One word solves both – Prerun (although according to spell check, that’s not even technically a word)
Team Yellow and I decided to guinea pig this one and get some times and conditions penned down along with some reference pics.
Spare Tire Canyon Prerun 3-13-2010
Drive Time: leisurely 1.5 hrs
Trail Length: 8mi (+3 down Camp Creek to the Verde River)
Trail Rating: 3.0+
Trail Description:
1/3 wash with 3 short rock gardens
Moab-esc fin up and out with loose dirt climb – 1000ft straight up in 1/10th mile
1/3 ridgeline view – standard dirt trail
Moderate descent with a few short steep drops towards the bottom
1/3 wash – tight (74 and 3/8" in) with pinstriping
This time of year it’s not hard to convince Jeepers to get out. The desert is blanketed green, the flowers are popping out, and the AZ weather is trying to trick us into thinking its going to give us a spring after all. That narrow window of 75-95 degrees is so fleeting.
We started out off the Bartlett Dam Rd entrance and aired down for some comfort. The large boulder was still there marking the first obstacle. While setting up the sway bar and pressure, we took a little extra time to destack the hole on the other side. It didn’t change too much, just made it a little more tippy towards the rock as a higher path was sought out.
For the most part, the rest of the wash is just a sandy course with a few parts offering some rock top challenges. Stay on top of highest ones and clearance won’t be too much of a problem. We went slower than necessary, taking in the atypical desert color and looking for animals. There were plenty of tracks in the sand and while discussing how many animals were probably watching us from a distance, an unusual sight was seen framed against the blue sky. I’ve seen plenty of small scrawny shaped mule deer in random desert settings but had never seen a rack like what we saw breaking through the vegetation from the hill on our right. We returned the curious look back at the 4pt (each side) staring at us, until he finally turned and passed out of view behind a rock, only to emerge as 5 white tails, each with their own rack. They stuck around for a little while and then finished running up and over the hill out of view.
We continued on and then hit the up and over hill. This hill did it without any apologizing switchbacks or warm-up. It was a straight shot 1000ft up in under 1/10th of a mile on loose rock and dirt. The fact that it was basically a fin with a drop on either side added to the S-factor, but once up, the trail tamed down to 2wd two track. We kept climbing a bit until the other side came into view. Snowy Four Peaks and the fountain at FH could be seen framed by the Jeep roll bars. We saw more flowers and birds as we descended down. Towards the last dip into the next canyon, there were a few washed out shelves that the rear bumper kissed a bit but no hang ups.
In the next wash things started out wide enough and then the walls stated creeping in slow enough not to notice the embedded rock nubs sticking out closer. Eventually the wall whittled down to axle width and the tires rubbed on both sides. A little side climb was necessary to beat the squeeze but the near straight walls didn’t allow too much cheating without some sacrificial roof paint letting. The Yellowsub made it through fine but once you're past that squeeze, there is about a ¼ mile of no turnarounds to speak of. There’s hardly even enough room for a person to squeeze by the vehicle. It opened up eventually and gave way to some hungry paint plants until dumping us out onto Camp Creek’s 11 Mile Wash.
The photog’s piled back in and we cruised down to the Verde. About 1.5 miles before the end the fenderless tires started kicking up some wetness as spring water made small channels flowing downstream. Before the river we tried out (and Silversides made) one of the harder routes up to the left to get to the Needle Rock overlook area. We parked for pics and then drove down to the less crowded side (zero people compared to 30- all with unrestricted ATV exhaust by the sound of it) for some fishing and sun. The fishing posed a problem anywhere it seemed since the water was still flowing way too quickly, taking the line out of your hand as fast the rapids could get it. We gave up eventually after getting out feet wet and our tan on, and exited out Camp Creek Rd to Rio Verde.
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Staying on top of the rocks
What the what?
The hill
Successful look down
The green on top
Nothing special but nice views
Canyon 2
Starting to close in
Having to use the wall as the canyon width has become narrower than the tires.
Camp Creek (11 Mile) Wash
One optional climb (there are over 4 of them)
Jonathan chose the Hells Gate version
On top nearing the overlook
Overlooking
Uh-oh
Going down to the water
