I made it home Friday night around 10:30pm - @theksmith went on with Roger and Kevin and stayed in touch throughout the journey. 

I did, however, grab a few photos on the way up and on the way back down the mountain!

Courtright Res. 

The top of Courtright Dam

Looking down the dam spillway

Some of the surrounding granite domes surrounding the area

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/pw/AP1GczOF3ZbF6Dm9-6Iyy7psHEqtIJu-8uK-RdVwtDSIfSxuFzWkzOO3xNTeKsFp0vJQppQVPaY6f46TqMEYAuhX4Y5an5sYXSUeUxpfRsKJSUz6DJ7k5kmsmPfYjztk9qhoAFPJUdj23lqnzap4fqiFPK7oQQ=w2048-h1365-s-no?authuser=0

Dinner-to-go on the way back down the mountains

A toppled Giant Sequoia. Jeep for scale. 

I popped into McKinley Grove to check out the Sequoias. Literally just off the road. The grove is about 100 acres and has about 150 ginormous trees up to 2,000 years of age. 

The road home wasn't boring. Did my best the stay near civilization, in case the coolant tank took a dump, while also trying to skirt the LA traffic. 

I took the 99 south to 138, across the north side of the Angeles National Forest and down into San Bernardino to connect to the I10. The 138 was interesting, going from a fast 2-3 lane highway down to a single lane through the tiny towns of Little Rock, Pear Blossom, and Llano (which all had traffic lights). I was surprised at the number of semis on this route. Traffic, of course, came to a screeching halt in easy of these towns. 

The views sitting in traffic weren't half bad, though!

Once I got through San Bernardino traffic it was smooth sailing - though I was tracking a pretty large storm that was sweeping through Indio/Desert Palms. Probably one of the most widespread dust storms I've personally experienced. It took about 2 hours to clear it. 

That said - a bummer I was unable to experience the Dusy firsthand - but looking forward to the possibility of a redemption run in the future!

Looking forward to hearing about the crew's experience on the trail. 😊

@theksmith @johnpa @Liz @Adventure F150

The trail begins at Lake Roosevelt and (in the routes we took) spans 163 miles, ultimately ending on top of the Mogollon Rim. The route quickly climbs from 2,100 ft to 5,000+ ft inside of a few hours. we topped out at almost 8,000 ft. 

The primary route is called "Rock House Road" and splits off from Cherry Creek Road about 17 miles into the route. From here you're winding your way through canyons and over mountains as you drive deeper into the Tonto NF. Much of the route skirts along the edge of the Ft Apache Reservation and is extremely scenic and remote. We only saw one other group of people, 2 adventure bike riders coming down the opposite direction. We didn't see another soul until we arrived in Rim Country. 

We met up at 2pm on a Friday and made quick work of the route, reaching our campsite by 5:30pm on Middleton Mesa - a wide open grassy mesa at about 5,600 ft. Some nice views of the surrounding mountains. On Day 2 we made quick work of the route, arriving at the Rim around 11am, and hitting camp around 4:00pm. We found a fantastic campsite, isolated, in some deep pines for plenty of shade. We ended our trip in Clint's Well - topping off our tanks with some sweet sweet dino juice at the local Sinclair fuel station. 

If you're interested in downloading this route and waypoints along the way - check it out here.  

Camp night 1 on Middleton Mesa

Along the way we dipped through the mountain town of Young - a few people topped off their fuel - others grabbed bacon and ice cream at the local general store ;)

On our way out of town we took the "Boulder Bypass", which is a narrow, windy trail that takes you past a pretty remarkable field of boulders that must have been deposited by a glacier a millennia ago. The rocks are like nothing else along the entire rim - most are the size of a house. There are a few shady campsites nearby. 

Later we popped by a few overlooks along the rim. Here's the 260 from the Military Viewpoint. 

Campsite night 2

My 4-wheeled sauna

Here's a look at the 2024 Horton Fire burn scar.

We popped over to check out some unique camping opportunities at Myrtle Point - 4x4 high clearance needed. There are 2-3 great site down this short trail right on the rim. 

