4x4tographer 2,929 Posted November 3 Back fresh from another adventure with a great group of folks, exploring the wonders of the Mogollon Rim! @theksmith @LaZorraRoja+Grace and @Mick Bowers We met up at 10am at the PIE Bar in Strawberry, a fun little outdoor restaurant that specializes in empanadas (hand pies). There are probably 20 savory selections and about 10 sweet selections along with 5-6 dipping sauce options. Good music, a nice outdoor seating area, and just 2 minutes from fuel in the town of Pine - PIE Bar was a great meeting location for a Rim Road adventure. The vast majority of our path took us along well-groomed forest roads. However, we did list the "ORP-Famous" Just a Forest Road. Also known as Clover Springs. Just a Forest Road lived up to its name, with plenty of bumpy sections. The road has certainly changed over the last 4 years, with my memory of it being quite different and more technical than in the past. There are also at least 2 new "by-passes" around some particularly bumpy sections. A welcome change (except we chose to take the bumpy way out!). The rest of our time on the trails was spent on easy-going dirt roads. Total mileage was ~120 miles, broken into roughly equal parts of about 40 miles per day. The small group and easy trails made for pretty quick days, with us arriving at camp rather early each day, leaving plenty of time for relaxing and hanging out by the campfire. On this adventure we took in the sights at: Milk Ranch Point Battleground Ridge General Cabin Myrtle Point Blue Ridge Reservoir The Mogollon Rim For our first night, we camped out overlooking the rim on our way towards Milk Ranch Point. We had a HUGE camp site all to ourselves and a nice view. We set up a potable fire ring near the edge so we could take in the views while we kept each other company around the fire. @Mick Bowers and his famous camping spaghetti! @LaZorraRoja's pup, Mochi, kept a close eye on everyone. While cooking dinner, the moon rose over the Rim. Friday night, we had pretty "mild" temperatures dipping down to about 42 degrees. Day 2 - The sun put on a heck of a show in the morning while cooking breakfast. After breaking down camp, we made our way down to Milk Ranch Point to take in panoramic views of the valleys below. On the way back we stopped by Dickinson Flat, a meadow that plays host to a famous aerial landmark you may has seen when flying into Phoenix. We also stopped by a few overlooks along the way. General Cabin - an old cabin used by the Forest Service. We also visited Battleground Ridge - the site of an ill fated ambush by Apache warriors from the San Carlos Reservation on the US Army. About 20 Apache were killed in the attack. You can still see the remains of the rock walls the Apache built to hide behind during the ambush. We made it to camp around 3pm - here was our view from our Saturday night campground - one of the "fingers" of the Blue Ridge Reservoir. Camp was on a cliff about 400ft above the water. The sunset lighting up the hills and trees Two Wise Guys crackin' jokes! Moonrise, over the trees. We had 2 back-to-back moonlit nights! Moonrise over the lake. Night 2 was much colder - we dipped down to about 35 degrees. The campsite had a well-built fire rig that did a good job reflecting the heat towards us, making for a pretty comfortable evening of social banter! Sunday morning sun! We woke up to 35 degree temps, and the sun rose shortly after - allowing us to take in some radiant heat! Sunday was all about getting to the 260 to get home. We spent about 2-2.5 hours on the trail, stopping here and there to take in the views. All in all - a great trip with great people. I had a blast hanging around the fire and getting to know everyone better, trading jokes, stories, talking rigs, and just relaxing. Already looking forward to the next adventure! 2 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
LaZorraRoja 168 Posted November 3 Thanks again Ryan for putting this together. Great times and lots of laughter! 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
4x4tographer 2,929 Posted November 3 Hey @Mick Bowers you on Facebook? TrailRecon wants to know if you'll share your camp spaghetti recipe 😊 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
4WLNRN 558 Posted November 4 yes, please share the recipe!!!! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Mick Bowers 177 Posted November 4 Ryan, These photos are beautiful. Its like being up there again! Re. the spaghetti makes it and the meat/mushroom sauce the night before and I just heat it up in a skillet. I only add some mild cheddar and a dash of green chili sauce. Bobbie (wife) doesn’t use a recipe, but she is writing one up now and l’ll try to post it. I don follow Jeep Recon on FB. Maybe I should i like his videos. Darryl, The next time we’re on the same trip remind me and I will bring an individual container for you. 1 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Mick Bowers 177 Posted November 4 (edited) Bobbie’s Spaghetti Sauce I pound ground beef ( can add Italian sausage if desired) Chopped onion to taste Chopped garlic to taste Fresh sliced mushrooms (if desired) 1 jar Rao’s Tomato Basil sauce 1 14 oz Hunt’s fire roasted diced tomatoes 1 14 oz Hunt’s tomato sauce 1 Tbsp dried basil 1Tbsp dried oregano 1 Tbsp Italian seasoning Brown ground beef in large pot. When brown, add chopped onions, mushrooms,and garlic. Cook until onions are softened. Add Rao’s sauce, fire roasted tomatoes, tomato sauce. Stir to mix. Add basil, oregano, and Italian seasoning. Simmer for at least 30 min., but can simmer longer if desired. Edited November 5 by Mick Bowers 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
4x4tographer 2,929 Posted November 4 13 minutes ago, Mick Bowers said: Bobbie’s Spaghetti Sauce I pound ground beef ( can add Italian sausage if desired) Chopped onion to taste Chopped garlic to taste Fresh sliced mushrooms (if desired) 1 jar Rao’s Tomato Basil sauce 1 14 oz Hunt’s fire roasted diced tomatoes 1 14 oz Hunt’s tomato sauce 1 Tbsp dried basil 1Tbsp dried oregano 1 Tbsp Italian seasoning 8Brown ground beef in large pot. When brown, add chopped onions, mushrooms,and garlic. Cook until onions are softened. Add Rao’s sauce, fire roasted tomatoes, tomato sauce. Stir to mix. Add basil, oregano, and Italian seasoning. Simmer for at least 30 min., but can simmer longer if desired. If you're interested in submitting it - you can find the submission form here: https://www.trailreconcookbook.org 100% of the proceeds are going to benefit Operation Homefront, which is a charity that helps military families. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
4WLNRN 558 Posted November 4 24 minutes ago, Mick Bowers said: Bobbie’s Spaghetti Sauce I pound ground beef ( can add Italian sausage if desired) Chopped onion to taste Chopped garlic to taste Fresh sliced mushrooms (if desired) 1 jar Rao’s Tomato Basil sauce 1 14 oz Hunt’s fire roasted diced tomatoes 1 14 oz Hunt’s tomato sauce 1 Tbsp dried basil 1Tbsp dried oregano 1 Tbsp Italian seasoning 8Brown ground beef in large pot. When brown, add chopped onions, mushrooms,and garlic. Cook until onions are softened. Add Rao’s sauce, fire roasted tomatoes, tomato sauce. Stir to mix. Add basil, oregano, and Italian seasoning. Simmer for at least 30 min., but can simmer longer if desired. Thanks for sharing!! Gonna need to make this for sure. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Mick Bowers 177 Posted November 4 Like i said I. Bring ya some. I shared so e with Marty a while back. He liked ir 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
shellback91 1,851 Posted November 4 18 minutes ago, Mick Bowers said: Like i said I. Bring ya some. I shared so e with Marty a while back. He liked ir I did have some, it was gooooooooooooooooooooood! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
