Jerome & Sedona Trails Trip

May 24-26, 2008

(Trip Report & Photos by David Moerman)

I left a message on-line about going on this trip but I had no additional takers.  Mark Stephenson & myself, just the two of us, along with my girlfriend Heidi, took our Bronco’s up the hill for a weekend adventure.  Maybe the lack of interest was gas prices?

We arrived at the Mingus Mtn. camp site around noon.  It was snowing!  In May!  We loved it!  (pic #’s 1 – 3)  After we set up the tent and unloaded all the camping gear we headed out.  The trails we chose came from the book: “Arizona Backroads & 4Wheel Drive Trails” by Charles A. Wells.  The first trail is listed as # 25 and is known as Smiley Rock.

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The drive was wet & a bit muddy before we descended down into the canyons.  (pic # 4)  After a long, beautiful scenic drive, we made it down to the canyons with a great deal of  excitement.  The day was chilly but the sun was out for most of the ride.  We were driving through a wash and had to drive over a large boulder & I told my passenger, Heidi, that I hoped we wouldn’t run into a boulder field.  She asked what that was and I explained that it would be a stretch of big rocks like the one we just went over – only a path full of them.  (pic #’s 5 & 6)

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My explanation was foretelling.  We soon came across just that – a field of boulders.  Mark spotted me through the first one.  After that we managed on our own.  (pic #’s 7 – 14)  I was hearing a noise after we were through what we thought was the worst of it and I was hearing a noise.  Heidi, my navigator & co-pilot, said it was coming from the rear right.  The shock hoop has been torn off twice before and my suspicion was correct: (pic #’s 15 – 17) a large part of the frame went with the hoop this time.  I took off the shocks and spent the rest of the weekend without them & I couldn’t tell the difference.

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We got to a spot where we had a climb before us.  Heidi asked if she could drive and after a brief pause to contemplate the matter – I agreed.  I put the Bronco in park and we both exited the vehicle.  I was on level ground and felt confident that the Bronco wouldn’t roll anywhere.  Heidi & I met at the rear driver’s side and we heard a ‘pop’.  The Bronco began rolling backward towards Mark.  My initial thought was that I didn’t want any damage to occur to Mark’s truck.  I grabbed the door handle and thought for a moment I was slowing the roll backwards.  The rear of the truck began to kick in toward the ravine that we were next to.  Knowing that the front was now coming around aimed at me and hearing Mark yelling to get out of the way I jumped back and turned around only to helplessly to watch my Bronco get demolished!  Heidi said that I turned white as a sheet!

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The way the Bronco was turning so sharply I could anticipate seeing it quickly getting on it’s side and rolling several times before it would come to an impolite stop on river rock.  As luck, or God’s good graces as I would believe it, two trees stopped my Bronco from making it too far down.  As it turned out, I left the engine running & it slipped into reverse!  There was no way on earth that I was going to slow it down in low!  The bronco was still idling.  Mark didn’t have a hitch pin to use to tow me out.  So, we both climbed down behind mine to remove the spare I keep in the trailer hitch.  Mind you – this is while the truck is fighting gravity with two trees standing in the way.  We got a strap on and as soon as I felt it go taught I drove up and out.  I think I may have been able to do that on my own but the strap was a good idea.  (pic #’s 18-20)

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Once up on the trail I turned the engine off!  We looked around to assess the damage.  The lift gate was sheared off the hinges.  The tire’s bracket flexed inward to dent the tail gate.  The ‘weak link’ in the tire carrier broke and was replaced with a spare.  (pic #’s 21 - 23)

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We made it back to camp before sundown, ate, tried to make a fire to no avail & crashed hard. Up early on Sat. morning and the plan was to do three trails in Sedona and we we’re successful -  trail #’s 23, 18, & 21.  Named, respectfully, Broken Arrow, Soldier Pass, and Greasy Spoon.

Broken arrow, according the ‘book,’ was the ‘must do’ trail so we picked that one to do first.  What a blast!  The weather was awesome & many plants were in bloom.  (pic #’s 24 – 26)  Being a holiday weekend, there was an extra supply of trail riders.  (pic # 27)  We counted 3 different jeep tours.  There were quads, Sazuki’s & Jeeps galore.  Most all were aggressive & only 1 or 2 stock ‘looking’ vehicles went through.