We also stopped along a few other view points along the way to check out the sights. 

We wanted to share a Vermont trail we had a great time on last fall. We ran Sucker Pond Trail outside Bennington, VT, and it popped back up while we were planning another Vermont trip this week. It reminded us just how much fun it was.

If you're looking for a trail in southern Vermont, this one is definitely worth checking out. It's rated 5/10 on the onX Offroad app and is only about 3 miles long, but don't let the length fool you. There are several long bog sections with standing water that make for a really fun drive. The bottoms are surprisingly rocky instead of muddy, so traction is much better than it looks.

While we were in the area, we also stumbled across an old abandoned cemetery on the other side of Bennington, which made for a fun side adventure.

It's not the most difficult trail you'll ever run, but it has enough water, mud, and varied terrain to keep things interesting without being overly technical. We'll definitely be back the next time we're in the area!

Has anyone else here run Sucker Pond Trail? We'd love to hear what you thought or any other Vermont trail recommendations.

the tunnel under the train tracks on Smelter Wash.

the big trestle in Tucson Wash.

@DBO & @JEMSA near the bottom of Carpet Hill.

can you see the Gila Monster?

here's zoomed in on him, he was a thicc one, but quick still!

we also saw a creepy horse, lots of deer, some jack rabbits, and i even got a glimpse of what i think was a mountain lion (it was much larger than a bobcat and with shorter hair).

Carpet Hill in the distance here.

this woody area below the saddle and a little before the assayer's office reminded me of some east coast forests.

@4x4tographer exploring the assayer building while @johnpa tries to send a photo to @Ladybug.

we made such good time, we opted to go all the way to the Turkey Creek/Aravaipa area to camp instead of spending the night at Parson's Grove.

what a great view to wake up to - looking up through at the thick tree cover and canyon walls.

We took Forest Service Road 97 (just North of Across Rd) on the way in, which eventually turns into 895 and drops you right down into the canyon where the cabin is. Taking 97 is definitely the spicier option. There’s a steep entry and exit through a wash filled with big rock gardens that’ll get your attention real quick. But our Unimog camper handled it like a champ, and honestly, it made the route that much more fun.

Once we got to Boyer Cabin, we slowed things down and spent the afternoon exploring the old homestead. There’s still quite a bit standing out there; the main house, bunk quarters, an old barn, and even some stables. It’s one of those places where you can just wander around and imagine what life must’ve been like out there.

We did a little digging, and it looks like the cabin was built in the 1880s by Joseph Boyer. What makes it even more interesting is that he appears to have been connected to the Pleasant Valley War, showing up in records tied to the Graham-Tewksbury feud starting around 1886. He’s also mentioned in connection with indictments out of Prescott tied to the Middleton ranch shooting and other events in the area. Wild to stand in a place with that kind of history, especially knowing it all unfolded around the Young–Globe area.

After we were done exploring, we continued out on Forest Road 895 to complete the loop. 895 was in great shape overall. Still plenty of exposure along the shelf road to keep things interesting, but absolutely beautiful the whole way with views of Roosevelt Lake below.

If you’ve got a capable rig, this is such a fun way to explore it, but you can also hike in if that’s more your speed. Whether you make it a long day trip or camp out on the surrounding Forest Service land, it’s absolutely worth the trip!

On the way up, we spotted a side road labeled Murphy’s Ranch and decided to see where it went. It led us out to a patch of private land with what looks like an old homestead with rows of what appear to be apple trees, or at least what’s left of an orchard. The whole place has that quiet, forgotten feeling, like it once had a lot of life but has been sitting untouched for a long time. The onX off-road app says it's a 42 acre property. Someone must have once spent a long time clearing the wild forest land to put in that orchard.

It got us wondering about the history out here. Through some research, we found that this property was homesteaded in the early 80's by a man and his wife, who moved into Globe when their daughter became old enough to go to school. He passed in 2024 and there doesn't seem to be much upkeep in recent years. The property was also narrowly missed by the Billy Wildfire in 2025. Most of the road into the ranch burned but the property was spared. It seems like it would have been an incredible place to live. It's a beautiful location right on the edge of the Sierra Ancha Wilderness.

