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| | Car Camping | | 8 Days | | |
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| partners | | For me, like for many of us, it's been a long, hot, and sometimes frustrating Summer'20. I did manage to get-away back here in June of this year which was good, but my grand plans for a week trip back in August just did not allow.
I do enjoy our Autumn Season  on the Mogollon Rim and during this season I have not camped here for a number of years. So, my next camping window plan was for this late September into the first week of October to hopefully take advantage of some Big Tooth Maple colors and some much cooler day-night-morning temperatures at 7400 to 7700ft.
My planned normal 3 hour & 15 minute, 126 mile drive-up on Wed-9/30 (for 7nts/8days stay) started a little "iffy":
(good thing I was on the road before 7am)
.. Lost 25 minutes being stopped by the Salt River Reservation Police for driving the wrong way in a construction zone and driving 37mph in a 25mph zone  .. fortunately, I scored only a warning ticket;
.. Lost 5 minutes on Hwy 87N to Payson due to construction at the Mount Ord area;
.. Lost 20 minutes North of Payson due to having to wait for the assigned ADOT Pilot car for the Hwy 87 one way lane Blacktopping all the way to Pine;
.. Knowing better with a HAZ forum topic posted on FR300 road maintenance, I decided to drive the Rim Road (FR300) for the needed 26 miles instead of continuing on Hwy 87N for the additional 18 miles to FR95 for the back way in (I drove about 10+ uneventful miles in on FR300 and suddenly met driving the opposite direction on a one way section, three HUGE semi-type gravel trucks  Fortunately, I only had to back-up about 100 yards to connect with the intersection of FR141 (which I knew eventually connected with Hwy 87, but I had no idea of the extra mileage nor where on Hwy 87 it connected. As it turned-out, this FR300 mistake cost me one additional hour drive and an additional 35 miles to my campsite). I should have arrived at ~10am but did not arrive until after 11:30am. I finished putting-up Camp Grasshopper just before sunset 
It was unseasonable warm for the first week of October at 7435ft elevation. The coolest night-early morning was 37F with most periods in the mid to low 40F. The days were unseasonable highs as well in the mid 70F to low 80F..more like early-mid June temps than early October but still beautiful and welcomed!
Also, I was pleased to have HAZ members and friends Oregon_Hiker and longtime hiker/camper/member, lurker blk join me for some days of this enjoyable 8 day stay. I/we did five short area hikes with two of which- Upper Bill McClintock Draw and Upper Buck Spring Canyon having extreme, prime Autumn Big Tooth Maple colors |
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Autumn Foliage Observation Extreme
Upper Bill McClintock Draw, Upper Buck Spring Canyon, and End Section (from FR300)- Houston Brothers Trail; |
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| (Outside.. "there is No Place Like It!!") |
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