Coke Ovens 4x4 [ Closed ] • 4x4 Trip • Arizona • All Triplogs • HikeArizona.COM

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Nov 30 2013

Nightstalker

Routes 189
Photos 7,236
Triplogs 1,740

57 male

Joined Apr 25 2011
Goodyear, AZ

Coke Ovens 4x4 Loop from Superior, AZ

4x4 Trip		Nov 30 2013
		Nightstalker • Triplogs 1,740

4x4 Trip	57.70 Miles	8,604 AEG

4x4 Trip	57.70 Miles	5 Hrs 53 Mns		19.23 mph
	8,604 ft AEG		25 LBS Pack

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Coke Ovens via Battle Axe

Coke Ovens - Via Cottonwood & Box Canyon

Coke Ovens 4x4 [ Closed ]

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Annual ride out to the Coke Ovens from Superior. Awesome scenery and good times. Suitable for high clearance 4x4's. Lots of jeeps, atv's, side by sides, and some horseback riders too. Ran into some hikers on the Arizona Trail where it crosses BattleAx road, they were heading for Martinez well.

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Feb 19 2012

CannondaleKid

Guides 44
Routes 162
Photos 24,766
Triplogs 2,411

75 male

Joined May 04 2004
Mesa, AZ

Coke Ovens - Via Cottonwood & Box Canyon

Globe, AZ

Coke Ovens - Via Cottonwood & Box Canyon

Globe, AZ

4x4 Trip		Feb 19 2012
		CannondaleKid • Triplogs 2,411

4x4 Trip	72.50 Miles	6,244 AEG

4x4 Trip	72.50 Miles	7 Hrs	13.18 mph
	6,244 ft AEG

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Martinez Cyn via Cottonwood & Box Cyn

Cochran Coke Ovens from Price

Coke Ovens 4x4 [ Closed ]

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We started early to beat the rush of ATV's, dirt bikes & 4x4's by heading directly to Martinez Canyon for a hike and exploration of the Silver Bell and Columbia Mines. The cabin area was chock full of said parties by time we finished our exploration/hike so it was a good thing we wasted little time.

From there we drove out to the Coke Ovens but by this time it was like a ATV/dirt-bike convention so we continued on down to the Gila River to where Eric and Hank had their misadventure about a year ago. While the river bed was dry halfway across, it was rushing pretty fast farther out. Part of it was shallow based on the waves but there was a 5' wide spot with no swirls so it would be a deeper spot so there was no way we were going to cross today. So we headed back to the ovens which by this time was almost deserted but for 3 ATV's and their riders. Having noticed now as well as earlier the amount of people who didn't appear adventurous enough to tackle the whole drive from Box Canyon to the ovens, I asked one of the drivers which way they came in from. He answered across the river from Cochran Road. Since we were down there and saw no evidence I asked where. He told us it was almost as soon as we get out of the trees, but not remembering a good looking crossing there we were baffled. To that he said to follow them and they'd show us.

Good thing we followed them because even if we knew where they crossed we wouldn't have know the direction and exact spot. Instead of driving straight across where they drove down the bank, they turned upstream 20' then swung out across then another curve farther downstream and out. Although the ATV's were lower than us with 4 people in each, it was a good thing my air intake was the highest point under the hood because water was gushing out everywhere. Thinking we were home free we look ahead and find trees to the edge of the water so we have to drive back down into the water for another 50' before driving up a steep, slick and muddy bank. It was very shallow here so no worries but with only ATV's and cycles using this route it took the locker engaged and just keeping the foot on the gas to get up the bank. We followed the ATV's until we hit Donnelly Wash and we cruised south to the Flo-Kelvin highway and back to Florence. Not done 4-wheeling for the day we headed east on Price Road for the trip through Box Canyon and back out Cottonwood where we had entered some 8+ hours before.

Another long run for the Samurai over plenty of rough terrain and a river crossing without a hiccup so things are working out great.

See our mine exploration hike triplog here:
[ triplog ]

To view the videos from inside the mines follow the links...
Columbia Mine:
http://changephoenix.com/jpserver/web/p ... .php?id=47
Silver Bell Mine:
http://changephoenix.com/jpserver/web/p ... .php?id=48

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CannondaleKid

3 archives

Jan 20 2012

AZLOT69

Guides 177
Routes 249
Photos 10,213
Triplogs 2,215

74 male

Joined Feb 12 2002
Gold Canyon, AZ

Coke Ovens 4x4 [ Closed ]

Phoenix, AZ

Coke Ovens 4x4 [ Closed ]

Phoenix, AZ

Hiking		Jan 20 2012
		AZLOT69 • Triplogs 2,215

Hiking	2.50 Miles	88 AEG

Hiking	2.50 Miles	2 Hrs	1.25 mph
	88 ft AEG

no photosets

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Fun dual sport day exploring around the coke ovens. The drive is quite a challenge with several "gatekeepers" approaching from the Florence Kelvin Highway. Steep drop offs, railroad tracks, the Gila River, a mud bog, thick groves of mesquite are some of the obstacles to overcome. Everything went according to "Hoyle" today. Combined with some time with feet on the ground, it made for a wonderful outting.