We’ve been surprised by how many old orchard sites we’ve come across on trails around the Phoenix area. There’s clearly a deeper history here than you’d expect in the desert.

If you have some time, Aztec Peak is worth the drive!

aztec-peak-abandoned-orchard-ranch-v0-jd5afyfvc9qg1.webp aztec-peak-abandoned-orchard-ranch-v0-scqiyyfvc9qg1.webp aztec-peak-abandoned-orchard-ranch-v0-yo7juszwc9qg1.webp aztec-peak-abandoned-orchard-ranch-v0-bmfgachxc9qg1.webp

the trail has changed some since the last time i was there, but not a ton. there is one route that you used to go up on the bank and around a certain tree where now you have to stay in the creek, but otherwise most of the rock crawl areas were the same. several spots where worn-down and actually a bit easier than before. the climb up out of the canyon to the top is a lot more torn up, loose, and just plain rough than it used to be though.

Mike, our fearless leader early in the trail:

@duhles75's beast of a Gladiator on the first obstacle:

a little further in, i think this is still before the turn off to the mine:

John's ("Desert 4x4") memorial. i'd like to get back out there soon to do a little cleanup on this... remove the broken stuff that looks trashy, and add a waterproof container inside the metal box for the notebooks. i'll probably go on a weekday - if anyone is interested in joining, please PM me.

on the way home i got passed by a spendy car club - Porches, Ferraris, Lambos, McLarens, Bentleys, etc.

all in all a fun day out - thanks again @Michael Trapschuh for leading this!

I didn't take a lot of pics because I've done this trail several times. 

Friday camp:

Natural arch above our camp

Antares cabin at the North Star mine

Castle dome

Kofa butte at sunset

Dust on the trail

Hovatter driveway

Hovatter graves

Fire Sat night

North Star mine ruins

Carol Trapschuh and Robie Buie provided pics and videos...Thanks!

Sonoran CT 1

Buie CT 1

Buie RB 1

Sonoran RB1

 The trail had eroded some since last year when we did it, but everyone got through it, including a Subaru that surprised us all.   ’Way to go Claudio!”

  
We had an interesting make up of vehicles that included some older Jeeps, a Subaru, a beautifully equipped overland Chevy tuck, fully modified JL‘s, Toyota, Land Cruiser and the star of the ride; Liz’s shiny new Rubicon.  It’s a spectacular new color! We couldn’t decide what to call it, but I’ll post a picture.  As usual we ended up at the Vulture Arch for the terrific views while munching on the traditional ice cream.  Thanks to everyone for attending and being patient while we got everyone parked up there.
Mick 

Here’s a link to the main part, but we traveled all the way to the Army base. 
https://www.trailsoffroad.com/US/arizona/scout-routes/1924-laguna-ridge

The name of the game this trip was mud.  Mud anywhere and almost everywhere we turned. Needless to say it made an unholy mess. 😂

Day 1:  42 Miles +/-

We started out on Stoneman Lake Road just off the I-17 Friday morning. We aired down there because there is no where else to do it closer to or at the start of the trail that I could find. From there it was about 5 miles on pavement to Apache Maid Trail.  We headed south to the turn off for the T-Bar Ranch so we could check out the cabins that are there.  After spending a little bit if time there we made our way back to Apache Maid and headed  East.  This trail is not too bad overall. There are some interesting rocky sections, some easy going sections, great scenery,  and a lot of mud holes, more than I anticipated and more than we needed.   At the end of this trail we headed South on pavement for about 5.5 miles to the Lost Eden Trail. We took Lost Eden East with the aim of getting to camp in the Rim area, we stopped for lunch along the way at a really big camp spot. Lost Eden is a pretty tame trail over all with great scenery along the way. 

