Planning Trail #91, In & Out at Mormon Grove

[TooOld2HikeQ]

In mid-March I'm hoping to make my 2nd backpacking trip ever, an overnight - perhaps two overnights if all goes well - picking up on #91. close to where I left off last time on #244.

My plan is to drive to the Mormon Grove TH, via FR 25.

I presume that, if it rains the day or two before, FR 25 will be impassable and I will have to plan for another day.

Otherwise, I drive a Blazer with selectable 4x4.

It doesn't have a lift kit. Will ground clearance be a problem on FR 25?

Any advice for this newb for this Trail?

[chumley]

@TooOld2HikeQ
You shouldn't have any problem with 25 in your vehicle at any time, except perhaps if Noah or Algore are involved.

[TooOld2HikeQ]

@chumley
Glad to hear it. #244 was a bit muddy from rain and snow melt when I hiked it. So I could see a dirt road turning into quick sand.

[Sredfield]

Very slick mud has forced us to turn around on two different occasions just as you round the corner south of the creek crossing, at the bottom of the climb up to Mormon Grove. This is before the junction with 25A. All else was fine but there is some very slippery stuff there.

[TooOld2HikeQ]

@Sredfield

Thanks much for the Head's Up. Are you talking about FR25 or the trail itself?

Whichever, hopefully a week of no rain will dry the mud up a bit.

(I ran into a little bit of that slick mud on my hike. So I know a bit what you're talking about.

In my case, I found it easier to walk on the snow. Which won't be an option for me next week.

And this coming hike, I plan to bring those mud things for my trekking poles.

[Sredfield]

The road.

[TooOld2HikeQ]

I've been planning to go on my hike (above) sometime next week. But the current forecast (as of tonight, Friday evening) is for chance of rain in the Sunflower area from Wednesday noon to Thursday morning. (No amounts of precip given.)

If it rains a bit there (how would I know?), will FR 25 be driveable by Friday? If not, about how many days minimum to wait?

Similar question about the trail. About how many days before it's not too muddy?

[joebartels]

I'm sure there are much better apps for checking recent rainfall. That said, you can check it here on HAZ
Plan > Map > Options > recent rain

1) Select recent rain

2) Result w/Gauge Example

The white text in the tiny gauge window is tappable. It starts on Loop but I often check 72 and 24 (hours).

[xsproutx]

Wednesday night forecast for the area at this time is anywhere from .5-.7 inches of rain, which isn't a small amount. With that said, I expect 25 would be drivable by Friday in a 4x4. It's short enough that if you have to turn around and change plans, no biggie. I'd probably be more concerned about the creek as it probably has water in it and not sure how much water it'd have after a significant rain when it's probably already flowing a bit now

[TooOld2HikeQ]

@xsproutx
Yeah, I saw that the forecast now is for a lot of rain there. When it rains. (50% chance as of this writing.)

On FR25 - someone else talked about "turning around" too. Is the road (or surrounds) wide enough to turn around? (Maybe with a 3 point?) Or so narrow that I have to drive in Reverse?

It's a 90's Blazer so somewhat nimble. But I don't expect that AAA would come and retrieve me if stuck, or over a cliff.

"the creek" - I started to ask, "What creek?" since the hike proper doesn't appear to cross any creeks.

But now I see what you're talking about, that FR25 crosses (Sycamore?) Creek.

Actually, I'll be happy to find water, since this will be my first attempt at two nights, and I can't carry enough water for that.

I guess my Plan B, if FR25 impassable, will be to go back to LSM (#244) and try to get a start on #91 from there. Or maybe head south from Cross F and see what there is to see?

[xsproutx]

On FR25 - someone else talked about "turning around" too. Is the road (or surrounds) wide enough to turn around? (Maybe with a 3 point?) Or so narrow that I have to drive in Reverse?

But now I see what you're talking about, that FR25 crosses (Sycamore?) Creek.

Actually, I'll be happy to find water, since this will be my first attempt at two nights, and I can't carry enough water for that.

Depends on the part of the road; might be an austin powers style turn, but you should be able to get out of any trouble.

Correct, the road crosses the creek. Granted, when I've been through there there wasn't much of anything to cause concern, I just haven't been in the last couple of months with all this weather. It'll probably be an easy crossing, just use caution.

I don't know your exact route but there is plenty of water out there right now. Obviously, try to plan ahead, look at known AZT water sources if your plan takes you there, etc

[TooOld2HikeQ]

@xsproutx
Tnx. I've never had to scoop up water and filter it before, so I'm a bit anxious. There are a lot of things that I don't know. E.g., I just learned (video) that I should hold the Squeeze at an angle to my clean water bottle so that I don't contaminate my clean water if the dirty water leaks.

It's obvious now. But I hadn't even thought about it before.

[TooOld2HikeQ]

@joebartels
Thanks for that map.

It appears that Sunflower had an inch of rain in the past 24 hours. Yikes! (I heard thunder while hiking/training today to North Mountain. Saw on my Lightning App that there was lightning in the Matazals.)