Ideas for the Jul and Aug Runs???

AZKJ · **Posted:** Wed May 13, 2009 6:20 pm

It's time to suggest the monthly runs for July and Aug. Does anyone have any ideas, or a trail they would like to run?

Vern... you mentioned something about the GWT. Any inputs on that?

If anyone is interested in an overnight trip... I'd suggest the Perkinsville Road. the trail starts in Jerome and finishes in Williams. We could camp overnight at White Horse Lake, in the cool pines of the high country. If you think you want to do this... I suggest we get it posted and folks reserve their campsite as soon as they sign up... This is a popular area and camp sites fill up fast.

So, let's have your inputs for trips in Jul and Aug, get them planned and posted.

Signcutter21 · **Posted:** Thu May 14, 2009 1:31 am

good ideas AJ. Both trails sound like great fun. Don't know how many of the summer runs I'll make though.

later,mike

CMax26az · **Posted:** Fri May 15, 2009 2:53 pm

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&source=s_d&saddr=Unknown+road&daddr=FR+68+E+to:34.355766,-111.706581+to:Fossil+Creek+Rd&geocode=FcjxDAIdyuVR-Q%3BFcoJDAId0S1W-Q%3B%3BFZYFDQIdXL5a-Q&hl=en&mra=dme&mrcr=1,2&mrsp=2&sz=14&sll=34.34868,-111.71525&sspn=0.038621,0.065918&ie=UTF8&ll=34.408609,-111.783829&spn=0.308742,0.788269&z=11

I suggest this trip for a weekend overnight camping trip. I recently did this trail 50% in the jeep and 50% on foot (backpacking). The trail is approximatly 50 miles total from the I-17 Dugas Rd exit to Strawberry, AZ. Its possible to do this in one day but i suggest a camping overnight stop at the famous VERDE HOT SPRINGS. The elivation change ranges from about 4000 ft at Dugas Rd to a peak of about 7000 at the Rim above the verde valley, decent appx 2000 ft to the Verde river, a Verde river crossing, assend back to about 7500ft to Strawberry, AZ. The Views are incredible, the Hot Springs are awesome, the trail is challenging in many places but nothing above a 2.5.

Distance on trail: appx 50 miles

Time on trail: appx 6-8 hours total with a camping overnight in between, there are NO SERVICES on trail so take what you need and have a full tank of fuel.

trail difficulty: paved/dirt roads up to a 2.0-2.5, Some sections are VERY rocky and require higher ground clearance, sections of the trail are very narrow with a "death-drop" on one side (not for the faint of heart) I suggest a MINIUM of a Lift kit and off road tires ABSOLUTLY REQUIRED are skid plates and tow hooks (even with my 2.5 lift I scraped in a few places). The trip CAN be done on stock tires, HOWEVER, extreemly carefull tire placement and sidewall protection driving skills will be needed!

To complete the trip we will be required to make a river crossing of the Verde River so special attention needs to be paid to river flows before we go

A link to VERDE HOT SPRINGS info:
http://www.sedona.biz/verdehotsprings.htm

NOTE: the Verde Hot Springs is a known place for nudists and People often get naked when in the pools, this is not a trip for the kids!

Below are pictures of the trail and the view.................

CMax26az · **Posted:** Fri May 15, 2009 3:17 pm

we could also do this trip....into the grand canyon!!

http://virtualjeepclub.com/showthread.php?t=38725

AZKJ · **Posted:** Fri May 15, 2009 4:57 pm

Beth and I did a similar trail 8~9 years ago when we first started four wheeling. It started in Camp Verde and did not require a river crossing. It can be found in the book, Travel Arizona The Back Roads which is/was put out by Arizona Highways. We went down to the river, but did not cross because the water was too fast and high. We doubled back to just below the Irving Power Plant and continued east to Strawberry.

Both trails you mentioned are very good ideas, and something different from what we've been doing.

If you wanted an opinion, I'd suggest waiting and doing the river trip later in the year, after it cools off, and we're out of the monsoon season. Maybe the river won't be too high then. The same goes for the Grand Canyon trip. It get's hot down there. It would have to be a three day trip, wouldn't it? One day up, two nights camping and one day back.

What would everyone think about the Verde River trip being considered for the location of Trick or Jeep '09??

Here's a map of the Childs, Irving and Fossil Creek trail that does not require a river crossing to get to Strawberry....

CMax26az · **Posted:** Fri May 15, 2009 7:35 pm

River flows and rain fall in the local river basins needs to be taken into consideration for both trips due to the water crossings.

This time of year is perfect for the Verde Hot Springs trip because we are before the monsoon, when we were there 2 weeks ago, there were other wheelers and quads/ATV's crossing the Verde so i know the flow now is low enough to cross in certain areas now. The current temps are perfect for camping; up on the rim the temps will be 80's-90's in the day and 50's at night, at the river it might be a little warmer.....but by July or aug it will be hotter.

the trip in the map you put up is fine im sure, but i enjoy the river crossings. plus one of the best parts of the trip i suggested is the views of the Verde Valley from the top of the Mesa, plus it's not a commonly traveled trail and it has some challenging sections but nothing too bad.

