Chari/kenny

[fasteddy]

HiChari and Kenny,

Looking to take my 2000 jeep cherokee from Crown King to Prescott tomorrow morning. Havent ever done it before.
not sure what the trail is like. we have had a lot of rain in the valley this morning, not sure what Prescott has been getting.
anything I should know before I go? I will be in the jeep with a friend but no other vehicle. Not looking to do any wheeling
just stay on the trail.

thanks for any advice.

Ed

 

[Stuart]

See if you can find a number for the restaurant in Crown King and ask them -- as you said, rain today in the valley and looks like much of the state. The road up there in Crown King has been washed out and mud slides a few times lately due to the run off from the earlier fires this year... you need to check locally up there. Good luck, sounds like a fun trip!

 

[Ladyjeeper]

Senator highway is closed due to flood damage. You would have to go thru Minnehaha and up on thru Yarnell on the hiway. And, Even tho Senator highway is usually well travelled, I, personally never go riding by myself. We usually have 2 Jeeps...... There is a website called Crown King Az. Google it and ask to be a member or like it and there is the info on the road closure. They just closed it this morning. And the front way to Crown King is really rough since the rain yesterday and today. I would wait to do this trip....

 

[Kenny]

I'm a mile above Goldwater lake right off Senator Hwy and as far as I know the only section that is closed, and only for the day because of the rain is the section up to the city limit sign from town that's under construction. They have a detour around it, and I used it today. Not sure of the status of the road above me, but we've been having a lot of heavy rain up here this year and as it was bad before, I wouldn't be surprised if sections didn't wash out. It started raining hard around 3 AM last night and it's still drizzling off and on. Right now it's 65, but feels like 66 to me LOL.. Rain is predicted through midweek up here with flash flood warnings, so I'd pass on that trip for now.

 

[fasteddy]

Thanks for the updates!

 

[Ladyjeeper]

The Crown King website reported that they closed it totally this morning. They gave coordinates so I couldn't tell where or how many miles is closed. They said sections had washed away in the night.......

 

[fasteddy]

well we made it up to Crown King. what a great drive after the rains. plenty of running water, wildflowers and such, the mountains were green. Had an awesome breakfast burrito at the Prospector mall than a bloody mary at the saloon. My friends had 3 bloody mary's! after hearing that the Senator Highway trail was closed, we headed over to horsethief basin and hiked around. Returned to Crown King for a few beers and talked to many locals very friendly folks. From there we went doen the hill to the bar in Cleator. Talked to more locals, who looked like they could have been living in 1912 rather than 2012. Wonderful trip. Can't wait to hit the senator trail when it's open. Chari let me no if your club is every going on some trips. I think my freinds were hooked on traveling on trails.

ED

 

[joester]

Who was tending bar in Cleator? the last time we stopped in (1989), the old man himself was still tending bar. any bar with cold beer on a road like that is a good bar.

 

[fasteddy]

It was an older woman working the bar.

 

[El Tiburon]

The last time I was in the Cleator bar two cowboys, chaps and all, rode up on their horses, tied them to the post and went in for some cold beer out of the ice chest. It was a scene from an old western. Good thing they were there as a 5 ft diamondback had taken up residence in the bathroom outside and those two cowboys didn't blink. Just went out and removed it and everybody went back to drinking and buying beers for the cowboy heroes.

 

[Ladyjeeper]

Did you come up the back way from Lake Pleasant? How much lift does it have? How much 4 wheeling experience do you have? I don't want to take you somewhere over your head the first time! LOL! If I'd a known you were going, I would have told you to get a patty melt and onion rings in the Saloon! They are deeeeeelish!

 

[fasteddy]

Ive been wheeling for quite awhile. My first truck was a brand new 1979 toyota 4X4. ended up with 36" mudders on that one. had plenty of 350 hp chevy 3/4 ton trucks with 35's and
locked axles. have a ford expedition now with a 3" lift and 35's but its a pig. this cherokee has 3 " rubicon express lift and 31's but open axles. Most of my experience is sand and trails, some mud. never really enjoed the rock thing too much. always a lot of carnage on the trail. I've replaced more than my share of broken axles!

Never been part of a club and never really liked to wheel alone so I would go friends when I was younger but as families came along it became harder and harder to get out.

Plans for the cherokee are a tru-trac in the rear and probably a lock-rite for the front. My son has been driving the jeep on the streets but he's ready to buy something with
a little better gas mileage so I can change/fix the jeep. got a guy on craislist who is selling some sliders for $50 that i hope to pick up.

what you have in your rig?

We came back on I-17 as I didn't want to take the lake pleasant back way with only one vehicle.

 

[Ladyjeeper]

I have a 99 TJ with a 5 inch lift, 33x12'50 mud tires, 6 cylinder, 5 speed, Dana 44's but no locker, just limited slip. So far I have not been stuck. My club said that's cause I know how to drive. LOL! One time my brother in law was in front of me on a nasty part of a trail. He's locked up front and rear and he got stuck. We pulled him up and he parked his Jeep at the top. I yelled you better get out of my way and he had the nerve to tell me I wouldn't make it and would need his help. LOL, I told him to get out of the way again and I walked right up. LOL! Li'l Missy will walk right up everything! We can go up to CK the back way sometime if you want.. You've seen us, remember we bumped into each other at the UETA store a couple of years ago?

 

[fasteddy]

I've noticed a lot about wheeling is the driver and the spotter. as i get older/smarter I look more towards going around the obstacle rather than over. Now i enjoy
getting out on the trails. i'm looking to do General Crook trail in Oct. I've heard the trees ase a beautiful color that time of year.

I do remember meeting you! we are hoping to be back down in PP Oct. 6th then hopefully we will get down every 3 weeks or so.

Ed