Towers Mountain

During Recent attempts to find Bradshaw's grave (Part I, II, III ) there was a break in the action where my brother-in-law had other obligations, so I went out alone. This was once a very common occurrence, but in more recent times I have become accustomed to enjoying the sights with a friend. And another body is always good if something goes wrong and you need a little muscle to push or rock the machine.

After mulling over where to go on what turned out to be a chilly day, I decided to check out some side trails I had seen near the mountain town of Crown King, AZ, on recent outings. Due to my usual habit of getting side-tracked by other sights, I really only got to do the main trail I had in mind, but found the views to be quite spectacular...and the temps quite cold! As you can see from the lead photo, Towers mountain has...well, towers. Several of them, in fact, although that apparently isn't the source of the name ( that belongs to a Mr Towers somewhere in history ).

After staging in my usual location on Senator Highway just south of Prescott, a ride of something on the order of 25 miles is next until you arrive at FS 52C which heads east and climbs rapidly up the mountain.I had looked at this mountain many times in the past and thought it barren except for the obvious cell and microwave equipment, but I was wrong as usual. Once 52C climbed for some distance it joined in to 9238A and again continued to climb to the summit where yet more roads were encountered. Not only were these some of the "trail" variety, some were actually very good graded roads. I now realize that if one chooses, you can go across the lower end of this mountain and head into Crown King from the "main" road from I-17.

After winding on up, I found part of the reason for the good roads: Houses. A few of them, actually. I would guess these are summer homes, since no one in their right mind would choose to live here in the winter.

Shortly after driving by the last private driveway, I was at the summit, All 7685' of it, complete with lots of small buildings and communications equipment...

As you can see, Towers mountain will soon be adorned by another tower. I am actually surprised that this area isn't gated off, but I saw no signs other than those warning to stay out of buildings, etc.

On the way back down I did a tiny bit of exploring and added more trails to my ever growing to-do list...but this was no day to be up here. Summer...that's when its best to be on top of this mountain. There was thick pine cover that had recently suffered a fire, and one of the side trails was marked "Gladiator mine trail". This peaked my interest because one of the recent major fires here was the Gladiator Fire, and I assume it started somewhere near the mine itself. In fact, looking at a topo map post ride shows many mines in the area ( which shouldn't surprise me at all ). Much to be checked out...on a warmer day.

Back down on Senator Highway and heading for home, this ride wasn't done with a few treats. First was a Javelina crossing the road. Not all that uncommon. Second was a bit more of a treat in the form of 3 black bears; Momma and 2 cubs...which meant that I stopped forward progress ASAP, 1400lb SxS or not. This was the 2nd time in the span of about 3 weeks I have come across a bear in this area. Too bad they ran into the bushes before I could get my camera out. Now, 2 months after the fact, I am sure they are curled up nice and warm and cozy somewhere.

Like them...it was time for me to disappear into the setting sun and the waiting trailer to take me home again.

The Search for Bradshaw's Grave, Part I.

You know...for a guy who hasn't moved and inch in nearly 130 years, Issac Bradshaw can be a tough man to track down. My brother-in-law and I have now spent 2 days looking for his grave and have yet to get closer than a few miles away.

Now...lets get one thing clear here: I know where the grave is...even though I have never actually been there. Any off-roader in AZ who has squashed coyote poo with knobby tires does. There are plenty of maps, videos, and trip reports telling the world exactly where it is.
What I was attempting to do is get to the grave from the north off of Wagoner road by less traveled paths. And it's not necessarily his grave that we are interested in so much as it is the numerous mining sites that surround it.
Okay...so with Google Earth and GPS at my disposal, why have I not made my way to it yet? For one, my GPS maps don't have the detail necessary to find the trails to his grave, and the cell phone app with TOPO maps I often use is useless here since there is ZERO signal in this area once you drop off the very top of the mountain.

Google Earth can show you roads, but it doesn't always show how good the roads are. Especially after the record Monsoon rains we had this past summer...and the monsoon's often change the roads dramatically in one season. Now...washed roads don't usually stop the old Honda unless it's pretty extreme, but narrow roads just barely quad width ( IE 45-50" compared to my 60" SxS ), slopping into a drop of hundreds of feet and certain death usually do. Many of these roads are now single-track only, as the passage of time slowly erases them.
I must also confess that I have a habit of looking at GE and...kinda-sorta memorizing the route I need to take. Most of the time this works, since there are often numbers that will ring bell when I see them. The problem is this area is not National forest, so none of the roads are numbered, and for that reason, even writing them down would be of little help.