From the end of Lost Eden we crossed over Highway 87 and snaked our way down East Clear Creek to FR 513, from there we snaked our way down to a camp spot on FR 513B. We got to camp earlier than I anticipated unfortunately. It was breezy/windy all morning and it remained that way the rest of the afternoon and overnight. No complaints here, the weather was overall was perfect that afternoon and overnight.  Falling asleep to the breeze and the Elk calls off in the distance was a good way to end the day.  I only needed my heater in the morning to knock the edge off so to speak. 

Day 2:  67 Miles +/-

We broke camp and hit the trail a little before 0830.  We made our way across FR 96 over to Buck Springs Ridge. We visited the historic Cabins on the Buck Springs trail.  TrailsOffroad had this listed as closed between Waypoint  4 and 5, I wanted to see if that was still the case so we made our way back to the "Y" where we turned off for the cabins to check. I can safely say that it is no longer closed. We made our way to the trails end, allegedly, and got me a little confused. I say that because where TrailsOffroad says this trail ends is not accurate based on what we saw. We continued left past Waypoint 8 on FR 137c and found it closed at the intersection of FR 9713R if I am not mistaken. Liz and Alan were using On X, I was using Gaia and it wasn't 100% clear.  At any rate, we continued on FR 9713R until it ran back in to Buck Springs.

From there we made our way over to the Hospital Ridge Trail then down to FR 300.(Rim Road)  We worked our way across taking in the scenery as we headed towards Battle Ground Ridge. We explored the monument and then ran the last part of the trail to the end with the thoughts of camping. When we got there we noticed smoke was in the air from what turned out to be a forest fire.  Because of the smoke we decided to skip the last night of camping and head out to end our day at the end of Rim Road and HWY 87. 

Overall a great run with good company and some awesome scenery as always.  I made a couple of mental notes for the next time I meander up there. Liz and or Alan may have recorded the Buck Springs side adventure.

Thanks again to the small but mighty crew that came and hung out with me, I had a good time. Feel free to post up any pictures you have. 

the saguaro and ocotillo patch:

and some photos @David P sent me:

Led by @Michael Trapschuh we dived into Black Canyon Creek and our first side route led us to a rock wall and we decided to turn back to the main trail. We traveled on and later dropped back into into Black Canyon creek just southeast of the Howard Copper mine area. Down in the creek headed south and explore the old rock "building" you can see from the main trail.

After exploring the old building we headed back up to the main trail, on through the Howard Mine area and to The Ledge. In my photo album you may see a notice Jeep (nicely built TJ) that for a very brief period followed us through The Ledge. On through Dead Cow Gulch we went. Aside, the DCG and north section of the trail, the nearby crossings though Black Canyon Creek, have gotten a lot smoother haven been plowed to make it easier for heavy equipment to move through. 

On past the Howard Silver Mine we decided to venture east and checkout the Thunderbolt Mine. The decision had been made by the group about the time I was passing the turnoff as tail gunner. So we went in reverse and I led the charge up the side trail. This side route has seen no love in a long long time. It was definitely pinstripe alley. This side venture forms a loop with an extended leg up the hill to the high mine. As a group we made it to the loop turn off and I ventured forward. As I worked my way up the hill past the loop point, a decision was made that the group would not follow me due to the extreme trail conditions. I however was caught in a point of no return. The trail was too narrow and more difficult than I wanted to try and back out of so I forged on to the mine where I expected (hoped really) to be enough room to pull a 180. This leg section was extreme pin stripe alley, and I got off camber about 28 degrees due to severe trail washout once up and once coming down. I do not recommend this trail leg unless you are very experienced. And I absolutely don't recommend it for any vehicle lager than a JLU/JKU. The view from the mine is nice.

Once I got down from the mine, we retraced our tracks back out to the main trail and with Michael back in the lead ventured on toward the Poland Creek turnoff. We turned west and dropped into the creek where we stopped for lunch. After lunch I took the lead through and along Poland Creek. It was my suggestion and I figured if it was any worse than I remembered from five years back, I should be the one to get in trouble first. Poland Creek turned out to be quite easy, easier than I remembered. Once past the French Lily Mine, I returned to my normal and oft favorite position as tail gunner.

