HikeArizona.COM

Okay folks, I am back in AZ after my wild whirlwind summer full of good memories and wild ideas. One idea that I have had in my mind for years finally crystallized for me. It started with a question I had in '99: Is it possible to cross the state without driving on pavement?
I immediately ran into problems, logistically. Getting gas. Crossing paved roads. Some drainages are only crossable on pavement. Lots of things needed to be dealt with. I think I have come up with ways around all the issues so I'm going to lay out the rules and objectives here. I am not sure how many people will take this up but you never know unless you try, right?

2013-2014 HAZ Road Rally
Purpose
To travel the full north-south distance of the State of Arizona in the least amount of time possible while also spending a minimum of time on paved roads.
Grand Prize
$100 REI Gift Certificate

Rules
Starting Location
Contestant may start at the Arizona/Mexico border, Arizona/Utah, or the Arizona/Colorado border
Contestants starting at the Arizona/Mexico border west of Nogales will incur a time penalty based on departure location
Contestants may start along the Arizona/Nevada border but will incur a time penalty based on departure location
Contestants may start along the Arizona/New Mexico border north of Fort Defiance but will incur a time penalty based on departure location
Contestants may not start along the Arizona/California border
The starting location must be an unpaved road crossing or paralleling the chosen border
The contestant must start on their chosen road at a point no further than 100 yards away from the chosen border
Ending Location
Contestant may end at the Arizona/Mexico border, Arizona/Utah, or the Arizona/Colorado border
Contestants may end along the Arizona/Nevada border but will incur a time penalty based on ending location
Contestants may end along the Arizona/New Mexico border north of Fort Defiance but will incur a time penalty based on ending location
Contestants may not end along the Arizona/California border
The ending location must be an unpaved road crossing or paralleling the chosen border
The contestant must end on their chosen road at a point no further than 5 yards away from the chosen border
A time bonus will be awarded to contestants who cross the chosen border on an unpaved road
Travel Rules
Contestants must spend the majority of the travel distance on unpaved roads
Unpaved roads are considered to be designated, open routes that are not surfaced with asphalt, concrete, or chip seal
Contestants spending greater than 10% of travel distance on paved routes will incur a time penalty
Contestants spending greater than 25% of travel distance on paved routes will be disqualified
Crossing a paved route in order to continue travel on an unpaved route will not count against travel distance
Contestant will not be required to complete the travel in one trip
Contestants who do complete the travel in one trip will earn a bonus prize (if they have the winning entry)
Contestants will be required to keep a GPS log of their travel in order to be eligible for the prize
Contestants will be required to photograph their departure and end points
Contestants must obey all relevant motor vehicle laws
Contestants may not travel outside of the state of Arizona on their travel route until the end of the trip
Awarding Prizes
Entries will be judged based on overall travel time
Travel time will be judged based on final GPS route(s) submitted to myself via PM and posted on HikeArizona.com
Starting west of Nogales, Arizona will result in a penalty of one minute for every 2 lateral miles
Starting along the New Mexico border will result in a penalty of one minute for every mile south of Four Corners, up to Fort Defiance.
A minimum penalty of 80 minutes will be assessed for starting along the Nevada border south of the Colorado River at Hoover Dam. An additional minute will be added for every linear mile south
Entries must be submitted before 8/4/2014 at 11:59PM in order to be judged
Only travel time shown on GPS logs will be counted as part of the entry. Completing the HAZ Rally in multiple legs is allowed. Travel to and from leg start/end sections will not count against the contestant
Contestants spending greater than 10% of travel distance on paved routes will incur a time penalty of 1 minute per mile (or fraction thereof)
Contestants spending greater than 25% of travel distance on paved routes will be disqualified
Crossing a paved route in order to continue travel on an unpaved route will not count against travel distance
Grand Prize: $100 REI Gift Certificate (lowest overall time)
1st Prize: $50 REI Gift Certificate
Runner up (2): $25 REI Gift Certificate
Contestants who earn one of the prizes and cross the border at their end point will receive a signed copy of The Marauders by Rob Gay.

Anyone interested?

@Rob del Desierto
Sounds fun. I hope I can get a dual sport bike some time in the next few months. That's not cheating is it?

Hmmm, it sure sounds interesting... I have a feeling the route will get pretty convoluted to keep paved travel under 10%. Looks like I've got plenty of research to get started on.

beterarcher wrote:@Rob del Desierto
Sounds fun. I hope I can get a dual sport bike some time in the next few months. That's not cheating is it?

Never said it needed to have four wheels. As long as it follows all applicable regulations for the route traveled you are all good.

CannondaleKid wrote:Hmmm, it sure sounds interesting... I have a feeling the route will get pretty convoluted to keep paved travel under 10%. Looks like I've got plenty of research to get started on.

I think it will too! I figure 10% will allow enough room for gas and bridges. On the shortest paved route 10% is a bit over 50 miles. That sounded reasonable. A clever person with some gas cans may need even less.

There was an article some years ago in Arizona Highways, probably Jack Dykinga and either Chuck Bowden or Gary Ladd, or one of the other journalists, and they did it from west to east. I am not sure the route. I don't know if they even told the exact route.

