1. Welcome to Tacoma World!

    You are currently viewing as a guest! To get full-access, you need to register for a FREE account.

    As a registered member, you’ll be able to:
    • Participate in all Tacoma discussion topics
    • Communicate privately with other Tacoma owners from around the world
    • Post your own photos in our Members Gallery
    • Access all special features of the site

3rd Annual AZTW AZBDR

Discussion in 'Trip Reports' started by MR E30, Jun 16, 2021.

  1. Jun 16, 2021 at 3:08 PM
    #1
    MR E30

    MR E30 [OP] Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Oct 22, 2018
    Member:
    #270223
    Messages:
    2,073
    Gender:
    Male
    First Name:
    Michael
    Wherever it's parked
    Vehicle:
    2021 Silver TRD OR DCLB w/ AluCab and All the Mods
    Day 1 –3rd Annual AZTW AZBDR

    With the initial attempt at this trip back in early March 2021 being pushed back due to colder weather, it was finally time to give it a second go, though this time we would have to contend with the Slate Fire near Slate Mountain. However, we had many, many miles of dirt to cover before we had to cross that bridge.

    This trip is the continuation of the 2nd Annual AZTW AZBDR (you can read all about it here: https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/2nd-annual-aztw-azbdr.655377/) in which a group of Toyota enthusiasts from Arizona travel together to tackle the Arizona Backcountry Discovery Route. We would be picking up where we left off last year, with a few new faces balancing out last years attendees who could not make it this year.

    So, on the 9th of June 2021, I began the process of packing up my trusty 2016 TRDOR in Inferno to take me through the next stages of the Arizona Backcountry Discovery Route.

    This time around, I would pack the truck a bit differently than before.

    You see, Arizona is full of wide-open spaces accessed by dirt roads. Very dry and dusty dirt roads. And my Tacoma does not have a way to protect the items in the bed from all of this dust. Which is plentiful, to say the very least.

    So, I opted to use the space inside the cab to store my gear. And it went a little something like this:

    - Remove backseat bottoms

    - Remove unnecessary camping gear to fit it all inside one Plano bin

    - Strategically place items in floorboards

    - Use seatback organizers to store toiletries and food items.

    This left just the jug of non-potable water and my Canyon Cooler to be strapped down in the bed of the truck. I will say, this layout is much preferred to how I used to do this. I will carry this idea forward, continuing to refine it trip after trip.

    With that out of the way, the 10th of June arrived and Will @Sixthelement and I coordinated food stuffs and storage. We would be working together on the food aspect of the trip as we were starting and ending at the same time and place. So, his Iceco fridge/freezer would house all of the food while my cooler would house all of the beverages.

    At 3:30 Will and I left Overland Flagstaff after the successful return of my 2021 TRDOR from its most recent journey.

    Intros:

    Will @Sixthelement – 2017 Tacoma TRDOR in MGM with a multitude of modifications including 5.29 gears, 34’s, full skids, HC F&R bumpers, etc.

    Mike @MR E30 – 2016 Tacoma TRDOR in Inferno with sliders, front skid, ADD front bumper, and 265/75/R16 Wildpeaks

    Will took the lead for the first portion of the trip, the drive south on Lake Mary Road to Highway 87 through Strawberry and Pine and then into Payson.

    [​IMG]01 - Day 1 - 3rd AZBDR by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

    This part of the drive is up at 7,000+ ft so the trees nicely line the roadway that we were traveling on.

    [​IMG]02 - Day 1 - 3rd AZBDR by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

    The drive into Payson is long, but it was uneventful. Except for the fact that the GMRS (quick side note, these things are AWESOME. If you have CB or are contemplating CB, skip right over that weaksauce and go GMRS. Price is roughly the same, and the license is only $7/year. Seriously. Get this comm style. Well worth it.) channel we chose, 16, is used by a repeater on a mountain near Payson, and 5 or so folks use it as a form of long-form communication with each other. I learned way too much about these 5 people before Will and I finally jumped to Channel 21 and left that chit-chat behind.

    At 5:30 we pulled into a Maverick in Payson to fill up with gas. Will inquires about my gas mileage, a cool 23.1 mpg, and subsequently gives me the finger as his heavy pig barely clocked 20.

    A fellow gas getter inquired about the traction boards on Will’s roof before we pulled out of the station and I took the lead, guiding us toward Cherry Creek Road, a place I had been just 15 months prior.

    The rest of the drive is fairly scenic for Arizona, taking us south near Lake Roosevelt before we swung around its tip and headed north once again.

    There is one noteworthy area I was unable to take a picture of, and that was the bridge that gets you over the lake near the dam that formed Lake Roosevelt.

    At 7:30 we arrived at camp, a spot we came back to after traveling further up the road to unsuccessfully locate another campsite.

    The site offered decent views and nice flat spaces for us to set up camp.

    Will used his Garmin inReach to send our campsites coordinates to Danny @Sapnjack so he and Chris @chrslefty could find us the next morning.

    With that out of the way we set up camp and Will got dinner underway. I had eaten prior to leaving Flagstaff, so I did a little exploring and took some photos as our position on Earth rotated away from the sun’s rays.

    We also didn’t air down for the ~4 miles of dirt road we had traversed to our camp site. The ride was jarring, as the road is in worse shape than it was last year, so I opted to air down, way down, for this trip.

    I usually go to ~22 psi but decided to try 17 psi this time around. Much, much better and I will stick to this, or even lower, for all of my future trips.

