Backyard Trek's, Wickenburg AZ...

Fellow Inmates...

I'm fortunate to have the opportunity to ride in the high-desert around my home in Wickenburg AZ. Usually leave from the shop but occasionally trailer to a starting point. Generally keep rides -100 miles. Always have a camera or three with me and thought I would share some of my li'l rides with you intermittently.
I mostly ride alone so photos may seem somewhat biased toward a street legal Honda xr400 and a chunky, casually attired, slow older guy.
Hope you enjoy my backyard Trek's...

* * * * * * User Name Change, July 2015 no more MEFADV, now AZ Mark


First few images were taken around Easter..










ATOS Mine remains dated March 1940



My kind of Gila Monster... the going away kind !


Look'n back...


Another Day
Constellation Townsite...










Another Day...
Stanton, Octave area






Railroad track trimmed and used for a corner post !




Twisted steel coral on the way to Yarnell...


another by-my-tire photo, Thistle blossom...


on a hill overlooking Yarnell


Damn backlighting... actually a good pix of my face !


Another Day...
Date Creek rd. to the Northern entrance to the Ruger Ranch. This large ranch was cut into several mini ranches upon Bill Rugers death a few years ago. Most of the lots with fancy fencing etc. are undeveloped. I had intended to peruse through the area but locked gates at the Rail Road tracks derailed my intentions. Did give me a chance to do some exploring in the area... another day!










Another Day...
North of Forepaugh


New cockpit addition Garmin 60cx & 24K Topo. maps... No I'm not an expert with it at this point!



This "deep" dirt tank was nearly at the tree line in January. Kind'a dry here this spring...


Another one of those "near my tire photo's" just could not get my wheel up that high and take the pic at the same time...


This O'l girl had seen much more Majestic days...


This is my one & only closeup of a Saguaro Bloom without using a ladder !





Wheat harvest near Aguila, watched this teenager wheel this $500,000.00 machine like it was his pickup for about 1/2 hour... Remember I'm a Misplaced Farm Boy! Brings back lots of good memories.


Noticed tire was kinda soft when I arrived back at shop !



Not one but two culprits... The slime could not mend the big one because I did not find them soon enough and they got wollered out pretty good. However it did fix the 15 or so smaller holes. Had been loosing 1lb or so a week so was suspicious of a leak. I'm guessing the two were picked up the last day of riding. For my peace-of-mind a new tube was in order, approximately 2300 miles on tube & MT21.

Nice pics.

I spent some timing in that area in Jeeps 10 or so years ago. I've been meaning to go back...

Good stuff i am south of u but. Have ridden a few of these great trails

Nice backyard!

Any pictures of AZ & Honda's can't be beat. Keep em coming

I would sure appreciate an overview map showing the routes you ride. I'm also an Arizona rider but I hesitate setting out across the desert without being absolutely sure of the way in and the way out of an area.....do you have a recommended map?

I like to explore, but i normally explore alone so minimizing the risk is fairly high on my list.

thanks, Mike

I have used a GPS for years... mostly just to tell me where I am. Hopefully I will become proficient with my new GPS and can share some route's.

A good number of my routes are not mapped but any good recreation map should help you out. However you know that tail conditions change with every rain here in AZ, so you really never know what is around the next bend. Locked gates are becoming more of a problem. Gold Rush Miners seem to think that a mining claim allows them to close off total access to the land.

I personally believe a SPOT is a very good insurance policy (my wife agrees) when venturing more than (hot weather) walking distance from civilization. Inexpensive & easy to use, no reason not to have it, period.

A number or ADV riders have passed within a few yards of several of these sights but don't take the time or are reluctant to explore the unknown.

Hey Tom,
Thought I would get a thumbs-up from you...

I feel like a dimwit talking to Mr Obvious, Spot, huh, who wouda ever thought. Gee thanks Mr Obvious.......

I read about Spot a few years ago but never went to the trouble of really doing the research to make a buy. You just solved my main problem with solo desert riding/long distance touring.

In the past I have had a lot of push back from the one who knows because she didn't want me out of touch.....sounds like a problem solved.

thanks, Mike

Love the pics. Keep them coming!

Mike,

This is the message that my wife receives via email (also text) when I push the "Just-checking-in" button on the Spot.

mySpot<?xml:namespace prefix = "o" ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-comfficeffice" /><o></o>
Latitude:34.20403<o></o>
Longitude:-112.73221<o></o>
GPS location Date/Time:05/05/2013 10:27:39 MST <o></o>
<o></o>
Message:Check'n In<o></o>
<o></o>
Click the link below to see where I am located. <o></o>
http://fms.ws/By87E/34.20403N/112.73221W<o></o>
<o></o>
If the above link does not work, try this link: <o></o>
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=34.20403,-112.73221&ll=34.20403,-112.73221&ie=UTF8&z=12&om=1 <o></o>
<o></o>
mySpot<o></o>
<o></o>
You have received this message because mySpot has added you to their SPOT contact list.<o></o>

This location is just above the twisted wire corral in the pic's.
As I said before it is easy peace of mind for those at home and yourself !
I also use them as reference points for things of interest that I may want to view latter on a map.
Mark

Mark

I've spent the last day and a half reading everyting I can find and am ready to pull the trigger. I found that the Gen3 Spot is about to be released, but it looks to me like the Spot 2 will do what I need just as well for around $100....or $50 less than the Gen3. Of course the argument could easily be made to buy the latest stuff, for $50 why not get the latest technology? Looks like I need to subscribe to tracks and medevac as well to really get the full meal deal. Am I reading this all correctly? Like you said, not very expensive for the peace of mind it will give the little lady and me as well in case my bike takes a shit in the middle of the desert and need help.

