On Saturday I went on the Martinez canyon loop due to BLM closing the road above the cabins thereby cutting off the loop past the mill and the mine. The scenery is fantastic and the trail is challenging. I was dissapointed in the condition of the cabin. For the last 20 years or so, I would visit Martinez cabin on and off every 5 years or so and it was always in decent condition. In the last year(?) or so, due to severe vandalism to the structures by a few, the private land owner has decided to close it to all. A crying shame! Try to check it out I think it closes in with in the next month? Shoot a vandal, save a trail!
more pics of the mill, mine and trail.....a cement post in the Mill was dated October 14th, 1951. I can only imagine getting all that heavy equipment back in there back in the 50's. Brutal! The mill sports a huge water tank and several deisel engines that process the ore from the mine which is approx a mile away.
We entered the mine with flashlights and had to walk between the track laid for the ore cars. After approimately 100 yards you come upon both a side upshaft and side down shaft complete with wooden ladders. Not worth trying to climb. Nice and cool in the mine shaft though....
About a mile past the mine, one of the Toyota pick ups with gear reduction lost his clutch assy. Luckily another Toy owner had an extra clutch assy with him (Be prepared!) and with some air tools, the clutch was replaced in under an hour and a half and we were back on our way. Thank God for technicians and experienced old desert racers!
Once we reached the top it was scenic and the road was decent until the "Luge" which gives the "pucker factor" some creedence.
I came out with no sheetmetal damage due to the armor taking the hits. My front Arb is bent in kinda like Kevins (Yeah, you were right -no approach angle), the sliders paid for themseves several times over and the skidplate took a couple for the team. Yes, I even slightly gouged 3 of my "pretty" wheels (Gasp!).
All in all a day to be remembered becasue it will never be accessible again.
When does the closure take effect? Do we have a list of trails that will be closing and maybe as a club we should head up and get the last runs in on these trails......maybe I should start my own thread??
When does the closure take effect? Do we have a list of trails that will be closing and maybe as a club we should head up and get the last runs in on these trails......maybe I should start my own thread??
COMMENTS DUE MAY 8, 2009
Bureau of Land Management
Tucson Field Office
12661 East Broadway Blvd.
Tucson, AZ 85748-7208
OR mgc_travel@blm.gov
The proposed CLOSED trails:
Lower Woodpecker
Martinez Canyon
Woody's Wash
Overdose
Broken Ankle
Jawbreaker (this trail has been officially closed for a number of years)