    Soft shell and hard shell, both CVT, would give us our places to sleep.

    [​IMG]03 - Day 1 - 3rd AZBDR by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

    Found an old California license plate while looking around. Picked it up and threw it in the trash.

    [​IMG]04 - Day 1 - 3rd AZBDR by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

    Trying my hand at some car themed landscape photography before my truck became insanely dirty.

    [​IMG]05 - Day 1 - 3rd AZBDR by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

    Will getting his awning staked down, as a slight breeze was coming through camp. The awning would prove itself to be a great piece of gear, keeping us out of the early morning sun the following day.

    [​IMG]06 - Day 1 - 3rd AZBDR by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

    Attempting some more photo trickery

    [​IMG]07 - Day 1 - 3rd AZBDR by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

    Will’s setup in the back of his truck. Softtopper, custom bedrack, CVT Mt. Hood (medium width) Iceco fridge/freezer powered off of 300ah Jackary and his really nice ATC gear bags.

    [​IMG]08 - Day 1 - 3rd AZBDR by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

    The night was warm, and this was embraced with open arms. Too many of our camping trips revolve around bundling up as soon as it starts getting dark and then getting as close as possible to the source of heat we all gathered around. Deep into the night I was able to hang out in just shorts and a t-shirt, which I thoroughly enjoyed.

    I have to pick up a set of this GOAT armor. Definitely another handy piece of gear.

    [​IMG]09 - Day 1 - 3rd AZBDR by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

    It was Wills birthday this particular evening, so we wrapped up the day’s travels with some adult beverages, reminiscing about trips and experiences of the past as the night deepened and stars filled the sky.

    There was no fire on this night, as fire restrictions put a halt on a traditional campfire. The night was plenty warm though, so its absence was not even noticed.

    After hours of chit chat we were ready for bed, so we cleaned up camp and headed to our tents, our journey along the AZBDR ready to really begin the following morning.
     
  2. Jun 17, 2021 at 11:06 AM
    #2
    MR E30

    MR E30 [OP] Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Oct 22, 2018
    Member:
    #270223
    Messages:
    2,073
    Gender:
    Male
    First Name:
    Michael
    Wherever it's parked
    Vehicle:
    2021 Silver TRD OR DCLB w/ AluCab and All the Mods
    Day 2 –3rd Annual AZTW AZBDR

    With a relaxed timeline for this second morning, we awoke a bit after the sun, the warmth of the day heating us up quickly, so it wasn’t long before we climbed out of our tents to start cooking breakfast and relaxing.

    We were awaiting the arrival of Danny @Sapnjack and Chris @chrslefty, as they headed to our coordinates from their homes in Phoenix, AZ.

    The sun came up quickly, its rays hitting our skin and letting us know that today would be a rather warm one, especially for two guys who live at 7,000 ft.

    Needless to say, the shade that the extended awning created in this barren landscape was awesome.

    While breakfast was cooking, I had a few visitors from afar.

    The first was a tiny ground bee, clearly exhausted, possibly from old age, possible from lack of water and pollen in the desert. He landed on my arm very lazily and haphazardly and would not be shooed away. Lucky for this tiny little bee, I knew what was up.

    I have learned a lot about bees since I traveled to Hurricane UT back in April of 2019 (wrote my first trip report about that adventure: https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/bees-a-3-day-trip-report.604759/).

    Since that time, there is a functioning beehive in my backyard, with millions of bees tirelessly making delicious honey for me to consume.

    And wouldn’t you know it, I had brought along a small jar of that very honey to share with the group, the literal perfect food for this tiny, struggling creature.

    So, with a bit of gentle coaxing, I was able to get him to notice the honey, which he immediately took to.

    [​IMG]10 - Day 2 - 3rd AZBDR by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

    Watching closely, I could see him devouring the honey, and very quickly his lazy movements began to speed up. When I turned back to him after looking elsewhere, he was gone.

    This would happen two more times this morning, and each time I gently guided the bee to the honey, they ate voraciously, and then they flew away.

    Going to town!

    [​IMG]Untitled by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

    Neat experience.

    Breakfast was a modest affair, consisting of green tea, butter coffee, and 3 hardboiled eggs. Oh, and then Will and I shared 3/4lb of bacon, spiralized sweet potatoes, and 4 more eggs all cooked up in a cast iron skillet. It was delicious, and we agreed that on our upcoming September trip we would be eating like this every morning.

    [​IMG]11 - Day 2 - 3rd AZBDR by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

    Will demonstrating the vibe of the morning, slow and relaxed.

    [​IMG]12 - Day 2 - 3rd AZBDR by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

    Before long, breakfast was served.

    [​IMG]13 - Day 2 - 3rd AZBDR by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

    The time eventually came to pack up camp, which we did with ease.

    [​IMG]14 - Day 2 - 3rd AZBDR by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

    The views around us, impressive.

    [​IMG]15 - Day 2 - 3rd AZBDR by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

    Getting there!

    [​IMG]16 - Day 2 - 3rd AZBDR by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

    At 9:15 we decided to give our GMRS a try to see if we could contact Chris or Danny. To our surprise, despite the fact that they were very far away, we heard Chris loud and clear, and he gave us an update on their location.

    Their estimate of arrival time would have had Will and I sitting around a bit too long, so we opted to head down the road and explore something highlighted on the Gaia GPS we were both running on our iPad’s (another seriously worthwhile investment, this tool is wayyyy too handy to not have around).