And who wants to do that anyway? Just as I secretly sabotage myself by getting started late because I like riding after dark, so too do I like the challenge of finding things just using my ( semi-educated ) trail sense. Thus far I have done a good job of finding out how not to get to Bradshaw's grave...and have had a great time doing so!

A week ago we ( my brother-in-law and I ) set out after staging on Wagoner road ( Wagoner is a town located east of Kirkland, AZ ) and followed it east for about 10 miles until it "becomes" FS 362. Just past upper Oak creek windmill, we were to turn due south and head to lower elevations and in the general direction of the Buckhorn Mountains, though our destination would be north of them. I knew the general area where the turn is and had passed the side road many times, so we turned and then followed the road for a few miles until it split...

...with one heading in an easterly direction ( the pic above ), while the other went slightly westward and south...the way we wanted to go.
After a bit of travel, there were some side trails that looked un-used, while the main trail wound its way down into a steep canyon...but appeared to be very eroded. After stopping to look at GPS and trying unsuccessfully via smartphone to verify that this was the right trail, I decided to head on down despite the fact that my trail sense was telling me that this didn't seem like what I had looked at on various maps.
My assessment from the top proved to be right; washed, rocky, and narrow in places...technical and challenging...which I don't mind ( and even like ) so long as it actually goes somewhere and I don't have to turn around on the side of a cliff. We made it down, but not before putting my B-I-L into a peculiar bush that grows here that sheds seeds just like a dandelion. The line forced me to the extreme right to avoid falling into a deep gully and rolling...

After spitting out fuzz and dusting ourselves off, we crossed Ryland creek at the bottom and came across the remains of Silver Dollar mine.

Collapsed shack at Silver Dollar mine.

I had been watching as we descended into the canyon an it appeared that at some point the trail would climb a steep ridge...and that sent up flags. This trail had seen what looked to be almost no traffic, and had already been very eroded, so I knew there was the possibility of difficulty on this section.

After snapping some pics, we twisted around the canyon to the hill, and sure enough the record-scratch noise sounded as I stopped at the bottom of what was basically now a 10' wide ditch with a nice big bedrock section at the top for good measure. I could make this climb if we absolutely had to do so, but it would become more intense than recreational. And we could top the hill and find an impassable section one-half mile away and have it all been for naught. So it was decided that we would turn back ( we already had a difficult trail to go back up at that point ), and I thought what was my main route to Bradshaw's grave was simply not going to work.
Two weeks later I would find a post on ADVRider where some dirt-bikers had taken this actual trail back in 2012. I don't want to short-change them, but I am fairly confident they didn't climb this trail as we found it on this day, so I must assume that the summer monsoon's really did a number on it.

In a harbinger of things to come ( in more ways than one ), we noticed that we kept hearing single-cylinder engine noises on the mountains to the west of us where there wasn't supposed to be a trail, and I dismissed them as bikes in one of the unused trails we passed on the way down. We had passed a large group right at our turning point off of 362 anyway.

So we turned and headed back up, with me taking my turn in the fuzzy bush, and then proceeded to crawl up and over the difficult terrain...with my Pioneer once again surprising me with how easy it makes stuff like this look at times. 15 minutes later, we were sitting back at the 1st split pondering what to do next.
Having all but given up on heading for Bradshaw's grave, we changed our plans to exploring several side trails here, so we set-out to explore them and took the road in the picture above. It went a short distance to Miller windmill, Logan mine spring, and presumably Logan mine somewhere around the area...though we never saw it.

Miller windmill displays some appropriate advertising.

Backtracking to the main road of FS362, we headed north through Johnson flat for some other side trails we have been wondering about. Turning on FS9254A and passing through the gate, after 1/2 miile or so we were surprised to find something relatively rare in this part of the country: a posted sign and a locked gate, behind which lurks the Boaz mine.

