Tucson Area Bulletin Board:

[HoosierTrailmaster]

That isn't me...I am behind the camera. This guy is from Glens Falls, NY...great group from there and had MORE bikes than me...HP2, 650 GX, 450 GX, 450 EXC, 950 ADV, TE 450, Triumph Tiger, and there I was with the XR 400...ran like a champ.

[willthespill]

Originally Posted by HoosierTrailmaster

Just got back from a couple days riding in Moab. Very surrealistic landscape there.

Looks like a supermoto setup would rock moab

[HoosierTrailmaster]

Originally Posted by willthespill

Looks like a supermoto setup would rock moab

Until you got to the other side and hit the 12" of talc sand. It is a very diverse terrain. One guy rode with trials tires, but I think if he did it again, he would have stuck with knobs.

[russbryant]

Becky,

Hope the surgery went well !!! Heal up fast.

Russ

[StmbtDave]

Need to revive the thread from page 2.

Had a friend from Colorado drop by for some riding.



That's AntiPaul from HDB.

Monday we did 150 miles around the Santa Ritas then Tuesday I took him up to Reddington. I hadn't done the big Chiva loop so we decided to go exploring.



There are some knarley climbs on that sob! Paul was enjoying the light weight of his new KTM 500.



I was lubing my chain when I got back to the house and noticed the CS looked funny.



Six of the 13 teeth were gone - not worn but sheared off . The remaining are slightly hooked but not enough to drastically weaken them. Anyone else seen this happen?

Anyway, I sent Paul home happy.

Dave

[russbryant]

We had a pretty good 5th Thursday night at the Red Garter last week but tomorrow is the 1st Thursday so lets see if we can get a good turn out.

Russ
PS - Anybody hear how Becky's surgery went?

[Countdown]

Just noticed this thread, perhaps someone can help.

I was scouting the Great Western Trail last week. I was riding from Sonoita to Vail. I rode up to Gunsite and Lopez passes in mountains westof 83 then started down Sycamore Cyn which showed open on a forest map on Hwy 83 staging area map.

I thought I followed the main road but came to a ranch gate that said Keep Out. I found a road down to sycamore cyn sandwash but couldn't get out that way. Finally I went through the gate, past old ranch house, and thought I could get out then came to new steel gate locked up tight on both sides. Fianlly I undid the bottom wire on the fence and drug my bike under the fence and got out.

Does anyone know if there is a legal way out Sycamore Cyn?

Also looking for GPS tracks up and over Mt Lemmon.

[Drizzt]

Originally Posted by russbryant

We had a pretty good 5th Thursday night at the Red Garter last week but tomorrow is the 1st Thursday so lets see if we can get a good turn out.

Russ
PS - Anybody hear how Becky's surgery went?

Last I heard it was pushed until Friday, and also Becky is tired of the medical system

[Drizzt]

Originally Posted by Countdown

Just noticed this thread, perhaps someone can help.

I was scouting the Great Western Trail last week. I was riding from Sonoita to Vail. I rode up to Gunsite and Lopez passes in mountains westof 83 then started down Sycamore Cyn which showed open on a forest map on Hwy 83 staging area map.

I thought I followed the main road but came to a ranch gate that said Keep Out. I found a road down to sycamore cyn sandwash but couldn't get out that way. Finally I went through the gate, past old ranch house, and thought I could get out then came to new steel gate locked up tight on both sides. Fianlly I undid the bottom wire on the fence and drug my bike under the fence and got out.

Does anyone know if there is a legal way out Sycamore Cyn?

Also looking for GPS tracks up and over Mt Lemmon.

I'm familiar with the area but not really where you were exactly. If you were on the Sonoita side of gunsite pass, the way to highway 83 isn't very complicated, there's a few ways to get there (some more roundabout then others).

If you were on the Tucson side, really the only way to get to paved road is to take a trail that starts near the mine (near some powerlines, but not the powerline trail-that deadends into a gate in a neighborhood), or go down the graded mine road a ways and follow another trail near the huge powerline poles that cross the graded mine road. both of those trails intersect at a gate near wilmot road, which will take you to sahuraita road.

As far as I know, there is no way to get from the Tucson side of gunsite to highway 83 without taking sahuraita rd.

Sorry if it's a bit vague, it's hard to explain without a map. I can get more in detail if you need it for anything.

[jsonder]

Sycamore Canyon is closed. I got stuck doing what you did 2 years ago. There is supposed to be a sign warning you before the steep stretch w/ grapefruit sized cobbles which is just before just before the first set of ranch fences and buildings, but I never saw it.

[Countdown]

Originally Posted by Drizzt

I'm familiar with the area but not really where you were exactly. If you were on the Sonoita side of gunsite pass, the way to highway 83 isn't very complicated, there's a few ways to get there (some more roundabout then others). .

I was going north in the Santa Rita Mts. heading to Vail, and worked my way up to Gunsite and actually did a loop around it then went down Sycamore (yes with miles fo grapefruit size rocks, I was not going back up). I only remember one other road, it went N/W from the north side of the hill north of Gunsite.

Like I said map on forest sign on 83 showed Sycamore going through.

[Drizzt]

Originally Posted by Countdown

I was going north in the Santa Rita Mts. heading to Vail, and worked my way up to Gunsite and actually did a loop around it then went down Sycamore (yes with miles fo grapefruit size rocks, I was not going back up). I only remember one other road, it went N/W from the north side of the hill north of Gunsite.

Like I said map on forest sign on 83 showed Sycamore going through.

Hm I think I know what you're talking about. Did you pass a hill with some fenced off adobe ruins? Also followed a wash for a while? I've never been down that wash, good to know it dead ends I suppose.

[mntdawg]

Originally Posted by Countdown

I was going north in the Santa Rita Mts. heading to Vail, and worked my way up to Gunsite and actually did a loop around it then went down Sycamore (yes with miles fo grapefruit size rocks, I was not going back up). I only remember one other road, it went N/W from the north side of the hill north of Gunsite.

Like I said map on forest sign on 83 showed Sycamore going through.

Did you not see this?


Or does it have to be an official land management agency sign to be real? Most of us who have drove or rode into Sycamore and to the ranch have respected the property owners signage and rode back up the hill. As far as the USFS maps, most contain many errors, even the newest MVUM's.

These Bedrock mortars are in Lower Sycamore.


Good luck with the rest of your scouting.

[Countdown]

Originally Posted by mntdawg

Did you not see this?

Obviouisly didn't see it or would not be asking if there is a way out. Sure wish I had, "Bad Raod" is an understatement. Didn't mention that 3 shifts after I got onto county road my clutch cable broke. I don't think I could get back up the rocky road without a clutch but even worse if it would have happened I the sandwash.

In most cases the forest obtains easement rights for their roads out to public roads. There are many cases where they failed to do this but in some cases when the private property owner closes one of these roads the forest lets it slide. I wonder if the ranch has a legal right to close the road?

If they do then I have a problem with the fact that the public can not go through a gate in one direction but the rancher can go through the gate in the other direction. The road should be closed to everyone. This is not a case of access to land locked private property in the forest, it is a case of one land owner has exclusive access to the forest. He should have to enter the forest on the same roads as everyone else.

As to MVUM maps, they are the law so by definition they can't be wrong or have errors. They may not be what was intended but they are the law until revised by deciding officier.

[rpage11]

We'll see you there tonight.

Originally Posted by russbryant

We had a pretty good 5th Thursday night at the Red Garter last week but tomorrow is the 1st Thursday so lets see if we can get a good turn out.

Russ
PS - Anybody hear how Becky's surgery went?