Sky Island Adventures in the Chiricahua Mountains

[Stepmurr]

I spent last weekend exploring southeastern Arizona.

First trail was #S18 in the Massey & Wilson book. Mule Mountain trail is listed as a "2", but it should be a 0. The short graded dirt road leads up to the comm towers above Bisbee. At the top of the mountain there is an even shorter road shown on the map in the book as "Campsite". This at least had a three foot tall rock ledge to climb so I actually put the Taco into 4wd.

The views from the mountain are spectacular and is worth the drive if you are in the area.

Looking down into Bisbee

The only 4wd portion - a three foot tall ledge

Campsite with (I think) Douglas in the background

The pit at Bisbee - I hope the EPA never gets put in charge of the liquid at the bottom

 

[mtkreitz]

What's the blanket on the hood for?

 

[Stepmurr]

Next day I started on trail #S19 from the book. Tex Canyon trail is rated correctly as a "1", but the side roads off FR74 are verrrry interesting!

The East side of Tex Canyon road (FR 74) starts out in barren grasslands but watch out fer dem "LOOSE CATTLE"

Great signage

Go in armed & dangerous!

This sign is quite misleading - FR 719 goes less than two miles and ends at the Wilderness boundary

This was a great 4wd trail even if it was very short

 

[Stepmurr]

What's the blanket on the hood for?

Engine warm, blanket wet from afternoon downpour, makes great passive dryer

 

[Stepmurr]

Trail end

More washouts

Big fruit on the Yuccas

 

[Stepmurr]

Next side trip was up FR 74A to Rucker camp.

More great signage

There was a dam constructed of three Jersey barriers - one washed away

Great views

Small display of rust at Rucker camp

 

[Stepmurr]

FR 628 was a great 4wd trail.

Many creek crossings and fallen trees

This tree looked to be a show-stopper. There was a major fire in 1994 but there are still many dead & dying trees that are still standing - this one wasn't!

 

[Stepmurr]

I knew I couldn't get over or around this tree, but I had time on my hands and a winch handy, so I attempted to do a little log pullin'

Trail cleared!

 

[Stepmurr]

More Crick crossins

Trail ends at Wilderness boundary (again)

Campsite for the night

So much rain allowed weeds & grass to grow taller than my hood and totally obscured some of the trail

 

[Stepmurr]

Road still clear the next morning!

The trail to the left (FR 4242) was short and uneventful - the trail to the right (FR 4248 to FR 718) was great!

The view was great - very tranquil

As I climbed this rise I couldn't see over the hood so I stopped and checked due to the many washouts I had encountered in this area. I never expected that I was on a cliff! This doesn't seem to be a road that will be open for very much longer with this much erosion.

Just past the cliff I found I would have to make a pond crossing to continue on the trail. I have crossed many streams and a few rivers but never a pond!

 

[Stepmurr]

The trail quickly deteriorated after the pond. It was so overgrown and washed out I had to stop and look for the trail a few times, and at one point was convinced I had driven down the wrong wash, but eventually made it down to FR 74 again.

Great trail!

A bee & beetle fighting over a juicy flower

FR 74 is a nice easy road that any passenger car can travel. The 4wd fun is on all the side roads. This is the western end of FR74 back down in the grasslands.

 

[Stepmurr]

Next stop was Chiricahua National Monument

Pretty rocks

 

[BrotherRob]

Next day I started on trail #S19 from the book. Tex Canyon trail is rated correctly as a "1", but the side roads off FR74 are verrrry interesting!

The East side of Tex Canyon road (FR 74) starts out in barren grasslands but watch out fer dem "LOOSE CATTLE"
View attachment 1122468

Great signage
View attachment 1122469

Go in armed & dangerous!
View attachment 1122470

This sign is quite misleading - FR 719 goes less than two miles and ends at the Wilderness boundary
View attachment 1122471

This was a great 4wd trail even if it was very short
View attachment 1122472

So how loose were the cows?

 

[BrotherRob]

I knew I couldn't get over or around this tree, but I had time on my hands and a winch handy, so I attempted to do a little log pullin'
View attachment 1122486 View attachment 1122487 View attachment 1122488

View attachment 1122489

Trail cleared!
View attachment 1122490

Who brought the chainsaw eh?

 

[Stepmurr]

I saw this neat Benz at one of the parking spots - Foreign plates & all:

I had attempted to go on Massey & Wilson's trail #S22 Pine Canyon, but my Garmin told me the start of the trail was at this ranch. I thought the GPS was wrong so I continued on to #S20, Pine Canyon trail. Later I re-read the book and found that Oak Ranch might have let me through.

 

[Stepmurr]

Who brought the chainsaw eh?

No saw needed - note in the first picture the log was cracked. The first pull was at a right angle to the crack & the tree parted!

 

[BrotherRob]

No saw needed - note in the first picture the log was cracked. The first pull was at a right angle to the crack & the tree parted!

You had to be there. One of the Moab trips, we encountered a downed tree. The Canadians expected that the guys from Arizona would have a chainsaw as standard equipment. When asked why they didn't bring one, they said "we were headed to the desert, we didn't think we'd need it."

 

[Stepmurr]

Pinery Canyon was another smooth road rated a "1", but it led to trail #S21 Hands Pass trail which the book rated a "6".

Hands Pass is FR 356 and the Coronado Forest Service MVUM shows the road as open. Unfortunately "Marcus" from Sky Island Retreat closed the road. Next time I'm in the area I'll try the trail from the Eastern end.

Thanks a lot Marcus!

 

[Stepmurr]

Next trail attempted was FR 4262 to Silver Prince Mine.

I got a little ways in and hit a six foot deep washout. There was a bypass (kinda) but it was so steep and close to the thirty foot dropoff into the crick that I chickened out. Maybe another time with company.

Another interesting pond with a weird algae bloom (or mining waste)

 

[Stepmurr]

Next trail was by far the hardest of the weekend - FR 709. Also short but very washed out and overgrown.

Final campsite near the end of FR 709 - ready for the evening's rainstorm!

Always leave a clean campsite

Lockers mandatory on this trail! I actually had two wheels airborne but the truck shifted when I got out for poser pics.

Hey! This tree wasn't here last night!

Glad it didn't fall on me.

Final stop at Fort Bowie