Fortunately, a side trail headed south again, so the trip was not a total waste. Soon we were riding down a ridge back, and once again the trail turned rough and badly washed...but I was still holding out hope for a secrete back-way to our original destination. For my chance, we ended up in a washout so deep that my Pioneer was almost on its side with the dirt berm rubbing the rear door at the very top ( about bicep high on my BIL, who at this point must be wondering why he does this ). Once again, it drives out after a few attempts, with only a lost nerf-bar cap to show. For our effort, we did find some remains here...

Something obviously was here, but one of the many AZ fires had destroyed whatever structure was here...and strangest of all, NOTHING is shown on any map I can find. There does look to have been some mining activity on the hillside above.

Backtracking to FS362 and fresh out of side-roads, the decision was made to head on up to Minnehaha and take FS192 over to FS711 and the back way to Crown King. This trail is likely the most popular in AZ, since it starts just north of Phoenix, and allows a nice trip to "the mountains" without too much driving. Our plan was to head up to Senator hwy and head north, where we would hit 362 again and make a loop.
I had been on a section of this trail before and seen several vehicles...but nothing remarkable. Today it lived up to its reputation as the busiest trail. We had been meeting a large number of dirt bikes all day...but here we really ran into thick traffic. Probably over 100 dirtbikes for the day, maybe 30 SxS's, and several quads.
The trail itself, while not technically challenging, has spectacular views...but certainly isn't for the faint of heart. It is a shelf road just over vehicle width with steep drops on the downhill side, and leaving the trail means certain death...as the local search and rescue team and some memorials will verify. We spent so much time pulled over letting people pass that it took twice as long as usual to make it to the top. Someday i'll remember to get a pic of this road!

Once at the top, the scenery and temps change dramatically. Pine forest replaces high-desert chaparral, and probably a 15 degree drop in temps. Just across from where you hit Senator hwy was a nice camping area, and we decided to eat dinner as the sun sank into the west. As yet more traffic dusted by, I had my traditional spaghetti and meatballs, some Little Debbie's, and a few shots of Barton's to knock off the chill and facilitate war stories.

After an extended break, we are on our way again, warm jackets and tobaggan's in tow. More bikes get waved by as the sun now disappears behind the mountains, and I check out a section that was washed out last summer, but still passable by good 4WD's. Then on down FS362 again into a long flat area area called Minehaha Flats. It has been home to a number of small communities ( Shelley place, Lapham, and others ) in the past 150 years...not to mention some hippies at some point. Only relics and graves remain...

My trail sense tells me this truck might be on private land...

By the time we stopped at this truck, it had been dark for 30 minutes or more, with only the smell of a campfire a few miles back to let us know there were other people in the desert with us tonight. We took a short break to take in the stillness of the night, but as we were leaving, the silence was interrupted by what sounded like barking on the hillside above us from an unknown animal. A reminder that the desert comes alive at night.
Engine started, lights on...whatever it was is left behind as we head back to Wagoner rd, lights bouncing off moths...and even an owl, as we made our way back to the vehicle. Another ride done.

Post ride, I took a look at Google Earth and discovered that I had simply taken the wrong road, and now having gone back...I don't see how I missed it!
My only defense was the group of dirt-bikes we passed must have blocked the entrance partially...but THIS WEEK, I made the right turn! Up here at least...

To be continued....


Click here for part II

Fall Settles In

I do ride in more areas than the Bradshaw mountains. I don't know that it's even my favorite place to ride, but looking at my blog, one would think otherwise.
Usually it's due to necessity. The heat can be too much in the summer months, and as many Phoenix residents will attest, the Bradshaw's offer a cool respite from those 120 degree days.

But I would argue that the best time to ride ( or walk or drive ) them is the fall. During this time, they provide a little glimpse of my NC home...or other areas where the foliage is famous. A lot of people agree, as this past Sunday the Bradshaw's were a busy place and many different forms of travel were present.

On this day I cared not for racking up miles as I unloaded on Senator highway. My main goal was to take some pictures of the fall colors. So south I went...and then onto Walker rd and Hassayampa lake and back to Senator.

A landmark of the Bradshaw's is Palace station. I'm not sure if anyone lives there full-time, but their backyard gets busy with trail traffic at times. And color today.