    So, we left our site after updating the two travelers about our plan and headed deeper down Cherry Creek Road.

    At the turnoff we were surprised to hear that Danny and Chris had hit dirt and were only ~6 or so miles from us. With this new information Will and I decided to wait for the two of them before exploring the ruins at the end of the 3.7-mile offshoot.

    When they arrived, it was intros between Will and Danny and Chris and ‘Hey, how have you been?’ between Danny, Chris, and I. It’s always nice to put a face to the username on TW.

    More intros:

    Chris @chrslefty – 1st Gen Tacoma on big ol’ tires, fancy looking suspension, with bumpers and an ARE shell on the back.

    Danny @Sapnjack – 2016 Tacoma TRDOR in SSM with Bilstein 5160/6112, 265/75/R16 KO2’s, and armor.

    With the handshakes taken care of, and the heat of the day becoming more oppressive with every passing moment, we didn’t waste any time getting into our Tacomas and hitting the trail.

    I was in second position behind Will, so this was my view:

    [​IMG]17 - Day 2 - 3rd AZBDR by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

    This trail was mildly difficult, especially right towards the end as you have to drive through an area where water rushes down over the rocks, leaving sharp edges and several rocks/boulders to strategically climb over. I wasn’t fully in ‘on-the-go’ photography mode at this point so I didn’t snap any pictures, but I definitely should have.

    After reaching the ‘trailhead’, which was an unmarked, semi-flat area with barely enough room for 4 trucks, we geared up and prepared for the strenuous .15 mile hike ahead of us.

    [​IMG]18 - Day 2 - 3rd AZBDR by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

    Will had Gaia pulled up on his phone, but the trail was easy enough to follow, so the 4 of us made our way down to the creek bed. None of us were quite expecting what we were about to find, but Chris regaled me with the tale of a recent camping gear purchase as we unknowingly walked towards awesomeness.

    [​IMG]19 - Day 2 - 3rd AZBDR by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

    The hike is very easy, if anyone is ever out this way, and just as Danny and Chris were commenting on the flatness of the hike, we rounded a corner and saw a steep climb up to the rock face.

    And what we found at the top was really, really, cool.

    Ruins!

    [​IMG]20 - Day 2 - 3rd AZBDR by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

    What a view these inhabitants had, the landscape all around temporarily forgotten as we respectfully inspected the remains of their homes.

    [​IMG]21 - Day 2 - 3rd AZBDR by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

    3 full rooms were still present, with the remnants of the walls of 4 additional rooms still present in some form.

    Of course, as it always seems in today’s day and age, other visitors were not so respectful, haphazardly carving their names and initials into an exposed floor beam within the largest remaining room. Ggrrr.

    [​IMG]22 - Day 2 - 3rd AZBDR by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

    Frustration aside, we all continued poking around, this place too exciting to remain unfocused for too long.

    [​IMG]23 - Day 2 - 3rd AZBDR by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

    [​IMG]24 - Day 2 - 3rd AZBDR by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

    Mentally ingesting all that we could, we eventually left and made our way back to the trucks and back towards Cherry Creek Road.

    I brought up the rear this time around, so I took my time and snapped some photos of the group. Again, GMRS kept us all in constant contact, basically regardless of distance, so spacing way out was not a problem whatsoever.

    Rolling desert hills. And Tacomas. Each one being it’s own little self-sustaining house on wheels. Just how we like it.

    [​IMG]25 - Day 2 - 3rd AZBDR by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

    [​IMG]26 - Day 2 - 3rd AZBDR by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

    [​IMG]27 - Day 2 - 3rd AZBDR by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

    [​IMG]28 - Day 2 - 3rd AZBDR by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

    [​IMG]29 - Day 2 - 3rd AZBDR by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

    [​IMG]30 - Day 2 - 3rd AZBDR by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

    Without fuss or issue, we made it back to Cherry Creek Road at 12:20, which led to more expedited travel, and more dust. Lots and lots of dust.

    [​IMG]31 - Day 2 - 3rd AZBDR by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

    Before long we made it to the final campsite of the 2nd Annual AZTW AZBDR. It was right on time too, as lunch was calling!

    But before that, a couple of action shots!

    Will getting ready:

    [​IMG]32 - Day 2 - 3rd AZBDR by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

    And making a splash:

    [​IMG]33 - Day 2 - 3rd AZBDR by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

    Chris’s turn (with way more speed):

    [​IMG]34 - Day 2 - 3rd AZBDR by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

    [​IMG]35 - Day 2 - 3rd AZBDR by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

    Personal Mental Note: Get closer next time!

    A rarity in these parts, we were all able to park in the shade of large trees and enjoy our lunches. Conversation sprung up once again, an easy thing amongst like-minded individuals.

    I marked this spot on my Gaia, as it’s a perfect place to camp in this area.

    Lunch was a semi-quick affair, as we had a lot of miles to cover before passing through Young, AZ and ascending the road to the Mogollon Rim.

    So, at 1:20 we were off, taking a right off of Cherry Creek Road and entering smaller, less smooth roads. The sign says it best:

    [​IMG]36 - Day 2 - 3rd AZBDR by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

    This was a beautiful area to drive through, and we often passed under power lines that seemed just a few feet above our heads.

    I had the camera on standby, always ready to capture an image when my brain told me that this particular scene was worth the effort.

