did some repairs at PB cabin (1 Viewer)

[murf]

This recent post is like a breath of fresh air after watching all the b.s. On the news this evening!

Its amazing how acts like this become contagious and spurs other folks to step up and do their part big or small. Same could be said of the opposite which it was slowly becoming to be.

Thanks Dave, youre one of the good ones!

CSC should make a weekend run out to the cabin sometime soon...?

 

[lcwizard]

It's perfect there now. Not too warm, not too cold and the leaves are turning. I'd like to work on the inside a bit. It's swept and
clean for what it is but it could use some attention....also considering options for the outhouse

 

[toy_tek]

Wow that is awesome. And now nicer than my backyard at home.

 

[DSRTRDR]

great work

 

[-Spike-]

The road is passable from the south all the way through to Board Tree but it's rough.
It will take a few groups of dedicated or crazy drivers to get it ready for easier travel.

TRAL did some work on FR203 (AKA Cherry Creek Road) in July at the big washout, about 5 miles south of PB Cabin. We took a jackhammer to the high side of a bad off-camber spot, which was comprised of semi-decomposed rock. It was obvious that travellers were making improvements to the trail where possible to make it useable, but this spot was one where hand tools wouldn't do the job. However, just south of our repair work, the road is on a shelf, quite high over the creek bed, and has been undercut quite badly. All you see while on it northbound is that it's narrow, but if you look back after passing the spot, you may praise your luck on having crossed it without the road collapsing.

We have had a report from a group that ran it recently that the hill above the undercut section of the road is shedding loose soil onto the trail, making it off-camber and even narrower, and that the undercut has progressed even more. We also heard that the spot we worked on has seen material fall on it from above, making it uncomfortably off-camber once again, although at least this material could presumably be removed without using a jackhammer. This kind of soil movement is common after a fire, the lack of vegetation allows water runoff to run wild and causes a lot of erosion on slopes.

Unfortunately, about 10 miles of Cherry Creek Road has been determined to be in the Sierra Ancha Wilderness, and therefore cannot be a Forest road. This section does not include PB Cabin, but does include the big washout and undercut section I mentioned earlier. While the Forest Service may or may not physically barricade the road due to lack of resources, it will be (and technically may be now) illegal to operate vehicles or anything mechanical on, and they certainly won't be doing any repairs. Unfortunately the scope of repairs is way beyond anything that could be accomplished by the OHV community. To me it looks like a fix would require the shelf to be cut deeper into the mountainside, which is probably extremely cost-prohibitive, even if the road were open. TRAL is working with some of the pro-wilderness folks and Senator Flake's office to try to fix the obvious mistake regarding the road being in the wilderness, but I fear the road will collapse long before those efforts are successful. When that happens, the northern section of FR203 and PB Cabin will only be accessible from the north, either from Young on SR288, from Globe via FR202, FR54, and FR329, or from Tonto Basin or Jake's Corner via various trails over to SR288.

 

[lcwizard]

TRAL did some work on FR203 (AKA Cherry Creek Road) in July at the big washout, about 5 miles south of PB Cabin. We took a jackhammer to the high side of a bad off-camber spot, which was comprised of semi-decomposed rock. It was obvious that travellers were making improvements to the trail where possible to make it useable, but this spot was one where hand tools wouldn't do the job. However, just south of our repair work, the road is on a shelf, quite high over the creek bed, and has been undercut quite badly. All you see while on it northbound is that it's narrow, but if you look back after passing the spot, you may praise your luck on having crossed it without the road collapsing.

We have had a report from a group that ran it recently that the hill above the undercut section of the road is shedding loose soil onto the trail, making it off-camber and even narrower, and that the undercut has progressed even more. We also heard that the spot we worked on has seen material fall on it from above, making it uncomfortably off-camber once again, although at least this material could presumably be removed without using a jackhammer. This kind of soil movement is common after a fire, the lack of vegetation allows water runoff to run wild and causes a lot of erosion on slopes.

As Manzel put it... It's tippy in places. He drove his FJ60 on 35's through it on Saturday. I have a job i have to do in Colorado. When I return I'll be checking it out in person.

 

[Saddletramp]

Beautiful work Dave. We need to get out there to see this site first hand and assess how some well placed labor could aid in the improvement process.

 

[lcwizard]

Beautiful work Dave. We need to get out there to see this site first hand and assess how some well placed labor could aid in the improvement process.

We had a few people stop in and check out the work while we were there. They were all long time PB fans, hunting in the area.
They were all happy with the effort but expressed concern that it all may get taken home by the wrong visitor. I'm going to find a
USFS logo/font to cut into the parts. Maybe that would be a deterrent.... or bring back a few bags of cement. We put a few bags around
the stairs but that was as much to keep the stairs from shifting while being climbed as anything else

 

[Mattman]

Glad I found this thread. I'd love it if we had a group of CSC folks that don't mind a putting a little sweat equity into saving some of these relics. I have various tools and occasionally some excess materials that may be helpful in patching up some of these places. I like the idea of a trail run and camp trip with a purpose, whether it's trail remediation or cabin preservation, I'm in! Props for taking the time and effort to do this. If anyone needs help with anything, let me know!

 

[-Spike-]

I'm going to find a USFS logo/font to cut into the parts. Maybe that would be a deterrent....

I don't know the legality of that plan, but I can tell you that we quit putting the logo on route markers, which lowered the frequency that the markers were vandalized/ shot. The logo seems to make anything it's on an attractive target. The American Flag seems to deter them. What works even better is showing that people care about an area. I think that's covered in the case of PB Cabin.