At the Grand Canyon:

at the start of the trail the temps will be 70's-80's but at the colorado river level it is MUCH hotter, 90's-100 during the day, but it cools off fast when the sun drops, the colorado water is COLD and there is a nice breeze off the water. When we did this trip it was late october and the weather was perfect so for Trick-or-Jeep it might be ideal. This trip can be done in a single weekend. but be aware, its 3 hours each way from Phoenix to reach the trail head and a permit is required.

AZKJ · **Posted:** Fri May 15, 2009 8:43 pm

Yeah, your route across the river seems like a lot more fun. Is it in any of the guide books? I know it's not in the Wells book.

Yes, Jul and Aug are way too hot to be camping in either location. But, if folks want to do these as a monthly run in Jul and Aug... we'll get it posted. Me, I'll wait for cooler weather.

Thanks for your inputs.

CMax26az · **Posted:** Sat May 16, 2009 1:19 am

Its not in any trail book that i know of...i pieced it together from several different trips i found searching several off-road and backpacking forums.

AZKJ · **Posted:** Wed May 27, 2009 12:09 pm

Bringing this back to the top... Jul and Aug are just around the corner and we need to get something going. We should also start thinking about Sep too.

So far we have:

- the Great Western Trail
- Perkinsville Road (Jerome to Williams, with or without camping at White Horse Lake)
- Dugas Road to Strawberry (with or without camping)
- Western side of the Grand Canyon (camping)
- Camp Verde to Strawberry

Any other ideas?

Let's pick something and get things rolling. We also need to pick the dates. I'd like to get something posted by Friday at the latest so people can make plans. If nobody shows any interest, I'll just post something else up and hope some people would join us.

Thanks,
AJ

JJsTJ · **Posted:** Wed May 27, 2009 12:36 pm

Big Bear is cool during those months!

Yeah its far but worth the journey. :wink:

djui5 · **Joined:** Tue Jun 17, 2008 1:38 am **Posts:** 536

I like the idea of the trip up by the Mogollon rim. It's something I could do in a day which would be nice cuz I can't be gone overnight. Wifey hates it. Don't mean to come off like this trip should be planned around me at all, so please don't take it that way, just saying that is a trip I could do. Also I believe the big Jeep festival in Ouray is in July. Western side of the Grand Canyon could be fun too. It's always nice seeing that big hole in the Earth.

AZKJ · **Posted:** Wed May 27, 2009 2:39 pm

What's with your wife, she doesn't go out on the trails with you?

Added the Mogollon Rim to the list. FYI... it's not all that, just a gravel road around the rim. If you wanted to do that run, I'd suggest Dugas Road to Strawberry as a one day trip instead.

- the Great Western Trail
- Perkinsville Road (Jerome to Williams, with or without camping at White Horse Lake)
- Dugas Road to Strawberry (with or without camping)
- Western side of the Grand Canyon (camping)
- Mogollon Rim (deleted)
- - the Great Western Trail
- Perkinsville Road (Jerome to Williams, with or without camping at White Horse Lake)
- Dugas Road to Strawberry (with or without camping)
- Western side of the Grand Canyon (camping)
- Camp Verde to Strawberry

djui5 · **Joined:** Tue Jun 17, 2008 1:38 am **Posts:** 536

AZKJ wrote:

What's with your wife, she doesn't go out on the trails with you?

Added the Mogollon Rim to the list.

No she's chicken :lol:

She hates being off road at all. I'm trying to break her of that though, slowly but surely.

BTW, I didn't mean the actual rim road. That's boring :lol:

I was referring to the trip on the map a few posts above that starts near Strawberry.

AZKJ · **Posted:** Wed May 27, 2009 4:24 pm

Okay, deleted the Rim Road and added the Childs trail (Camp Verde to Strawberry). I run it west to east... Camp Verde to Strawberry. This looks like enough choices, time to decide.

Here are the picks:

- the Great Western Trail
- Perkinsville Road (Jerome to Williams, with or without camping at White Horse Lake)
- Dugas Road to Strawberry (with or without camping)
- Western side of the Grand Canyon (camping)
- Camp Verde to Strawberry

oldhockeyvb · **Posted:** Mon Jun 01, 2009 11:20 am

I haven't had a chance to research great western trail any further. That will be a future project. I like the idea of runs in the strawberry area, never been there before. I would be up for any one of those

KE7NEG · **Joined:** Sun Mar 15, 2009 4:13 pm **Posts:** 21

I once crossed the Verde River ar Childs Power Plant, and I wasn't scared AJ. That would be an interesting side trip since you'll be there anyway.

AZKJ · **Posted:** Mon Jun 01, 2009 9:35 pm

Dave... yeah, I've only done that trail once and the river was too high to cross in a TJ. We just continued on to Strawberry.

So, are you going to make this? If you are, how does Jul 18th sound to you? Let me know and I'll post it up as our July run.

AJ

KE7NEG · **Joined:** Sun Mar 15, 2009 4:13 pm **Posts:** 21

It works for me. I'm curious,how did you know it was too deep if you didn't go out and check?

Signcutter21 · **Posted:** Mon Jun 01, 2009 11:53 pm

i like the Western trail in August. I'll be out on July run though.

mike

Ideas for the Jul and Aug Runs???

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