Another go at Cleator 08-23-09
I decided to go on a ride by myself on Sunday since the weather cooled off some (94 in Phoenix) and I couldn’t go riding with some of the others on Saturday. I woke up at 3:00 AM and couldn’t get back to sleep so I made some coffee, checked email, had a bite to eat, loaded up and took off N of Phoenix. I headed to Bumble Bee Rd exit for a ride north of Cleator.
I love getting out on the trail just at sunrise. The desert colors are gorgeous as you look out at the vast mountainous landscape.
After unloading I headed down to a road just past Bumble Bee where I took a left and climbed to the top of the hilltop to take in the sunrise. The trail down the backside of the mountain is extremely steep. Once again I am so impressed with the ADC of the Polaris 850 XP. With the ATV in ADC mode of 4 wheel drive the quad has outstanding 4 wheel engine braking. I have found that is you get going a little too fast the quad will tend to take off. To combat this if you will bump the throttle it will let the engine breaking engage and slow you down dramatically.
I take this route quite often but near the end of the trail I took a trail I had not been on before. Right after the gate I dropped into a wash and noticed a concrete building to the right and a large mining building to the left. The Concrete building was used to house the explosives for the mining operation.
It’s amazing I have passed this mine 100 times in years past and never saw it. Plus it is only a couple of hundred yards from the main road although you cannot see it from the road. The building was quite large but it had been burned. I had fun rummaging around the old building thinking about who had built the buildings and walls. As I walked around the walkways my mind was wandering about who could have walked in the same footsteps I was taking. It always amazes me all the equipment these old timers build. After going through the building I went over to the slag pile where they had a bunch of other equipment. As I was going along the top of the slag I noticed a sign. I stopped to see what it was. Wow it was a sign stating there was an Indian ruin in the area. After looking around I found a pictograph and a ruin. I always love that.
Next down a hill to a wash. It looked like it would be fun but it was a good drop off and I was by myself so I passed.
No back on track I headed north of Cleator to the hill climb we had seen on our last trip. It looked like it could be a nasty hill from afar but as I approached it didn’t look to bad. It was steep and loose with some out crops but the Polaris 850 XP handled it effortlessly. On top the views of the surroundings was outstanding.
I needed to find out where this trail went so I headed north. I figured I could find another trail to the left that would go down the mountain and hook up with the trail that ran down the middle of the valley so I could do a loop. The 1st left went out to the edge but it was a dead end. The good thing was there was a large Indian ruin near the edge. This one was much larger. There were some good size walls.
Back on the trail, another couple of dead ends, then I see a trail going up the other side of the wash that looks like it was well traveled. I made it to the wash and again some more good rock crawling areas but need another person to be safe. Off up the hill, some of the rocks on the side of the mountain look like aliens, others have brilliant colors. I am thinking this is the trail I was looking for to connect but alas it dead ends as well. Oh well back to the main road and north again. I can see the turn off to Prescott on my left as I turn had head towards Mayer. I stay on the power line trail but after about 1 mile someone put a fence across the trail. Crap. I could take the road too Mayer and try to find the back toad to Cleator or back track. As it was warm I decided to back track.
I made a brief stop at Cleator. I was talking to a couple of single track riders about the back way to Bumble Bee and they said it is a long trail. I thought, What? I have don’t this trail 100 times and it is not long, so I thought I would time it. I was going at a pretty good clip but I made it back to the truck in 30 minutes.
Another successful day of riding. It is always fun to find new trails, especially ones that hold some history such as old Indian ruins
Read MoreI love getting out on the trail just at sunrise. The desert colors are gorgeous as you look out at the vast mountainous landscape.
After unloading I headed down to a road just past Bumble Bee where I took a left and climbed to the top of the hilltop to take in the sunrise. The trail down the backside of the mountain is extremely steep. Once again I am so impressed with the ADC of the Polaris 850 XP. With the ATV in ADC mode of 4 wheel drive the quad has outstanding 4 wheel engine braking. I have found that is you get going a little too fast the quad will tend to take off. To combat this if you will bump the throttle it will let the engine breaking engage and slow you down dramatically.
I take this route quite often but near the end of the trail I took a trail I had not been on before. Right after the gate I dropped into a wash and noticed a concrete building to the right and a large mining building to the left. The Concrete building was used to house the explosives for the mining operation.
It’s amazing I have passed this mine 100 times in years past and never saw it. Plus it is only a couple of hundred yards from the main road although you cannot see it from the road. The building was quite large but it had been burned. I had fun rummaging around the old building thinking about who had built the buildings and walls. As I walked around the walkways my mind was wandering about who could have walked in the same footsteps I was taking. It always amazes me all the equipment these old timers build. After going through the building I went over to the slag pile where they had a bunch of other equipment. As I was going along the top of the slag I noticed a sign. I stopped to see what it was. Wow it was a sign stating there was an Indian ruin in the area. After looking around I found a pictograph and a ruin. I always love that.
Next down a hill to a wash. It looked like it would be fun but it was a good drop off and I was by myself so I passed.
No back on track I headed north of Cleator to the hill climb we had seen on our last trip. It looked like it could be a nasty hill from afar but as I approached it didn’t look to bad. It was steep and loose with some out crops but the Polaris 850 XP handled it effortlessly. On top the views of the surroundings was outstanding.
I needed to find out where this trail went so I headed north. I figured I could find another trail to the left that would go down the mountain and hook up with the trail that ran down the middle of the valley so I could do a loop. The 1st left went out to the edge but it was a dead end. The good thing was there was a large Indian ruin near the edge. This one was much larger. There were some good size walls.
Back on the trail, another couple of dead ends, then I see a trail going up the other side of the wash that looks like it was well traveled. I made it to the wash and again some more good rock crawling areas but need another person to be safe. Off up the hill, some of the rocks on the side of the mountain look like aliens, others have brilliant colors. I am thinking this is the trail I was looking for to connect but alas it dead ends as well. Oh well back to the main road and north again. I can see the turn off to Prescott on my left as I turn had head towards Mayer. I stay on the power line trail but after about 1 mile someone put a fence across the trail. Crap. I could take the road too Mayer and try to find the back toad to Cleator or back track. As it was warm I decided to back track.
I made a brief stop at Cleator. I was talking to a couple of single track riders about the back way to Bumble Bee and they said it is a long trail. I thought, What? I have don’t this trail 100 times and it is not long, so I thought I would time it. I was going at a pretty good clip but I made it back to the truck in 30 minutes.
Another successful day of riding. It is always fun to find new trails, especially ones that hold some history such as old Indian ruins