Palace Station

Continuing south on FS82 for a few miles past Palace station, the trail crosses Crooks creek several times ( I can find no name for this creek that flows past Palace station ), and a nice spot for my trail lunch of meatballs and spaghetti and some Little Debbie's is found. Washed down with Mtn Dew.

Lunch spot by the water.

At this point I headed back up to Palace Station and turned back on Senator Highway south to a trail marked FS83. I had ridden this trail a year or two ago on my quad when it was signed as a 50" trail ( one of the few I have seen here ). Now the signs have been removed and it is presumably open to all including a 60" Honda Pioneer...which makes sense, since there is nothing to stop anything larger. It winds its way around various canyons and crosses Turkey Creek.

Turkey Creek

From here this trail joins FS706 and heads to the old Dandrea ranch site and then to an area known 5 points.

After a brief break its time for FS261 across Mt Union...a trail which seems to find its way into most of my rides. As I crept up over 7000 feet, the shadows were growing long and the layer of cold that signifies nightfall is approaching settled in over the land.

I've been seeing some sort of sign near a little side pull-off as I ride up the mountain. This day curiosity got the best of me and I decided to check it out. This is what I found...

I can find nothing about New blizzard #1 in a quick search. Maybe I will email the person.
Doesn't surprise me the marker was stolen...some people have no respect for anything, and I am actually surprised the sign is still there.
Funny that I had never noticed the stone-works here.

Water underneath the lid.

A few stone walls line the area.

Photo's didn't turn out so well since its getting dark on this side of the mountain ( that's my excuse ), so I chug on back across and rejoin Senator hwy in time to get a few rays still hitting back into some of the turns. Aspens abound near Hassayampa creek, and they are a nice color this time of year.

Fading light near near near Hassayampa creek.

A few more miles and I am loaded up and heading for home. Dusty, tired, happy...

If you don't like to read...

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Searching for Lost History in the Bradshaws

In my last blog post I talked about becoming aware that one of the more interesting spots in my trail travels was, in fact, a old ranch site from the 1880's.
There was also talk of some ruins at the site...so for the days ride I decided to check out some history along Senator Highway and the surrounding area. The area at "Old Dandrea ranch" and a site known as Goodwin were on the list as well as anything else I came across.

Fall had once again touched the area...to stay it seems now a few days later. The temps at the elevations in the Bradshaws were cold enough to warrant a warm coat from the 1st turn of the key and throughout the day.
So into the chilly air I headed, passing many historic landmarks. Over the gap between Mt Tritle and Mt Union, through creeks and hitting side trails to see what is what.

After nearly being hit by someone in a Can-am SxS hauling it pretty good, I stopped just north of Palace Station to check out the entrance to a single track trail. It seems whenever I try to find some information on some obscure trail in the 'shaws, I am directed to ADVrider where I find someone has ridden a goat-path through the chaparral and documented it. Seems like it is somewhat of a contest to find some of the older trail signs hidden deep in the back-country. I snapped a pic of one that doesn't require a vehicle 40" narrower than my Pioneer, and then moved on after taking an extended break. Laid-back was the theme for the day.

According to the single-track guys, these are scattered
through the deepest parts of the Bradshaws.

After passing Palace Station and crossing the ridge, I checked out some side trails near the 50" restricted FS 83. Orofino and Mastadon mines are located in this general area, but I followed a well worn 2-track in the direction of Turkey Creek until it ended at 2 or more un-named horizontal shafts along with some debris. Here, again, the trail went to single track.

Un-named shaft near Senator hwy.

Reversing course back to Senator hwy and heading further south, I made an attempt to find the former site of Goodwin.
Pictures exist of ruins at this site, but in a short search I found none. More foot time may be necessary to find these, but as I said ...laid back was the theme for the day, so I will revisit this area when I am feeling a little more exercisey.

Interestingly enough, just a few hundred yards to the east on a trail marked 9405T, I did  find some signs of former habitation, yet nothing exists on any topo map. Perhaps this was on the outer edge on Goodwin?

Top and Bottom: Ruins on 9405T. The edge of Goodwin?

Again back to Senator and further south to explore some side trails, but nothing of real interest here. Getting a little late in the day, I decided to head back for my second goal of the day:The Dandrea ranch site. So back to the north on Senator hwy.

