:worthy: March 12th (Thursday) to March 15th (Sunday) - update as of February 4th
Trail maintenance - cutting back the overgrowth with long handled loppers or hand held pruners.
Read the following posts about the project for further information and make comments yourself.
Recommended tools for this project:
Bypass Lopper from Lowe's - 27" long handled model item # 41006 ($16.98) with the silver handles & green grips.
Mini Bypass Pruner from Lowe's - 14.5" long handled Corona Two-Handed Mini Bypass Pruner, BP3225 ($19.98)
Heavy leather gloves with wrist protection combined with a tough long sleeved shirt and tough long pants.
You may also want a hat for sun protection, sun glasses, eye protection goggles and knee pads.
Grasshopper will be responsible for the work project from the Woodbury Trailhead to Tortilla Pass.
I will be responsible for the work project from Angel Basin to Tortilla Pass.
Grasshopper plans to set up a base camp by Byous Butte and car pool each day to the work site.
We willl base camp in Angel Basin and hike/work the trail from the north to the south.
It is not necessary that you be available for all four days as any help will be appreciated.
For those committing to this the Angel Basin base camp, I will be guiding a side excursion to a little known cliff dwelling in Rogers Canyon late Saturday afternoon.
Please commit to either half of the project and let Grasshopper and I know your plans and resources.
We hope to have campfire get togethers in the evenings so it's not all work as well.
Then we can share our hiking and backpacking experiences, stories and lies.
I may even be willing to tell you my story about the burial in the main cliff dwelling of Rogers Canyon.
We would also like to have a volunteer on site that has the emergency device called SPOT in case we have any life threatening injuries while performing this service project. Those of you who have committed or expressed interest please let me know if you have this device. Just PM me...
PS - There will be a full moon this weekend for any of you that wish to backpack in or out in the dark of the night.
Stay tuned for further updates and information.
:thanx:
Last edited by SuperstitionGuy on Mar 01 2009 6:21 pm, edited 26 times in total.
A man's body may grow old, but inside his spirit can still be as young and restless as ever.
- Garth McCann from the movie Second Hand Lions
Update as of February 4th:
The Forest service will not be assisting us with this project.
The other two groups they said may join us are working other trails on other dates.
We will not be using heavy tools to root out the catclaw or using any chemical on the roots at this time.
I have edited the opening thread of this forum to make it easier to read and understand. Please check it out.
If you know that you will be committing to this end of the project please indicate so at the beginning of this thread.
If your going to join Hank/Grasshopper at the south end of this project please indicate so at the beginning of his thread.
:thanx:
A man's body may grow old, but inside his spirit can still be as young and restless as ever.
- Garth McCann from the movie Second Hand Lions
SuperstitionGuy wrote:If your going to join Hank/Grasshopper at the south end of this project please indicate so at the beginning of his thread.
This is Hank/Grasshopper's thread for sign-up (Basecamp under BYOUS BUTTE 6mls up FR172); catclaw clean-up "from" Woodbury TH "to" Tortilla Pass:
View/Sign-up on Forum Thread: http://www.hikearizona.com/dex2/viewtop ... f=4&t=3727
Last edited by Grasshopper on Feb 10 2009 8:44 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Where's your team spirit? All you active HAZ members (and we know who you are), here's your chance to get out and meet for the cause. We should all do our part to maintain our playground, right? Besides, it's not just a job, it's an adventure and volunteering feels good! Please come out and join us for a day or two - any assistance you give will be most appreciated. And, it won't be all work and no play. There will be BINGO every evening with prizes. OK, not really, but we haven't ruled it out.
We need more commitments from you. Those who have indicated "Interested" - how about following through on that? Where's the Wrecking Crew when you need them? (I'm talking to you, Mike, Steve, Wally & Co.)
Talk is cheap... Come out and show how dedicated you really are. We look forward to seeing you!
Kat
I'm at home in the wilderness... it's civilization I have problems with!
Hike Arizona it is full of sharp, pointy, ankle-twisting, HAZmaster crushing ROCKS!!
Hike Arizona it is full of sharp, pointy, shin-stabbing, skin-shredding plants!
Hike Arizona it is full of striking, biting, stabbing, venomous wildlife!
Are you guys going in Thursday evening or morning? The Angel Basin group will be hiking in three days worth of food and gear I'm assuming? Byous Butte along FR172 I'm assuming.
Yea, canyoneering is an extreme sport... EXTREMELY dramatic!!! =p
I can take 2 other people and their gear if anyone needs a ride. I am planning to drive out early Friday morning and stay the weekend, but my schedule is flexible if need be. I'll be camping up at Angel Basin, but I can drop off at Byous Butte if you'll be staying there.
I'm at home in the wilderness... it's civilization I have problems with!
