Meeting place: Safeway on Highway 89 in Sedona (2300 West Highway 89A, Sedona, AZ 86336)
Meeting time: 9:00am
Departure time: 9:30am
We will not air-down at Safeway, but somewhere on FR 525.
Casner is essentially a rough power line road that climbs Casner Mountain from near Sycamore Pass, southwest of Sedona, to the top of the Mogollon Rim south of Flagstaff. It is a unique access area because it bisects the Sycamore and Secret Canyon Wilderness areas, which are at times less than 50' apart. The road offers tremendous red rock views, follows a very narrow ridge at times, and is accessible to vehicles by permit only.
The trip will require a minimum of three vehicles, and a maximum of ten. It is stocker friendly, but includes steep uphill switchbacks, so keep an eye your temperatures. We will most likely stop for lunch somewhere on or above the switchbacks. It should take us about two hours to get to the lunch spot. The entire run, from Safeway to the camping spot takes about five hours, depending on how long we stop for lunch and any side roads we take.
If you get gas in Sedona, I do not suggest you fill your tank completely. The switchbacks are steep and hot, you run the risk of boiling over, or spilling fuel out the filler overflow.
Camping: The campsite is located south of FR 231. There is not a designated road number for the road to the camping spot. The GPS coordinates are: 34.978315, -111.814385. I will post some CSC signs on FR 231 so you can find your way.
*If the camping site is occupied, I will continue farther down (east) on FR 231 until we find an open site. Look for the signs.
Maps attached. We cannot take the Casner trail back to Sedona on Sunday, we have to go out to 89 or I-17.