 

[lcwizard]

I don't know the legality of that plan, but I can tell you that we quit putting the logo on route markers, which lowered the frequency that the markers were vandalized/ shot. The logo seems to make anything it's on an attractive target. The American Flag seems to deter them. What works even better is showing that people care about an area. I think that's covered in the case of PB Cabin.

I guess I could just put PB Ranch on it.
I know what you mean as far as leading an example about caring for a place or area. I unofficially adopted about three miles of road
on the way to Madera Peak south of Globe. I would overnight there twice a week. Shut down the shop at 5, 40 minutes to the top and set up camp. I walk the dog with a trash bag. The first month I could have fill five 50 gallon trash bags. Once it was clean it was like no one wanted to litter anymore . Now I get a few cans on the busy holidays

 

[ollanik]

I would be up for a group trip Andy work day!!

 

[staffaction]

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would you mind sharing where this one is at?

 

[staffaction]

I guess I could just put PB Ranch on it.
I know what you mean as far as leading an example about caring for a place or area. I unofficially adopted about three miles of road
on the way to Madera Peak south of Globe. I would overnight there twice a week. Shut down the shop at 5, 40 minutes to the top and set up camp. I walk the dog with a trash bag. The first month I could have fill five 50 gallon trash bags. Once it was clean it was like no one wanted to litter anymore . Now I get a few cans on the busy holidays

have you made it to the cabin recently? My family has fallen in love with this area of Tonto/Sierra Ancha. That said, I haven't driven more than a couple miles north of Devil's Chasm yet. Still need to go further to explore.

This weekend we will be campaign high above Cherry Creek Road probably somewhere directly due west of the cabin. Off of FR that forks off of Young-Heber highway. If there's anything we can contribute or do, let me know. I know my wife's nesting instincts could go nuts in a place like that.

 

[lcwizard]

have you made it to the cabin recently? My family has fallen in love with this area of Tonto/Sierra Ancha. That said, I haven't driven more than a couple miles north of Devil's Chasm yet. Still need to go further to explore.

This weekend we will be campaign high above Cherry Creek Road probably somewhere directly due west of the cabin. Off of FR that forks off of Young-Heber highway. If there's anything we can contribute or do, let me know. I know my wife's nesting instincts could go nuts in a place like that.

Not since last fall. Now that the forests are closed I've been back and forth to Utah cabins helping where I can. Like all grown children , I love my chainsaw. It makes lots of noise and destroys anything in it's path. I like clearing the standing dead trees that are potential wildfire fuel. technically I'm not supposed to until i take the US Forest service chainsaw safety course but they are so short staffed they overlook it. Don't ask don't tell. The 70ft dead spruce near a cabin just turned up one day stacked in
18" bolts. I'm setting up a trailer I can put 80 gallons of water and 40 of gas along with gear hoping to spend most of next summer clearing deadwood. As far as deadwood
goes, our forests are almost as bad as DC

 

[staffaction]

Not since last fall. Now that the forests are closed I've been back and forth to Utah cabins helping where I can. Like all grown children , I love my chainsaw. It makes lots of noise and destroys anything in it's path. I like clearing the standing dead trees that are potential wildfire fuel. technically I'm not supposed to until i take the US Forest service chainsaw safety course but they are so short staffed they overlook it. Don't ask don't tell. The 70ft dead spruce near a cabin just turned up one day stacked in
18" bolts. I'm setting up a trailer I can put 80 gallons of water and 40 of gas along with gear hoping to spend most of next summer clearing deadwood. As far as deadwood
goes, our forests are almost as bad as DC

ha! Forests are worse if you ask me!

good to know. We will probably visit in the next few weeks. Forests are back open as of several days ago, and thankfully getting a fair bit of rain last week and this week.

 

[lcwizard]

ha! Forests are worse if you ask me!

good to know. We will probably visit in the next few weeks. Forests are back open as of several days ago, and thankfully getting a fair bit of rain last week and this week.

I heard today that the forest service shut down the road beyond Workman falls for two years. It goes back towards Aztec peak

 

[staffaction]

I heard today that the forest service shut down the road beyond Workman falls for two years. It goes back towards Aztec peak

yeah, stinks. we were just there. Had we been there 3 weeks prior we would have been fine. Granted, I did see a spot that was pretty, well, iffy. Rains and/or rockfall are going to definitely make it impassable without further work. A spot you only saw if you were hiking and taking note.

So we hiked a good portion. threw up a video of the falls and ruins on my insta.

We actually took a direct hit in the recent monsoon driving in Tonto if you were here last weekend. Fun stuff. Anyway, we're headed to Fr 145 this weekend to camp and may shoot for the PB cabin area next. Would be curious to hear of any other little haunts in Tonto you enjoy if you don't mind sharing sometime.

 

[lcwizard]

West Clear Creek has always been my favorite. I made trips there every year from 18 to 53 year old. Hiked it with my dad before that.
Everything from Maxwell and Tramway to Hanging Gardens. I developed a back issue and nerve damage at 54 that's kept me from
hiking the canyon anymore. Left leg doesn't communicate with the brain like it used to.

 

[tls3601]

West Clear Creek has always been my favorite. I made trips there every year from 18 to 53 year old. Hiked it with my dad before that.
Everything from Maxwell and Tramway to Hanging Gardens. I developed a back issue and nerve damage at 54 that's kept me from
hiking the canyon anymore. Left leg doesn't communicate with the brain like it used to.

+1 for West Clear creek, have not been down there in like 3 years but what a gorgeous area!