Chuck

2010-08-12T12:51:00.000-07:00

My friend “Rich the birder” arrived August 5, 2010.

The next day we went in his SUV up E. Walker to Big Bug Mesa Road.

Fortunately there was some good birding for Rich as the road ran out. 2 dead ends are at the end of it, the road that indicated it returned to Senator highway had a impassable ditch a crossed it. So we returned the way we came.

We then went up E. Walker to Hassayampa Lake, then on to Senator Highway

From Senator Highway, Arizona

toward Palace Station. We pulled up at 7+ miles from Senator Hwy and Poland Road. So I have not made it back there yet.

That was enough off roading for both of us.

The next day we were off to Grand Canyon.

Beyond Aqua Fria National Monument on BLM 269

2009-05-25T15:44:00.000-07:00

Agua Fria National Monument, Arizona

Adventure 5/24/2009

Our objective was Agua Fria River via Agua Fria National
Monument. I had been there before and took some pictures
of the entrance sign and info stand.

The BLM Road 269? had it’s moments of nice, moments of
ruts, moments of rock outcroppings, as well as some big
rocks that need to be navigated around, over. I drove
on and off straddling the ruts. Not much water in the
fording areas, even though we had rain 3 days in a row
prior.

We went until the gas was looking marginal. I have not
gotten a buffer gas can yet. So at ~18 miles out we
turned around. Where this picture was taken.

From Agua Fria National Monument, Arizona

The little black gnats were overwhelming when we stopped.

The road? is one where concentration, focus is mandatory.
I don’t know that you could say experience was necessary,
but it surely would help. I saw only a couple of
experienced drivers of all vehicles out there. I saw no
place were a passenger car could not go, but you had
better know what you were doing with one.

My little Nissan 2wd pickup made it just fine.

Spruce Mountain Road experience

2009-01-30T20:04:00.000-08:00

From Senator Highway, Arizona

Wednesday, September 19, 2007

Well for some reason I decided today was a day to go up Spruce
Mountain Rd. Spruce Mountain, FR52A, is accessible from
Senator Highway.

I am retracing places I had gone to before with someone else.

This is a washboard road up the mountain. Going up a steep grade on washboard road is dicey at best. I wondered if people live there all year around. It would make me pray before and after each trip with snow/ice on it.

The time before there was this incredible house for sale. It was one of those if I win the Powerball kinda places. It did not seem to be for sale today.

I made a right fork turn that went down hill, and I decided no I want to go up the hill/mountain. So I backed into a loose rock downhill driveway. Error, the wheels just kept spinning, no traction.

What ever maneuver I tried I was going further down the driveway of no return. It looked like there maybe several ways around the house, nope.

It looked as though I could maybe drive through the forest. So I walked down the hill to peruse the possible escape route. Oh wow a power line sort of road. No that went into a ravine. There was a road down below that with a trench tooooo deep on the side I needed it not to be on.

Back up to the powerline sorta road. Went the opposite way again the impossible ditch was there also. Someone had gone across it. My lil truck never would have made it. Where is my Humvee when I need it?

I returned to the truck. One more maneuver and worse yet. About this time I hit the wiper lever and my newly installed wiper blades came off!

Ok I started to pray about this time. Ok I think I have a sleeping bag in the back.
Nope.

Kept looking at possibly I could back over to what looked like a flat area to reenter the road. Trying to get in that direction forward only got me further down the dadgum hill!!

First attempt would have torn the mirrors off. I was backing between 2 Alligator Juniper trees. 2nd try and I made it between the trees and onto the flat area. 1 adjusting effort and I was headed downhill again looking for a turn around that was considerably easier. Yeah!

I got the heck out of there with a brief momentary hesitation at a great view near the incredible house of Prescott, Thumb Butte, and Granite Mountain: but I did not stop as I said” let me outa here!!!

Whew!

Williams to Drake via Perkinsville Road

2009-01-07T18:40:00.000-08:00

10/27/2007

On a previous excursions I went on, was to Perkinsville. Not much there except maybe Perkins Ranch. Verde River runs through it.

I later discovered it is a turn around for a great train ride, described by several people. The train ride goes through Sycamore Canyon.

On the way we discovered a paved road quite a ways out. After that we found out it went to Williams.

