Chevlon Canyon Forest Road 237

Forest Road 237 lies just west of Forest Lakes Arizona near the edge of the Mogollon Rim. http://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/asnf/...44659&actid=34 The road offers many free dispersed camping opportunities with limited facilities. An inexpensive area to set up camp during the summer, the road is just a short drive or hike from Arizona's popular Willow Springs Lake.

This is a great area for many different outdoor enthusiasts. Campers will appreciate the ease of access and large areas available as well as the relative seclusion compared to the nearby 300 or Rim Road.

Hikers and Mountain bikers can enjoy the wildlife protection area immediately west of the southern portion of the road between FR 237 and Willow Springs. The area is closed to motor vehicles and provides many routes to explore. The end of FR 237 provides the fantastic Larson Ridge overlook of Chevlon Creek and primitive but stunning trails provide access to the water below.

Backpackers and Climbers will enjoy the limitless opportunities for exploration found in Chevlon Cayon beyond the end of Larson Ridge.

Jeeps, 4x4's and ATVs will also enjoy the 8 mile long forest road. Though unpaved from start to finish the first six to seven miles though rough are easily traveled by all manner of vehicle including passenger cars and large RV's. The last one to two miles become increasingly rugged and are a fun challenging to off road drivers.

Camping

This road offers many different opportunities for camping. Just a quarter of a mile after turning off the highway campers will free but designated sites dispersed to the right side of the road usually with included fire rings. This is also the location of the one and only restroom in the area. The sites provide great access to trails within the wildlife area and is a short three mile hike to Willow Springs Lake, or a short drive if you prefer.

Continuing along the road stick to the left. FR 237 is a designated dispersed camping area. Though dispersed camping is available all throughout the Sitgreaves, this designated area allows vehicles to stray further from the road than is normally allowed. Nearing the end of the road more scenic camping spots become available as the road follows Chevlon Canyon. Reaching these more scenic camping areas can be achieved in almost any vehicle assuming caution is observed. The road gets steadily rougher near the end and the last half mile requires four wheel drive and will be a real challenge to most vehicles.

Mountain Biking

The Willow Springs Loop Trail head begins at the vault toilet located on the left side of the road just a quarter mile after turning off Hwy 260. The loop consists of abandoned forest roads also commonly referred to as two tracks. Much of the loop is gentle and will not challenge experienced riders but it does offer scenic views, relaxing fitness rides and access to Willow Springs Lake. The entire loop resides within in a wildlife protection area and is completely closed off to motor vehicles.

Although it is open to vehicles FR 237 itself is a great place for mountain bikers to go. Most of the road is wide and grated but the last mile offers more technical obstacles and stunning views. 

Hiking and Backpacking

While you can hike anywhere in the National Forest it is suggested that you stick to the trails. The Willow Springs Loop offers an easy going route as discussed above but there are also great primitive routes available at the end of the overlook. To reach the trail that leads down into Chevlon Canyon you can drive to the round about at the edge of the overlook or park anywhere along Forest Road 237 and start from there. Most vehicles will be able to make it to the end of the graded portion of the road in good weather which will put them within a mile of the actual trail.

Finding the primitive trail that leads down to the water is not always easy as it is very underused. At the very end of the road this is a small round about where vehicles can turn around. Hikers should head over the hill to the right side of the round about and head down the hill to a well defined and rocky ridge. At the end of this rocky ridge is a trail that leads down to Chevlon Creek. There are usually cairns placed every so often but the trail is remote and following it takes some care. Though it is only about a mile down to the water this trail can be a challenge in both directions especially those that are navigating it for the first time. Keep in mind that there is a canyon on both sides of the trail but it is only the canyon to the west (left heading down) that contains water, knowing this is helpful when finding the trail.

At the bottom of the canyon hikers can follow trails along the water in either direction and though the creek is quite shallow in most places there are several good swimming holes along the way.
 Chevlon Creek is rarely visited in this area and as a result is packed with Craw Dads. Those experienced in cooking these small crustaceans will find a feast at the bottom of this secluded canyon.

