4/5 - 4/7/2013 The Rug Road

[Guardrail 1]

Wish I could have gone, that's one I've been wanting to try. Looking at the pics of Carpet Hill, it doesn't look too bad. Are there worse parts than what has been shown in pics?

[dzJeepChic 2,517]

Wish I could have gone, that's one I've been wanting to try. Looking at the pics of Carpet Hill, it doesn't look too bad. Are there worse parts than what has been shown in pics?

 

The trail was a lot rougher than the last time we went. I think its a case of pictures not doing justice to what it was really like. Even though going west to east allowed us to go down Carpet Hill, there were plenty of challenging spots. I would not recommend a full size rig on any part of that trail.

[UnderlyVerbose 1]

That's for sure a topper for odd events at the end of a trip weekend, in close competition with when G&I hit an elk coming home from Monument Valley. In both cases I'm glad no one was hurt.

 

For sure! I wish we could have found out what really went down over there, but in the end, as long as that child is safe, nothing else really matters. It turns out that it was all happening four houses down from us.

[theksmith 4,029]

i didn't get a chance to take many photos this time, here's a few that i liked...

 

 



 



 



 



 

[scottL 179]

Great photo's everyone thanks for posting. The turkey creek camp pics look really cool with tall shade trees up against the canyon wall.. & i see a couple others from the top of carpet hill but not much action shots going down..

imagining some white knuckle, seat puckering fun!

hopefully there's a "next time."

[theksmith 4,029]

Great photo's everyone thanks for posting. The turkey creek camp pics look really cool with tall shade trees up against the canyon wall.. & i see a couple others from the top of carpet hill but not much action shots going down..

imagining some white knuckle, seat puckering fun!

hopefully there's a "next time."

 

i don't imagine anyone took many pictures during the main descent. my left leg muscles were completely tensed on the way down trying to hold me back into the seat while bracing steady enough to feather the brake with the other foot.

 

the trail was a bit more difficult than i remembered. there were a few washouts that required caution, some challenging loose climbs, an area with small ledges to drop off of, and 2 short technical sections. i think i heard that a couple of the more mildly lifted rigs got a tire in the air at one spot.

 

one very bumpy off-camber climb was what got my attention - i negotiated it very slowly as to not bounce or spin (which might have sent me sliding down the hill sideways).

 

overall i still rate the trail "moderate". there was no single obstacle that warrants a difficult rating, though there are a few "pucker factor" spots. it's a very bumpy and long day, so it does wear you down.

[gcdaz 5]

This was my first time on the Rug Road, so it was all new to me. It's a great trail with a wide variety of scenery, lots of old mines and homesteads. Easily the most interesting trail I've run. Here's my take on the trip:

 

That's my yellow LJ. They forgot to send me the memo regarding which side we were lining up on in Mammoth.

 

 

 

It was pretty dusty before we started climbing into the mountains.

 

 

The first mine comes up fast.

 

 

 

Camped the first night a mile or two downstream from Sibley Mansion.

 

 

If you read about the "freaking screaming cow" that woke us up with it's blood-curdling howls in the middle of the night, it was a white bull in the grass right behind my tent. I've raised a fair number of cattle, and they never made that sound...

 

 

I could be convinced that this is the right way to camp...

 

 

The old dam was just downstream of our camp.

 

 

We hiked to Sibley Mansion in the late afternoon.

 

 

 

Then had a look at the old general store.

 

 

And a couple other remnants.

 

 

 

That evening George showed us how a fire is supposed to be built. (Big.)

 

 

 

End of the first day.

[ducksface 2]

The noise was chupa COW bra.

[gcdaz 5]

The second day started off following the roads up and around the hills, with Mammoth often in sight in the distance. (Let me apologize in advance for the bugs on the windshield in many of these shots. I was kind of busy driving with one hand and shooting with the other )

 

 

 

Roads seem to run everywhere in this part of the trail. Lots of future exploring...

 

 

Taking a break on the ledge road.

 

 

 

Then we started down Carpet Hill. As usual, it doesn't look so bad in the pictures, but it's steep, narrow, heavily washed out, and paved with loose, softball to bowling ball sized rocks. In other words, a fun part of the trail.

 

 

 

A look back at Carpet Hill.

 

 

At the bottom, there's a large wash and heavy vegetation, then you start climbing again.

 

 

A brief rest stop at the pass.

 

 

I think we were back in sight of Mammoth. And cell reception was pretty good at this spot.

 

 

We dropped into another wooded area, then climbed to the next mine (and apparently a bank or office building with a blown safe.)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dropping down toward Parson's Grove.

 

 

 

 

 

Nice place to stop for lunch.

 

 

 

The next stretch followed the high ridges above Aravaipa Canyon (?? not sure if it was Aravaipa, but it was huge, with sheer dropoffs that looked like a medium-sized Grand Canyon).

 

 

 

Although it wasn't obvious how we'd get off the ridge, the road eventually drops over the edge and winds down to the canyon bottom.

 

 

 

 

Once we were down, it was fast running among the trees along the bottom of the canyon.

 

 

 

We camped the second night at the base of this cliff.

 

 

I took a little walk down the road and spotted this piece of corrugated iron crushed under debris. I was wondering if it was an old cabin, or a spring, or a mine, and thinking about climbing up to have a look when I noticed the stacked stones. Was that a path switch-backing up to the ledge?

 

 

It was! There was a broken down fence and gate at the top, and I realized this might be a path built for driving cattle from the top of the canyon down into the bottoms. Maybe I could follow it all the way to the top? I started picking my way through the brush, following a faint trail and saw this.

 

 

It looked like a ceramic, cross-shaped jewelry box... I looked closer and realized it was a grave. Or a memorial. Or perhaps a place where ashes had been spread. What a beautiful place to be remembered.

 

 

 

 

 

 

I followed the path higher and it turned into a fairly smooth, wide trail, with stacked stone retaining walls, that did indeed trace a path to the top of the canyon. Someone did a lot of hard work...

 

 

We settled down at camp for the evening and started working on our bonfire.

 

 

 

End of day 2.

[gcdaz 5]

On day 3 we packed up for the much more leisurely drive out of the canyon.

 

 

A quick stop at the Turkey Creek ruins.

 

 

 

 

Then the first of many, many water crossings. Nothing more than axle deep.

 

 

 

 

The water in the canyon mostly flowed through these pretty green channels.

 

 

 

Then it was back to long, flat, dusty roads again as we made our way to Klondyke.

 

 

 

 

We said our goodbyes to the Tucson contingent, and they went south while the rest of us went east to Eden.

 

 

 

Rest stop halfway, and Rudy the dog got a quick walk.

 

 

And then we were done. Airing back up in Eden before we hit the road for Globe.

 

 

 

End of Day 3. (Great trip, thanks George, Diane, Chris, and everyone who came along.)