I should note something interesting here: just north of the Goodwin site is a gated road marked FS 84 on maps and I have never seen this gate open. I have always been curious about it, and riding by I finally remembered to look at it on a map. It goes north-east to an area marked as "Dandrea"on topo maps. Looking at satellite views, there appear to be buildings of some sort in the area. I wonder if the family decided to keep a portion of the ranch when it was sold, and still retains ownership? There also appears to be a trail in from the north, so if it isn't closed or posted, I will check it out in time.

But for now its back to 9404X to 706 and the "old" Dandrea ranch site. The sun was getting low when I finally located the ruins of the old homestead...

Just below the front wheel is what looks to be an old fireplace..and a bunch of rusty wire.

Turns out they were located just across from the rock-wall lined field where I often like to stop.

Autumn sun and a lot of hard work.

I didn't linger too long here as the sun was getting very low and I still had one agenda, so on up to 706 and the 5 points area for a quick lunch. Big bug mesa is east, and there is a northern trail off the main road which I had never done.

Two words describe this trail: rocks, mud. Recent rains had little impact on the other areas I had ridden today, but FS 103A had multiple mud holes...some of which were pretty deep. Add to that rock gardens for hundreds of yards. 

This trail ends at the top of a mesa looking towards the upper end of Black canyon to the east. The views were great. Not worth the jarring ride...but great nonetheless. 

Somewhere out there is I-17.

After snapping a few pics and taking it in for a few minutes I headed back for the 5 points...knowing that I was in for a bumpy ride. On the way, the sun disappeared behind Mt Union and the temps dropped...though still comfortable with a jacket. The odd cow standing in the pines didn't seem to mind, nor did i. 

Back at the 5 points with darkness closing in, I start the climb up FS 284, which has become almost a every-ride ritual. Indeed, this trail is a favorite..for no real reason. Especially in the dark.

I sometimes wonder if I sabotage myself. I don't really mean to stay out so late...but I have always loved riding at night, and the same was true for street bikes when I had one. Maybe its the headlights bouncing off moths...or the glowing eyes that sometimes appear in the darkness. Maybe its the notion that the darkness somehow protects you from what might be there, just out of view. 

Whatever it is, on this night I cruise along Mt Union without a care. Past old mines, trickling creeks, and sheer drops I probably should have better light for. Then on home. Eager to do it again.

A Touch of Fall

As we loaded up the Pioneer with supplies, the air had already taken on a chill I hadn't felt for months. We were taking my second youngest niece on her very 1st ride... and we got a late start as well, but that's Okay. We didn't want to venture too far from the staging area...lest she decide off-roading is not her thing, mid-flight.

I decided we would ride around the Mt Union area and take in the scent of pines, stop for "adventure" breaks for the kids, and just generally not get too caught up in racking up miles just for the sake of riding. Sometimes its nice just to sit and enjoy the back country. So we left the vehicle and headed up Senator highway for some recreational trail riding.

I really love this area. History is around every turn, with old mines dotting topo maps, and the remains of more than a century of back-breaking effort to extract the mineral wealth from the area. It's also home to some truly expensive real estate and homes.

Old mines. This area is littered with them.

After climbing Senator hwy to its' split with Poland road, we take a right and continue on Senator...but our trip will make a loop and bring us back to the same spot via Poland road. Shortly thereafter is a right turn on Golden Eagle rd and another turn left on FS81.

This road runs out a ridge line to the south-east for a few miles. The 1st few are shaded by heavy pine cover and the blanket of needles that accompany them. A strange site in a state defined by harsh deserts in the minds of most people...but not uncommon, actually.

Later on, the mountains become barren and much evidence of wind storms and wood harvesting is encountered. Recent rains have caused a much thicker and greener than usual undergrowth..and this spot could be mistaken for a number of areas back home in NC.
Eventually, this trail turns into single track for 2 wheeled transport. Turns out this area ( the Bradshaw mountains ) is littered with miles of ST, and they represent what must be the oldest trails in the area NOT made for horses or wagons. Reading some of the posts at ADVRider will reveal the depth of these trails, and the few hardcore souls who keep them alive. Trail history? Fascinating!

Pioneer, just yards from being about 40" too wide to continue.

