becomes more rugged and circulates in dry washes.
Further on, we had to open some cattle fences. Then we reached a group of fourteen Toyota vehicles (a 4Runner, 1 Tacoma, and twelve FJ Cruisers) stopped on the road. The drivers were busy moving a large rock that had rolled down the slope overnight and completely blocked the way. Never my wife and I would have been able to move it ourselves. Thanks guys (we later spoke to [MENTION=435564]zzmikey[/MENTION], the owner of the leading 4Runner).
Having reached the meeting point, we left this group continuing the same loop as us, but in reverse. So we knew we would meet them again later.
While waiting for our companion to join us, we savoured the superb landscape and the beauties of nature. Battleaxe Mountain immediately stood by our side.
When he arrived, we hit the road again. At every turn, the road always revealed better views as we lost altitude as we got closer to the Gila River.
We then reached the Gila River, one of the four rivers irrigating southern Arizona. We found the group of fourteen vehicles there. They left shortly after and we were able to take advantage of the place for a well-deserved break.
We then took the road again and started the ascent to reach the start of the loop. This rise is notable for the damage caused by precipitation and deep ruts made the passage more difficult but how much more exciting.
After leaving the loop, we made one last stop in White Canyon, a little off Walnut Canyon Road. The falling sun made the cliffs shine. It was a dream place to loosen up your legs a bit and relax after this sometimes trying climb.
We then completed Walnut Canyon Road and took the paved road towards Mesa in the eastern suburbs of Phoenix. In the coming days, we will have several hikes in the Superstition Wilderness area.
Thanks so much to MAST4R for coming with us do this incredible road. It was a fun day on an incredible road.
.
Start point: Globe AZ
End point: Mesa AZ
Distance driven: 210 km
Distance hiked: 2.3 km
What a superb day we had in this enchanting setting and in good company with [MENTION=306890]MAST4R[/MENTION], his two boys and his dog who came to join us to travel the Walnut Canyon Road a little southwest of Globe. As it is a fairly remote place, it was better to do this road accompanied in case something unexpected arose.
As the meeting time was relatively late to allow time to join us, we decided to make a loop further south and travel the Copper Corridor East / West Scenic Road, circulating in the mountains with steep cliffs and several copper mines. We passed through several villages that had seen better days when the mines had to be more active.
Then, we arrived at the start of Walnut Canyon Road and drove it until we reached the meeting point fixed with MAST4R. At the beginning, the road is very easy. After a while, it becomes more rugged and circulates in dry washes.
Further on, we had to open some cattle fences. Then we reached a group of fourteen Toyota vehicles (a 4Runner, 1 Tacoma, and twelve FJ Cruisers) stopped on the road. The drivers were busy moving a large rock that had rolled down the slope overnight and completely blocked the way. Never my wife and I would have been able to move it ourselves. Thanks guys (we later spoke to [MENTION=435564]zzmikey[/MENTION], the owner of the leading 4Runner).
Having reached the meeting point, we left this group continuing the same loop as us, but in reverse. So we knew we would meet them again later.
While waiting for our companion to join us, we savoured the superb landscape and the beauties of nature. Battleaxe Mountain immediately stood by our side.
When he arrived, we hit the road again. At every turn, the road always revealed better views as we lost altitude as we got closer to the Gila River.
We then reached the Gila River, one of the four rivers irrigating southern Arizona. We found the group of fourteen vehicles there. They left shortly after and we were able to take advantage of the place for a well-deserved break.
We then took the road again and started the ascent to reach the start of the loop. This rise is notable for the damage caused by precipitation and deep ruts made the passage more difficult but how much more exciting.
After leaving the loop, we made one last stop in White Canyon, a little off Walnut Canyon Road. The falling sun made the cliffs shine. It was a dream place to loosen up your legs a bit and relax after this sometimes trying climb.
We then completed Walnut Canyon Road and took the paved road towards Mesa in the eastern suburbs of Phoenix. In the coming days, we will have several hikes in the Superstition Wilderness area.
Thanks so much to MAST4R for coming with us do this incredible road. It was a fun day on an incredible road.
.
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MAST4R
New member
That was a great day, indeed! I would not call it better or worse than Engesser as they were both great, but in a different way.