Hikers and backpackers should be aware that this is a rarely traveled area and it is very difficult for emergency personnel to reach. Anyone venturing into this area should leave a detailed plan of where they are going and when they will be back regardless of how large their group is. Wildlife are also common in the area, mountain lion and bear can present a dangerous situation to hikers who happen to surprise them.

Flooding is also a risk to the area. The canyon is fairly wide but flash floods are still a possibility especially during the monsoon season of July and August.

Jeeps, ATV's and 4x4's

Forest Road 237 offers fantastic views of the forest and of Chevlon Canyon all along the way. Those that do not want to risk the more challenging obstacles of the last mile will still enjoy the safe and scenic drive of the first seven.  Muddy conditions do present a hazard, especially on the last mile and even experienced off road enthusiasts should avoid this section during very wet periods. Luckily mud as much of a problem as it is in other areas of the White Mountains as the soil tends to stick together quite well.

 The more technical section of road starts with rocky some rocky ledges and a tight winding trail. Four wheel drive is required for vehicles especially on the way out. Due to the tight twisting nature of the trail large vehicles will have a very difficult time manuevering between the rocks and trees  along the way.

The first few gentle obstacles will quickly weed out any cars and small cross over vehicles. Some of the obtional obstacles in this section will scrape the bottom of many stock 4x4's including a four door Jeep Wrangler. Stock Jeeps and other four wheel drive vehicles should have no problem negotiating this section as long as they proceed with caution.

The next major obstacle referred to as the S turn is difficult to pass through and a three point turn is often required in two sections of this 25 meter obstacles. Large rocks on both sides will damage any vehicle that is either two large or in two much of a hurry. 

The S turn is followed by more rocky terrain. A large downed tree long since blocked the original road and provides a great place for stock or less capable 4x4's to park and walk the rest of the way.

The trail now heads around to the right. Another tight but beautiful section isn't so bad going down but can be very difficult to climb back out of if not properly equipped.




Loose rock makes returning very difficult. A tall ledge about halfway down the hill requires good ground clearance to descend and is the most difficult obstacle to overcome on the way out.




Those who make it down will be presented with fantastic views. Another loose and tight climb will allow them to reach the convenient round about so that they can return and head back up the hill. Before heading back be sure to take in the view and relax before the challenging return trip.

Why is this a big deal?

I have been cycling as a "cyclist" since 2005. I've been cycling for the adventure since 1999 and before that I was just like any other kid on a bike. I've seen and done a lot of things on my bike and as you probably gathered from my last post I am pretty competitive. Strava and dailymile are my main outlets for this and they truly do seem to offer some serious inspiration.

Since I started using Strava last September I have been creating and attempting to top every segment in Clay Springs and the immediate area. If a segment already existed I was trying to top it, if a significant portion of road or trail didn't have segment I created it and as you may know strava builds the leaderboard from all past and future attempts. The mountain segments were easy, since my wife and I are really the only ones out here. The road segments on the other hand vary from a good challenge to a substantial record. A sanctioned road race runs through here every summer as does the bike section of a major triathlon.

For this reason one segment in town has eluded me. The Sawmill TT is .7 or just about 3/4 of a mile long. I sold my Time Trial bike at the beginning of October in order to get my mountain bike but before I did I went after this segment. I was pretty out of shape and failed miserably. I was completely cooked too. I don't normally get sick to my stomach on a bike but I did that day. The average speed was far out of my reach that day even though I was fully capable of those speeds in the past. I waited until November of last year and went for it on my road bike. I averaged 31.8 miles an hour and had the third fastest time (but was ten places back because of numerous ties) I started out great hitting a top speed of over 38 mph but I just couldn't keep it going over the last quarter mile. I couldn't hold that effort for that long.

Finally after riding consistently on my road and mountain bike (mostly mountain) over the last few months I decided to go for it again. I found that I had much more stamina and was able to keep it up until the finish. I averaged 33.9 mph with a time of 1 minute 18 seconds and put a significant gap between myself and the rest of the field. Surprisingly I believe that I can actually beat that time by a good margin. I blew out my tire on a ride at the beginning of the week and had to borrow my brothers wheels until I get new tires. Not only was I not on aero rims and high quality hubs like I normally would be but I was riding on heavy and old thorn resistant tires. Couple that with the fact that I didn't commit to the segment until it had already started says that there is quite a bit of free speed to be gained. With increased fitness I think I can establish a really solid time.

