Pappy on a snippet of the AZ Peace Trail (1 Viewer)

[pappy]

I had to make a run to Quartzite, AZ over the weekend to meet some old Coachella Valley friends. While there, I did two days on a tiny piece of the AZ Peace Trail. This is a 675 mile loop trail, and I did the east branch from I-10 (~Quartzite) to I-40 (Kingman). I also did a short section south of I-10 looking for a campsite. Total, I was two days on the trail.

Like the BDRs, it was a mix of county roads and off-road. For the first day I didn't need 4WD, but I did spend most of the time in low range. It was mostly twisty, lumpy, narrow trail through Sonoran Desert scrub. The second day was over the Haulapai Mountains, and I did need 4WD for that bit. The first half of the Haulapai trail was very eroded, and at times very steep. After dumping out at Yucca, AZ the trail over the mountain was a graded road, marked "Caution Steep Grades, 4WD vehicles recommended." They were not kidding. The road surface was fine, but extremely steep in places.

A few pics.

Camp south of I-10 on the AZPT before meeting friends in Quartzite.

Not on the AZPT. I took a detour to Quartzite through the Kofa Mountains since I didn't need to be in town until 11:30.

This section, while labeled "primitive," was not. This was the road from I-10 to Salome.

Camp second night, almost to Salome.

 

[pappy]

On the AZPT just south of Salome.

North of Salome.

 

[pappy]

Riddles along the trail. While the BDR target user is adventure motos, the AZPT is side-by-sides.

I think this was just past Alamo Lake, the worst part of the weekend.

 

[pappy]

Old iron along the trail in the mountains.

Sign before climbing part 2 of the Haulapai Mountains.

Ya, it was stupid steep, and the travel was slow.

 

[donj51]

Old iron along the trail in the mountains.

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Sign before climbing part 2 of the Haulapai Mountains.

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Ya, it was stupid steep, and the travel was slow.

View attachment 2904796

 

[alia176]

Super nice trip dude but next time, I'm going to need to crash it....

 

[pappy]

Super nice trip dude but next time, I'm going to need to crash it....

Bring it. Lots of trail left to explore.

 

[Poupon]

Love the report and pix. Arizona Peace Trail.... let me write that down.

 

[Chompers]

Thanks for the trip report and awesome pics. Coincidently, my practice marriage wife is from Salome. I spent some time exploring around that desert, it can be beautiful. But jeez, I've never seen so dang many rattlers.

 

[BryanH]

Nice! Love me some AZ..

 

[krazykat69]

Never been in that area, except pavement. Thanks for the pics and report. Glad you made time for this

 

[vegasfj40]

So that trail leads up the back side of hualapai and in to Kingman?

 

[pappy]

So that trail leads up the back side of hualapai and in to Kingman?

Yes. It sort of starts over by Wikieup, dumps out a Yucca, AZ, then goes north over the mountain through Hualapai State Park into Kingman.

 

[pappy]

Back from Part 2 of the AZ Peace Trail. I started on I-10 east of Quartzite and went south to I-8 east of Yuma. The trail then goes west towards Yuma, then more or less next to the Colorado River back to Quartzite.

Most of the trail was 2WD easy. The section south was typical low desert. Sparse, desolate, lots of desert pavement. I loved it. Sometimes I used 2Lo, but there was nothing hard. Once I made it all the way south the trail followed power lines and the road sucked. At one point I finally had enough and detoured south to a better road that paralleled train tracks. When the trail finally turned north it went through a gated community, then back on dirt. This section was the worst. Very chewed up by the UTVs. Braided with tracks everywhere. Washboard, moguls, and just annoying. I didn't follow the AZPT exactly, but I certainly kept with the spirt of the trail. The further I drove away from Yuma, the better the trail got. There were nice stretches alongside and through the Yuma Proving Grounds, Imperial Wildlife Refuge, and the Cibola Wildlife Refuge.

After driving north out of the Yuma Range the trail went east towards Quartzite. It looked sketchy on the map. It was. The trail went through a notch between Sawtooth Mtn and Cunningham Mtn. I'm glad I didn't click on the waypoints until I finished this section. The trail was labeled the "Good, Bad, and Ugly." It lived up to the name. Bottom line ... I should not have been on this section of trail solo. It was stupid, especially without somebody to spot. I almost made it all the way through unscathed. On the very last obstacle I hung up my rear axle. What I needed to do was back up and take another line. But, without a spotter it was too sketchy. So, I pull rope, strapped to a palo verde tree, and winched off the rock. I also did this trail without rocker protection. I sold my nerf bars and was supposed to get sliders welded on before I left.

Which leads me to the only bit of carnage. Before I left I had to replace the speedometer cable. To do that I needed to remove the ARB switches from the dash. When I put the switches back in I wired them upside down. Right when I needed the locker the most it didn't work. After making the climb through the Good, Bad, and Ugly I stopped for lunch and fixed the switches.

Ocotillo. Typical low desert.

On the trail.

Meet Bob.

Colorado River.

Endless desert pavement.

​

 

[pappy]

More pics.

Colorado River.

Wanna go boom?

That a'way.

 

[pappy]

More.

A sign.

More ocotillo.

This is what the Good, Bad, and Ugly looked like a the bottom.

Should have been a sign.

I should have taken more pictures. This was nothing compared to what was ahead.

 

[evanz80]

As usual, great pictures! Thanks for the commentary as well. Looks a little similar to Baja down there, no surprise. Glad you made it back to civilization in one piece.