Trail report,
This is a 15 or so mile long portion of Chery Creek Road and a looksee was warranted because:
~~~It can be a candidate for T or J
~~~This trail is not listed in any guide book and no other Jeep or 4WD groups have reported a run on this
~~~It was the trill of the unknown literally! The first time run by LOST club members. Oh sure other adventurers have done this but then they keep to themselves and make this trail one of those many famous Young, Az area secrets that are never really shared, till now...
WOW and WOW and WOW-- what a ride, what fun, literally something different at every turn!!
Going with a group or at least two Jeeps is absolutely required. This thing jumped to a 3.1 difficulty rating numerous times!! (5 scale). This ride took 110% of my driving skill and 100% of the capability of the Liberty. I bumped my bottom plates a few times but picking lines especially through the numerous rock gardens took skill~~that JK just went over, I had to go through. (no pun on the Jeeps just AZKJ has a more able truck)
Scenery and scenery at every turn, beautiful country.
The trail literally was in the creek bottom and water fording is required (try doing that and still hear rocks bumping the bottom plates from under water..Wow!)
We noticed only ATV tracks NO Jeep or 4wd vehicles here at all. It was the ranch hands doing thier fence repair thing and several times we had to stop and let cattle go by!
Then it happened ~~ 2/3's in and we came across a locked gate on the road with no around path because of the terrain. AJ later found out the FS has released its easement control of the roadway to private ranchers due to the remoteness and little use of the road by persons. We HAD to turn around!
AJ also said the Rangers were very surprised to hear we were in Jeeps (they only hear of people on Quads out there) and were really very surprised 1 of the Jeeps was a Liberty!
Conclusion : This trail cannot be considered for TorJ ~ it is that tough, lots of rock gardens(creek bed travel), but there will be locked gates that can't be opened unless you want to break the law and I do not go there. But if you want to run it it is tons of fun at least up to the first locked gate!!
What other Jeep group can host an exploratory run on a trail in no guide book and give the experience of the unknown literally around every curve and bring beautiful scenery and bring out your best driving skills and work your truck to its safe limit and all along ~~~bring out that pucker factor!! Cause folks, this outing did! Thanks AZKJ for the GPS mapping and guiding because we were way out there. And again here is another first time ever trail for me and that adds even more fun into it.
Roland