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- #21
I was counting on seeing the new travel Hilton that Rudy has
Planning a trip up to Strawberry
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Anyone else headed down from Flag?
@Saddletramp, what will the meeting place and time be for those of us joining from Norte AZ?
@Saddletramp, what will the meeting place and time be for those of us joining from Norte AZ?
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- #23
If anyone is coming from up north, we will meet at 10 AM in Pine, AZ. We will stop in the parking lot of the Ponderosa Market on the east side of the road. This will be the last place for food or ice. This is a rough guess on time but we should plan on departing the parking lot by no later than 10:15.
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- #24
Weather outlook, we will have to keep watching.
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looking like I'll be able to make this one. Not coming from Flag but will be headed down 87.
It will be even cooler on top of the rim. If I do camp I need to head out early to get back north to pick up my car hauler. Not sure if the trail is car hauler friendly.
Maybe I will bring it to the meet if I am ambitious enough
I like high country thunderstorms, except when we stop for the night. Will bring the rainfly
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- #28
I am very happy to hear the rain at night after I get in bed. Rain chance Saturday night dropped to 50%.
Living in the past, looking forward to seeing you at the Ponderosa Market
Living in the past, looking forward to seeing you at the Ponderosa Market
Chance of precipitation is down to 50/40% Sat/Sun respectively
No worries
No worries
I'm in, no RTT and planning to sleep in the truck. This ROTM organizer has recommended a simple and effective method for sleeping in your truck by removing one of the 2nd row seats and I want to try this out. Can't let a little rain spoil the trip plans,
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With rain in the forecast, I'll be sleeping in the truck also.
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My wife took tomorrow off so I can get a earlier start getting up north. Should be in for camping. She checked the Weather channel's site for Happy Jack. They showed 80% chance for both Friday and Saturday. Accu weather was around 50% .
If it rains a bunch Friday could make for a muddy trail.
@Pitch (Eric) are you coming? When I lived where you are at in the early seventies getting to Lake Mary Rd meant going across interstate 40 going down Santa Fe thru town to get there. Then to Butler and cut down east of NAU and come out by where Game and Fish is. I know you can cut south of the freeway now but is there a better way to get to Lake Mary Rd now? Back then probably quicker to head to Winslow and head south on 87.
If it rains a bunch Friday could make for a muddy trail.@Pitch (Eric) are you coming? When I lived where you are at in the early seventies getting to Lake Mary Rd meant going across interstate 40 going down Santa Fe thru town to get there. Then to Butler and cut down east of NAU and come out by where Game and Fish is. I know you can cut south of the freeway now but is there a better way to get to Lake Mary Rd now? Back then probably quicker to head to Winslow and head south on 87.
Strawberry Grade. Been there; dun that, a few months ago.
Good news: it is a great easy trail with lots of historic value.
Bad news: this trail (also known as the 608 trail) was closed by executive order in 2001 . It was decommissioned into a hiking trail. T is closed in both the Tonto and the Coco.
More good news: there many locals who do not agree with this decision and they have ignored the closure. Rim Country 4 wheelers and TRAL ran this recently to evaluate the Trail and to create a digital record to be used for proposing reclassification as an open full sized motorized trail. This will be a long process as it involves 2 different Forests. Coco TM is done but Tonto is not. This trail status can't be changed until after Tonto gets it done. We really want this trail opened back up legally, but it will take a lot of time and effort.
More bad news: the Coco has just recently released a new 2015 map. It still shows the top portion of 608 as closed. It also indicates all legal dispersed camping areas, including details of which side of the road is open for camping. Many of the really neat overlooks are NOT indicated as open for camping. Have NO idea what the heck they are thing!! That's what everyone goes up there for is THE VIEWS!!!
The last of the news: the new 2015 Coco Forest map is not only available online, it is downloadable so you can put it on your phone, tablet, computer, GPS device and carry it along to navigate with.
LINK:
Coconino National Forest - Projects
Good news: it is a great easy trail with lots of historic value.
