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When fire season is over and access is reestablished I would like to know if my front wheel drive SUV can make it to the Woobury trailhead and also to the Rogers Trough tralhead. I know it says 4wd on the 172A to Rogers but I have heard that a car can make it up 172 to both 172A and 172B. if I take it slow can I make it?

Roger Dickey (slowclimber)

Generally, yes. HOWEVER, the road up & over to Roger's sometimes gets inundated during the rains .... ...ruts/holes are formed.
As well, the crossing of Queen Creek after rains can be bothersome for a low vehicle.


kurt

In response to Slowclimber's reply:

I took my 8 cyl. Jeep Cherokee to Roger's Trough this late spring. Never had to use 4wd once.

The places that most made me nervous were the first Queen Creek crossing, right when you turn onto 172, and that wash on 172A right before the hill to the TH (about a mile or so). That wash especially- road had disappeared and I was about to drive down the wash a bit!

Really, though- it was fun and fairly easy. Just keep your eyes on the road (its difficult cuz the views are so great), and FTLOG watch out for those maniac ATVer's on Hewitt Station Road! Those guys are nuts!

Have fun Slowclimber!

Mike

Thanks much. I did get to the turn off onto 172 and saw the Queen creek crossing. (I know I was not supposed to be there) That did not look troublesome to me. So, I will try it!!

I plan to do the Rogers Canyon hike next week and I'm wondering if anyone has been up that road since the monsoon rains last month. I haven't been up there for about a year but I remember having an unbelievable drive up there a few years ago after a bad storm.
thanks
Frank
Radtex2@juno.com

In response to Paco's reply:

If you're headed down to the ruins or Angel Basin, worst case you could park @ Woodbury T/H & hike the JF to Rogers Trail if 172A seems impassable.


kurt

First time i've done Rogers Canyon in the summer. I promise you it is also the last time I'll do Rogers Canyon in August. 100 + degrees. Oh man that was brutal! The whole family went, 2 teenage girls, 2 boys 9 and 10 years old and my wife. The kids were troopers, a nice achievement by them. We took 12 liters of water and ran out before we finished. Luckily there is still some water in the creek that I double filtered. We also completed the hike soaked down which made it much more bearable. We finished in just under 8 hours. These kids move fast. Lat time me and my wife hoofed it in under 6 hours.
The road shows some monsoon damage but not bad. I didn't use four wheel drive, low gears were just fine. No way to make it without high clearance. About half way up there some guy comes flying by me. I said "what a jerk". A couple miles up the road and I found him stuck. There were a couple of guys on quads there trying to help him to no avail. I hooked him up and tried to pull his pickup out but it was snagged on a rock. The young guys were trying to push at the same time but it didn't work. He tell me to keep trying and then tells these guys that were nice enough to stop and help to put there backs into it and lift the car off the rock. We finally got him out and do you think there was as much as a thank you. I don't think so. Some people!!
Off to bed. The rest of the fam is already sound asleepafter a long but fullfilling day.

Front wheel drive vehicles tend to tear up their tires on 172A or similar terrain. Rear wheel drive is recommended! Driving slow is not much of an option as you need the forward speed on the steeper parts. If you stop a front wheel drive vehicle on those steeper slopes, good luck getting started again!

Remember that vehicles going downhill should give rightaway to those ascending!

For those of you going to the cliff dwellings there is another one about a quarter of a mile upstream on the same side of the canyon. Much higher and smaller. Look for the 12" by 12" window in the wall of the room below a rock ledge high up when you cross the stream from left to right. The doorway into the room faces the cave on its right and cannot be seen until you are there. Hike up a ridge west of the ruin and then walk across the rock ledge to the room. The room is so small that I call it the honeymoon suite.