FR306 & 305

[DarthStiller]

Has anybody been up as far as FR306 at all? I'm considering doing the decommissioned portion of the Pinto Peak Trail and I would like to try to access it from the south as opposed to the north via FR449A and the Upper Horrell trailhead to save time. I've been down FR 305 on a 2WD before I couldnt go any further. I now have a 4x4 and can probably make it up to FR306 and up to the end of the pinto peak trail, but I was wondering if anyone has been out that way that could lend some advice. When I did the Cuff Button trail, we dropped off a truck on FR305 for a shuttle hike and walked the extra 1.5-2 miles when Cuff Button ended. I remember that at the junction of FR305 and FR306 there was a sign for a trailhead that was called maybe the Horrell Spring (I cant really remember, it was 2 years ago). Anyone ever heard of this trailhead and what has become of it? Was it decommisioned along with that section of the Pinto Peak Trail? Also, anyone have any info on the condition of the decommissioned section of the Pinto Peak Trail? I've never done it before, so I wonder if its still easy at all to follow, or worth the trouble.

[GTG_AZH]

If no one answers, look up Arizonaheat. He'll probably know.

GTG

[kanode]

In response to Stiller's reply:

FR 305 was passable a year ago in a Jeep with a 6" lift and 33" tires. Part of the road is in the creekbed so it changes with every hard rain. The rancher blades some of the embankments to give access to the creekbed. These would wash out in a rain and make passage difficult or impossible even with 4WD and large tires.

I went several hundred feet up the FR 306 creekbed and turned around--although I plan to try again. Both creekbeds are too rough to be the only vehicle!

FR 305 continues for maybe 1/8 mile past the junction with 306 and ends at a small parking area next to a solar powered well. The start of the Cuff Button trail is easy to find--head west from the well along the creek. Parts are somewhat overgrown--take a small saw or rose bush clippers with you.

I've been in about 2.5 miles. I looked for Cuff Button spring but the area is very overgrown and there was no sign of it where the topo map said it should be.

Irv

[topohiker]

In response to kanode's reply:
Hello, I tried to do the Cudd Button Trail yesterday starting from the Miles TH. I only made it in about 3 miles deue to over growth. I wanted to finish this trail from the other end (FR305) My friend has a 93 Jeep with a 4 inch lift and 33 inch tires. Can you give me directions on how to get to FR 305? My map shows cuts off at FR305. Does 287 hit FR305?

thanks

[DarthStiller]

Its been about 3 years since I've been out that way, but....

keep going north on 287 after the junction with 287A. you'll go thru 2 gates, and there will be a ranch on the right side. somewhere right at or after the ranch look for FR305 on the left side. I cant remember if its signed or not. I think it is. there are a few major divots across it and then it descends into a dry creek bed. you'll be looking for tires track the way you look for footprints on a faint trail. keep following that and it will eventually end at a trailhead and cuff button starts there. Pretty much most of cuff button is overgrown and hardly maintained, so I wouldnt look for the trail to be any better there. the best thing for me when i did it was my GPS and the waypoints i put in it from comparing my map vs. my Delorme program. there were times when we lost the trail, and I started to reference my waypoints and we could pick it up again.

Kanode has a website that gives alot of detail along FR305 to the trailhead at the end of Cuff button. send him a message and he'll probably send you the link (i cant remember it right now).

[kanode]

Three of us did this today. Great drive and hike!

The drive to the split between FR305 and FR306 was a lot easier than a year ago. Light water flows in the creek seem to have filled in sand and dirt among the larger rocks.

The road NW from the split was between a 2 and a 2.5 on a scale of 5 for off-road trails. Dodging branches was as much work as picking which rocks to put the wheels on.

It took us an hour and 40 minutes to make it the 4.6 miles from Horrell Ranch to the end. No trailhead--just an obvious stopping point in the creek bed.
N 33 29 06.3
W 111 03 40.0

We were constantly stopping on the way in trying to figure out which way the road went and to clear broken branches and downed tree limbs.

It only took us 40 minutes to come back out the same way. Having tire tracks to follow made things a lot easier. On the way in, it looked like no one had been out there in months. Coming out, a full size 4WD pickup was headed in. (I hope they're not the same people that had left beer cans on the hiking trail near Mormon Corral-- I packed out 3.)

The hiking trail was very easy to follow--several horses had recently been through there. I wore shorts and got only a couple of scratches. It was 3.5 miles and 2 hours to Mountain Spring and back. (I did the western end of this trail last fall as a side trip during a hike from Miles TH to Upper Horrell/Schoolhouse TH.) We probably spent 30 minutes of the 2 hours looking around at the corrals. The trail east of Mountain Spring is more interesting than the western part.

The roughest part of the drive was the whipping the branches gave the sides and top of the jeep. I broke my flexible CB antenna and I'm surpised the canvas top made it without any tears.


Irv

[Grasshopper]

Irv-

Thanks much for the update above on your 4/7/07 4x4 trip and hike up the decommissioned portion of the Pinto Peak Tr#213. Stiller, Topohiker, and myself plan to head up to this area on Sat-4/29 for an ALL DAY 4x4 (up FR305 & FR306) and hike in a few miles on the Cuff Button Tr#276(me & Topohiker)with Stiller wanting to complete a few miles on the old Pinto Pk Tr#213. After finishing about 2.5-3. miles in on the Cuff Button, I was hoping to then head for FR306 to do the same on the Pinto Pk#213 and come out with Stiller... BUT.. looks like from your 4/7 4x4 trip up FR306, that there will probably NOT BE enough time in the day for me to 4x4 & hike portions of both trails?
Regards,

[SJFL]

Hi. I am interested in heading out on the Pinto Peak Trail out of the Pinto Peak TH. Does anyone have info on current road conditions? I am driving a Subaru Forester that was really maxing out on 172A on the way to Rogers Trough. So anything worse, and I won't be able to make it. Alternately, is 305 any better than 306? Could park at Cuff Button and then walk.

Thanks in advance.

[FOTG]

@SJFL
From past experiences, I want to say you can make it to Cuff Button TH with a Forester, but I do not think so for Pinto Peak TH. You can get into Miles just fine though.

[Grasshopper]

@SJFL
Here is the HAZ member post that should know the answers to your questions: [ photoset ]
(the hike may no longer be worth the remote/rough long drive to the TH Start)