I haven't driven this road in a few years. It was pretty and didn't seem to have much traffic. It leads out of the gulch in Jerome and heads up Mingus, wrapping around the base of the antennas. Once near top It turns into a common road in the pines and brings you back to the tar on 89A.
Dallas and I drove it yesterday. From the first climb up to the saddle, where we aired down, to the high point on mingus was 2 hours. Then another 30 mins or so to wander back to the tar.
The bottom section is the most interesting because you are driving on a narrow ledge road with a serious cliff drop. To add more fun, a giant bolder fell right in the middle of the trail. This section of road is likely a hundred years old and dry stacked rock. Old miner dudes evidently knew how to build it.
I remembered it being skinny in my 40 so it felt even skinnier in my 60!
With regard to the bolder, I was able to drive around it and not get too off camber. however, there is no turn around option and it would be an interesting back down from this point. We tried to move it with a large pry bar, but we just bent the bar. I think a strap and wench or a couple dudes with bigger bars would help.
Just after passing that obsticle, we met the only other folks coming down in 2 side by sides. They had to back up a few hundred feet to a spot where we could pass.
After the spring itself is passed, it is pretty straigt forward. A little straddling, and lots of tree rubbing and pinstriping, but extremely pretty and wandering along the entire edge of minugs.
My odometer is slightly off due to standard speedo gear an big tires, but i showed about 20 miles to the tar. I didn't bother with a GPS. There are couple turn offs later on that would take you down or up in a direction that doesn't seem logical. So just keep going...um..straight-ish and you will find the way.
Then entrance in the Gulch is hidden...might be better if someone shows you. But you just go straight at the hairpin on 89 on to the dirt. little sign says local traffic only. You can see the start of the road up and left along the ridge running parallel to the hogs back. That's where you want to go, but it feels like you are in someones driveway.
Dallas and I drove it yesterday. From the first climb up to the saddle, where we aired down, to the high point on mingus was 2 hours. Then another 30 mins or so to wander back to the tar.
The bottom section is the most interesting because you are driving on a narrow ledge road with a serious cliff drop. To add more fun, a giant bolder fell right in the middle of the trail. This section of road is likely a hundred years old and dry stacked rock. Old miner dudes evidently knew how to build it.
I remembered it being skinny in my 40 so it felt even skinnier in my 60!
With regard to the bolder, I was able to drive around it and not get too off camber. however, there is no turn around option and it would be an interesting back down from this point. We tried to move it with a large pry bar, but we just bent the bar. I think a strap and wench or a couple dudes with bigger bars would help.
Just after passing that obsticle, we met the only other folks coming down in 2 side by sides. They had to back up a few hundred feet to a spot where we could pass.
After the spring itself is passed, it is pretty straigt forward. A little straddling, and lots of tree rubbing and pinstriping, but extremely pretty and wandering along the entire edge of minugs.
My odometer is slightly off due to standard speedo gear an big tires, but i showed about 20 miles to the tar. I didn't bother with a GPS. There are couple turn offs later on that would take you down or up in a direction that doesn't seem logical. So just keep going...um..straight-ish and you will find the way.
Then entrance in the Gulch is hidden...might be better if someone shows you. But you just go straight at the hairpin on 89 on to the dirt. little sign says local traffic only. You can see the start of the road up and left along the ridge running parallel to the hogs back. That's where you want to go, but it feels like you are in someones driveway.
