FR 172 & 172A to Rogers Trough TH

[SuperstitionGuy]

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.

[big_load]

@SuperstitionGuy
Unfortunately that's about what I expected you'd find. I'm still debating plans for a spring getaway, but the Supes may not be in the running yet.

[prywreck]

Friday 3/20/20 attempted to drive to Rogers Trough to hike passage 19. The water flow crossing Hewitt Canyon rd just off 357 was pretty fast and knee deep so deiced not to attempt crossing . There were no tire tracks indicating recent vehicle crossing. I'm curious to know if anyone has made this crossing and made the drive up to Rogers Trough.

[SuperstitionGuy]

Yesterday 3/22/2020 there were pickup trucks with trailers parked on the north side. Lots of ATV's playing in the sand and water at the crossing. As I pulled up to consider driving across in my Honda CRV another SUV pulled in behind me so I backed out to see if he would consider it. He also backed away from the crossing but I had already decided to not cross and was departing. I believe that I could have crossed but had no real reason to do so. I believe it will be safe from this point on unless we get another rain storm. I was amazed at the number of cars, trucks and ATV's that were out there driving everywhere and you were always in a dust cloud.

[CannondaleKid]

At times when I've found the FR 172 crossing just a bit too deep, I've continued on Hewitt Road another .3 mile past FR 172 to FR 1904 and as often as not, due to a wider, flatter crossing I was able to cross there.
While you can use a shortcut back onto FR 172 at one mile along the wash (after passing through the cattle-guard gate), my "go to" route is to continue the full three miles along FR 1904 in the wash until it meets FR 172 again.

[markthurman53]

Has anyone gone to rogers Trough via what I believe is NF 650 near Superior and up over Montana Mountain then to Rogers Trough. When I was on the Arizona Trail I walked a bit of this and looked like a good road.

[CannondaleKid]

@markthurman53
In general, FR 172 is regularly maintained whereas FR 650 is not maintained or very rarely.
While parts of it may be in good shape there are portions which can be in pretty rough shape at times, barring many less capable vehicles.

[markthurman53]

@CannondaleKid
thanks

[00blackout]

@markthurman53
It's been probably two months since I've been on it but 650 was not that bad at all. It is steep especially the initial climb but other then that it was fine. Only thing to that is we have had a good amount of rain since then so that would definitely impact it. Really the only road in the Superstitions that I will never drive on again is 342, that road is a complete feces show.

[markthurman53]

@00blackout
Thanks, May drive up and check it out some week.

[CannondaleKid]

342, that road is a complete feces show.

I don't have the Jeep any more so haven't driven it in six years, but for all the times I drove it before that I would agree completely... washouts could be scary.

[SJFL]

Hello. Does anyone know whether I will be able to get my Subaru Forester into the Roger's Trough Trailhead?

[BuzzingMantis]

@SJFL
I drove it 3 weeks back in a Toyota Tacoma 4x4 and did not have any problems. There a lots of jagged rocks to drive over and a few deep ruts but if you take is slow you should do fine. I did not use 4 wheel drive.

[SJFL]

@BuzzingMantis
That's helpful. And you didn't need to use a low end gear? In other words, there's no super steep climbing or descending? The Subaru can't do steep inclines... it just spins out and burns the heck out of my clutch.

[chumley]

@SJFL
I know somebody who did it in an Outback last weekend, so you should be fine. There are a few rough spots but the vehicle is capable of it.

[SJFL]

@chumley
Ok. That's helpful. Thank you. Just waiting for anyone to say: don't do it.

Also, thanks to whomever moved my post to the right thread. I'm still learning the ropes of the forum.

[Grasshopper]

Ok. That's helpful. Thank you. Just waiting for anyone to say: don't do it.

I hate to say it, but since I drove out-n-back today on FR172 for ~6 miles to hike in from [ Byous Butte ] , I have never seen FR172 in such bad shape (imbedded raised rocks, some sharp rocks, super dry, and very road dusty for the ~6 miles in I drove on FR172.

I can't recall how many more mile in past Byous Butte on FR172 one needs to drive to connect with FR172A and on to end at Rogers Trough TH, but.. it could be a nightmare for you especially if you are riding with stock street tires.

I was driving an older Toyota '05 4Runner with high quality off-road All Terrain Tires, and for that first ~6 miles I was seldom able to drive above 20mph (I averaged 10-15mph). My tires held up well, but took a real beating. Also, driving in and back from Tucson it could end up being a big disappointment or maybe not.. but that's my

[SJFL]

@Grasshopper
Hey there. Thanks for letting me know. That's important. May make a last minute decision when I'm there. Worst case scenario I turn around and head to Peralta TH.

[SuperstitionGuy]

@SJFL
I just drove my 2016 Honda CRV up this road and back. Had to go slow because all of the embedded rocks but the real kicker was a LARGE HOLE in the road in the first steep spot before you reach that 140/160 degree corner just before you climb the last bit of road to the top. I tried to go around to the left of the hole but could not make it pass it. Backed up and gave up not wanting to damage my car, however if I had four wheel drive I just might have made it. Keep in mind my car has front wheel drive although it says it has ALL WHEEL DRIVE I have no way to lock the hubs. This hole is HUGE and I suspect it has been made by all the ATV/Razors that have past thru it. This hole is DEEP, WIDE, AND LONG and I was afraid that I would slide into it requiring a tow to get me back out of it. If you go and cannot pass thru it you have been warned!

[SJFL]

Well @SuperstitionGuy, I got your message one day after having gone up that road. And I concur with your assessment and @Grasshopper's write up. That road is trashed! I got to the legendary point you mentioned and attacked it from three different angles. There was a lot of rocking, scraping bottom, and burning my clutch. But I somehow made it through. I'm certain I was only on three wheels at some point. But... I was so addled by that experience that as I was going down the last 1/2 mile hill and saw a few bumpy rocks (nothing like that aforementioned cave in the ground)... so I decided to park my car at the top and just hike the last 1/2 mile to the TH.

Thanks to all who chimed in on this.

[CannondaleKid]

I posted a video of the drive up to Roger's Trough the day after Christmas 2017 and every once in awhile get comments on it. That said, this what I just received I received from a viewer who I have corresponded with in the past:
"Just got back from there last night. (Sunday 11/23) The road conditions weren't bad except for a few trouble spots. I drove a stock 2007 Lexus GX470. We did the Reavis Ranch trail from Roger's Trough Trailhead. The fire did quite a bit of damage up there. It wasn't my favorite hike but it was certainly good to get away for a while."

BTW, the 07 Lexus GX470 is essentially the same as my 07 Toyota 4Runner except with a V8 instead of the V6 I have.