Michael led us on out to Cleator where we enjoyed little break (thanks @Trent!) and split out on our various ways.

I personally headed toward the Blue Bell mine, then east up the hill to Spring Valley / Mayer attempting to wander a fair bit of the way back toward Cottonwood via dirt.

All in all, a great day with awesome people poking around Arizona's back country!

My Google Photo Album of pictures and videos from the day.

Just now getting around to processing some photos from our recent 2-night overland journey through Arizona’s Mogollon Rim Country. It was a view-chasing, propane campfire-crackling, suspiciously windy blast! Here’s the lowdown on our Rim Country quest.

On my way up the General Crook trail, I got a good look at a nearby fire that was burning. 

We kicked things off at high noon on Friday, May 16, 2025, at PIEbar AZ in Strawberry. Those hand pies? Pure magic. I personally tried out the Mountain Man and Lemon Custard empanadas. We fueled up our bellies and rigs before hitting the trail.

Highlights on this Trip

• Milk Ranch Point & Myrtle Point and other beautiful vistas
• Dickenson Flat & Battleground Ridge
• Blue Ridge Reservoir 
• Three Historic Cabins 
• Secluded Aspen Grove at "Camp Bonito"
• Mogollon Rim, the star of the show

Night 1

We aired down just off of SR87 before plunging into rim territory. On this leg we stopped by Dickenson Flat to check out the aviation navigation markers in the meadow there. We later made our way down a bumpy trail towards Milk Ranch Point. 

On our way there, @gearhead had a bit of a mechanical snafuu and snapped a u-joint. @theksmith accompanied him back towards pavement to try to assess the damage and next steps. Mike was able to make his way safely home later that evening (hope you get/got the rig sorted easily Mike!)

As the main crew moved on toe Milk Ranch Point, we ran into a couple that was stranded by a bad battery. Their stock Dodge Ram was sitting dead in the middle of the trail. We tried to give them some assistance with a jump start, but determined that they had a damaged positive terminal inside the battery itself. Pressure had to be kept on the terminal in order for the battery to continue running. The couple had prepared for camping and already had made some calls for assistance from some friends. We checked to make sure they had plenty of food and water, which they did.

Since we'd spent about 1-1.5 hours there, we decided to head directly towards our planned campsite at Blue Ridge Reservoir. 

@theksmith caught up with us about 20 minutes after our arrival at camp, having helped Mike get back to pavement and subsequent connection with a tow company.

Views from our camp site overlooking the reservoir. It looked quite a bit lower than our previous visit 2 years ago with a lot more deadfall wood around from a fire that had swept through previously. 

Day 2

We broke camp that morning and were on the go by about 8am. We made our way over to Battleground Ridge, the site of a surprise ambush by Apache fighters from the San Carlos Reservation on the US Army back in 1882. You can still see some of the fortifications that the Apache quickly built leading up to the fight. 

At the parking area, @LiddlJK realized they had a leaking axle seal and a damaged u-joint as well. They opted to limp it back home to Flagstaff - which they safely made. 

The rest of us performed a "mechanized" version of the famous Cabin Loop hiking trail and visited a series of historic cabins, including the General Cabin, Pinchot Cabin, and Buckspring Cabin. 

After hitting the cabins and breaking for lunch, we popped off on the rim a few times and then made our way to a campsite in an aspen grove.

@Roadhogg and Mae elected to depart and make their way home via the 260. This left myself, @Lichen, @Mick Bowers, and @theksmith.

@Lichen discovered a torn boot on his CV joint, which we used some duct tape to seal up. 

That evening we huddled around the propane fire, swapping stories. The wind was really playing up that evening, with sustained winds of about 10mph and gusts up to 35mph, according to the weather apps. 

Day 3

The next morning we had a short jaunt to the 260 - enjoying some of the deeper, older parts of the forest on the way. 

We also popped off along the rim for some great photos with some pseudo-dramatic clouds. 