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Our biggest problem on this trail was navigating tight turns.  Our lockers in front just made turning a nightmare!  Too much traction!  When we’re on dirt or small rocks there isn’t too much of effort required to turn, but on this trail, mostly solid rock, it’s bad as driving on pavement when the front is locked in.  Mark & I both have LockRight lockers front & rear in our Bronco’s.  Having an ARB in the front might be the answer?  Or perhaps we could go to 2-wheel drive until 4-wheel drive is needed?

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The scenery you ask?  Wow!  A beautiful day and a few challenging obstacles made for some great photography.  (pic #’s 28 – 39)  The trail isn’t very long in time or distance.  It took us longer because of the all the holiday traffic and not knowing the trail.  Often, we’d wait at a fork in the road to see where the tour folks would go!  As evidenced by the photographs, we tried each and every obstacle we could find.  Both Bronco’s performed without a hitch.  The final fun section is known as the ‘steps.’  (pic # 40)

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Our next trail that we opted for was Soldier Pass, Trail # 18.  I knew the trail was short, but for sure, it was too short.  The trail proved to be too easy.   Two wheel high all the way.  On the way out we shot over to the left to check out “Devil’s Kitchen” and we had to go to 4 wheel low for that!  (pic #’s 41 – 43)  This portion of the trail was very brief but fun.  If you pass Devil’s Kitchen there’s one last obstacle to climb up – just to turn around and come back down – but it’s fun and provided yet another photographic opportunity.

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Trail #21, Greasy Spoon, was our last chosen trail of the day.  The trail takes a little time to get to.  The real fun doesn’t begin for quite some time.  There are eventually a couple of canyons that you drive through that require 4 wheel drive.  The fun was over before we knew it.  I got a picture of the ‘corral’ and a couple on the trail.  Regrettably, I failed capturing the difficult spots.  (pic #’s 44 - 46)

We went back to camp, back through Cottonwood and through Jerome.  Mark wanted to stop at an auto parts store & get some oil.  Heidi took advantage of their ‘balance beam’ to practice a hand stand.  (pic # 47)

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Monday morning I talked Mark into doing one more trail.  We decided to go into Sedona and find a good map of the area.  Once we had a map in hand we picked a trail.  On  the “Red Rock Ranger District” map, we chose trail 9529.

It was a long easy drive to the trail.  The trail was a simple 2 wheel drive trail that has been closed.  We were disappointed and picked a nearby trail to try.

We started up 9529.  For much of the trail we couldn’t believe that they designated this trail ‘extreme.’  Just when I thought the trail was going to end it kept going.  The trail began to go uphill fast.  The trail got steep & rocky on 9529a.  Four-wheel low for sure.  The turns were very tight and right on the edge of the mountain.  I hesitated more than once looking at was before me.  It was another beautiful day and the trail took us quite high on the mountain before terminating with a small loop.  (pic #’s 48 – 56)

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We got back into Phoenix Monday afternoon and couldn’t believe that the traffic wasn’t bad!  It must be the gas prices?  Tuesday I dropped the Bronco off at Randy’s for some new modifications & parts.  The trip was a blast – I wish more club members had been interested in going – snow, rain, torn off shock hoop, trees saving my Bronco, awesome scenery and trails.

My trip synopsis with my trail ratings:

Smiley Rock – rating 3.5
     Most is a rating of a 1, most of the washes are a 2, a couple a 3 and one a 3.5 that required spotting in a boulder field.

Broken Arrow – rating 3.0
     Most is a 1 – 2.  The ‘steps’ a 2.5 and some fun spots to play but not required a 3.0 – 3.5, hey, after all those Jeep tours do this trail!

Soldier Pass – rating 3.0
     The main route a 2 – never had to leave 2-wheel high.  The side route to Devil’s Kitchen however was a 3.0.  Very short though.  Like a 10 minute ride for the fun stuff.  That’s round trip.

Greasy Spoon – rating 2.5 – 3.0
     Not too difficult.  It’s a long ride for a couple brief canyons.  Mostly 1 – 2.  People were traveling in both directions.

Trail # 9529 - rating 3.5
     Steep, rocky & tight turns right on the edge of the mountain.

Now it’s time to take the Bronco to Randy at Driven for more new stuff!

- David Moerman