    Like this one for example:

    [​IMG]37 - Day 2 - 3rd AZBDR by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

    How about some shameless self-promotion?

    [​IMG]38 - Day 2 - 3rd AZBDR by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

    [​IMG]39 - Day 2 - 3rd AZBDR by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

    [​IMG]40 - Day 2 - 3rd AZBDR by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

    [​IMG]41 - Day 2 - 3rd AZBDR by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

    [​IMG]42 - Day 2 - 3rd AZBDR by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

    Alright, enough of that. I will say, I’m always amazed at the capabilities of machines. If we were out here without our vehicles and gear, we would be in for a terrible time. A dangerous experience to say the least. But behind the wheel of our Toyotas, we have but a care in the world. Cool air pours out of vents, small movements of our feet translate into conquered landscape all while music fills our ears with tunes and melodies.

    The scenery didn’t stop as we traveled along.

    [​IMG]43 - Day 2 - 3rd AZBDR by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

    Tiny specks of trucks in the distance.

    [​IMG]44 - Day 2 - 3rd AZBDR by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

    The snap and crackle of the energy flowing through these lines was interesting, to say the least. I didn’t hang out here for long!

    [​IMG]45 - Day 2 - 3rd AZBDR by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

    [​IMG]46 - Day 2 - 3rd AZBDR by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

    We briefly went from a convoy of 4 vehicles, to a party of 5, because ahead on the trail, much to Danny’s delight (If any of you are familiar, Danny has a way with animals) we were led by a wild horse!

    This occurred at 2:30, and the horse led the group, sometimes stopping and turning around to snarl at Danny, for a few miles.

    [​IMG]47 - Day 2 - 3rd AZBDR by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

    We eventually decided to give the horse some room because he was really slowing us down. I mean, with just a single horsepower he couldn’t go that fast (credit to Danny for his joke).

    Our break occurred in the middle of the road, nothing fancy, and it wasn’t long, as it was over 100 degrees out at this point, so we quickly stretched our legs, laughed about the horse, and commented on the travel thus far.

    [​IMG]50 - Day 2 - 3rd AZBDR by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

    [​IMG]51 - Day 2 - 3rd AZBDR by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

    Before long, we were moving again. More excellent landscape around every corner.

    [​IMG]48 - Day 2 - 3rd AZBDR by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

    [​IMG]49 - Day 2 - 3rd AZBDR by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

    At 5:10 we arrived in Young, AZ, a very, very small town with just a single gas station with only two pumps dispensing 87 octane and diesel.

    We filled up, as this would be our last gas for a while, before heading out of town.

    Danny and Chris opted to air up their tires back to street pressure. This later proved to create a tiny inconvenience, as pavement only lasted ~3 or so miles before we hit dirt again!

    I randomly grabbed the radio and tried to contact Todd @xtremewlr as he had at some point texted Danny that he was passing through Young himself. Though without signal, we didn’t know when that text arrived.

    To our surprise, despite being ~30 miles away, Todd heard me loud and clear and radioed his position to us. He was already on the Mogollon Rim Road at the second pullout waiting for us.

    I let him know our position as I sped ahead of the group for photos.

    Elevation increased, so we got back into the trees!

    [​IMG]52 - Day 2 - 3rd AZBDR by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

    Will @Sixthelement

    [​IMG]53 - Day 2 - 3rd AZBDR by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

    Danny @Sapnjack

    [​IMG]54 - Day 2 - 3rd AZBDR by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

    Chris @chrslefty

    [​IMG]55 - Day 2 - 3rd AZBDR by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

    Elevation gained, we hit pavement briefly before reaching the Mogollon Rim Road. The temps dropped significantly, so we all rolled down our windows to enjoy the fresh breeze.

    [​IMG]56 - Day 2 - 3rd AZBDR by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

    At 6:15 we arrived to the lookout parking lot that Todd had mentioned. Daryl @Phessor and Alan @TailHook were already present. More introductions and friendly handshakes were shared before we set off down the very busy road towards our camp for the evening.

    Will knew of a forest road that he had camped at with Clay @Nukeproof a couple of months prior, se he took the lead, and we headed that way.

    We arrived at a nice flat spot, further down the road than most other more ordinary campers were willing to travel, and the 7 trucks went about setting up camp and having dinner.

    I captured no photos of this evening, but we were decently spread out, the night cooled off quickly, propane fire pits (and then another!) courtesy of Danny and Alan were deployed, and the night was filled with more friendly conversation, stories, and tales.

    We always get lucky it seems, as everyone in the group intermingles with everyone else easily, and nothing feels awkward or uncourteous. I like that.

    We stayed up late, despite the cold, before we all eventually wrapped up the night and headed to our beds for the evening.

    With that, I laid my head down onto my pillow, excited about the ~130 miles of dirt road we would conquer the following day.
     
  3. Jun 17, 2021 at 11:41 AM
    #3
    Nukeproof

    Nukeproof Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Dec 18, 2020
    Member:
    #350060
    Messages:
    331
    Gender:
    Male
    Strawberry Az
    Blue approves of your hike to the cliff ruins

    20190512_111832.jpg


    There are several other in the area, one of them is even better than the one you guys saw.
     
  4. Jun 17, 2021 at 1:35 PM
    #4
    chrslefty

    chrslefty Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Apr 20, 2012
    Member:
    #77258
    Messages:
    2,713
    Gender:
    Male
    First Name:
    chris
    Mesa az
    Vehicle:
    01 trd
    Stockish
    That sounds like a invitation .when are you leading the trip?
     
