Prescott National Forest - Overland Adventure and Camping - Sept 26-27

 

Calamity Jane at the Campsite

As usual, Paul and I were wanting to get out of the house - work has been hectic, the temperatures were finally dropping (although as I type this, they are back up again).  And Paul has convinced me to go camping again.  

Now - I used to hike, backpack and camp all over.  But not for a very long time have I done any of that regularly.  I'm not a "pee in the woods" kinda gal.  However, without getting into much detail - there are all kinds of things out there now to make life more comfortable for a girl while camping - as well as comfortable sleeping pads, etc.  So I let Paul talk me into it.  We had to take Calamity Jane because Lewis & Clark is in the body shop.  I had no idea how much I would love it!

Boiler at the Logan Mine

I've recently been active with a group - Arizona Backcountry Explorers - who has a private group to which I belong.  An overland trip up in the Prescott National Forest has been planned for a month or so, and Paul and I both had the weekend off - so we decided to go.  Kevin from Arizona Backcountry Explorers was the only other person to go on this exploratory trip - and what a great couple of days it was!  Paul knew Kevin from some previous outings, and he was just our type of person to overland with - an eat-on-the-road, push it until we're done kinda guy!

Saturday started out a bit of a mess.  Kevin was running late and I forgot a sweatshirt - and we knew it was going to be cold.  We were supposed to meet at Cordes Junction, but because Kevin was late, we stopped in Rocksprings to look for a sweatshirt.  No go - so back to Anthem we went, where I got an awesome fleece lined flannel jacket and a long sleeve thermal top.  Back in the truck we hop - and the north-bound traffic has hit.  

Scenery and Building
at Logan Mine

We finally make it to Cordes Junction - use the facilities, purchase some trash bags (because I forgot them), and as we were waiting for Kevin to arrive, we noticed another Black Cherry Pearl FJ Cruiser with an AZFJ sticker on it...  Paul and I are not-so-subtly staring at it wondering who it belongs to.  We are completely stumped, because the driver looks like Bryan Glider, but it isn't Bryan's ride.  Well, as it turns out, it IS Bryan - and the FJ is his lady's FJ - Kelly.  So as Kevin arrives and fixes his tire, we chat with Bryan and Kelly - laughing about what a small world it really is...

So after an almost 2 hour delayed start, we start heading up to the 169 off the I-17.  I'm just chatting up a storm to Paul (who is driving) and I'm not paying attention to the fact that Kevin blew past the exit and just kept going.  We get off on General Crook Trail and I realize what we've done, so back to the 169 we go.  Just after we exit the 169, we turn off on a dirt trail that heads north - a road with no Forest Route designation - just a dirt road heading north.  We air down, and head off.  We bounce along on a heavily rutted road until we get to a spot with very, very deep ruts and a bunch of sand.  And the truck slides.  Into the ruts.  And we are high centered and stuck.  We radio to Kevin, who backs back down to assist in yanking us out.  I hopped out to video it...

After getting yanked out by Kevin, we are off again, and Paul tells me what once I get the new shocks and lift on, that won't happen.  We talk about how we don't really worry about that stuff when we take Lewis & Clark because she's all grown up and lifted...

Stunning Views at Logan Mine

Next up is the Logan Mine (Copper and Gold) - an underground mine with a single 600 foot shaft.  The Logan Mine is about 2 miles southwest of Cherry, and was opened for the second time in 1922.  By 1934, the Logan Mine was idle and has not been reopened since.  The site had a small mill along with other buildings.  We stopped to poke around - lots of brick, and old boiler completely encased in concrete, one old building, and tons of mining trash...and lots of nails!

We explored for a bit, had a brief snack, and decided to keep heading up the road.  It was starting to get warm, but being completely buried in the mountains without another soul around except us was wonderful!

As we continued heading up the road towards Cherry, we came upon a gate - which was, of course, locked and said no trespassing.  We could see the town of Cherry from here - and had less than a quarter mile until we were there, but we had to turn around, go back through the Logan Mine area, back through where we got stuck, and down to a more frequently used route that ended up on a paved road for a short time until we entered the town of Cherry from the paved route.  

Old Building at Logan Mine

We drove into and around Cherry briefly, then found our route again and started to head north into the forest again -  no more nasty rock climbing or rutted roads, now we just had absolutely stunning views and occasional stops to check out something I had found on Google Earth - like the Brindle Pup Mine.  

At the Brindle Pup (Iron, Lead and Zinc), there was a gate, but it was open, so we went in, parked the trucks, and walked around.  Lots of mining trash, and a cabin - with a toilet, beds, and a can of stewed tomatoes (eww).  We never did find the mine proper, but based on the topographical maps that Kevin and I both had, we knew there was an adit, and at least two other possible pit mines on the side of the mountain that the Brindle Pup mine was on.  