Thanks for having us join you.
EDIT: I am curious why both Wells and Jeep The USA prefer the loop in the opposite direction, as the big Toyota group drove it as well.
The fun of driving up the more rutted and rockier sections aside, the views were spectacular precisely in the direction we drove it.
Thanks for having us join you.
EDIT: I am curious why both Wells and Jeep The USA prefer the loop in the opposite direction, as the big Toyota group drove it as well.
The fun of driving up the more rutted and rockier sections aside, the views were spectacular precisely in the direction we drove it.
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MAST4R
New member
cmilviper
New member
Yes, your suspension will be right at home around here
Yes sir...It would be a good time, and a lot of great scenery!
I'll let you know when I'm planning to be in that area, and hopefully we could hook up & wheel a little bit as well!
Ray Dunakin
Senior Member
Great pics! I would like to give Arizona another try someday.
JohnTheLuck
Member
Thanks! Yes it was another awesome day, one after the other. The weather is so great here at this time of the year.
JohnTheLuck
Member
Day 28:
Start point: Mesa AZ
End point: Mesa AZ
Distance driven: 104 km
Distance hiked: 9.3 km
We spent the whole day hiking in the Superstition Wilderness sector of the Tonto National Forest. The Boulder Canyon Trail starts on the Apache Trail. Today was also our shortest day on the road with only 104 km.
This trail begins near Canyon Lake and climbs the hills. The view is unobstructed throughout all this section.
After a long climb without a break to reach a ridge, the path becomes more level and runs along the sides of the mountains. We then begin to see in the distance characteristic formations like Geronimo Head, Battleship Mountain, Black Top Mesa, and Weavers Needles in the distance. In the valley, La Barge Creek flows calmly
Behind us, the lake started to appear very small as we moved away and after another ridge, it disappeared from our sight to reappear further.
We then reached two viewpoints offering an exceptional views of the region around Boulder Canyon.
The rocks of this region are obviously of volcanic origin. We can even see the border between layers from ashes aside others from lava. The place has already been much less serene than today.
The return offered much more favorable sunshine while the sun was now behind us.
We are still undecided for our activities for tomorrow, when the temperature should rise in the coming days. We will have to get up earlier to try to hike when the temperature is cooler. Unless we go offroading...
.
Start point: Mesa AZ
End point: Mesa AZ
Distance driven: 104 km
Distance hiked: 9.3 km
We spent the whole day hiking in the Superstition Wilderness sector of the Tonto National Forest. The Boulder Canyon Trail starts on the Apache Trail. Today was also our shortest day on the road with only 104 km.
This trail begins near Canyon Lake and climbs the hills. The view is unobstructed throughout all this section.
After a long climb without a break to reach a ridge, the path becomes more level and runs along the sides of the mountains. We then begin to see in the distance characteristic formations like Geronimo Head, Battleship Mountain, Black Top Mesa, and Weavers Needles in the distance. In the valley, La Barge Creek flows calmly
Behind us, the lake started to appear very small as we moved away and after another ridge, it disappeared from our sight to reappear further.
We then reached two viewpoints offering an exceptional views of the region around Boulder Canyon.
The rocks of this region are obviously of volcanic origin. We can even see the border between layers from ashes aside others from lava. The place has already been much less serene than today.
The return offered much more favorable sunshine while the sun was now behind us.
We are still undecided for our activities for tomorrow, when the temperature should rise in the coming days. We will have to get up earlier to try to hike when the temperature is cooler. Unless we go offroading...
.
JohnTheLuck
Member
Yes it was a great hike. The views are gorgeous.
Originally, we had planned to continue down to reach the creek but when we arrived at the last viewpoint before going down, we were a bit hesitant! After speaking with someone at that place, we decided not to continue further and came back. It was a good decision because we came back to the 4Runner a bit tired since we didn't do much hiking in the last week.
JohnTheLuck
Member
Day 29:
Start point: Mesa AZ
End point: Mesa AZ
Distance driven: 180 km
Distance hiked: 0.6 km
...and yes, we went offroading! We spent the whole day driving off-road trails near Florence AZ. We had a great day, but it ends with a little bitter taste.
