Ideas For Future Club Runs

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YES! But not until we decide exactly what "This" event is.
 
Or we could make the first annual event a overland "see Arizona" event where we connect trails and some highway to hit the big areas.

Seems like anytime there's an event, it's out in the Florence area. There is a large number of trails there, but they'll be missing out on some great scenery and trails.

Just stuff to throw around. We should all meet for brews and discuss and nail something down. Then we could break off into different groups to accomplish different items.
 
At the risk of sounding redundant, there is not a single event other than AK (which is unobtainable time wise; 3 weeks total investment for time off) that is an `expeditionary' event. I'm not trying to sound my own horn, but I think a long distance off-road trip would be very well received as an organized Land Cruiser event.

I am neither here nor there on the actual trail(s) itself, but a 3-day overnight REMOTE trip would be VERY interesting to a LOT of people. There's nothing currently offered in this arena.

Call it Expedición Arizona ...
 
Good lookin out Scott. You're the new CSC expedition Chairman. Put a group together and get the logistics worked out. We're cool enough and organized enough to do 2 kickin yet different runs per year. The expedition run can be a migratory event that moves from year to year and the other run can be a static event or one that rotates between 2 or 3 locations annually.
 
I like "expedition" runs, though I believe they draw a different type of driver. The past two years I've gone with SWANKy for what they have named "AZ RUN"s. This year's run, March 14-19, will be their fifth. Here is what they have done, and will be doing this year.

AZ RUN III – 2/28 – 3/1/03
Day 1 - The Coves at Saguaro Lake
Day 2 - Sunflower Mine Trail
Day 3 - Reno Pass
Day 4 - Gasoline Trail, Indian Mesa Trail
Day 5 - Castle Creek, Copperopolis Backroad
Day 6 - Vulture Mountain Trails

AZ RUN IV – 3/15 – 20/2004
Day 1 - Monday, 3/15 - Lower and Upper Woodpecker
Day 2 - Tuesday, 3/16 - Lower Ajax and Martinez Mine
Day 3 - Coke Ovens and Battleaxe trail
Day 4 - Hackberry Creek trail
Day 5 - Montana Mountain trail
Day 6 - Saguaro Lake Coves

AZ RUN V – 3/14-19/2005
Day 1 - Hackberry Creek Loop
Day 2 - Reno Pass Trailhead
Day 3 - FR42 Trailhead/Telegraph Line Road
Day 4 - Table Mesa
Day 5 - Crown King backroad
Day 6 - DeSoto Mine trail

The sponsors do a great job of pre-running each and every trail. They have an excellent idea of the trail conditions, and have campground spots identified for large (12 – 20 trucks) groups of campers. This years they have been forced to repeatedly pre-run the trails to check on conditions after all the rain. Most years will have the group back in the metropolitan area for the evening of day 3 or 4 – allows for showers and sleep on a real bed. This year is all camping. Also, for many days they provide for a meeting spot for latecomers. They also have identified what days will be close to gas & ice.

After a bruising day like Hackberry Creek, there is nothing like a campfire with adult beverages, stories of trail carnage, watching video of obstacles, and fresh Dutch-oven cobbler cooked on the spot.

I look forward to SWANKy’s runs, another local one would be awesome. If CSC’s goes down the path of an expedition event, we need to determine the level of difficulty, general area, and a multitude of other details.
 
Considering all the different clubs and groups that have been posted on various threads lately. I propose we as a club look at an annual event in a different light. I suggest we "host" a convergence of all the groups in AZ. along with public attendance. Including, food, vendors, how to displays, safety demonstrations, music, contests, raffles, runs ETC. Something along the lines of a 4X4 adventure festival. With careful planning and specialty group involvement, it would not be to difficult to offer booth space ( at a fee$$) and attract vendors world wide for this event. Giant tents, adventure products, food, massive attendance.
 
Brilliant idea.
We definately have the room for it.
And plenty of different types of wheeling for all skill/mod levels.
And we should have a positive enough reputation to boot.
 
O.K., I'm just gonna go ahead with this. CSC-Weekend of camping and 4xing.
Either the w/e of April 29th and 30th, or the w/e of May 6, 7, & 8.
Place, either, Sunflower Creek or Crown King.
Anyone interested post your liking and what would work best for you.
If we do CK, we could go down Desoto, cruise around to the backroad and come up, or vice-versa.
If we do Sunflower, we could try Reno, and Sunflower Mine. Definite exploring to be done on both.
If no feedback, I'll just flip a coin.
 
DD,
Although I like the idea, it's the execution that concerns me. CSC (today) is nowhere near that level of club. Hopefully in the future we may be, at which point we might think of tying ourselves in witha a larger "For Proffit" organization that puts on an event like this. I've had friends nearly lose their minds over events similar to this but in a different arena. The logistics of a "Carshow/Nationals" type event are simply mind boggling for an organized group, let alone a relatively disorganized bunch such as ourselves. I like the idea of getting together a couple of smaller runs each year coupled with the cleanups and alot of daytrips and campouts held in between.
 
I am not a member of Copper State Cruisers (and I sold my '77 FJ40), but I would love to help in any way I can with your run schedule.

For the "Expedition" style runs there are several nice ones in the state, including El Camino del Diablo (which was mentioned). I would recommend running that trail soon as it is constantly threatened with closure and they closed a portion of the year from Tule Well to Ajo for Pronghorn calving.

I have run that trail twice and can provide any info you need :)
http://www.expeditionswest.com/adventures/2002/ECDD_2002/index.html
http://www.expeditionswest.com/adventures/2003/ECDD_2003/index.html

Another great trek is into the Chiricahua's in east AZ
http://www.expeditionswest.com/adventures/2004/chiricahuas_04/index.html
http://www.expeditionswest.com/chiricahua/index.html

There are loads of trails to explore in KOFA:
http://www.expeditionswest.com/adventures/2004/KOFA/index.html

One of my favorite areas and rarely explored is the Sonoran Desert NWR south of I8 in area A of the BMGR:
http://www.expeditionswest.com/adventures/2004/Sand_tanks_2004/index.html
http://www.expeditionswest.com/adventures/2003/sand_tank_2003/index.html

If you want to get out of the state a bit there are some great expedition style trails.

Utah:
White Rim: http://www.expeditionswest.com/adventures/2004/white_rim/index.html
Escalante:
http://www.expeditionswest.com/adventures/2004/SE_utah/index.html

CA has the Mojave road, which I am doing next month and can report back on.

Then there is Mexico, but that is not for everyone....

Please let me know if I can help or even lead a run or two (if you'll have a Tacoma, and prior FJ40 and FJ60 owner along :)
 
Welcome - - Awesome Scott! I have been following your Tacoma Mods, and I am catching up on my own Tacoma mod's very fast. ( thanks for all your great write-up's)
I have been to Escalante, and the White rim five years back. I am very interested in the Mexico thing.

Hopefully get out on a few more with you. See you at theAZRocks... :cheers:
 
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