NOTE: We originally called this run "The Backside of Mingus: Cherry to Potato Patch." We changed it on February 27, 2011, to "The Goat Peak Trail." That's what it is called in the book "Backcountry Adventures ARIZONA."
We started the trip at 11:30 and returned close to 4 pm. We saw no one from when we turned off of Highway 260 at the Yavapai County Complex until we reached the pavement again at Hwy 89A.
This is the best route for a stock Zuki. As everyone knows, stock Zukis don't climb paved highway hills very fast. They can really stack up a long line of traffic on a steep hill. All of your hill climbing is done on gravel or dirt roads via this routing. From Potato Patch, it's all down hill to Cottonwood. Plus, the twisty-turny Hwy 89A is slow going for all vehicles. You simply can't drive it very fast or you will have a wreck. That means the Zuki is capable of going about the same speed as all the other vehicles, regardless of their horsepower and handling characteristics.
We often forget just how beautiful these Arizona backroads really are. This is a wonderful back country trip for a stock Zuki. There's just enough four-wheeling to make it interesting without being "over the top" of the stock Zuki's abilities. The scenery is superb and there are some truly awesome lunch spots along the way. The route goes through a really sweet older ponderosa forest near Cherry and another younger pine forest on Mingus.
One of the highlights of the route is actually driving on top of the Tapeats Sandstone behind Mingus. It's at least a mile of this distinctive rock unit, perhaps two miles. It's very rough, of course, but the thrill of driving atop something that sits almost at the very bottom of the Grand Canyon is awesome.
We did violate one of the cardinal rules of back country travel. We didn't tell anyone where we were going and when we would return. Opps! We also didn't take overnight survival gear, food and tools.
Two peanut butter sandwiches simply wouldn't have been sufficient in case of a major breakdown!
Heck, we didn't even take duct tape. That's a BIG No No. The Duct Tape Gods surely take note of such antics and could have sent down severe consequences on us for such a foolish transgression. We have been reprimanded and are serving our penance now. We promise never to make such egregious mistakes again.
It was a wonderful trip. SuziQ purred like a contented kitten. The highway tires survived the sharp rocks without any signs of abuse. Our trip rigging held up well and the various boxes and such didn't shift around. All our personal gear is finally coming together into an efficient ensemble.
Trip #4 will have to wait until late February when Susun returns from Hawaii. The first three trips have been very educational and instructive. We hope to get a lot better at this game. Gary said he will help us get a ham radio and help with our license. That's really going to be great for peace of mind when we get back up in Idaho where cell service is scarce as a Democrat.
We're very happy with SuziQ's overall performance. She's looking more and more like a keeper.
Our total trip length on this excursion was 77 miles. As we approached the gas station near our home, we each guessed how much fuel it would take to top off the tank. We both guessed 4 gallons. Much to our amazement, it took 2.5 gallons and that calcs to 30.8 mpg! (Yes, we topped the tank until gas splashed back out.) This trip cost a grand total of $7.76 on $3.09 gas. Yeah, maybe she's a keeper.
Cheers, J&S
The sign says it all--the fun part of this run is basically 21.5 miles.
This is a photo of the ponderosa forest near the Mingus Summit. The other forest over by Cherry has much older trees and more species diversity.
