Mesa Ranger District Forest Road Closures

[CannondaleKid]

Although not yet posted on the Tonto National Forest website:
"4-Peaks (143 Rd), 25 Rd, and the 11 Rd are now closed due to poor road conditions."

For those who wonder where the roads are located:
FR #143 = The road from AZ 87 up toward Four Peaks
FR #11 = The road from AZ 87 near the Ballantine TH south to FR #143, running roughly parallel to 87.
FR #25 = The road to Mormon Grove TH from the old Sunflower Highway

Once they are posted I would have to believe they will be closed until further notice.

[CannondaleKid]

Latest update:
The following roads are closed, and will remain closed until they dry out (so they will be closed over this weekend for sure)
FR 11 – Mud Springs
FR 25 – Mormon Grove
FR 143 – 4 Peaks
FR 201 – Mt. Peeley
FR 626 – Mt. Ord

[DBmooner]

Went up My. Peeley road last Saturday and there were 4 sections that had hard packed snow and ice .1 long section that wasn't bad going up dam near gave me a heart attack when I didn't have control going down .

[prisegem]

Do you know if peralta road is closed, or does anyone know the conditions?

[Tough_Boots]

@prisegem

Peralta Road doesn't ever close. I've only seen high clearance necessary for a couple flowing washes once in the hundred times I've been down that road.

[CannondaleKid]

More Forest Road closings... this just in from the Mesa Ranger district office:

Since late yesterday afternoon, we have closed additional roads (virtually all) leading to Sycamore Creek in the Mesa Ranger District, including:

FR 403 – Lower Sycamore
FR 402 – Sugarloaf
FR 160 – Mesquite Wash
FR 3456/FR 1333 – Log Corral
FR 1704 – Round Valley
We will try to open the FR 403 and FR 402 roads as soon as the flows in Sycamore Creek warrant.

I am predicting that the remainder of the roads on the Mesa RD will remain closed until at least Monday, 1/11 (reopening of roads dependent on weather conditions).

Note: These are IN ADDITION to the previously noted closings:
FR 11 – Mud Springs
FR 25 – Mormon Grove
FR 143 – 4 Peaks
FR 201 – Mt. Peeley
FR 626 – Mt. Ord

[Tough_Boots]

also FYI-- 88 is closed due to flooding at Tortilla Flat plus a rock fall along Fish Creek Hill.



edit: back open!

[hikingaz2]

Thanks for the updates, hope everyone who wants to go into those areas checks with HAZ , or the Ranger Stations office or web site.

[CannondaleKid]

I believe all the roads are now open with the probable exception of FR 3456/FR 1333 (Log Corral), which had several 1500 to 2000-pound boulders fall 30-40 feet down onto the trail, blocking it for all but motorcycles and SERIOUS 4x4's (rock-crawlers).

Whether the Forest Service or someone from the Copper State 4x4 club (who sponsors the trail) goes out to clear the way, it MAY be cleared yet this week.

Note: Calling the FS to find out if it is open or not won't necessarily be definitive, as they didn't know about the boulder-fall until a group of us from Tonto Recreation Alliance found the blockage.

Just an FYI: FR 393, the power-line maintenance road from the old Sunflower highway to Bartlett Lake, (which connects to Log Corral Trail) is very likely to be closed permanently by the end of the year due about a half-mile of it crossing the Mazatzal Wilderness. The FS has an engineer who is tasked with seeking an alternate route to bypass that .5 mile, but due to steep cliffs and deep wash it will very likely cost well up in the hundreds of thousands of dollars.

OR... Congress can change the border by a small amount and it will cost nothing. But of course that makes too much sense.

[CannondaleKid]

Update 1/31/16:
Due to snow & poor road conditions the gates have been closed on these Forest Roads:
FR 25 – Mormon Grove
FR 201 – Mt. Peeley
FR 626 – Mt. Ord

[Sredfield]

I thought we didn't have to deal with weather in AZ. This is seriously crimping several projects.

[CannondaleKid]

I thought we didn't have to deal with weather in AZ

It just started raining here... more to come tonight.

[CannondaleKid]

The following Forest Roads are officially open again:
FR 25 – Mormon Grove
FR 201 – Mt. Peeley
FR 626 – Mt. Ord

[joebartels]

they must have been out this week, 201 was a mess just this past weekend

[chumley]

Apparently the new guy they hired is better than the last guy! http://hikearizona.com/photoset.php?ID=38762

[big_load]

@chumley
Yikes! Our township had a new snowplow operator a few years back who only lasted one season. They spent the whole next year replacing miles of curbs and more than a few mailboxes.

[Sredfield]

Jeeze, everyone is a critic!

[SuperstitionGuy]

Yikes! Our township had a new snowplow operator a few years back who only lasted one season. They spent the whole next year replacing miles of curbs and more than a few mailboxes.

But they saved a bundle of cash for not including eye care in his medical benefits.