After reaching Florence, we drove the Price Road gravel road to join Box Canyon Road, the main destination of the day, which appeared in the distance like a small crack in the mountains.
Box Canyon is a very spectacular narrow canyon hollowed out by a stream flowing in mountains made up of fairly colorful volcanic rocks. The stream was barely flowing today and greatly helped to limit the dust.
Generally, Box Canyon consists of an easy gravel road carried by the stream but some obstacles require a little more attention. However, all of them still offer an easy line to overcome them.
Further, we reached the Mineral Mountain Road continuing north. This road has a big obstacle called Waterfall. Having watched videos on YouTube before the trip, we had already decided not to try to cross it. The following photo was taken while I was halfway up.
The Wells book indicated a bypass for the Waterfall. Now the bitter taste comes from the significant damage that side-by-side vehicles generate on these roads. The detour suggested by the book (by the east) presented a steep slope made completely unusable for vehicles other than these side-by-side. We had identified another detour (by the west) but after climbing some steep sections, the last one was also so damaged that it too was then impassable. The view was still magnificent.
And to conclude, at the turn of a fairly pronounced curve, while we were looking for another passage to the north, we met an idiot driving a side-by-side at an irresponsible speed. We just had time to brake to avoid it. If my speed had been similar to his, we would have certainly had a collision, and my 4Runner being much heavier than his vehicle, I know who would have had more damage. You moron ... I hate these side-by-side.
As we only encountered another vehicle which was not a side-by-side, we believe that all the tracks in the region suffered the same damage. This makes us rather hesitant to go through others. Sadly.
After multiple unsuccessful attempts, we finally managed to find an exit and return to the main road north of Waterfall. The place is a maze of intersecting roads. A chance that we are preparing very well for this kind of trip. We had topographic maps, a satellite view, and our exact position thanks to our tablet and the GPS receiver.
Continuing on Mineral Mountain Road, we reached the Granny's Pass where several memorials have been erected in memory of loved ones who have disappeared. The majority of these were dedicated to off-road enthusiasts.
Further on, we made a short detour to see the petroglyphs in Cottonwood Canyon.
Finally, we hiked another short adjacent trail, that of Reymert Mine Road. The mine was closed in 1950, fairly recently compared to others we have visited in the area.
Tomorrow we will definitely be dedicated to hiking a trail, wifey said!
.
Start point: Mesa AZ
End point: Mesa AZ
Distance driven: 180 km
Distance hiked: 0.6 km
...and yes, we went offroading! We spent the whole day driving off-road trails near Florence AZ. We had a great day, but it ends with a little bitter taste.
After reaching Florence, we drove the Price Road gravel road to join Box Canyon Road, the main destination of the day, which appeared in the distance like a small crack in the mountains.
Box Canyon is a very spectacular narrow canyon hollowed out by a stream flowing in mountains made up of fairly colorful volcanic rocks. The stream was barely flowing today and greatly helped to limit the dust.
Generally, Box Canyon consists of an easy gravel road carried by the stream but some obstacles require a little more attention. However, all of them still offer an easy line to overcome them.
Further, we reached the Mineral Mountain Road continuing north. This road has a big obstacle called Waterfall. Having watched videos on YouTube before the trip, we had already decided not to try to cross it. The following photo was taken while I was halfway up.
The Wells book indicated a bypass for the Waterfall. Now the bitter taste comes from the significant damage that side-by-side vehicles generate on these roads. The detour suggested by the book (by the east) presented a steep slope made completely unusable for vehicles other than these side-by-side. We had identified another detour (by the west) but after climbing some steep sections, the last one was also so damaged that it too was then impassable. The view was still magnificent.
And to conclude, at the turn of a fairly pronounced curve, while we were looking for another passage to the north, we met an idiot driving a side-by-side at an irresponsible speed. We just had time to brake to avoid it. If my speed had been similar to his, we would have certainly had a collision, and my 4Runner being much heavier than his vehicle, I know who would have had more damage. You moron ... I hate these side-by-side.
As we only encountered another vehicle which was not a side-by-side, we believe that all the tracks in the region suffered the same damage. This makes us rather hesitant to go through others. Sadly.