Trash at the Brindle Pup

Someone took a great deal of time around the Brindle Pup mine housing - there are rock lined pathways, benches, planted trees, and more.  It was quite beautiful up there - and we all agreed it would be a beautiful place to live.  AND - we all had service on top of that little mountain as well!  We found an area where they were clearly processing ore as there was a water tank, and some other mining trash lying around.  

But - it's already afternoon and we aren't even a third of the way into our route for the day, so we are off and headed up towards Mingus Mountain and the color changing trees!  What a stunning afternoon of overland driving - all dirt, sometimes shelf roads, but all of it gorgeous.

We dropped down into Cottonwood and determined that the route originally plotted would not work, so we drove up through Jerome - which I haven't been to in at least 25 years - drove through Jerome, and then headed out Perkinsville Road - another long but wide shelf road.  At this point, the sun is starting to go down, and we are all wanting to find a camp site.  Kevin wanted to watch the sun set, and Paul and I wanted some daylight to set up the tent.  

Moon over the Campsite at Sunset

After crossing the Verde, we drove north on FR354 until we found a high, flat place to set up camp, and within minutes, both trucks are parked, tent is up, and we are all sitting back in our chairs having some dinner (bourbon marinated burgers with sautéed mushrooms) and drinks (peanut butter whiskey anyone?), and just talking about trips, what we want to do in the future, and the next day's adventure.  

We turn in relatively early - Kevin sleeping in his truck, Paul and I in the tent - the overnight temperature was in the high 40's, but we were toasty warm in the tent - and surprisingly comfortable on the pump up sleeping pads Paul had.  Just as soon as we got settled in to go to sleep, we start hearing something around the tent - and I immediately think that the coyotes we'd been hearing all night calling to one another were around.  It took a good 20 minutes before I realized it was the big miller bug (aka "Moth") that was flying around in the tent when we went to bed.  He was flittering around the top of the tent trying to get out, but because it was so incredibly quiet, it sounded like something was walking around outside...

I slept incredibly well all snuggled down in the cold - and as usual, Paul and I both woke up around 4 am or so (our regular waking time) and just dozed on and off waiting for the sun to come up (at 6am or so).  After the sun came up, Paul and I got up, made breakfast (biscuits and gravy for me!!!), and lazed around in the cool morning air.  Once Kevin was up and we had all eaten, we decided to hit the trail, so we took down the tent, packed up the trucks, and we were off headed to Sycamore Point, which was our intended camp site - and was 14 miles away.  

Paul drove in the morning, and while there were no obstacles, it was VERY rocky on the road to Sycamore Point.  We passed some large quarries along the way, with some beautiful rocky areas - in fact the only area that I took a video of Calamity Jane doing even the smallest bit of climbing.  

Once we arrived, the views were stunning overlooking Sycamore Canyon.  Paul and I were amused by the fact that not very many weeks ago, we were on the other side of the canyon at Winter Cabin - less than 3 miles from where we were at Sycamore Point, and the Buck Ridge cabins were directly across from us!  

AZBackRoadsGirl and Paul at Sycamore Point

As we head out of Sycamore Point, I mentioned that I wanted to see the JD Cabin and grave at Sunflower Flats, so we make a small detour to this really cool cabin, owned by James Douglas (1820-1884).  Also at the JD Cabin, which looks a bit newer than 1884, is an old bunkhouse which had several rooms (the floors are collapsing) and above the main cabin is a log cabin which has fallen down and is quickly becoming part of the forest again.  As we explored this gorgeous old cabin and surroundings, I decide to head over to the grave - which we quickly found.  James Douglas ("JD") has a headstone there, but I understand his wife is also buried here, without a headstone or memorial marker.  These are the places I love to visit - old cabins, old graves, pioneer history in the middle of nowhere.  The JD Cabin is in one of the most beautiful settings in Arizona - it overlooks a flowered meadow and is surrounded by huge pine trees - absolutely stunning - I could live there without any hesitation.  

James "JD" Douglas Cabin/Homestead

As we leave JD Cabin, I take over the driving - I thought we were done with any crazy off road driving and that I wouldn't even have to be it in to low to do anything on the way out to Oak Creek.  Boy was I wrong.

As we head South on FR527, everything seems nice and easy - wide graded roads...then we hit the 527A to the 236A.  I'm pretty sure this is some torture route that is used to shake the truth out of people.  The 527A was rough in that it was very heavily rutted, and because of this, we had to take it slow.  As we headed around Casner Tank and down towards the 236A (which is a road Paul and I have been on before), Kevin radios that he would like to go to the 
overlooks near Kelsey Spring.  Paul and I decide to forego the overlooks as we've already been to many of them in the Sycamore Canyon wilderness area, and we head out.

James "JD" Douglas' Grave Site

The road was long, and at times trying - but we made it.  We stopped at Chileen's for dinner, and then headed home to unpack and get ready for work the next day.  We had a wonderful time - Paul got to go camping, I realized that I still enjoy it, and we are making plans for more over night adventures!

Leaves Changing Colors on Mingus Mountain