On 9/6/2007 I ended up in Williams. My return route was via the Williams-Perkinsville Road.

Regarding Perkinsville Road, I often thought on the trip man I would not like to be on this road when it rained. Many washes had signs on it do not enter when flooded.

From Perkinsville Road, Arizona

It seemed like a nice day to travel back to Drake, 2 miles from 89 N. It is a normal 50% rock and dirt that the off roads are here in AZ. The short wheel base of the “Green Hornet” is not the best for washboard roads. A heavy
van was much better.

Bronco pulls out in front of me about 5 miles out. So I was following them, 4 dudes! When we hit Drake it was a mud hole as there is a rock processor
there? They evidently were fairly busy. Now I don’t know how deep the mud
was I did not get out a take a measurement! Sure made the GH a mudder!

From Perkinsville Road, Arizona

Anyway I am glad they were ahead of me plowing through it! So I figured
hey if they can do it so can i. I have to admit I fishtailed a lot more than
they did. Sure was happy to get oudda there!

Not sure what I would have done if they were not ahead of me! It looked
pretty ominous. Can’t remember ever going through anything like that B4
except with a Track!

You will notice there were no Drake shots on 10/27/2007 or on 9/6/2007
even with 2 new tires no more washboard til I get that 5th rim to fit the
old tire. Still consider myself lucky for all those washboard/rock roads
I went down to have never had a problem.

From Perkinsville Road, Arizona

Wagoner Road to Wagoner and beyond

2009-01-07T17:54:00.000-08:00

10/05/2007

From Wagoner Road, Arizona an off road experience.

Wagoner Road to Wagoner and beyond.

This was a drive down a washboard road that I had gone down b4. I got a surprise at about 3 miles the road was paved for ?? 5 to 10 miles, I had forgotten! Think I was on this more than a year ago.

Did not see anything of Wagoner then and even though I knew there was only one building left of Wagoner, I saw it not.

There are some interesting ranches along the way to say the least.

I crossed parts of washes, several which if it was raining would be extremely hazardous!

I went 22 miles to where Yavapai County no longer maintains it. As I recall the road? became a creek bed shortly after that.

From Wagoner Road, Arizona an off road experience.

On the prior trip, it was at that creek bed I became impressed with the guy driving ability to walk a 1 ton van through the creek bed.

It was a perilous journey of 90 or so miles to Prescott. It was #2 on the most difficult off roading I have been on.

When I was turning around, guy who I let pass b4 and had followed for quite a few miles was backing up. He walked over to the truck and said “have you been down this road?” I said “yes”. Are you turning around and I said yes. I gave him an idea of the perils ahead. Does this road go to Crown King? Ah yes. As I recall there is a tank with an arrow on it for your turn off.

It will be a heck of an experience. Is that a 4 X 4? Yes. Do you have GPS? No. A cell phone? Yes. (Thank God for small favors.) Now this is about 4:00 pm. He has along way to go.

He had his wife? with him and 3 young kids along. She was smiling all along. Off they went.

Well I hope they survive. Dark driving to Crown King, wow.

http://www.ghosttowns.com/states/az/wagoner.html

On the way to Palace Station

2009-01-07T16:53:00.000-08:00

10/08/2007

A nice drive toward Palace Station. Of course I did not know I was going to Palace Station until I got to Senator and Poland Road, Crown King 26 miles.

From Senator Highway, Arizona

Now this is where Wagoner Road? comes out. Hmmmm as I recall Palace
Station is not toooo far away. So I am about 2 miles down the road and I
see a steep down grade I think I don’t think with all those bumps in the road
my truck will make it up there. This was of course with prior experience.

So I am able to turn around this time. But what is that noise? Oooops a flat
tire. I am trying to break the lug nuts and it is not happening. About this time
a guy and his woman come along. He jumps up and down on each nut and walla.

I am under the truck getting ready to get the spare tire which is a weenie
tire, boy if I knew that it would have been replaced long ago.

About this time a couple of guys came along Frank and Jack and lend a hand
in Chucks amateur hour. Hey I least had a mini tire compressor, cus the tire on the other side has a slow leak.

Well they are, more them than me, able to get air into the flat, plus they got a can of sealum juice. They say you got to haul butt to get that to seal the leak.
I was gone in a flash with that instruction.