  5. Jun 17, 2021 at 10:54 PM
    #5
    chrslefty

    chrslefty Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Apr 20, 2012
    Member:
    #77258
    Messages:
    2,713
    Gender:
    Male
    First Name:
    chris
    Mesa az
    Vehicle:
    01 trd
    Stockish
    @MR E30 awesome pictures and writing! Can't wait for the next installment.
     
    MR E30[OP] likes this.
  6. Jun 18, 2021 at 11:53 AM
    #6
    MR E30

    MR E30 [OP] Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Oct 22, 2018
    Member:
    #270223
    Messages:
    2,073
    Gender:
    Male
    First Name:
    Michael
    Wherever it's parked
    Vehicle:
    2021 Silver TRD OR DCLB w/ AluCab and All the Mods
    Day 3 –3rd Annual AZTW AZBDR

    Camp stirrings started early in the morning, but not for me! I slept in until roughly 7:45 while others were up and about, hiking around, making coffee and breakfast, as early as 5 am! I’m normally an early riser, but on camping trips, especially when we hit the rack late at night, I sleep in until the sun is fully up, and the day is warming. Unless of course we have somewhere to be, but this was not the case on this particular day.

    The pace for the morning was once again a slow one. The morning was warm, so chairs were pulled up and conversation was struck between adventurers.

    I once again got to cooking up my smorgasbord of breakfast items, another combination of foods that elicited comments of goodness from Will @Sixthelement. He left a bit in the cast iron, so I had second bowl, sufficiently filling my belly for the start of the day.

    [​IMG]57 - Day 3 - 3rd AZBDR by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

    Our campsite was a popular one, and it was obvious that less respectful folks had been here before us, so some of us went around with trash bags and cleaned up the myriad items strewn about our campsite. I ended up with about 1/3rd of a kitchen garbage bag full.

    I did the rounds once again as we were all getting to packing up camp.

    This was everyone in attendance:

    Danny @Sapnjack

    [​IMG]58 - Day 3 - 3rd AZBDR by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

    Will @Sixthelement

    [​IMG]59 - Day 3 - 3rd AZBDR by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

    Mike @ MR E30

    [​IMG]60 - Day 3 - 3rd AZBDR by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

    Daryl @Phessor

    [​IMG]61 - Day 3 - 3rd AZBDR by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

    Alan @TailHook

    [​IMG]62 - Day 3 - 3rd AZBDR by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

    Todd @xtremewlr

    [​IMG]63 - Day 3 - 3rd AZBDR by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

    Chris and lady @chrslefty

    [​IMG]64 - Day 3 - 3rd AZBDR by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

    With everyone packed up pretty much at the same time, we turned on our GMRS to Channel 21 and rolled out of camp at 10:06 in the morning.

    My position in the group varied as I tried to get the best vantage point for photos of our Toyotas.

    [​IMG]65 - Day 3 - 3rd AZBDR by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

    [​IMG]66 - Day 3 - 3rd AZBDR by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

    At one point we came to an overlook which was just too good to pass up. So, we all pulled over and took in the incredible view in front of us. This is right along the Mogollon Rim Road.

    [​IMG]67 - Day 3 - 3rd AZBDR by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

    [​IMG]68 - Day 3 - 3rd AZBDR by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

    [​IMG]69 - Day 3 - 3rd AZBDR by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

    [​IMG]70 - Day 3 - 3rd AZBDR by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

    After snapping a photo of Wills truck, he pulled to the other side of the road, and I climbed atop his Mt. Hood to get a better vantage point of the scene.

    [​IMG]71 - Day 3 - 3rd AZBDR by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

    [​IMG]72 - Day 3 - 3rd AZBDR by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

    Will posing for a picture to use to frighten his wife. Haha

    [​IMG]73 - Day 3 - 3rd AZBDR by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

    [​IMG]74 - Day 3 - 3rd AZBDR by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

    Danny and Alan discussing something important, I’m sure.

    [​IMG]75 - Day 3 - 3rd AZBDR by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

    [​IMG]76 - Day 3 - 3rd AZBDR by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

    [​IMG]77 - Day 3 - 3rd AZBDR by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

    Snapped a photo while they were trying to snap a selfie!

    [​IMG]78 - Day 3 - 3rd AZBDR by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

    [​IMG]79 - Day 3 - 3rd AZBDR by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

    Todd has to snap some photos of his V8 4Runner

    [​IMG]80 - Day 3 - 3rd AZBDR by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

    [​IMG]81 - Day 3 - 3rd AZBDR by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

    At one point I got very close to the edge. This may or may not have given some folks heart palpitations, but I did it any ways. I used to be terrified of heights but working with zip lines has thoroughly cured me of almost any terror I might feel when atop high places.

    [​IMG]82 - Day 3 - 3rd AZBDR by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

    After we all had our fill of the views, I zipped off down the road ahead of the group to find a place for all of us to line up for a quick photo or two, something I like to do at least once when in a larger group.

    I found a straight stretch and pulled up first after radioing everyone that I had found a spot.

    [​IMG]83 - Day 3 - 3rd AZBDR by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

    Getting there

    [​IMG]84 - Day 3 - 3rd AZBDR by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

    There we go!

