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| Mtn Biking | 12.31 Miles |
302 AEG |
| | Mtn Biking | 12.31 Miles | 3 Hrs 10 Mns | | 3.89 mph |
| 302 ft AEG | | | | |
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| no partners | | Back in 2018, and as long as I can remember — I first moved to Arizona in 1984 — Mormon Lake has been dry. wo weeks ago, azbackpackr, posted [ photoset ] of a full Ashurst Lake. Bingo. Great idea!
My plan was to do a rough figure-8, taking in Ashurst Lake, Coconino Lake, Breezy Lake, Boot Lake, Unit East Tank, Replacement Tank, Long Lake and Indian Lake.
I was expecting to ride old jeep trail along the east shore of Ashurst Lake, but I was not expecting to barely be able to detect it. It set the theme for my day.
I rode FR 9118J to Coconino Lake. A fuel-powered external pump was loudly draining the lake, feeding water into the creek which drains into Ashurst Lake. I thought there would be a jeep trail across the top of the dam, and down the spillway, but there wasn’t. I walked my bike back to FR 82.
In ⅔ mile, I split left onto FR 9485E, which I stayed on the next 3⅓ miles to Boot Lake. FR 9485E became rough & rocky. I spotted a vehicle’s plastic bumper cover above Breezy Lake’s tiny remaining wet spot. The roughness of the road makes the three shallow climbs much more difficult than they would be on even decent dirt. I never fell, but I freely admit to dabbing on several occasions.
From the first gate, FR 9485E descends 50 ft. in ¾ mile to Boot Lake. First through juniper and pinyon; small pine nearer Boot Lake. The second gate is just above Boot Lake, which had plenty of water, but appeared pretty shallow.
The National Park Service hike difficulty formula is √(AEG * 2 * miles) = rating. https://www.nps.gov/shen/planyourvisit/ ... iculty.htm For example, a 10-mile hike with 2,200 ft. of accumulated elevation gain would have a difficulty of √(2200 * 2 * 10) = 209.8. The formula does not take into account elevation where the hike starts, or reaches its maximum. Nor does it calculate weather or difficulty of the surface. My planned route was rated 104.3, but I did not relish looping around Boot Lake, or diverting to the other lakes and tanks, on likely even worse jeep trails. I decided to bail.
I walked, off and on, about half the 3⅓ miles back to the powerline. at the powerline, rather than continuing on to FR 82, I turned right up FR 9118W, the powerline road. The 1⅔ mile section of FR 9118W wasn’t bad at all. I never did spot FR 9118V to Long Lake, affirming my decision to bail. The descent to the corral at FR 740 was quite rocky, but I rode it all the way.
From the corral, it was just a mile back to my waiting wife.
My recommendation: Avoid riding FR 9485E.
Biking Video: https://vimeo.com/835224353
Sunset Fire Video: https://vimeo.com/835955345  |
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Wildflowers Observation Isolated
Crownleaf evening primrose obvious even driving in. Rocky mountain iris below Coconino Dam. Scattered fleabane. Good patch of silky sophora (just above normal elevation limit of 7000 ft.). A few paintbrush. Nothing else really worth mentioning. |
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| http://prestonm.com : Everyone's enjoyment of the outdoors is different and should be equally honored. |
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Route Editor
Route Scout