For those of you that don't have four wheel drive vehicles please try to car pool. I will be going in on Wednesday or Thursday morning depending upon the weather, road conditions and where I will find a volunteer to drive me in. My brother, brother-in-law or whatever. I prefer to hike in from Rogers Trail Head as the trail is in better condition but I may have to hike in from Woodbury Trail Head if the roads are in bad shape. Time will tell. Woodbury is easier to drive to than Rogers for those of you who may not have been to either trail head. If the weather is extremely wet both roads may be impassable and the project will be suspended until the weather and the roads are clear.
I will be arriving back in Arizona the 19th of February and will be available to drive/hike out the trails to let everyone know what the conditions are like on Forest Road 172 and 172A. I will have to give to the Forest Service every ones full names that plan to attend, and I will be on the hook for any problems that may develop between us and the Forest Service. Great joy! So lets just clean up the trail and not burn down the forest ok.
Vaporman asked "The Angel Basin group will be hiking in three days worth of food and gear I'm assuming?"
Yes, but unlike Hanks group we are all on our own and will not have the benefit of all the gear that you will see at Byous Butte.
I wished I could provide a feast every evening, with drinks and dancing girls but I don't drink and will be to tired from working to dance.
At 68 years of age I will be struggling to just carry in my own gear and with a little luck I hope to be able to carry it all back out.
PS - the temperatures at Angel Basin will be between a low of 40 degrees at night and a high of 70 degrees during the day.
Last edited by SuperstitionGuy on Mar 10 2009 7:23 am, edited 1 time in total.
A man's body may grow old, but inside his spirit can still be as young and restless as ever.
- Garth McCann from the movie Second Hand Lions
Guys, I switched from committed to interested. I actually might get sucked into a trip to Joshua Tree with my family those days, so I may have signed up a bit early, I figured we wouldnt be doing anything since I am on a different spring break than the rest of my family. I will let you know.
There's a chance I might not be able to make this one. I have a midterm due I think the week after this and the teacher for this class has direct game industry contacts that come to him looking for the exemplary students so I really need to shine in this class. I already know what the midterm will be so I'm already starting to get to work on it but I can't guarantee I will have this 40 plus page paper in a state where I feel comfortable making this. It pains me that I might not be able to make it but my education and career are numero uno on my priorities list. I will be working hard to make this though.
I will be hiking/backpacking in to Angel Basin two or more times before the project if any of you would like to join me. The first trip will be this Monday or Tuesday. Also if there is a possiblility you will be joining the project in March, Hank and I will have to have your full names turned in to the Forest Service before the project.
Therefore please PM me with your full name and when you think you will be helping us and which camp you will be working from. I will need this information by Monday the 9th as I may be backpacking in to Angel Basin on Tuesday the 10th.
:thanx:
A man's body may grow old, but inside his spirit can still be as young and restless as ever.
- Garth McCann from the movie Second Hand Lions
The USFS has a road grader and front end loader reworking FS road 172 and 172A. The road grader started from the beginning of 172 at Hewitt Station road and had made it approximately four miles when we passed by him on Tuesday afternoon. The front end loader had been filling in crosswise channels made by running water from the beginning of 172 to almost the top of 172A. When we passed him they were reworking the ruts just below the extremely sharp curve just before 172A tops out before the turn to Rogers Trough Trailhead. My experience with rework on this road is that they will be up there all week. Queen Creek is not flowing and relative easy to cross at this time. Someone traveling this road after this post please give us an update on the grading project and how far they have reworked the road.
General rules for driving this road is as follows. High clearence with rear wheel drive is recommended for 172. High clearence with four wheel drive is recommended for 172A. Front wheel drive vehicles can drive this road but it is not recommended that they tackle the steeper portions of either road as it is very easy to tear up the front tires on the embedded rocks. Vehicles without high clearence should drive only as far as the embedded rocks are low enough in reference to the road surface to allow safe travel. My experience when the road has been recently reworked is that drivers have a tendency to drive to fast and have accidents. There are numerous sharp curves and high spots where you cannot see oncoming traffic. This includes cars, trucks, ATV's and motorcycles. Head on crashes are a real threat under these conditions. Please drive at a safe speed and also be aware of cattle that may be on the road and unwilling to get out of your way.
A man's body may grow old, but inside his spirit can still be as young and restless as ever.
- Garth McCann from the movie Second Hand Lions
Ya they also it seems reworked the road up to the Reavis North TH. Was in very nice condition this weekend. Perhaps I might be brave enough to try 172 in my little kia Heck I made it all the way up 143 from the Beeline to the four peaks TH one time without a scratch.
Grasshopper wrote:This is Hank/Grasshopper's thread for sign-up (Basecamp under BYOUS BUTTE 6mls up FR172); catclaw clean-up "from" Woodbury TH "to" Tortilla Pass: View/Sign-up on Forum Thread noted below
Last call for "Base Camp" Sign-up (Camp and/or just drive out for the day to hike and help out) :thanx: !!
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