    [​IMG]85 - Day 3 - 3rd AZBDR by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

    I pulled ahead once again to get more driving shots of everyone as they passed by

    [​IMG]86 - Day 3 - 3rd AZBDR by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

    [​IMG]87 - Day 3 - 3rd AZBDR by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

    [​IMG]88 - Day 3 - 3rd AZBDR by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

    [​IMG]89 - Day 3 - 3rd AZBDR by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

    [​IMG]90 - Day 3 - 3rd AZBDR by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

    [​IMG]91 - Day 3 - 3rd AZBDR by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

    One thing I forgot to mention. Our comms were lively and informative. The people at the front were calling out the route ahead as well as oncoming traffic, very helpful information for those of us in the rear who, even though we were spaced out, were still combating a twisty road covered in dust!

    After I got moving once again and noticed we were making good time I radioed out another potential overlook, this one a small ways down an offshoot.

    We all agreed to check it out, so we did! And we weren’t disappointed either.

    Chris getting closer

    [​IMG]92 - Day 3 - 3rd AZBDR by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

    At one point I noticed that the road dropped down a rocky section, so I quickly pulled my Tacoma off of the trail, grabbed my camera, and chased the others down the hill on foot. I hadn’t switched to shoes at this point, but the flip flops stayed on my feet as I bounded my way right past Will to snag an action shot. A boring one, but one, nonetheless.

    [​IMG]93 - Day 3 - 3rd AZBDR by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

    [​IMG]94 - Day 3 - 3rd AZBDR by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

    Passed a cool rock formation we would later talk about around the campfire, which then spun off a conversation about cairns and their sometimes-inappropriate usage.

    [​IMG]95 - Day 3 - 3rd AZBDR by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

    Still a ways from the end of the trail, and now on foot, I jumped aboard Wills truck by standing on his slider and holding on to his roof rack so that I could roll into the overlook in style.

    The whole group, minus, as Alan put it, the ‘Inferno-Headed Stepchild’ as everyone else drives boring, bland, colors, and life is just simply too short for that nonsense.

    [​IMG]96 - Day 3 - 3rd AZBDR by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

    I always feel something special in this place, the Mogollon Rim, where the Colorado Plateau ends abruptly, creating miles and miles and miles of cliffs and edges in which you can explore and use to take in the wonderful views of this wonderful state.

    This goes without saying, but Arizona is FAR more than just Phoenix and its endless straight roads and square communities. Most of the state is nowhere near sea level, and vast open spaces mated with hills, mountains, and buttes makes this an absolutely spectacular place to visit and explore. If you’re on the fence, get out here and overland.

    [​IMG]97 - Day 3 - 3rd AZBDR by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

    The group doing their thang.

    [​IMG]98 - Day 3 - 3rd AZBDR by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

    Enthusiasts and Toyotas. What a great combo.

    [​IMG]99 - Day 3 - 3rd AZBDR by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

    More views

    [​IMG]100 - Day 3 - 3rd AZBDR by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

    [​IMG]101 - Day 3 - 3rd AZBDR by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

    Todd and Daryl had discovered another vantage point, so Will and I headed over to check it out.

    Needless to say, well worth it. Would have walked ten times as far.

    [​IMG]102 - Day 3 - 3rd AZBDR by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

    Another Will photo for scale and perspective.

    [​IMG]103 - Day 3 - 3rd AZBDR by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

    Once again, it was time to move along, as we had a ton of miles to cover, and the going, of which we were unaware at this time, would get much more laborious.

    I bounded ahead, attempting to capture some more action shots, but they aren’t impressive. But hey, it’s the thought that counts right? Plus, this is great practice for our September trip (5 of us from this trip will be going, plus others) where there will definitely be great action shots to capture on film.

    [​IMG]104 - Day 3 - 3rd AZBDR by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

    [​IMG]105 - Day 3 - 3rd AZBDR by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

    [​IMG]106 - Day 3 - 3rd AZBDR by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

    [​IMG]107 - Day 3 - 3rd AZBDR by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

    [​IMG]108 - Day 3 - 3rd AZBDR by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

    We conquered more easy dirt miles, still on relatively populated and commonly traveled roads.

    [​IMG]109 - Day 3 - 3rd AZBDR by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

    At one point,12:05, we dropped down steeply to a creek and a random asphalt parking lot.

    We pulled over and I was able to snag a few good photos of the Inferno for business purposes.

    [​IMG]110 - Day 3 - 3rd AZBDR by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

    [​IMG]111 - Day 3 - 3rd AZBDR by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

    [​IMG]112 - Day 3 - 3rd AZBDR by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

    We hung out in some shade, thinking this may be a good place for lunch, but a couple of side by sides quickly made us want to push further along the road. One had two dogs in the backseat just barking loudly and randomly and the other was blasting DMX (RIP). Nothing wrong with some DMX, but the dude had this music blasting at full volume, and as Alan put it ‘I have about two minutes of this before I am done.’

    No one disagreed, so we found a lake ~20 miles up the road and we all set off to get there for lunch.

    I got one picture marking this location

    [​IMG]113 - Day 3 - 3rd AZBDR by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

    Travel opened up once again, as we had dropped elevation from the rim and weren’t quite high enough to be back in the trees.

    I was able to get one photo through the dust as we boogied along.

    [​IMG]114 - Day 3 - 3rd AZBDR by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

    We arrived at Long Lake. And. It was empty. And had no shade. But it did have a pair of really nice pit toilets.

