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Smiley Rock... Jul 16, 2010 (Pictures Added)
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Author:  AZKJ [ Wed Jul 14, 2010 12:55 pm ]
Post subject:  Smiley Rock... Jul 16, 2010 (Pictures Added)
Let's beat the heat for a few hours!!

Silverdiesel and I are heading up to the cooler climate of Jerome and Cottonwood to run Smiley Rock... Wells #25 (D). It's rated difficult for a 4 mile narrow and rocky section that runs through Martin Canyon. The trail is 23 miles of off road driving. For the most part, it's an easy gravel road. Elevation ranges from 5,000 ~ 7,000 feet, so it should be a little cooler than down here in the Valley.

Full skids, tow hooks and good A/T tires recommended.

When: Jul 16, 2010
Time: 0700
Meet: Chevron/McDonald's (NE corner of I-17 and Carefree Hwy)

If interested, post up and we'll see you Friday morning!!
Author:  phxtoad [ Wed Jul 14, 2010 3:46 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Smiley Rock.... Jul 16, 2010
I'm jealous! Wish I could make it. Have FUN.

Todd
Author:  AZKJ [ Sat Jul 17, 2010 12:39 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Smiley Rock.... Jul 16, 2010
What a trail!! It starts off easy and then you run into the rocks... lot's of rocks. With only his 1" homemade lift, Roland did a great job of getting through.

Near the end of the trail the sky's opened up. Heavy rain, hail and the trail became very slippery. Several times we had to power our way up some hills with our rear ends fish tailing all over the place. By the time we reached the air up spot the rain stopped. I got a little muddy putting my sway bar links back on.

We stopped at Rock Springs and had an early dinner. After dinner we called the run and headed our separate ways.

This might make a good modified trail for Trick or Jeep. We'll see.

Here are some pics, and as usual they don't do the trail justice:

The trail starts off easy....

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And then the fun begins....

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Smiley Rock in the background....

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It was cool up there today....

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More rocks....

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Looking back from were we just came....

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The last section of rocks ahead of us before the rains came....

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The red Liberty followed me all day, no matter how hard I tried to loose it, it always reappeared in my mirror....

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Author:  eyehatetofu [ Sat Jul 17, 2010 1:31 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Smiley Rock.... Jul 16, 2010
I have been wanting to do this trail for quite some time, and by the looks of your photos, it's now on the must do list. Wish I could have made it, but money has been tight lately, so no fun.

Did you run the entire length of the trail?

How was the part rated difficult?

Also, how close is this trail to Jerome?

Sorry for all the questions, looks like a fun time! :JEEPIN:
Author:  AZKJ [ Sat Jul 17, 2010 2:02 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Smiley Rock.... Jul 16, 2010
eyehatetofu wrote:
I have been wanting to do this trail for quite some time, and by the looks of your photos, it's now on the must do list. Wish I could have made it, but money has been tight lately, so no fun.

Did you run the entire length of the trail?

How was the part rated difficult?

Also, how close is this trail to Jerome?

Sorry for all the questions, looks like a fun time! :JEEPIN:

Hey Tim!!

No problem with questions... especially ones I may know the answer to!!

Yeah, it was an interesting trail. Roland had a much harder time than I did, but he got through and that's what counts. We ran all 23 miles of the trail starting in Jerome. It took a little over four hours without stopping for lunch. The difficult part was only 4.4 miles, but took over two hours to run. Difficulty depends on what you're driving. I would say for a lifted KJ it would easily be a 3.25 trail. Roland with his 1" lift did a lot of scrapping his bottom and it took some spotting to get him up and over in a few places.

I think you would really enjoy the trail... especially the last few miles slipping and sliding in the heavy rain we had today.

AJ
Author:  dynamike [ Sat Jul 17, 2010 12:00 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Smiley Rock.... Jul 16, 2010
I think that trail should be considered for Trick or Jeep, It could be based out of Dead Horse Campground, (nice campground) plus there are alot of other trails near by..............my 2 cents :JEEPIN:
Author:  AZKJ [ Sat Jul 17, 2010 12:25 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Smiley Rock.... Jul 16, 2010
dynamike wrote:
I think that trail should be considered for Trick or Jeep, It could be based out of Dead Horse Campground, (nice campground) plus there are a lot of other trails near by..............my 2 cents :JEEPIN:

Hey Mike... still beating the heat and hiding out in Utah??

Great minds think alike. That's exactly what Roland talked about over dinner after the run last night. Monday I'm going to call and check on the availability of the large group site we had for FITS III at Dead Horse.

So... are you volunteering to lead?? What stocker trail would you recommend? The same one around part of Mingus Mountain we did for FITS III?

Smiley Rock....

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Author:  dynamike [ Sun Jul 18, 2010 1:36 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Smiley Rock.... Jul 16, 2010
AZKJ wrote:
dynamike wrote:
I think that trail should be considered for Trick or Jeep, It could be based out of Dead Horse Campground, (nice campground) plus there are a lot of other trails near by..............my 2 cents :JEEPIN:

Hey Mike... still beating the heat and hiding out in Utah??

Great minds think alike. That's exactly what Roland talked about over dinner after the run last night. Monday I'm going to call and check on the availability of the large group site we had for FITS III at Dead Horse.

So... are you volunteering to lead?? What stocker trail would you recommend? The same one around part of Mingus Mountain we did for FITS III?

Smiley Rock....