After taking in the sights for a time, we reverse course back to Senator hwy and head on to Palace station and over the ridge past the long-departed Goodwin town-site where the road from Mayer joins. Another break for lunch for my new favorite trail food...cold spaghetti and meat-balls from Mr Boyardee. We spend some time here just letting the kids explore and play in Turkey creek. Remnants of mining exist all around us...both old and new.

This is about as far from the vehicle as we should go today, so we head back up Senator to a lesser used side trail marked as 9404* ( * various letters ). Unlike Senator hwy, this is a real trail that goes down to Turkey creek and follows its' drainage to the north. SxS width just before the creek thanks to erosion. ATV width in another 5-10 years...unless some roadwork happens. This trail is narrow and rutted while climbing across a ridge and into a long flat basin.This area looked to have been cleared and planted at some point. Rock walls also line one of the pastures along with remnants of barbed wire, flanked to the north by a small creek.

Lots of work.

Again, we let the kids explore for a while, climbing rock walls, picking flowers, fighting dragons. I went down to the trail to take a photo back into the field and pondered the scene. Old works in an ancient land, slowly being erased by the passage of time.
I grew curious about this area and the obvious work that went on here, and discovered that this was the site of the Dandrea Ranch with orchards...and apparently some ruins that I haven't yet seen. Road trip!
Also...that creek apparently has mercury in it!

Somewhere this trail turns into FS 706 and comes out in an area known as "5 points" where you can choose various directions and head for Walker, Poland, or Big Bug mesa. 5 Points is a saddle where you can look north and south for several miles.
I wanted to scout towards Walker road since maps show a trail heading over Union Mt from it. I had only been this way once in a Jeep 3-4 years ago...but any trail was long gone. This road looks to have been widened in the last decade or so, and that probably wiped out what was an older trail. The area towards Walker is much like Senator...home to summer homes for the wealthy.

So back to the 5 points for out last break. By this time the sun had disappeared behind Union and the temps were dropping fast. Enough that we regretted not bringing coats. Fortunately, I always keep some clothes in my gear so the kids were kept warm at least.

The nip in the air was unmistakable: fall is coming. Shadows grow long sooner. Leaves change. Wood smoke drifts over the hills. Time to trade those shorts for a warm jacket, and that string trimmer for a chainsaw.
Up FS 261 we head as the sun fades...but leaves orange hues on the lower Bradshaw's for the moment. I take in this view during an emergency potty break for the kids. As we load them back up, a strange noise in the distance grows closer and it takes me a few moments to identify. The coyote's are on the hunt...their eerie cries echoing off the canyons as I fire up the Pioneer and chug up Union mt and across to Senator hwy where the real cold hits.
Around the switchbacks as who knows what looks on from the darkness. Back to the vehicle. Another successful adventure for all including my niece, who had a blast.

Temps would warm back up, so our taste was brief. But it will hit again soon, and I hope I will be out in the middle of nowhere to enjoy it.

Back-country Exploration: FS82

An unexpected day off is a treasure indeed.

After one recently popped up, I decided to go do some more ATV exploring in the Bradshaw mountains of central Arizona. A few solid weeks of genuine cold in the area had left many of the early miles of my journey covered in snow. Yet, only a few miles away, the sun had warmed the peaks and bluffs overlooking the Hassayampa river drainage to spring-like temperatures. Down near the river itself, the weather was warm enough for t-shirts only.

After my usual late mid-day start, I staged on Senator highway some miles south of Prescott. This was actually a blessing in disguise, as I don't think the temps from my planned morning start would have been bearable, and I began to hit patches of snow and mud shortly after heading south. It's been many years and 2000 miles east since I've had to slug my way through this kind of slop....but at least there was no dust to speak of.
Senator hwy crosses a mountain range before it drops toward Palace station, and at the highest points, the road was a snow-covered, frozen mess.There was clear evidence of the local residents' struggles to get out to civilization here. Some of it disturbingly desperate in appearance.
Along with ruts and obvious spinning on the ice, downed trees, and a small rock slide, I observed several discarded floor mats and blankets...a trick to get a vehicle unstuck is to throw them under a spinning wheel, in hopes of getting traction. The most concerning was what appeared to be several attempts to build a make-shift fire in the middle of the road! Perhaps this was just some kids playing around...and I haven't heard of anyone being lost or rescued on the local news, so maybe the fires worked.

