A caravan of a dozen, included a nice old Willis-Jeep, a pickup, and 10 Jeeps strung out in a long line. Our destination....Superior, the hard way. Our "short cut" was 28 miles of desert road, winding up and over a mountain range, past the Ajax Mine, ending in beautiful downtown Superior, AZ.
Steve, our wagon master, sorted us into an order that would minimize any possible trouble.
For example, if anyone needed a spotter or a tow over an obstacle, he tried to anticipate and place certain ones near help in the lineup.
The road started easy, the only obstacle being the dust kicked up by the Jeep in front of you. Eventually the road wound through a close canyon, and exited onto a rocky trail, that started the gradual ascent through the mountains. About 3/4 of the way up, our Wagon Master looked away briefly, cutting a tire on a rock alongside the trail. Changing to the spare took only a few minutes and allowed the rest of us time for a pit stop behind the numerous cacti.
Continuing to forge onward and upwards, we encountered a group of quad riders approaching us in the opposite direction. We jockeyed around each other, finally getting 12 quads past our 12 Jeeps, a fairly easy, but complicated task due to our numbers and the narrowness of the trail.
Just a little further along the Willis-Jeep began to develop vapor locks. Despite the efforts of many Jeepers who all thought they had the right solution, the driver made the decision to return to camp.
our anxieties about them.
Our climb ended at the top of the world, with a great view of the desert in all directions.
Soon we had descended again, finding deep washes to cross in some pretty rocky territory.
Our last climb was over what seemed to be 1 large rock (about a mile across) followed by another large rock (also, about a mile across) going down the other side. Most of us were talking of "whiplash" from jostling over that mountain of rock as we ended on pavement again for the drive back home.
Driving with this group of Jeep enthusiasts has made for some great times for us during our stay here at Desert Gardens RV park. We have made friends, laughed a lot, and will be looking forward to more good times together during other winters here in Arizona. Thank you Desert Gardens
4-Wheelers for some great rides !
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