    Super glad most everyone had an awning, as they created a great reprieve from the near 100 degree temps and direct sun.

    [​IMG]115 - Day 3 - 3rd AZBDR by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

    Lunch was another quick affair for me, my food energy spent on fantastic breakfasts and exquisite dinners.

    More conversations occurred around the parking lot, primarily revolving around Toyotas and overlanding.

    Everyone, including Danny who had been leading most of the time, was getting seriously dusty.

    [​IMG]116 - Day 3 - 3rd AZBDR by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

    The unfortunately dry lake

    [​IMG]117 - Day 3 - 3rd AZBDR by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

    [​IMG]118 - Day 3 - 3rd AZBDR by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

    At 2:00 we left Long Lake and continued up the road to Kinnikinic Lake.

    And this is where travel became slow and tedious.

    You see, we had to cover ~130 miles of dirt roads, with maybe 1,000 yards of pavement, on this day. And we were maybe 70 miles in at this point.

    And the road became excessively rocky.

    Nothing to do but plow ahead. Carefully of course. Especially for me, the only truck on factory suspension at OEM ride height. The confidence created by the 3/16” steel skid up front of my Tacoma certainly made the drive less worrisome.

    If you’re ever going to go aftermarket skids, leave the aluminum at home. Go steel. No contest. I’ll be getting the remainder of the skids I need in the near future to really protect the underside of my truck. Well worth the money.

    Before it got really rocky

    [​IMG]119 - Day 3 - 3rd AZBDR by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

    And, with all of my focus on not destroying my Tacoma, I didn’t get any photos of the rocky trail. My bad.

    Kinnikinic Lake was a short pit stop before we carried on towards Winona and then the Cinders.

    Hey, at least this one had water!

    [​IMG]120 - Day 3 - 3rd AZBDR by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

    There were boats in the water, so we know the road south from Flagstaff must be well maintained enough for vehicles to tow boats out here.

    And it was, for a while.

    [​IMG]121 - Day 3 - 3rd AZBDR by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

    But then the AZBDR said “Hey, I know it’s getting late, and you still have a ways to go, but I need you to take a left off of this well graded road that you were doing 40 mph on, and instead take these side trails in which you will do 5 mph, all to end up at the same place.”

    So, we did.

    And it looked a bit like this.

    [​IMG]122 - Day 3 - 3rd AZBDR by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

    We eventually worked our way through that before getting close to Winona.

    [​IMG]123 - Day 3 - 3rd AZBDR by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

    At 5:50 we arrived in Winona and went to its lone gas station right next to the I-40 freeway. We filled up on gas, water, and food before it was time for Will to take the lead and get us into the Cinders, a uniquely cool place.

    [​IMG]124 - Day 3 - 3rd AZBDR by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

    The going was easy enough. Oh, apart from the part with the thick dust being kicked up while driving due West into the setting sun. Yeah. That part was a pain in the butt.

    But we all made it into the National Forest, nonetheless.

    Camp was found in a ‘flat’ spot (hardish to find in the cinders) and with it being near 7:30 at this point, we quickly got set up and dinner started.

    [​IMG]125 - Day 3 - 3rd AZBDR by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

    [​IMG]126 - Day 3 - 3rd AZBDR by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

    The cool thing about the cinders, tiny lava rocks basically, is that there is no need for leveling blocks. Just point your nose downhill, place your left foot gently on the brake, and then give the skinny pedal a nice, firm push. Voila, your rear end will sink into the soft ground (I went barefoot all night) until the truck is level. Handy feature this place has.

    [​IMG]130 - Day 4 - 3rd AZBDR by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

    Dinner for this night was a special affair for Will and I. We had carried these ribeye’s all the way from Flagstaff, back to Flagstaff, and it was now time to devour them.

    With the cast iron nice and hot, Will got to work.

    [​IMG]127 - Day 3 - 3rd AZBDR by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

    At ~.9 lb each, it was a spectacular dinner to end a long, long day of driving.

    Prior to starting dinner, Will had sent a message through the inReach to @snowsk8air2 who brought along one of last year’s attendees @Lfaub03.

    You might recognize his highly modified 2nd gen from a viral video a couple of weeks ago, but if not, go check it out on his Instagram @ryanpodell. Head over to @overlandflagstaff as well while you’re there.

    [​IMG]128 - Day 3 - 3rd AZBDR by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

    I mean, it looks capable, for sure, but all I’m saying is that no one has ever seen me flying through the cinders at 50+mph, so we can’t be entirely sure it’s any better than a stock TRDOR.

    But something tells me that that’s not the case.

    The evening transformed into all of us sitting around the propane fire pit. Talk again flowed freely between stronger and stronger friendships.

    I can’t recall all that was said, nor would I want to write it out even if I remembered. That’s one of those aspects that you best receive by just being there. And this group will adventure again, no doubt about that.

    It was warmer this evening than the previous evening, so we stayed up late into the night before we finally called it quits and went to bed.

    4 of us would continue on the next day, while 3 of us would head home.

    But before that, restful, peaceful sleep.

    Day 4 –3rd Annual AZTW AZBDR

    Another great night of sleep, and another slow-moving morning.

    Will and I once again had a large breakfast, and it was just as good as it had been the previous two mornings.

    We all moved our chairs around as the sun rose into the sky, working to stay in the shade as much as possible.

    It eventually came time to move along, after a nice morning of chat and leisure.