Note: This is the time if you are going to make an approach or exit via the Gila River. It is very low with little flow. I saw several people who walked accross the Gila via Cochran.

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It's best for a man to remain silent and be thought a fool, than to open his mouth and remove all doubt.
--Mark Twain

Oct 08 2011

chumley

Guides 94
Routes 840
Photos 22,055
Triplogs 1,993

52 male

Joined Sep 18 2002
Tempe, AZ

Cochran-Gila River, AZ

4x4 Trip		Oct 08 2011
		chumley • Triplogs 1,993

4x4 Trip

4x4 Trip	6 Hrs	0.00 mph

no routes

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Coke Ovens - Via Cottonwood & Box Canyon

Coke Ovens 4x4 [ Closed ]

Coke Ovens via Battle Axe

South Butte - Gila River

Donnelly Wash Trestle

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It had been a while since I had visited the area and I decided to spend an afternoon exploring. The Gila is basically dry except for a few puddles. Some places could be crossed in a Prius. Others had big puddles or deep mud. The crossing at Cochran looked a bit treacherous, but from the railroad bridge I think any capable truck could have driven the river bottom all the way to Florence.

Curiosity got the best of me and I looked into the railroad. It's the Copper Basin Railway and runs from Winkelman to Magma. It's owned by the mining company and apparently runs a train one way once on most weekdays, but not on weekends. I don't know how fast it goes, but the tunnel is curved, so if you should illegally find yourself somewhere in the middle of the 630 feet, you wouldn't have a view of any oncoming trains.

Just sayin.

I didn't venture across to the Coke Ovens this time, cause I've seen them enough times. But it's only about a 15-minute hike and is very easy if the river is dry like now.

Closer to Florence, the Hayden-Ashurst Diversion Dam is undergoing construction, in a 20-year project to line all the canals it feeds with concrete. Incidentally, it looks like it couldn't really hold any water to begin with, but I'm definitely no dam engineer, so don't ask me if 2 feet of sheet metal and some sticks can hold back a river!

Culture

Culture [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Coke Ovens Railroad Freight Car Railroad Right-of-Way

Named place

Named place [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Ashurst Hayden Dam South Butte White Canyon Wilderness

Autumn Foliage Observation Isolated

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I'm not sure what my spirit animal is, but I'm confident it has rabies.

Feb 05 2011

Grasshopper

Guides 48
Routes 510
Photos 9,555
Triplogs 578

79 male

Joined Dec 28 2006
Scottsdale, AZ

Coke Ovens 4x4 [ Closed ]

Phoenix, AZ

Coke Ovens 4x4 [ Closed ]

Phoenix, AZ

4x4 Trip		Feb 05 2011
		Grasshopper • Triplogs 578

4x4 Trip	29.50 Miles	3,605 AEG

4x4 Trip	29.50 Miles	8 Hrs 15 Mns	3.58 mph
	3,605 ft AEG

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Martinez Cyn via Cottonwood & Box Cyn

Coke Ovens - Via Cottonwood & Box Canyon

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ssk44

This past January after reading Minnesota Jack's hiking trip to our "Box Canyon" area east of Florence, AZ,--> http://hikearizona.com/TL.php?ID=58008 , I had a renewed interest in a return visit to this area for reasons detailed in my trip comments to Jack's above linked triplog.

HAZ-ssk44(Eric) was also interested in joining me for a return visit to help me locate that special, remote 4x4 camping and hiking area within this large BLM and State Trust Land area that I had previously visited some eleven years ago on Thanksgiving weekend Nov-2000. Due to the winter season discomfort of driving my semi-open and off road modified Jeep "The Grasshopper", Eric graciously offered to drive his families' modified 4x4 Xterra on our day adventure which was planned to cover a lot of scenic and rough 4x4 country: from Hwy 60/Mineral Mountain intersection south to eventually exit onto the Florence-Kelvin Hwy west, then to complete this long day loop through Florence, AZ on Hwy 79N and back to Hwy 60W and home.

My posted GPS track with information comments along with my posted pic set with captions explains the long and short of our adventure. I was once again unable to locate my special Nov-2000 spot which I now think is more likely somewhere within the Martinez Canyon area which will need another dedicated day and/or weekend camping trip to confirm.

It was an excellent and most enjoyable day for this scenic and sometimes a little risky 4x4 trip which ended with us making an unfortunate call by driving Eric's Xterra cross the Gila River with its unusually and unexpected high 420 CFS flow this day--> http://hikearizona.com/photo.php?ZIP=178313 . A day trip, the enjoyable and not so enjoyable, that we will remember for a long time to come--> http://hikearizona.com/photo.php?ZIP=178319

Culture

Culture [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Coke Ovens HAZ Rides Pioneer Industry Railroad Right-of-Way

Named place

Named place [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Martinez Canyon North Butte South Butte White Canyon Wilderness

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(Outside.. "there is No Place Like It!!")

WARNING! Hiking and outdoor related sports can be dangerous. Be responsible and prepare for the trip. Study the area you are entering and plan accordingly. Dress for the current and unexpected weather changes. Take plenty of water. Never go alone. Make an itinerary with your plan(s), route(s), destination(s) and expected return time. Give your itinerary to trusted family and/or friends.

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