Garden Canyon Run
February 17, 2008

While most people, judging by the lack of traffic in town, were at home watching the Daytona 500, several club members met for a fun day on the run from Huachuca Canyon to Garden Canyon.

This run has a lot to offer 4 wheelers of all skill sets in vehicles ranging from stock to trail warrior.  The climb out of Huachuca Canyon took us in to snow country today with Marty, picking up the rear, saying that it got a bit slippery after the rest of us had packed it down.

Our first stop was to be Antenna Hill but I missed the turn, thinking it was farther down the trail than it was.  Dave, I need you to get back out there in the lead to de-curse me.

We went on a run to Sunnyside Canyon on February 10th.  This is located on the back side of the Huachucas just east of Parker Canyon Lake.  11 Vehicles attended with members, guests and visitors to the area.

We had our share of adventure trying to find the road up to gate 7, the termination point of the Sunnyside trail.  The road has ample forks and side roads to provide plenty of exploration on future trips to the area.

Our first obstacle was an unexpected stream bed strewn with boulders that appeared to be an abrupt end of the road.  Not wanting to earn Dead End Dave?s reputation I decided to go through to see if the promise of the trail we?d spotted a few hundred yards upstream was, indeed, the one to Gate 7.  At this point I was fairly certain that we had taken the wrong fork on the main road but my GPS companions assured me that we were right on track.  I questioned my memory, blamed it on aging that nothing looked familiar from the first time I?d been on the run and went through to an uncertain destination.  This is what we live for, after all;  off camber, boulders, water and adventure.

Several Range Riders spent Labor Day camping, exploring trails, and having a great time in the Chiricahua National Monument area.  The group camped on Pinery Canyon Road, east of the actual monument.  Gordon & Kathy, Roy & Tabitha, Bruce & Georgia, and Mitch & Susan arrived early.  Stacy, Angela, Justin, Lisa and their friends Jerry, Nikki, Heather, Matt, and Faith showed up Saturday morning, since Stacy had to pull duty with the Army on Friday night.  Leon and Dorothy showed up Sunday.

Leon led a night run into Mine Canyon to give former member Bryan Kubishta, visiting from Alabama, a proper Arizona 4 wheeling fix.

Four vehicles attended, Leon and Bryan, Sunny, Peter and me.  We left Mustang Corners at 6:45pm. 

Several Range Riders spent Labor Day camping, exploring trails, and having a great time in the Chiricahua National Monument area.  The group camped on Pinery Canyon Road, east of the actual monument.  Gordon & Kathy, Roy & Tabitha, Bruce & Georgia, and Mitch & Susan arrived early.  Stacy, Angela, Justin, Lisa and their friends Jerry, Nikki, Heather, Matt, and Faith showed up Saturday morning, since Stacy had to pull duty with the Army on Friday night.  Leon and Dorothy showed up Sunday.

Departing the Memorial day camp site about 8AM the following members left for Mansfield Mine and canyon: Gordon & Kathy, Mitch & Susan, Dave & Vicki, Leon & Dorothy, Stacey & Angela, Lisa, Justin and assorted dogs.  As promised, we waited at the Patagonia School until 8:30 AM and left for the Temporal Gulch trail head.

Waiting for us at the trail head were Ray & Kenny and Peter, for a total of seven vehicles into the breach.  As we turned left off the Mansfield Mine road into the canyon, Dave noticed the road marker was missing.  We need to have the Forest Service replace this marker.

The first obstacle, left around the rock and up the hill was successfully negotiated by all.  Low  4wd up the canyon, through where the fence and gate used to be. Some new barbed wire laying on the ground indicates the rancher using that area intends to re-fence.  We need to make sure the USFS insist a gate be placed there.

Leon led the Range Riders 4 Wheelers run on Sunday, June 25, 2006. There were 4 vehicles:  Leon & Dorothy and grandson Anthony, Peter, Troy and Janet Weiss, and Mitch & Susan Hohstadt. The run went through Ft Huachuca west gate and to the back side of the Huachucas where we explored Scotia Canyon.
It was a beautiful run in the forest with some interesting spots for Troy and Janet to try out their new Rubicon. Club members provided great advice for first timers Troy and Janet on driving and conquering the trail. Since Peter has a Rubicon he was able to give some great specific advice on the Rubicon. Troy and Janet made it successfully through all obstacles with only Arizona pin striping.