Bad news: this trail (also known as the 608 trail) was closed by executive order in 2001 . It was decommissioned into a hiking trail. T is closed in both the Tonto and the Coco.
More good news: there many locals who do not agree with this decision and they have ignored the closure. Rim Country 4 wheelers and TRAL ran this recently to evaluate the Trail and to create a digital record to be used for proposing reclassification as an open full sized motorized trail. This will be a long process as it involves 2 different Forests. Coco TM is done but Tonto is not. This trail status can't be changed until after Tonto gets it done. We really want this trail opened back up legally, but it will take a lot of time and effort.
More bad news: the Coco has just recently released a new 2015 map. It still shows the top portion of 608 as closed. It also indicates all legal dispersed camping areas, including details of which side of the road is open for camping. Many of the really neat overlooks are NOT indicated as open for camping. Have NO idea what the heck they are thing!! That's what everyone goes up there for is THE VIEWS!!!
The last of the news: the new 2015 Coco Forest map is not only available online, it is downloadable so you can put it on your phone, tablet, computer, GPS device and carry it along to navigate with.
LINK:
Coconino National Forest - Projects
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Thanks John for all the good info !!!!!!!!!!
Inkpot just mentioned what I was thinking, is this a legal trail? So much of the Coco has been shut down 
. We can pack saws and rifles and say we are hunting or woodcutting to make it legal, right?
I can grab some Coconino TM maps if others are interested in them. I have had one since after the May ROTM.
@Living in the Past , Butler to Lone Tree to John Wesley Powell to Lake Mary Rd (forest hwy 3) is my route. Then pick up 87 in Clint's Well.
. We can pack saws and rifles and say we are hunting or woodcutting to make it legal, right?I can grab some Coconino TM maps if others are interested in them. I have had one since after the May ROTM.
@Living in the Past , Butler to Lone Tree to John Wesley Powell to Lake Mary Rd (forest hwy 3) is my route. Then pick up 87 in Clint's Well.
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Why am I not surprised. While I haven't looked that far down 87 for a route up the rim on dirt I remember not finding anything along the 300. Wonder if the route Pitch went up from the Dry Beaver Creek/ Bull Pen area up to the top of the rim is illegal as well. It does make sense that this road and the road from Strawberry to Fossil Creek are closed. Doesn't take much more than a half a hour for me to get to those.
Inkpot just mentioned what I was thinking, is this a legal trail? So much of the Coco has been shut down
I can grab some Coconino TM maps if others are interested in them. I have had one since after the May ROTM.
@Living in the Past , Butler to Lone Tree to John Wesley Powell to Lake Mary Rd (forest hwy 3) is my route. Then pick up 87 in Clint's Well.
Hunting MIGHT work if you have a current license. Don't know about the Coco , but in the Tonto you need a permit to cut firewood and it is only available in certain areas. Either way that does not make it legal to camp in those really neat sites like the lookouts on Milk Ranch Point that are not off limits.
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Inkpot just mentioned what I was thinking, is this a legal trail? So much of the Coco has been shut down
I can grab some Coconino TM maps if others are interested in them. I have had one since after the May ROTM.
@Living in the Past , Butler to Lone Tree to John Wesley Powell to Lake Mary Rd (forest hwy 3) is my route. Then pick up 87 in Clint's Well.
Wood cutting yes hunting no. But that doesn't include scouting to find firewood. Have to do that on foot first. Off road is solely for recovering wood you have cut. Depending on which section of Coconino if you can drive off road to recover game but illegal to drive off the travel map to hunt. The LEO for Coconino forest in that area is not someone you want to have to deal with.
As for route in Flag where do you come out on Forest Highway 3? I remember going thru a subdivision that came out by a small gas station. On Butler you traveled past the old Southwest Forest mill before turning south. Is the route any shorter now?
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Since I have only bad luck probably best I cancel. Like I said the LEO in the that section of the rim country is not somebody you want to have to deal with. Probably head to the rim Saturday morning to see if it's true the leaves went straight from green to brown. Then in the afternoon give my sound system in the garage a good test to see if it's still operating as it should.
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