ROFs Arizona Sunshine Trip Report ☀️ [emoji266] ☀️

vevans

Retired 4-Wheeler
Ace,

I had a nice day.

We met at 9AM at Bagdad, AZ., a company town at the end of the road.

After topping off tanks, airing down and disconnecting the sway bar, we were on the road. The route North from town turns to dirt quickly and climbed steadily to elevations a bit over 6,000 feet. We went from desert to pinion trees to finally a nice pine tree forest.

Once we reached the high plateau the route finding became a bit more difficult because we wanted to take more of the secondary roads and eventually, a road marked as a "4-wheel drive" road.

We had printed maps of the Prescott National Forest and two GPS units with GAIA maps and we still had problems when we encountered private land and wilderness areas. Some private land was gated with some gates marked on our maps others not marked. The larger ranches allowed us access across their property provided we stayed on the main roads.

The 4-wheel drive road we chose was a "transition" between two secondary roads. It was labeled "4-wheel #1" and was not very long and looked relatively level. While traveling it I lost the trail and thanks to Ace's route finding skills we found the trail again. About 90% of the way across the route we encountered a fence with no gate. We had to turn back the way we came. The fence marked a wilderness area boundary. Our map showed the road skirting the wilderness area and our GPS maps did not even show a wilderness area. Either the map or the wilderness boundary fence was wrong but either way, we had to turn back.

It would have been nice to have an off line Google Earth program to see the area before we went down the route. Either that, or we need better GPS maps. Does anyone have any suggestions about how to fix this?

Overall, the area between Bagdad and Seligman is a very large area and lightly used. It would be very difficult to drive when wet. There would be snow at times in the winter. Good place to explore in the Arizona summer or summer shoulder months because of the elevation of the high plateau. Come prepared - there is no place to purchase anything.

Prescott National Forest map can be purchased from Sportsman's Warehouse (about $11).

I never made it all the way to Seligman. I turned South at about 5 pm to return to Goodyear via Prescott. Ace continued North up the main road to find a spot for the night.

If you are a "stop and smell the flowers" type of person you can spend 3 days exploring this area. It really is pretty large.

I did not take many pictures. Two are shown below.

Have a great time in Prescott National Forest.

Vince

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toddz69

Explorer
Overall, the area between Bagdad and Seligman is a very large area and lightly used. It would be very difficult to drive when wet. There would be snow at times in the winter. Good place to explore in the Arizona summer or summer shoulder months because of the elevation of the high plateau. Come prepared - there is no place to purchase anything.

It's a beautiful area that does get too much traffic these days, but yes, it's a lot less likely traveled compared to a lot of places in AZ. And you're right - it's a mess when it gets wet. I have lots of stories from crazy experiences in the mud in that area :).

Glad you enjoyed your time in the area.

Todd Z.
 

Ace Brown

Retired Ol’ Fart
Any suggestions on semi-current/updated guide books for southern AZ?

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Chuck Wells books cover the state pretty well but I can’t vouch for how current it might be now. My copy is about ten years old.


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Ace Brown

Retired Ol’ Fart
Sounds like you went through Railroad Canyon, which was part of the Parker 400 race course up until about the mid '90s. Always love to read your reports! Thanks for sharing.

Todd Z.

I raced the Parker 400 in 1973 and I thought we went through there. Thanks on liking my reports.


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Ace Brown

Retired Ol’ Fart
Backing this story up to our meet and great at Oz and Clair’s place in El Mirage, AZ on Jan 23. Gathering there were Ace/CO, ********/OR, Gary/CA, Mike & Vivian/AZ and Vince/AZ. I had spent too much time at the local HAM shop trying to get a new antenna fitted and working to do anything with the planned BBQ so we ended up just doing our usual camp fare. The next morning I gave the lead to Vince as he wanted to show us some indian ruins near Gila Bend. The road in was extremely dusty and the climb up was rough and rocky. Turns out the local lndians consider this spot sacred and weren’t happy with our presence. We apologized and skedaddled out until Mike got his new Trail Hawk stuck in deep sand. He was quickly strapped out and we got back on the pavement and continued south. A stop in Ajo to watch the required 20’ bombing range safety video then get the permits needed to take the back roads through Organ Pipe NM, Cabesa Prieta National Wildlife Refuge and finally for the Barry Goldwater Bombing Range. We expected to camp that night in the backcountry of OPNM but found out the sites are walk-in only. So back north to their primitive camp but it was full except for one spot. But we were able to squeeze three trucks into the space and the two trailer rigs just outside in the circle, cosy but it worked. It was a beautiful moonlit night so we sat up late visiting.
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Ace Brown