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Great Pics !!!
Yea, still in Utah, beating the heat at 10,000 ft Mountain Lakes
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If we are back in AZ, by the time Trick or Jeep rolls around, Yea, I can lead a trail. I know that everyone enjoyed Mingus Mountain, so that might be a good stocker choice. We'll stay tuned for more info........
Author:  Silverdiesel [ Mon Jul 19, 2010 1:52 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Smiley Rock... Jul 16, 2010 (Pictures Added)
Official trail report to follow,

But this one is another for the books to promote extreme pucker factors!
Very exiciting, very difficult ( the 4 mile rock garden), very much a chalenge, very entertaining and lots of fun!
Put it this way: AJ and I are always joking about strapping but this run we actually got to Defcon 1 to actually use straps! When it rained we discussed possible use of my winch incase one of us actually slid off trail as it was S L I C K. We were literally sideways wheeling up steep hills cause the surface turned to mud just inches from steep dropoffs!
Definite T or J modified run prospect. And among other requirements, tires are to be AT style or better yet aggresive off road would be much better.

More to follow.

Roland
Author:  Signcutter21 [ Fri Jul 23, 2010 11:08 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Smiley Rock.... Jul 16, 2010
AZKJ wrote:

No problem with questions... especially ones I may know the answer to!!
AJ



AJ, the key is to have the answers, regardless if they are correct or not. Were you not paying attention in the #3 spot all those times I gave tours? lol

Looks like a fun little trail. Look at you two guys go. I never did smiley rock in my wheeling trips. Sorry I missed out on it.

Maybe someday we'll be able to hit it with you guys.


later,mike
Author:  AZKJ [ Sat Jul 24, 2010 9:48 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Smiley Rock.... Jul 16, 2010
Signcutter21 wrote:
AJ, the key is to have the answers, regardless if they are correct or not. Were you not paying attention in the #3 spot all those times I gave tours? lol

Looks like a fun little trail. Look at you two guys go. I never did smiley rock in my wheeling trips. Sorry I missed out on it.

Maybe someday we'll be able to hit it with you guys. later,mike

Hey Trail Leader!!

Yea, I paid attention, but nobody asks me all the "stupid" questions I did you when I was running in the #3 spot. Now you come out and tell me they were all BS answers?? Geez... what a let down!! Besides, Tim is a young impressionable young man, and deserves straight answers. I'd hate to see him turn out like you or me if he doesn't get the right info.... :wink:

LOL... yes sir, that Silverdiesel guy, in the shiny red CRD, has become a real monster out on the trails. If I remember correctly, he turned the corner back during FITS IV when you guys did Chimney Rock before heading home that Sunday. There's been no stopping him since!!

Find any good mom and pop gumbo or seafood Po-Boy places yet??

Say hi to +1 for us!!

AJ
Author:  kskj [ Sat Jul 24, 2010 10:57 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Smiley Rock... Jul 16, 2010 (Pictures Added)
Looks like a great trail. You guys have all the fun. I'm going to make it out there some day.
Author:  Silverdiesel [ Fri Jul 30, 2010 3:39 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Smiley Rock... Jul 16, 2010 (Pictures Added)
Trail report
Sorry for delays of a few days as our lives get busy with work and family.

This it it fans!
What is meant by that?. Here is a seldom traveled trail right under our noses that has good challenges, beautiful scenery, a surpise around every turn and good pucker factors! Club decision makers have now finalized plans to use this and nearby areas for the Trick or Jeep weekend plans!

The trail starts easy and quickly upgrades to a series of rock gardens that get harder as we go along. There are even optional lines were the brave at heart can take and get themselves into ratings approcahing 3.7 or 8 (too much for my jeep). And that is all before we get to Smiley Rock. Phisically Smiley Rock is 2/3 the way but the last 1/3- Watch Out! The trail is 24 miles long and 5 hours to run but the 4 miles after the Rock took 2+ hours.
Agan right after the Rock it gets real- what a forest Jeep trail is supposed to be. Very rough, challenging, scenic and plain fun!
Here 2" lifting on a KJ is reccommended as well as trail tires (more than street A/Ts), belly under protection and strong rocker panel skids. Front and rear attachment pull points are also reccommended. Those trail tires will be working hard to climb over fixed boulders and large rocks where you state " Wow I had no idea these tires could do that". I am sporting new BFG Traction Commercial TA's with the aggresive treads and with anything less would have left me spinning and stuck on the rocks. After the rocks we were climbing aggresive grades now covered with mud as a monsoon downpour came and gave us a dose. That was fun as a few times AJ and I almost did not make it to the top and were sliding to abrupt edges exposing some steep drops. But all is well and we made it and we were covered with mud (aggresive tires spout lots of mud into the air)
Here is the great part -stay turned to read up and get ready for Trick or Jeep plans that are now set as we found our challenge trail and there is a stocker trail not too far away and all this in the vicinity of beautil Jerome ,AZ and a campsite with nearby inexpensive hotels(for the noncampers) has been reserved/ booked for us in Cottonwood ,AZ. Please to read up in the Trick or Jeep Planning section.

We are here in August 2010 and one of our great semiannual events (Tor J) is only 11 weeks away and timing (date held) and location needs to be finalized and it has!---Make your plans now--- Planned is that wonderful Smiley Rock for the modifieds and a beautiful Mingus Mountain trail for the stockers run. All going through the scenic (and Holloween friendly) town of Jerome,Az. The much anticipated Chili Pot festival and T or J costume party is part of this highly anticipated event.
Stay tuned for details again in th T or J planning section.

Roland
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