After hitting the backside of the mountain, the suns warming rays soon did away with any remaining snow, and the remains of said snow soon became evident by crossing several strongly flowing creeks on my way to historic Palace station. Off-roaders familiar with the area know Palace station as the point where you turn onto FS52 toward Crown King, a popular back-country destination.
I had decided that I would explore the area south of Palace station, and so I continued my journey straight onto what maps alternately refer to as FS82 or Bodie mine road. This area is pine forest and just screams "MINING!". One look at a topo map confirms that many have agreed over the years: The hills are littered with mines.
After negotiating several creek crossing and downed trees, the road splits, with FS82 going in a westerly direction, while 82A goes more to the east. I took 82, and was soon across another mountain range, and looking down into the lowlands of the town of Wagoner, AZ. This was in stark contrast to the chilly terrain that brought me thus far.

Old  ore chute? Near Bodie mine. Hardware in lead photo holds it together.

While investigating an old structure, the ground began to rumble, and soon the source of the noise made itself clear: I'm not the only one enjoying a beautifully sunny Arizona sky.

This has more horsepower than my quad....

Turns out there were 2 of them.

After climbing to a mountain top, 82 skirts the mountains to the west of Crooks canyon while heading south. The desert views are breath-taking, shared on this day by only the odd cow. I couldn't help but stop and enjoy the views of this starkly beautiful land.

Views are awesome.
Somewhere out there is the Hassayampa river bed.

It never ceases to amaze me how much "nothing" can be found out here. Sitting on top of this mountain, there is absolute peace and silence, save for the wind. The amazement of what God has created. Only a twisted old tree stands guard to the passage of time...if time does pass here. Crows meet in its branches and talk about this noisy contraption disturbing their day. And the trail goes on, past old earthworks and miles of fence. The back-breaking labor it must have taken to build these...
Finally, 82 drops into a narrow slot canyon of its own.

Towards the bottom, FS89 follows a canyon, and slow, rocky going ensues. Great place for a mountain lion attack! 

 I had intended to make a loop of 82 and 82A, but I had spent too much time just sitting up high. I decided to simply back-track home ( the allure of those views certainly weighed in this decision ). I enjoyed a tasty lunch of chicken and turkey crackers with cheese near a bend in the canyon. My selected spot was that of what could be a spring, were it able to muster up just a tad more moisture. As it was, it was just damp soil.

Then slowly old red chugged its way back up and out of the canyon, through the bushes, and across the creeks. Stopping only to enjoy the view with its friends, the cow and the crow. And then, on home.

The sentinel.

Back-country exploration: Battle flats/ DeSoto mine trail

The sign says it all. This trail has some challenges.

The old pack mule sits there idling in the chilly morning air, with puffs of steam from the exhaust syncopating to its mechanical heart beating away. Waiting....during the packing of the days supplies. Water, a toboggan to ward off cold, a few aspirin, and a few trail snacks from Maverick's. GPS on and smart phone apps engaged,  I am soon heading south from my staging just south of Prescott. This section of Senator highway heads through the pines on the west side of the mountain, and the bitter air hurts my big old Dumbo ears despite the toboggan. I love this section of road, twisting around old mines, past jagged trees that have witnessed man come and go in vain, while the earth remains. Shadows holding even colder temps alternate with the wonderfully warm sun.

I have been through here before....but it's been a few years, and never on my ATV. You seem closer to nature on a quad.

I had been planning riding this area for sometime, but I didn't want to see the remains of the Gladiator fire that destroyed a considerable part of this area last summer. I was surprised to find that the burn area was not the desolate waste-land that I envisioned....it was clearly evident, but regeneration has already begun. My goals for the day: Try and find the "Battle flats" trail I had seen covered by on occasion by 4 Wheel Drive and Sport Utility magazine, and Crown king. If the trails went as they were supposed to, this could be made into a bit of a loop. I also had my AZ Back-roads book mentioned in my other posts, and it proved to be valuable, despite being several years old. By the way...this book refers to Battle flats as the DeSoto mine trail, and it seems to go by both names from what I found on YouTube.

