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| 4x4 Trip | 28.40 Miles |
4,968 AEG |
| | 4x4 Trip | 28.40 Miles | 3 Hrs 35 Mns | | 9.63 mph |
| 4,968 ft AEG | | | | |
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| partners | | Our The Cave hike turned out to take less time than allowed for so we used the extra time for more 4x4 exploration on the trip eastward along and around Battle Axe Rd.
Again we took every semblance of a road off Battle Axe Rd and followed each to their end-point. Each side-trip south brought us to the now-flowing Gila River. The only side-trip north brought us along a track that didn't appear to have been used in a long time with brush growing up out of the center. But as long as it was passable we continued, eventually ending abruptly at a point with cliffs all around. On the way back from there we spotted another track that seemed to be used slightly more recently which was headed somewhat back toward Battle Axe Road. Thinking it would be the other way around, we were a bit surprised to find the closer we got back to the main road the worse the track got. We got out and walked ahead past one particularly badly washed-out section to make sure it was worth the effort to traverse the wash-out. It was, so once again Sammy got the chore of going through contortions to make it through, which he did with flying colors. Back on Battle Axe Road we still had extra time so I reminded Tracey that although I had been in or through Walnut Canyon a number of times lately she never had. Ok...  she agreed to another tooth-rattling drive for the last side-trip of the day then it would be let's go home!
To do the loop through Walnut Canyon we first had to get down to the Gila River again. Not having the GPS track loaded for this trip I managed to start down what appeared to be the road. Right away the first thing that came to mind was this is MUCH worse than I remember only to travel a few hundred feet and realize this is NOT a road! but a dead end. ](https://hikearizona.com/dex2/images/smilies/eusa_wall.gif "Brick wall")
Just a bit of an effort getting turned around in a spot barely longer than the Samurai...
especially with 30" tires, a 12" steering wheel and no power steering to boot. 
Back on the correct road we found it was still pretty washed-out but I was confident we wouldn't be turning around again. Eventually we made it down the wash to the river, then following along parallel to the new section of the Arizona Trail we headed east until making our swing north up the wide Walnut Canyon wash. This was the smoothest and easiest part of our trip, sometimes reaching well over 40 mph. But that was short-lived as we started the rough, steep climb up some more washed-out areas. With a little extra vigilance and careful tire placement we made it up fine. But there's another long steep drop down followed by the last steep and rough climb back up in the shadow of Battle Axe yet to come. By time we made it back up to Battle Axe Road Tracey was well past ready to head home.  And once on Battle Axe we wasted no time doing just that. |
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