Carpet Hill Bypass Route

[Stepmurr]

As we were pre-running the Rug Road to Klondyke a few weeks ago we thought the trailers & stockers might bypass the worst part of Rug Road (Carpet Hill) and meet the rest of the group.

This was before we found out how bad the last few miles into Turkey Creek had gotten and that no trailers should drive that way.

We never saw exactly where this supposedly "easier" bypass was so while I was camping in the area this weekend I decided to find it.

The road starts down in Mammoth as Cowboy Miller Road. There is a sign in sheet for the State Trust Land right at the start. There was exploratory drilling in the area a few years ago and the road starts out very well graded.

The last two miles before the intersection with Rug Road gets very bad, as the grading stopped at the last drill site. The remainder has been rough plowed, and I needed both lockers and my sliders to get through. If I had a spotter I might not have needed the sliders.

Pics:
The graded part

The rough plowed portion

My front bumper cleared this but I dragged hard going though

 

[Stepmurr]

This is where I got hung up on my sliders - going up and even worse coming down

Finally made it to Rug Road!

 

[Stepmurr]

This weekend's campsite - you can see Rug Road in the upper right as it climbs towards the pass

Old mining junk

Still have snow in Mount Lemmon

Sunset

Cowboy Miller Road

 

[Saddletramp]

Thanks for checking this out Steve. It sounds like the bypass is a challenge as well. What route did you take out? Rug road or back the way you came in?

 

[Stepmurr]

Back down the bypass - some roads are better not done alone

 

[tls3601]

Great pics; thanks for posting!

 

[Chrismanjs]

Interesting sounds like that was a fun adventure!

 

[lc69hunter]

So really bad? I am currently running 33's, with an Auburn LSD in the rear. Doable?

 

[Stepmurr]

So really bad? I am currently running 33's, with an Auburn LSD in the rear. Doable?

Which part?
Cowboy Miller Road won't even need four wheel drive until you pass the last drill site.

After that it gets significantly worse until you meet up with Rug Road proper. I used both front & rear lockers a few times because I could and it avoids wheel spin on sharp rocks. The Taco is on 33s.

I suppose lsd alone would make it, but then you have to decide which way to go when you get to Rug Road.

J**ps have rolled over and there has been at least one fatality going "up" rug road towards the east. Going west over the mountain to Turkey Creek is doable without lockers as White Steve proved, but it is still a hairy route.

I wouldn`t go either direction alone, and I go almost everywhere alone.