Several miles of pine-covered Senator hwy ( also known as FS 52 ) slowly gives way to more open terrain as it nears my turn off at FS 89 ( and this section added several "to-do's" to my trail list ). 89 heads in an easterly direction for a few miles before the trail seems to split in a few directions. In general, you follow the creek /wash ( with stinky cow-poo scent ) and the trail will zag in and out of it a few times. There will be a gate on a side hill that avoids a large concrete drainage-type structure...if you went the right way. This section of wash provides some rock crawling....and will stop a stock automotive 4x4 save for maybe a Rubicon with good skid plates. Eventually the trail leaves the wash and starts to climb a ridge where the lead photo was taken. The decent on the other side is a narrow shelf-style trail that heads back down into the wash once again after going through another gate. While the trail that starts as 89 doesn't appear to veer off anywhere, all the maps I have seen start referring to this section of trail as Peck mine trail. Whatever it is...if you follow the main trail you will get where you want to go.

Beautiful, remote country. 89 to the left, 9268R heads into the distance on the right....

Once you head down the wash for a short bit you will encounter some adopt-a-trail signs as the trail once again leaves the wash for some climbing action. Eventually you will get to the intersection above ( coming toward the camera from the left ). For this trail you take 9268 while Peck mine continues straight. I usually do a preliminary ride in an area to gain knowledge of distances and time before I start serious exploring...so peck mine was saved for another day. Now on 9268, the trail once again travels trough another canyon with a fairly steep climb out, then follows a ridge and travels through another gate. The next mile or two is the hardest part of the trail with alternating climbs and descents of a seriously steep variety. These will probably stop the less experienced/skittish rider, but they can be done. All that's needed is the proper line. Just for kicks, the most serious of these has a 1-2 foot tall step at the top, but most vehicles will be able to squeeze through the lowest part to the right side ( ascending ). Several YouTube vids show this climb...but as is always the case, photo's and videos don't capture the true scale of it.

It's steeper than it looks here, but it can be done. Hidden to the right, the step at the top is much lower.

After this climb, I came across evidence of some carnage incurred by this trail....

"Lincoln" and other lockered rear-ends put max stress on axles.  This one didn't like it. Welded gears may have prohibited replacing just the axle. Way to haul your trash back out of the desert, jerk!

Once through the series of climbs, you will emerge just north of the DeSoto mine, with and expansive view to the east. Somewhere out there is Cleator and I-17...if you go far enough. First some mine exploring...

I though the view here was nice....

I know little history about DeSoto mine, but it looks as though it was a pretty extensive operation. Tailings piles, scraps of metal, fenced entrances, and the usual desert trash left by those that came later....probably last week. The main shaft appeared to be near the top of the mountain, and the ride up passed by colorful barren rock, perhaps giving away the presence of what man was seeking when he went to the amazing effort it must have taken to build all this. The view was from the top of the world...

Colorful rock formations abound.

Top of the world, courtesy of DeSoto mine. Senator hwy in the distance.

The path to the top. 

Once I was done admiring the view, I headed down the mountain where you will be dumped out onto Senator hwy...so I headed back across the mountain for Crown King. Plenty has been printed and posted about CK, so I wont go into this charming town here. CK is a popular destination for off-roaders from a variety of directions, so traffic was a constant for much of the remaining trip. Main street was jam packed with Jeeps, ATV's, and Side-by-Sides, so I chose to head a few miles toward Horsethief for a photo before finishing up the loop.

Evidence of the Gladiator fire, just south of Crown King.

From here I headed back for Prescott...stopping only to eat lunch in the pines near an old cattle shoot. I wonder who built it....how long it has been there, and the things it has seen over the years. The odd Jeep or dirt bike is the only disturbance to the tranquility of the back country, but I welcome the healthy off-road use. This is why I came here...to the west. To ride and enjoy it...without the posted signs and Cabin building Floridians that have taken over my native North Carolina. A little fuel from the fuel pack and I am back on the trail headed for home. The sun is setting, bringing out the deer....and the cold. Back at the Jeep to load up, after 83 miles of travel. On a rough riding old Foreman, no wonder I am beat-up. But it was worth it....and so it will be the next time around. See you on the trails.

4WD&SUV article from a few years ago....Battle flats