Several more juice applications and pressure applied and I made it to black top!
I am trying to fill it some more with difficulty the juice has sealed the valve maybe. Some nice man says I got a air compressor around the corner. Well we got er to 30# and there was a dust a comin out er whar the leak was. But it
was good enough to get me to town.

Most places were closed. One more mini, one more compressor at “well we
don’t do to many tire repairs here”. There’s Ponderosa up the street. I could not remember where I had seen a tire place, they are right around the corner.

We can get to it tomorrow Charles. I don’t think they can plug it. New tires?

Ponderosa fixed it, and it was a pretty good slash. I thank them kindly, they did it at no charge.

FR51 off Thumb Butte Road.

2008-12-23T18:18:00.001-08:00

It was in August of 2007 that I decided that FR51 would take me pretty close to Thumb Butte. Thumb Butte had been beckoning me for 1 1/2 year.

FR 51 is accessible from Thumb Butte Road.

Going downhill it did not seem to perilous for a return.

I was doing alright until I made a wrong turn and a log prevented further travel unless my ¼ Ton turned into a ATV.

I decided to end my adventure in the forest.

Going back the way I came I ran into a impasse. It was enough of a hole that the tires only spun and the smell of burning rubber and clutch filled the forest.

The desire was to have a 4wd and a stiffer clutch. My Nissan is a 2wd.

The only way to make it over it was to make a running start at it and hope nothing got damaged in the effort. There was a pretty good clanging sound, but I made it passed and out.

One of many off road experiences I was to have.

Trailhead 366 at Vista Point.

2008-12-23T17:11:00.001-08:00

Buck decided that we were going to Vista Point, then Copper Basin Road to Wilhoit.

From Vista Point we went on Trail 366, pictured above. It is across Thumb Butte Road from Vista Point. We did not hike to far and cut up the hill were the fence is at a low point.

Buck got some great shots of Prescott and the Granite Dells from up there.

Buck n Chucks Adventure

2008-11-22T20:07:00.000-08:00

Buck n Chucks adventure:

Buck decided that we were going to Vista Point, then Copper Basin Road to Wilhoit; part 2.

From Thumb Butte Vista Point Granite mountain

Well it was a pretty easy drive to the ranch you can see from Vista Point.

After that it came pretty close to #3 on the off roading I have done or should I say I rode on.

First part was a rain enhanced off road trespass! Pretty good sized culverts across the road.

We got to a rock enhanced stream bed that we had to evaluate the gantlet. It looked worse than it turned out to be.

We then took a road? which reduced in width the further we went on it, it became obvious it was a ATV path and it was sand we could not slow down nor turn around.

It reminded me of the battle of New Orleans, "they ran where the rabbits couldn't even go"!

You blazem new trail Red Ridder!

Surprised we did not see any wild animal poop when they heard a somtin big crashing/coming through the bushes!!!

Well we were in deep duuky, but Buck to his credit got us out!

It was a 40 miler by the time we hit Wilhoit for a cool one!

From Chuck

And Buck said:
Yup, was an adventure but won't take that trail any time soon.

Pictures are on http://picasaweb.google.com/scampco/ThumbButteVistaPointGraniteMountain#

Granite Mountain from Tonto Road

2008-10-20T20:44:00.000-07:00

Chuck

Juniper Well

2008-10-20T17:57:00.000-07:00

The latest adventure was from Iron Springs Road taking the Cantreras Road exit to Tonto Road to Juniper Well.

There was a great opportunity for some pictures of Granite Mountain.

Tonto Road ultimately ends up on Williamson Valley Road.

Nice ride, not a demanding off road, all vehicles can make it.

Arizona Traveler

2008-10-18T21:16:00.000-07:00

There is a diversity of things to do and see in Arizona. From the depths of the Grand Canyon to the tops of our peaks.

I have been blessed on the small amount I have seen and photographed. Admitedly the photographs are catching up with what I have seen. Several trips were prior to having a camera.

The main website for pictures are on

camp_co
http://www.webshots.com/user/camp_co/ 43 Albums.

I also have pictures on Picasa http://picasaweb.google.com/scampco 33 Albums, Panoramio, flickr, Nikon, Zimbio.

Some sites you can get to by going to http://sites.google.com/site/scampco/photographing-arizo or Google search camp_co.

1st blog.