What trails do you want to run in the near future? (May, June, July 2022)

[SonoranWanderer 381]

What are some "day trip", Saturday or Sunday trails where the start of the trail is roughly within two hours of Phoenix that you would like to go over the next two or three months if only someone would lead the trip?

 

I am leaving this wide open, could be easy and scenic, could be challenging and an opportunity to test your vehicle or your driving skills. Maybe there is just some trail you want to explore but don't want to go alone.

 

Just some suggestions, in the three major directions from Phoenix, to open the mind:

• One moderate level run I like to take people on for awesome views of the Sedona cliffs (weather and smoke permitting) is my Carefree to Dugas route
• Schenbly Hill Road (easy to mildly moderate) or Broken Arrow (moderate to mildly difficult), maybe two-for-one in a day
• Hackberry Creek loop (TrailsOffroad figure 8 version or the FunTreks shorter figure 6 version). Both are difficult, the TrailsOffroad version is just more of the difficult and more scenery.
• Terminator lower and upper, add in Black Canyon OHV trail and you have a nice full day run (decently difficult to extreme)
• I have a longer, more difficult version of Turkey Creek Trail from Bumble Bee exit to Spring Valley
• Diamondback Gulch (aka Greasy Spoon). Moderate
• Smiley Rock, difficult
• I have a route around the Eagletail Wilderness with a nice, not too long hike near Courthouse Rock, if you don't mind the heat of the summer, driving is easy to maybe mildly moderate

 

Any of these or whatever else, comment what is on your mind at the moment. Where do you want to go?

 

 

Edited May 16, 2022 by SonoranWanderer

[WILL E 364]

As the weather warms up I keep it pretty simple and typically run BullDog Canyon for the umpteenth time. It's a short drive to the entrance from my house.  I head in the Usary pass entrance (trail number 3554) and take that to trail 10.    Then head out to the Bush Highway exit and another short drive home.   I can keep the entire trip to under 2 hours if I don't stop on the trail to chat or eat lunch.   It's a easy but fun trail and the scenery is great. 

 

In fact, I am going to run it this Sunday to do a bit of shake out on some work I have done to the jeep over the past few weeks.  I'll post up an event. 

 

Otherwise I find it's just kinda warm to be out on the trails.   I might take my other rig, a Chevy Colorado.  It has working AC and isn't prone to breaking down.    Working on a hot jeep in hot weather on the side of the trail doesn't appeal to me.  

[SonoranWanderer 381]

11 minutes ago, WILL E said:

As the weather warms up I keep it pretty simple and typically run BullDog Canyon for the umpteenth time. It's a short drive to the entrance from my house.  I head in the Usary pass entrance (trail number 3554) and take that to trail 10.    Then head out to the Bush Highway exit and another short drive home.   I can keep the entire trip to under 2 hours if I don't stop on the trail to chat or eat lunch.   It's a easy but fun trail and the scenery is great. 

 

In fact, I am going to run it this Sunday to do a bit of shake out on some work I have done to the jeep over the past few weeks.  I'll post up an event. 

 

Otherwise I find it's just kinda warm to be out on the trails.   I might take my other rig, a Chevy Colorado.  It has working AC and isn't prone to breaking down.    Working on a hot jeep in hot weather on the side of the trail doesn't appeal to me.  

 

The heat doesn't bother me that much, it is actually a large part of the reason we moved to Arizona. But that's why I also posted a fair number of suggestions up "north" in the higher elevations.  Bulldog is a fun, pretty run.

[theksmith 3,589]

i stick to night runs and higher elevations for the next few months because of the heat, will probably lead a night one soon myself.

 

i'd also be interested in running Smiley Rock bottom-to-top again, it's been a few years.

Edited June 16, 2022 by theksmith

[shellback91 1,566]

I like the idea of Greasy Spoon. As a matter of fact I was looking into doing that run. However, from research I have done I have found it's busy as all get out and not too fun with all the a-hole SxS's. I saw a video where one of these over compensating macho men just about ran a Jeep off the trail. That said it is a maybe on my list of to do's.

[SonoranWanderer 381]

Just now, shellback91 said:

I like the idea of Greasy Spoon. As a matter of fact I was looking into doing that run. However, from research I have done I have found it's busy as all get out and not too fun with all the a-hole SxS's. I saw a video where one of these over compensating macho men just about ran a Jeep off the trail. That said it is a maybe on my list of to do's.

 

A nice alternative in the same general area is Skeleton Bones. It's a bit west, and when I ran it in Feb 2021, we practically had it to ourselves.

[WILL E 364]

1 hour ago, theksmith said:

i stick to night runs and higher elevations for the next few months because of the heat, will probably lead a night one soon myself.

 

 

 

I might do a night run through Bull Dog.   My eye sight is compromised so I avoid night runs if I can.   But I know Bull Dog well enough I could almost do it with my good eye closed. 

[4x4tographer 2,456]

Echoing @theksmith - it's HAAAAWT outside!  

 

I personally look at runs in the pines this time of year.

I could be convinced to do Sedona or Prescott day runs in the 80s or some night runs elsewhere. I wouldn't mind taking a stab at Smiley Rock either. 

[theksmith 3,589]

i'd like to run Terminator, or Predator, etc. as a real night run - like meetup at 8pm.

[SonoranWanderer 381]

On 5/18/2022 at 9:27 AM, theksmith said:

i'd like to run Terminator, or Predator, etc. as a real night run - like meetup at 8pm.

 

Well between Smiley and Terminator, I'm going to have to do some camping. My wife gets annoyed with me coming home in the middle of the night 

Edited May 19, 2022 by SonoranWanderer