After multiple unsuccessful attempts, we finally managed to find an exit and return to the main road north of Waterfall. The place is a maze of intersecting roads. A chance that we are preparing very well for this kind of trip. We had topographic maps, a satellite view, and our exact position thanks to our tablet and the GPS receiver.
Continuing on Mineral Mountain Road, we reached the Granny's Pass where several memorials have been erected in memory of loved ones who have disappeared. The majority of these were dedicated to off-road enthusiasts.
Further on, we made a short detour to see the petroglyphs in Cottonwood Canyon.
Finally, we hiked another short adjacent trail, that of Reymert Mine Road. The mine was closed in 1950, fairly recently compared to others we have visited in the area.
Tomorrow we will definitely be dedicated to hiking a trail, wifey said!
.
JohnTheLuck
Member
Day 30:
Start point: Mesa AZ
End point: Mesa AZ
Distance driven: 160 km
Distance hiked: 10.2 km
... and yes, we went hiking! Our first activity of the day was a spectacular hike on the Peralta Trail in the Superstition Wilderness area of Tonto National Forest. This hiking trail goes up a valley bordered on each side by cliffs formed by needles pointing towards the sky. The rocks are made up of ancient ashes and lava, and were cut by the runoff of water.
The erosion of layers of different compositions has created several caves that probably served as a refuge in the past.
After reaching the Fremont Saddle, a very common destination, we chatted with other hikers. To our surprise, a quail (a bird we nicknamed glou-glou in reference to the film of Asterix and the Indians) was walking around them. This quail had had a memorable day because while they were preparing for the hike in the parking lot, it came around them. Then she followed them to Fremont Saddle, a distance of more than 4 km !!! And when they started their return, she followed them again. Of note, each time we saw them, they fled before I was able to photograph them.
We then continued towards our final destination, the Lone Pine located at the end of a nearby ridge, a little further than Fremont Saddle. This pine is really the only one of its kind in the area.
From this point, Weaver's Needle rises majestically in the valley with countless long ridges. The place was simply awesome. We stayed there a long time to admire the show and taste this moment.
We returned by the same path. The sun being higher in the sky, the valley presented better colors than when going.
Even after joining our vehicle and hitting the road, the mountain was still very photogenic.
We then went to Tonto NF Mesa District Office to obtain a permit to circulate in Bulldog Canyon, which we should explore in the coming days. We drove a small section of another road in this area. It was quite rough and our progress was very slow. As it was getting late, we didn't go through it all.
Finally, after reaching the outskirts of the hotel, we saw a coyote walking around very close and seeming little distracted by our presence. He was much more focused on prey hiding in the vegetation trying to catch it by jumping towards them.
Tomorrow we should return to Bulldog Canyon and hike another trail in the area, which is really amazing.
.
Start point: Mesa AZ
End point: Mesa AZ
Distance driven: 160 km
Distance hiked: 10.2 km
... and yes, we went hiking! Our first activity of the day was a spectacular hike on the Peralta Trail in the Superstition Wilderness area of Tonto National Forest. This hiking trail goes up a valley bordered on each side by cliffs formed by needles pointing towards the sky. The rocks are made up of ancient ashes and lava, and were cut by the runoff of water.
The erosion of layers of different compositions has created several caves that probably served as a refuge in the past.
After reaching the Fremont Saddle, a very common destination, we chatted with other hikers. To our surprise, a quail (a bird we nicknamed glou-glou in reference to the film of Asterix and the Indians) was walking around them. This quail had had a memorable day because while they were preparing for the hike in the parking lot, it came around them. Then she followed them to Fremont Saddle, a distance of more than 4 km !!! And when they started their return, she followed them again. Of note, each time we saw them, they fled before I was able to photograph them.
We then continued towards our final destination, the Lone Pine located at the end of a nearby ridge, a little further than Fremont Saddle. This pine is really the only one of its kind in the area.
From this point, Weaver's Needle rises majestically in the valley with countless long ridges. The place was simply awesome. We stayed there a long time to admire the show and taste this moment.
We returned by the same path. The sun being higher in the sky, the valley presented better colors than when going.