Thanks again, Mr Obvious, you're a lifesaver.......

Mike

Mike - - - I do not pretend to be an expert with the SPOT but only know what I have and what works for me. I hope you would never have to use the lifesaver part but if you do I'm glad to have been of assistance.

Not certain what generation mine is but I think it's second... It is always fast to transmit and battery life is excellent, so that's all I can ask for.

I have the basic service $106.00 + - with tax. Then I also signed up for the "Spot adventures", no fee, allows you to record your entries. If you do not use some sort of recording system they will go away in a few days.

The extra fee that will track your progress will lay a spot at designated intervals and I did not need or want that option.

My total fee for a year is the $106.00 give or take a few cents. I got my SPOT on sale at Cabela's for $49.99 with a $50.00 rebate toward activation. Then just ordered a RAM mount & I was good to go.

Hope this helps...

Another Day....

A morning trip out West beginning near Black Mountain & looping back. 6 miles of blacktop until the first wire gap. There was about 2 miles of dirt overlap near the end of this loop. Remainder mostly 2-track & about 10 miles of cattle track, 1 mile (30 minutes), could be considered the Adventure part of the day, free-riding through Mesquite thickets and the ditches of the upper Sols Wash. Could have followed the wrong cattle track in that thicket... not lost just confused ! ! !







Stumbled on this near one of the dirt tanks, has not moved for some time... Notice the rear sloping exhaust pipes, obviously designed for speed!


EIMCO Tractor, Fully Tracked, Low Speed, Only 43,600 lbs. Shipped 12, 1965, Salt Lake City UT


General Motors, Some of these GM diesels sounded like a Jet-engine... Oliver tractors used a 6 cyl. Jimmy Diesel in their larger models in the early 1960s.


A cool drink in the shade around a dry dirt-tank. Yes it is dry in AZ...

Hope your next ride is an adventure!

Another Day...

Took a couple hours this Morning and made a trek to the Box Canyon of the Hassayampa River. Just about 6 miles as the crow-flies from my front door!


Early Morning that is the Sun reflecting on my helmet.


Jumping Cholla ! :eek1 :eek1 :eek1 To be avoided at all times. This was almost toooo close.






Dropping into the dry riverbed...


Not sure if I ran over this snake or not but you can see by the tracks he expedited his getaway... Pretty li'l King Snake !


First water... down-stream approach


The Box...


Looking downstream... The tube-thingy with the antenna registers the flow of the river. Warning for flash-floods downstream!


Hole all the way across near the up-stream end of the box. Approximately 3' deep in the center and no quick-sand this time of year


Loop'n home... Vulture Peak between the Saguaro's...

Hope you enjoyed my morning ride

Great report. Keep them coming

Looks like a great place to live and ride!

Great photo's too

We used to ride out of wilhoit over to the hassayampa. Been a long while but have you ever seen that beat up yellow subaru brat out in the back country?

Really do not remember a yellow Subaru brat...

However I do remember traveling on, what I considered, a somewhat difficult 2-track one day. Was taking a break under a shady Mesquite and having a young man in a older model Ford LTD come bouncing to a stop to ask me for directions. He had missed the turn to the Williams Ranch (a very difficult trip in a sedan) and knew he was somewhat lost and quite glad to see me. Told me he had ripped a sidewall an hour earlier and was now without a spare, had plenty of water and some snacks. I pointed him in the right direction even made him a map with each turn. Showed him a couple of hills where he could get phone reception and wished him luck.

Ya never know what you may see roaming the hills in my "back-yard"

Another time.... Here we go again! Are you getting tired of these Li'l reports yet?

Summer is upon us here in the Great Southwestern Deserts! Usually leaving about 6am, temp in the high 60s and before my return before 10am it hits mid 90s.



Eagle Eye Mountain, near Aguila, view from the South. See the opening in the mountain along side the Saguaro. (tried to hide the powerline towers behind the cactus, did not work) !



Little closer view, that XR4 is a pic/bitch always in the way...



See... XR4 in the pic again



A cool drink in the shade of an Iron Wood tree... before heading home!



Haul'n Ass home as the temps are a rise'n. Not an easy shot with a hand-held camera, took about a dozen shots this is the only one that is useable.

Hope ya enjoyed the trip.