Doll Baby TH to LF Ranch, River Route

[Sredfield]

Does anyone have a GPS track for the "shortcut" between Doll Baby TH and the LF Ranch area? Thanks!

[markthurman53]

Do a search on AZT 25. select the description for Whiterock Mesa -AZT 25. On the description page I have a hike listed as Doll Baby Ranch White Rock Mesa if you select that my triplog has the route. You can download that. I assume you are looking for the route between the Doll Baby road where it is blocked to the LF Ranch.

[Sredfield]

Thank you! Yes, I understand there is a route along the river that is about a mile shorter than walking the road.

[mazatzal]

I think the shortcut is visible on satellite view: just east of Tub Draw / Mine Road Spring. Goes straight north down to river and then go along the river.

[Sredfield]

@mazatzal
That's what I was seeing. Working on "connector trails" to add to the app. Whether they can be "unofficial" trail or not will be a decision for another time.

[CannondaleKid]

@Sredfield
Not sure about following the river, especially with a backpack... while we followed it in April 2015, we very likely would not have been able to do it without getting wet when we were there last month.
I'd just follow FR406W.

[toddak]

This isn't a GPS track but it's pretty close, and the route is pretty obvious.

[markthurman53]

The hard part is the climb up the hill and the shortcut doesn't eliminate that. The road is fairly easy walking and not much further than the shortcut but it is a road, I guess I would be interested in how easy is the short cut? Does it involve a lot of brush?

[CannondaleKid]

The road is fairly easy walking and not much further than the shortcut but it is a road, I guess I would be interested in how easy is the short cut? Does it involve a lot of brush?

It would save one mile of hiking, .9 mi vs 1.9 mi.
At one time it was a road down to Tub Draw and based on the satellite view, it appears to be pretty open.

We saw where it left FR 406W when we were there last month and had we known it was a shortcut to the ranch we would have checked it out.
Now we know.

[Sredfield]

I just posted (maybe it posted, my first "route") a GPS track of this route collected today. The trail is pretty evident for most of it, but there are some glitches. The turn near the west end is not real clear, and the trail is quickly obscured a few feet from the turn by a brushy deadfall.