Even after joining our vehicle and hitting the road, the mountain was still very photogenic.
We then went to Tonto NF Mesa District Office to obtain a permit to circulate in Bulldog Canyon, which we should explore in the coming days. We drove a small section of another road in this area. It was quite rough and our progress was very slow. As it was getting late, we didn't go through it all.
Finally, after reaching the outskirts of the hotel, we saw a coyote walking around very close and seeming little distracted by our presence. He was much more focused on prey hiding in the vegetation trying to catch it by jumping towards them.
Tomorrow we should return to Bulldog Canyon and hike another trail in the area, which is really amazing.
.
JohnTheLuck
Member
Day 31:
Start point: Mesa AZ
End point: Mesa AZ
Distance driven: 155 km
Distance hiked: 9.6 km
Today, we once again shared our time between offroading and hiking trails in Tonto National Forest.
Our first activity of the day was the Bulldog Canyon Road off-road trail. We thought that this route would be somehow a shortcut to avoid the city and its morning congestion. Instead of an easy gravelly maintained road like many in the National Forests, this one was rather rocky and quite slow. It still crossed beautiful colorful hills.
Then we went to Butcher Jones Recreation Site, the starting point of a hike that we originally planned hiking. When we got to the starting point, we found that the landscapes would not be what we expected. So we let it go.
To reflect on the rest of the day's activities and have a snack / dinner, we went to the nearby Saguaro Del Norte Recreation Site. This place is very focused on nautical activities. Several floating platforms are made available to fishermen.
We then remembered a hike suggested by a volunteer present yesterday morning at the start of our trail. We went to the First Water parking lot to hike the Hackberry Springs Loop. This trail follows a stream crossing a canyon formed of volcanic rock. Water has sculpted canals and flows through a long series of small ponds.
After the canyon, the path winds between the hills and goes up towards a plateau.
This plateau is very green and gave us the impression of being on a ranch. In the distance we immediately recognized Weaver's Needle seen more closely during our hike yesterday. This rock formation has long been used as a landmark for travellers of the time.
The trail eventually joins with Second Water Trail, which is part of a long loop of more than 18 km that my wife hoped to cover in a single day, but we decided not to attempt it.
Forecasts are not so great for the next few days. Tomorrow, we should meet with some friends we met during previous tips.
.
Start point: Mesa AZ
End point: Mesa AZ
Distance driven: 155 km
Distance hiked: 9.6 km
Today, we once again shared our time between offroading and hiking trails in Tonto National Forest.
Our first activity of the day was the Bulldog Canyon Road off-road trail. We thought that this route would be somehow a shortcut to avoid the city and its morning congestion. Instead of an easy gravelly maintained road like many in the National Forests, this one was rather rocky and quite slow. It still crossed beautiful colorful hills.
Then we went to Butcher Jones Recreation Site, the starting point of a hike that we originally planned hiking. When we got to the starting point, we found that the landscapes would not be what we expected. So we let it go.
To reflect on the rest of the day's activities and have a snack / dinner, we went to the nearby Saguaro Del Norte Recreation Site. This place is very focused on nautical activities. Several floating platforms are made available to fishermen.
We then remembered a hike suggested by a volunteer present yesterday morning at the start of our trail. We went to the First Water parking lot to hike the Hackberry Springs Loop. This trail follows a stream crossing a canyon formed of volcanic rock. Water has sculpted canals and flows through a long series of small ponds.
After the canyon, the path winds between the hills and goes up towards a plateau.
This plateau is very green and gave us the impression of being on a ranch. In the distance we immediately recognized Weaver's Needle seen more closely during our hike yesterday. This rock formation has long been used as a landmark for travellers of the time.
The trail eventually joins with Second Water Trail, which is part of a long loop of more than 18 km that my wife hoped to cover in a single day, but we decided not to attempt it.
Forecasts are not so great for the next few days. Tomorrow, we should meet with some friends we met during previous tips.
.
JohnTheLuck
Member
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
Member
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.
.
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
Member
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.
.
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
Member
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.
.
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.
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MAST4R
New member
"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. [MENTION=140439]Decipher[/MENTION] 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
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. [MENTION=140439]Decipher[/MENTION] 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
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