Retired Ol’ Fart
ROFs Arizona Sunshine Trip Report ☀️ ? ☀️

The next day we returned to the visitor center to begin the mostly dirt road that heads northwest through the the monument. The road was mildly washboarded but enough that it shook the AC unit loose on Mike’s trailer. Ratchet straps came to the rescue and we’re off again. We stopped for lunch at one of those alien looking emergency call boxes that are spread along our southern border that serve as rescue points for illegals that have run out of water or otherwise in desperate straights. Vivian and I were looking at it closely and noticed if you looked directly at one of the many cameras it blinked a red light. Soon we hear a helicopter coming in low and fast. He makes a tight circle around us then passes directly overhead but makes this very threatening show of the crafts belly right above us, much like an angry bird would. Moving on we enter the wildlife area and all the “no signs” are fewer in number. We make a few stops at photogenic spots but then decide to push on to Tule Well as it’s good camping there with the interesting cabin, monument and flagpole. Pushing up the speed through all the sand roads was fun but one had to be careful with all the whoops and washouts. We arrived at the well just before sundown and began assembling all the food contributions to toss in the pot for Frenchie’s traditional 4x4 goulash. I recruited Vivian for assistance to get the portions right, then she, Gary and I took turns watching and stirring. It turned out quite well and everybody had seconds or more. Enough was left over that I dined on it at least three more times during the next few days. Just after full darkness we had a Border Patrol truck pass close by our camp, we waved and they continued on. The stone cabin has a fireplace in the corner so we built and enjoyed a fire for several hours. Nice to be in the cozy heat, at least it was when we got the smoke to behave. A little firewater helped with the cabin’s comfort too.
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Ace Brown

Retired Ol’ Fart
ROFs Arizona Sunshine Trip Report ☀️ ? ☀️

Next morning we had finished breakfast and were packing up when another BP chopper came in fast and low. I waved and he replied with a blip on his siren. Before leaving Tule Wells we checked out the monument and flagpole. Then I discovered my signature in the logbook from Feb 2013. We headed north on Christmas Pass Road which was new territory for me, and all of us. I had done the Devils Highway five years earlier and Mike and Vivian had done it three years ago but much of our trip this year did not use the same trails. The ROF Devils Highway Trip of 2015 was supposed to be mine but I got sick and had to hand it off to Frenchie. There was one narrow rocky spot on this road that was the source for the trails name. It was completed on Christmas Day. After refueling tanks and tummies in Tacna we aired up and headed east to Painted Rock Campground where we dropped our trailers and headed out to find the Oatman Massacre Site. Vince led us to the site were the Oatman family had been attacked by Indians in 1851. The parents were killed, two daughters were captured and the son was thrown off a cliff. He survived and made his way to safety. One daughter died in captivity but the other lived with the tribe for many years before being discovered and returned to white society. The attack occurred at the top of a steep climb on what later became the Butterfield Stage Route and the wagon wheel tracks are still visible in the rocks. After returning to camp Vince headed home with plans to rejoin us in a few days.
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That catches up with what I’ve already posted. Hope y’all enjoyed the report and thanks for following along even if the path was a bit crooked.

Ace

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Ace Brown

Retired Ol’ Fart
I forgot to return the contact info to y’all. Ok if I just shred it?


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VicMackey

Adventurer
Great trip report Ace. Great photos too.

Very cool looking trailer you have there. Is there a thread here about your trailer you can direct me to?
 

Ace Brown

Retired Ol’ Fart
Great trip report Ace. Great photos too.

Very cool looking trailer you have there. Is there a thread here about your trailer you can direct me to?

Not on the last version. There is one somewhere on the first rebuild I did in the Spring of 2013. Here are some photos from the last big revision when I enclosed it.
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VicMackey

Adventurer
It's definitely the coolest looking home built unit I have ever seen.

Thanks for the pics and the reply!
 

Ace Brown

Retired Ol’ Fart
It's definitely the coolest looking home built unit I have ever seen.

Thanks for the pics and the reply!

Thank you, I’m very happy with it. It’s not the fanciest one around, but it definitely gets it done and is very comfortable. I sometimes go out in the garage and sit on the bunk to sort of reconnect when I haven’t used it for awhile.


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