If I recall correctly my father did that when he took us on a vacation from Minnesota to California and back in 1948.

And we did it while driving in both directions.

If anyone needs a navigator let me know. This looks like fun.

Ditto what Spiderlegs said.... JJ??? Sounds like a great idea Rob!!!

Outdoor Lover wrote:Ditto what Spiderlegs said.... JJ??? Sounds like a great idea Rob!!!

I've already pulled out my DeLorme Atlas and trying to figure out how to get around/across that big hole in the ground in northern AZ on dirt.

The week or so ago had bad humidity here, but summer isn't over! we still have 7 or so weeks left!

SpiderLegs wrote:If anyone needs a navigator let me know.

Sounds like a good deal to me... after all, it's the navigator's job to figure out the route. So let me know when you have the route figured out and I'll drive. ;)
Better yet, I'll have the Cherokee so we can make our own roads if we have to.

SpiderLegs wrote:

Outdoor Lover wrote:Ditto what Spiderlegs said.... JJ??? Sounds like a great idea Rob!!!

I've already pulled out my DeLorme Atlas and trying to figure out how to get around/across that big hole in the ground in northern AZ on dirt.

Why be stuck on south to north? Why not go across? Then you can avoid the Rez, too.

azbackpackr wrote:

SpiderLegs wrote:

Outdoor Lover wrote:Ditto what Spiderlegs said.... JJ??? Sounds like a great idea Rob!!!

I've already pulled out my DeLorme Atlas and trying to figure out how to get around/across that big hole in the ground in northern AZ on dirt.

Why be stuck on south to north? Why not go across? Then you can avoid the Rez, too.

I wanted it to be a N/S competition in order to experience the most. If you travel E/W you avoid a lot of the topographic and environmental diversity, plus it becomes much easier. Traveling N/S means having to figure out how to surmount the Mogollon Rim as well as dodging the Grand Canyon (or figuring if it is worth it to take a penalty for starting/ending on the Nevada line).

Rob del Desierto wrote:

azbackpackr wrote:

SpiderLegs wrote:

Outdoor Lover wrote:Ditto what Spiderlegs said.... JJ??? Sounds like a great idea Rob!!!

I've already pulled out my DeLorme Atlas and trying to figure out how to get around/across that big hole in the ground in northern AZ on dirt.

Why be stuck on south to north? Why not go across? Then you can avoid the Rez, too.

I wanted it to be a N/S competition in order to experience the most. If you travel E/W you avoid a lot of the topographic and environmental diversity, plus it becomes much easier. Traveling N/S means having to figure out how to surmount the Mogollon Rim as well as dodging the Grand Canyon (or figuring if it is worth it to take a penalty for starting/ending on the Nevada line).

Starting to formulate some thoughts on this matter. Better not share my hand with anybody, there's a $100 at stake.

I'm confused by the inclusion of the Arizona/Colorado border. (Is a point even considered a border?)

Starting or ending there would require either:
a) not driving on a road, thereby violating motor vehicle rules of either a reservation or a national monument
b) driving through New Mexico, which is against the rules of this contest
c) deciding that Utah or NM are closer/easier, and who would want to do it that way (unless perhaps you have a warrant out for your arrest there)?

SpiderLegs wrote:Better not share my hand with anybody, there's a $100 at stake.

If I even attempt this it sure wouldn't be for a hundred bucks... at today's gas prices it's a losing proposition.

Just taking the area of unpaved roads I'm most familiar with, amounting to less than 200 miles north-south as-the-crow-flies, many off-pavement miles will be racked up winding around, zig-zagging as well as backtracking so in the end the trip could easily end up with double the miles of the shortest pavement route. Take those miles, then add the miles of pavement driving to and from the borders before and after the run itself, and of course many more if the trip is done in segments at different times, even at a conservative estimate my fuel cost will be well over $500.

So again, if I do make the attempt it will solely be for the adventure.

Of course, it's just as likely I won't attempt it solely because I'll have gone insane from poring over maps and creating GPS tracks while planning the route. :roll:
From the looks of it, time penalties will amount to no consequence if the pavement miles can't be kept under 10%. Hmmm, maybe the trick is to rack up extra miles winding around in circles off pavement in order to make it work. [-X

Whatever, since it would be for the adventure rather than the win I'm fully open to exchanging route info.

Oh yeah, with Tracey still working full-time along with the physical wear-and-tear of the trip, the constant jostling, bumps & whoop-de-do's (more fun with all 4 wheels off the ground) she definitely won't be riding shotgun... which leaves the shotgun/navigator bucket seat open.
Yes, it truly IS a bucket seat... complete with racing restraints, you know, to keep you in place if we happen to go wheels-up?

I work from home, trying really hard to not keep looking up maps & atlases and put it off until tonight. Penalties will be incurred, just need to figure out how to minimize them.

This is cool. My first thought was Sawmill and dropping SW and crossing under I-40, then heading W. as best as possible.
But N. of Ft. Defiance gets a time penalty, I guess based upon going NNW.

Just downloaded a book that details how to do it plus found a website by some people that did it on ATV's about 5 years ago. So this can be done, the question is who will be the first one on HAZ to do it?