Some fire damage from the 2024 fire on the rim could be seen here.

Shortly after - we were at the 260 to air up and begin the journey home!

Those in attendance were:

@Scott Foust  @J2DXPLR  @4WLNRN  @Micely  @Angela Holladay  

A big thanks to @4WLNRN for tail gunning and for being a good sport about all the Subaru trash talking along the way. 

Another big thanks to @theksmith for loaning us a propane fire pit.

Here's  quick-ish run down of the weekend. 

Friday we all met up off the 89A just south of Flagstaff, aired down then hit the road. We headed a short way south to FR 535.  We meandered about 17 miles West then headed down 537b with the intention of finding camp at the end of one of the spurs. The road in was chewed up pretty good all the way in. Access to one of the spurs was washed out so I did not take a chance on taking the right turn. I continued on aiming for the other spur but missed my turn and continued straight. After a while I did not see any improvement in the trail so I decided to turn us around and head back,  in this direction the turn to the spur I missed was too difficult so I decided just to head back to the main road. Discretion being the better part of valor and all that.  We continued on about another 10 miles over a series of Forest Roads and eventually found a good spot off of  FR 13 and FR 56. We sat around and shot the breeze until we lost daylight at 8:30. By then we were all tired and decided to call it a day. 

Saturday morning we woke up to some nice weather, not cold but a little chilly. Perfect in my humble opinion. We broke camp and hit the road around 8:15. We made our way over to check out Sycamore Falls.  It's a short hike down a trail to the canyon and where the falls would be if water was flowing.  The views and the area were just as awesome as I remembered.  After spending some time there we made our way to Sycamore Point. This area was also just as spectacular as I remember. After hanging out there for a little bit we headed up towards CR 73, stopping for lunch along the way next to an old corral.  After lounging around enjoying the weather and views for a little while we made our way to an early camp time off of FR 354.  I was aiming for a big spot we used on a previous ORP run. When we got there we saw a small travel trailer in "our" spot, 1 stupid trailer in a big ol' perfect spot. 😂 Since that was a bust we kept moving down the road a little ways and found a just as good spot for everyone around 1 PM. 

Not too long after we set up camp @Bradywgn71 and their pups stopped by for a visit. A big thanks to them from me for bringing me a friggin' delicious Carne Asada taco plate from a food truck in Williams. They also brought along a boatload of cookies and muffins. Nom, Nom as the kids say. I doubt anyone went to bed hungry that night, I know I didn't.  @SonoranWanderer stopped by camp for a visit too. We all sat around and shot the breeze about a variety of things that make life interesting.  Just like the night before we sat around until we lost daylight at 8:30 or so.   Chris, Sarah, their pups, and Woody headed home. We were all stuffed and tired so we headed to bed. We were all fully aware that is old people bed time, no one seemed to mind at all.  

Sunday we all got up and moving around the same time as the day before and headed to Jerome. The ride down using Jerome-Perkinsville Rd(CCR 73) was a very scenic and relaxing. I have always liked going into Jerome this way. Once in Jerome we all aired up, some hung out in Jerome and the rest of us headed out.

Thanks again to everyone who came out. I failed to take any pictures so I am looking forward to seeing any you guys took. 

We drove down the flint switchbacks and out to the Maze overlook for our first night.  This was our view from our campsite, you camp right near the edge.

Its hard to capture a photo showing how rugged this area is but the reason it is called the maze should be obvious.

The next day it took us 8 hours to drive 40 miles, ironically to a view that looked back to the 1st camp.  We had to split our group up  that night because we couldn't get permits for all of us at the

same camp spot.  2 of us camped at Chimney rock while the rest camped at Doll house site #1.

Chimney rock:

Our sunset view from Chimney rock:

continued

Thanks to @theksmith  @OffroadFun  @CAVU2  and @johnpa for coming out today!  😀

The YJ trying to hide behind a little tree in the hope that I won't find it and beat and bash it all the way back down the trail!  

An old piece of machinery that has been used for target practice about a million times.