One of my goals this year is to better all of my times on these segments. The following video is from back in the day when I rode with the Strada Cycling Team before the days of strava. This is from the Burger Shop to 260 segment. The Sawmill TT is in here but in the opposite direction, you'll see the interval training and the cool downs in between. I currently hold the record on this segment at around 23 mph (easily beatable now) I don't know how fast I was in the vid but the TT bike was always very fast.

Why I don't race anymore, and how I feed my competitive hunger

Races and other endurance events have become outrageously expensive in the last few years. It wasn't like they weren't always expensive but in the past those prices were a little easier to ignore. It was just me after all, and my only goal in life was to go to the Olympics and be the greatest cyclist ever.

My priorities have changed just a little as I've gotten married and started a family. Having two beautiful girls makes you realize what is really important and what is extra. Sure I'd be thrilled to stand a top an Olympic podium but it's not a priority. I thoroughly enjoy watching the Olympics almost every night with my family and sharing that experience together.

Having kids doesn't mean your not competitive, it just means you are less likely to understand the value in paying someone $100 to ride a public route and get a T-shirt. I can ride or run those routes for free on any other day and a nice T-shirt can be had for far less. Every time I see this level of entry fee I start to think of all the upgrades I could do to our bikes, or the things I could add to our fitness quiver. For perspective that is a new pair of running shoes for Celisse, or a Mavic 821 tubeless rim, or a pretty pricey helmet. These are all retail prices mind you. An internet, or back of the bike shop savvy used shopper could end up with much more. I just don't know how I can justify sacrificing long term tools for a 2 hour race.

Even $10 to $15 dollar races require serious consideration. For the family man athlete you must consider just how many pounds of bananas you are sacrificing at this local event. I recently saw bananas as low as 50 cents a pound! Going to that race could literally be costing you 15-30 pounds of mid priced produce! That's not counting if you have to drive to an event. There is still value in these events of course and I usually try to participate in my local runs because they help support things I care about. I even put on a $15 event in 2012, The Clay Springs Christmas Run. These races can be a ton of fun, but I consider each and everyone of them individually these days.

I'm still fiercely competitive though. I love to just get out and ride without the pressure of competition but I can't help myself when it comes to competing. To this day I have passed every random cyclists I ever came upon on the road and have never been passed myself. On a few occasions I even started a ride simply to catch a rider I saw going down the highway. Most of the time I rely on a couple of wonderful websites to keep me happy. The first is dailymile.com where I track all of my total mileage from running, hiking, biking and kayaking. Today I saw that one of my friends was one mile ahead of me in the yearly mileage standings so I made an extra ride just to beat them. Strava.com is the next site I use. I have my 5 year old Garmin GPS to track my speed, distance, and location as I ride along. People create segments on all the significant portions of riding areas and I love to compete for the fastest time. Having the fastest time on the local hill is much cooler to me than winning a race once.

I'm not a total loner. I love to ride with groups and exercise with other people I just prefer that it isn't sanctioned and charged. Plus riding with friends in a social setting is much more fun than riding with them in a competitive one.

Am I saying you shouldn't race? No, racing is fun and it does help to improve the sport, but so does buying
new parts. Regardless of how you look at it I'm simply sharing how I've come to see it. You may not have realized some of these things before. Maybe you were like me and didn't think you could afford good parts because you spent all your money on racing. I'll still do a big race from time to time I'm sure, but you won't see me justifying it very often. I'm pretty happy to just be able to ride everyday and continue to improve my own talent.

Trail Sampling with the Family

The family and I had a great time exploring this past Civil Rights day. We started off by taking a tour of the brand new Gilbert Arizona Temple. It was an incredibly gorgeous building, and Alcie (our two year old daughter) was absolutely tickled to be there.

