Feb 2023 Asbestos Mine Trail Photos

[theksmith 4,157]

the Roosevelt diversion dam where we met up.

 

 

 

we weren't expecting snow; it definitely made the trail more challenging! we also had to cut and winch some logs (which was expected), further making for slow going.

 

 

we did a lot of slipping and sliding on the many boulders, all while hoping to not tear a sidewall as we skirted by the never ending supply of downed trees and limbs.

 

even without the snow/mud, this is a strong moderate trail - a lift and good skids are required. most of us needed a locker or 2 at some point thanks to the extra slippery conditions.

 

 

we encountered knee deep snow drifts about a quarter mile from the top. the snow had partially melted and refrozen making it difficult to even break through with the Jeeps. we ended up having to turn around, Gadget just couldn't get enough traction to keep climbing.

 

 

thanks to @4x4tographer, @gearhead, and @klaykrusher for coming out and helping clear the trail. i had a great time, even with the cold, wind, and final defeat!

 

 

[4x4tographer 2,930]

Thanks for leading a great day run @theksmith. Even with the "fail" it was a great day out on a gorgeous and fun trail. Always great seeing @gearhead and enjoyed meeting @klaykrusher for the first time!

 

 

On the way up -  the area feels out-of-place for Arizona, with tons of trees of all types.

 

Here's a frozen waterfall on the way up. Beautiful area for a break!

 

Here's Klaykrusher at the point on the trail where we transitioned from dirt to snow and mud. Lots of wheel spin and need for lockers or our "brake-lock differential" in several places. Especially when you combine snow and boulders.

 

The trail starts off lush, green, and gorgeous - but then you slowly transition into the eerie dead ponderosa forest the higher you climb - the result of a wildfire years back. Plenty of dried and downed trees that have been cleared by passers-by - and us.

 

Here's one of several blockages we came across.

 

We noticed that some previous visitor had started to saw at the tree up near where Kris and Dave are standing - however they really only scratched the surface. They must have been SxSs, as we also figured they dug out the side of the hill (note the fresh dirt) to give themselves enough clearance to get under the tree - leaving it for everyone else to deal with.

 

Here's Kris hacking away:

 

We hacked enough of the tree away to be able to snap it with a good pull of a winch. We then needed to get the tree out of the trail. We rigged up a pully on a nearby tree to help swing the log out of the way - but literally every tree around us was dead. The result was Murphy's Law:  

 

We eventually got the log off to the side with some creative winching by Kristoffer and were able to roll it out of the way. We ended up needing to clear 2 more trees - but they were moveable by hand - rolling the trunk out of the way. Kristoffer had to jump out several more times to remove some smaller logs from the trail as we pushed through.

 

The views quickly opened up to show the surrounding mountain peaks, helped by the lack of foliage.

 

A good look at the boulders that littered much of the trail.

 

Another good look at the dead forest.

 

Quite a bit of off-camber throughout the day, but nothing terribly sketchy at all. **Note the view of Four Peaks in the background on this shot**

 

Here's where we hit a dead-end. The equation ended up being: (Snow + Ice + Boulders) X Steep Incline = No Traction. Even for a rig in beast-mode like Kristoffer's.

 

We walked up the trail a bit at this point and the snow drifts were as deep as 2ft in some spots, with boulders lurking underneath. Defeated by the mountain - we turned around at this point and headed back down.

 

Thankfully, there was a place wide enough for us all to do an 8pt turn and head back down the mountain.

 

Edited February 12 by 4x4tographer

[WILL E 427]

WOW!  Looks like I missed out on a fun day.    I wasn't expecting  pictures with snow!   Crazy!