    Will, Alan, and I would be hanging back. The route that Todd, Daryl, Chris, and Danny were going to take is one that Will and I have done on numerous separate occasions. The Slate Fire had grown a lot, so it blocked off the main offroad portion of the AZBDR that led into the South Rim of the GC. The paved road they would take is the same paved road that I use for all of my adventures north, and a road that both of my Tacomas travel at least once a month on adventures.

    Plus, I was all of 7 miles from my house as the crow flies, so it wasn’t a hard decision to skip a day of paved road driving to head home for a nice shower!

    Shortly after 10, the 4 of them were packed up and heading out of the Cinders towards the 89 Highway.

    I will say, their photos of their camp that night looked incredibly appealing. Like, really cool. As soon as this Slate Fire is extinguished, I’ll carry on with the BDR on dirt to that place.

    [​IMG]129 - Day 4 - 3rd AZBDR by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

    Will, Alan, and I hung around and chatted about the upcoming September trip to Utah and potentially Colorado, where we will travel for 10 days, with 4-5 of those days being fully off grid, self-sustained out of our Tacomas the entire time. Really looking forward to that, as I am already preparing for it! I will highly prioritize good photography and accurate note taking for that trip, as it will most certainly be one to share with you all.

    And on that note, Will lead us out of the Cinders, Alan aired up, and we all began out respective journeys home. For two of us, that was mere miles, so short that I rolled all the way home at 17 psi. For the other, well, he had a bit further to travel.

    Another great trip that will not be forgotten.

    Thanks for taking the time to read through this!

    Until next time!
     
    Atl-atl, Lfaub03, chrslefty and 4 others like this.
  7. Jun 18, 2021 at 12:12 PM
    #7
    TailHook

    TailHook Oh, what shall we do with a drunken sailor?

    Joined:
    Jun 23, 2018
    Member:
    #257280
    Messages:
    2,433
    Gender:
    Male
    First Name:
    Alan
    Utah! Get Me Two!
    Vehicle:
    2018 TRDOR 4X4, 2007 Sequoia 4X4
    Bunch-o-goodies
    Outstanding writeup, Mike! Thanks for such a well detailed trip report...

    It was an awesome trip...glad to meet each one of you, and looking forward to September!
     
  8. Jun 18, 2021 at 2:22 PM
    #8
    Sixthelement

    Sixthelement Ran over a Yeti once, Texas, never again

    Joined:
    Apr 1, 2017
    Member:
    #215083
    Messages:
    2,648
    Gender:
    Male
    Flagstaff
    Vehicle:
    JD LT
    Just read the latest while loading SW.
    hell of a write up.
     
    TailHook and MR E30[OP] like this.
  9. Jun 19, 2021 at 5:03 PM
    #9
    Tyzone34

    Tyzone34 Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Apr 2, 2021
    Member:
    #361388
    Messages:
    72
    Gender:
    Male
    Colorado
    Vehicle:
    2021 Tacoma TRD Off-road DCBL
    CaliRaisedLED step edition rock sliders OEM Power-locking tail gate Exhaust re-route RCI full skid plate
    Lots of time invested in this, thanks!
     
    MR E30[OP] likes this.
  10. Jun 20, 2021 at 11:04 AM
    #10
    MR E30

    MR E30 [OP] Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Oct 22, 2018
    Member:
    #270223
    Messages:
    2,073
    Gender:
    Male
    First Name:
    Michael
    Wherever it's parked
    Vehicle:
    2021 Silver TRD OR DCLB w/ AluCab and All the Mods
    Side note:

    If you were on the trip, feel free to use any of the photos in this thread as you best see fit.
     
    xtremewlr, chrslefty and TailHook like this.
  11. Jun 26, 2021 at 4:00 PM
    #11
    Nukeproof

    Nukeproof Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Dec 18, 2020
    Member:
    #350060
    Messages:
    331
    Gender:
    Male
    Strawberry Az
    Do your stretches, this is what Blue is looking out of in the pic I posted above

    20190512_110332.jpg
     
    MR E30[OP] and chrslefty[QUOTED] like this.
  12. Jun 26, 2021 at 4:47 PM
    #12
    chrslefty

    chrslefty Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Apr 20, 2012
    Member:
    #77258
    Messages:
    2,713
    Gender:
    Male
    First Name:
    chris
    Mesa az
    Vehicle:
    01 trd
    Stockish
    That's awesome. I'll be ready.... once it cools off a little bit. Lol
     
    Nukeproof likes this.
  13. Oct 14, 2021 at 10:08 PM
    #13
    Waynebarkr

    Waynebarkr Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    May 20, 2020
    Member:
    #328723
    Messages:
    302
    Gender:
    Male
    First Name:
    Wayne
    Phoenix
    Vehicle:
    2020 Cement DCLB TRD-OR AT
    Great write up. I hope to go in coming years when I get my rig better set up for over-nighting.
     
    chrslefty and MR E30[OP] like this.
  14. Oct 15, 2021 at 10:00 AM
    #14
    MR E30

    MR E30 [OP] Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Oct 22, 2018
    Member:
    #270223
    Messages:
    2,073
    Gender:
    Male
    First Name:
    Michael
    Wherever it's parked
    Vehicle:
    2021 Silver TRD OR DCLB w/ AluCab and All the Mods
    You can join us on trips like this with a totally stock vehicle, fyi. Happy to have you.
     
    chrslefty likes this.

Products Discussed in

To Top