AZ Run VIII - Payson or BUST!

Meeting Place for the start: SR87 and Ft. McDowell Road. Baja Conoco station on east side of SR87. 8:45AM.

Day 1 - Lower Sycamore Loop. Huge sand washes, boulder crawls, steep climbs and tippy off camber stuff is in store. Sand wash camping that evening. (horseshoes!)

Day 2 - 6 coves of Saguaro Lake, run the fenceline out towards El Oso Road along the wilderness boundary, and camp in the big sandwash down there. (more horseshoes!)

If meeting us on Day 2, meet at the green gate in the Butcher Jones rec area at Saguaro lake at 10AM.

Day 3 - El Oso Road and Edwards Park Loop. Either camp out at the end of the loop. Watch for deer!

This will be a tougher day to come out and meet everyone. You could meet us on El Oso Road, about 3 miles in at the Y in the road, and where the main road turns to the north and goes down into a wash at aroun 9:30AM. This night's camp is very remote.

Day 4 - El Oso Road East to 288, then run the Tonto Foothills trail we ran on Day 1 on AZ7, but in the reverse direction Fuel either at Jakes Corner or Punkin Center, proceed through Payson to Payett trailhead for Night 4-5 campsite.

If joining this day, meet at the gas stations in Punkin Center (there are 2 across the road from each other) at approximately 10:45AM (we may be running a little behind, so +/- 45 mins there)

Day 5 - leave camp as it is and everyone plays on Payett all day. Camp in same location that night.

Camp can be found by turning right on Houston Mesa Rd. Just north of the rotary on SR87 ever so slightly north of Payson. Follow that approximately 4.7 miles where a dirt road takes off straight to the right, and the paved road curves to the left. Payett draw is another 5 miles or so out that road. We'll be camped somewhere along there. I have 2 campsites picked out. Depending on how muddy it is when we get there will determine which camp I choose.

Day 6 - Sleep in and take an optional nice dirt road drive from Payett maybe up to the Control road and come down Tonto Creek, back through Star Valley and into Payson.


Day 1 - as hard as you want it
Day 2 - as hard as you want it
Day 3 - 3.0 trail
Day 4 - 3.0 trail
Day 5 - as hard as you want it
Day 6 - dirt roads

Since I am the "odd man out" and live in Tucson, anything is alot of highway miles... I really don't care, I'll go where everyone wants to go.

Altho, I really want to get you guys down here to check out Chivo Falls, and Chimney Rock, and it's playground. There is alot of fun wheeling in there.

I've also heard (but not confirmed), that Charleau Gap is now a solid 4.0 due to washouts. I know that big "tippy" rock (where we ended up going up and around), is now somewhat passable, but you will pucker. Also, toward the end of the trail, the road is really washed out and fun.

I'll get down there and run Chivo. I've wanted to run that for a long time. Will probably be late in the summer or in the fall...is there any good camping right there?

Give me about two weeks notice and set a date. Id love to come down and run with you guys.

not so much on the actual trail... Are you thinking AZ run size camp spots, or smaller?

Most of those trails (in the rincons) are narrower trails, going in and out of washes. I really haven't explored for camping, but there is plenty of room around chimney rock.

I'd have to ask a couple of my wheelin buddies down here.

No, I'm just talking about a weekend run.

Lemmie ask around and see what I come up with.

I like it! Close enough to my neck of the woods to get to actually spend a few days out with you guys! And I'd love to do Payette draw again.

Chareleau is a 3.5 at best, unless its changes have been within the last 2 months, and the tippy spot hasn't changed. It's solid rock; it won't be changing anytime soon. I've run it several times since the last SWANKy run. There's a few scary off-camber spots coming down from the Gap, but it's all pucker-factor, I don't remember anything that's gonna stop a moderately built truck. I've never actually looked for a camping spot per se, but I can't see any problems finding a whole bunch of viable areas, especially after coming down. The trail itself doesn't have a lot of wide spots on it, but there might be something suitable.

-Spike

I like this, Andy. Now I can start repair/build much earlier.

If you set a date 3 years in advance, I might make it out.

You could schedule a week driving loops around the Usery Pass campground parking lot ... 287 days and counting, dang I gotta start wrenching again

quote:

Originally posted by Mud:
...287 days and counting, dang I gotta start wrenching again

I never stopped...

What are the dates?

The note under the forum title says
March 10-15, 2008

Ahhhhhhhhh. No corned beef. It's the Monday following the run.

To hard to do that much and keep it for a week anyways.

I need a shamrock emoticon.

quote:

Originally posted by Stone:
I need a shamrock emoticon.

here you are stone

After running El Oso road/edwards park loop a while back, its no longer a 3.0-3.5. I'd put it around 2.5/5 as far as difficulty. Even the mine loop is fairly stocker friendly now.

Andy, any chance we could do some pre-running in the Sycamore Creek area? That's right in the general vicinity of where the run will be taking us and could provide for some good options to entertain everyone.

Come fall, I'd be open to that.

Was looking at this years run to be an overland tour with a good mix of trails. We'll have the coves and Payette to satisfy the need to do the hard stuff. I still need a Day 3 run, preferably over on the Punkin Center side (wish Reno was still an option - it would be perfect). Maybe we can look over there for something gnarly?

I'll look and see what I can find over on the punkin center side. There's a lot of unknown territory out that way.

We should do a 2 day camping/pre-run exploring trip once I find some possible trails.