Although I have to go to the valley once a month, the girls don't make it down very often  so we decided to do a little exploring on the way back up. We took Power Rd up to the Bush highway and stopped at the Hawes Trail System for a little hike. I had ridden the Hawes once before a few months ago, but Celisse and the girls had never been there. Alcie was very intrigued by the Saguaro cactus lining the trail and Celisse noticed how grass only grows in the shade. It was hotter than we expected so we only hiked about a mile total and continued our drive up the mountain. I don't always notice it but the scenery between the valley and Clay Springs is pretty epic and we greatly enjoyed it on this drive as a family.

We made it through Payson and up to the Mogollon rim with just enough time to stop for a short hike on the Highline trail at the 260 Trail Head. We would have taken more pictures but we kept forgetting the camera and the smartphone in the car. If the Hawes was on the warmer side, the Highline was definitely on the colder side. Also unlike the Hawes, which can be identified by nothing more than an indescreet dirt lot on the side of the road, the Highline is marked by a sign on the highway and provides a restroom, trash, small horse pens, and a nice log book.

As the sun was on its way down and we had the girls with us we weren't able to hike very far on the Highline either but we still probably got a solid mile in. The trail was beautiful. The trail itself is in much better shape than it was a few years ago, but the scenery of the rim above and the view below is always the main attraction. The last time I was on this trail was around 2006 when Wes and I went backpacking on it. In those days it was littered with loose rocks and severely washed out in places.Seeing it now I can't way to come ride it. It's still technical and rocky but almost all of it looks rideable and you just can't beat the view.

We may not have gone very far, but outings with the family are always the most memorable, we had fun and the girls got to see things that excited and intrigued them. You can't beat that.

New Year, New Goals

     Despite major set backs last year I was able to accomplish much of the goals I had set for my self last year. I traveled over 1100 miles last year all under human power, whether it was by bike, foot, or even kayak. This year I again want to travel at least 1000 miles but I want to do it in half the time. The minimum thousand miles a year goal will probably always stick with me, I feel it is something I should always be able to accomplish. The main mileage goal for this year is a little bit more complex though. For 2014 my goal is that combined with the mileage of Celisse we can match the miles we put on our car. Living in a rural town and being in the Marine reserves makes this a difficult task. We have been known to put up to 10,000 miles on our vehicle in recent years and with all our other responsibilities that becomes a big chunk of miles to match, even for two people. The first part of this goal then is to ride, run, hike and paddle a ton of miles, but the second part of this goal is to drastically bring down the mileage put on our car.
 
     Why am I doing this? The main reason is that I love to ride my bike and I hate buying fuel. The bottom line is that it is good for our wallet. We can save and spend more money for the important things instead of throwing it at gasoline, auto repairs, and tires. It's also good for our mental and physical health, staying active improves our mood and makes our home a happier place to live. As little effect as my driving habits probably have on the environment it is always something to consider. If doing my part to take care of the environment also takes care of me, then it's not a political stance; it's just common sense.

     I was able to ride many of the trails that I set out to do in 2013 and some I hadn't known about. My favorite are probably the trails near Show Low but I have a special place in my heart for the trails I ride most often around Clay Springs. I hope to finish riding all the official trails in the White Mountain area this year. I still need to ride Los Burros, Land of the Pioneer and a few others. Even though I took a small hike on it this year I also want to ride a good portion of the Highline this summer.

 

 The trails I most want to ride are in Oregon. I've ridden some of the trails around Cultus lake but there are still much more to do in that area. In addition to Cultus I would like to ride the Sunriver to Bend trail, and portions of the Umpqua and Mckenzie River trails. Celisse will hopefully be game to come along as we just got her a new mountain bike which will be more suited to actual mountain bike riding. The bike itself is actually a 2004 Cannondale Jekyll but the PO did lots of upgrades. It has a Deore XT crank, Sram X9 shifting, Mavic 819 UST rims, Shimano Hydraulic brakes, and Sun Ringle hubs. I added her saddle from her old Giant, a Kona two bolt seat post and a Bontrager Race Lite handle bar. We also through in some snazzy green pedals. It has some things yet to do. I just rebuilt the rear shock and we will be replacing the front suspension fork (a bent Manitou Black) with a Rock Shox Reba. Once everything is finished she'll have a better mountain bike than I do for less money. Am I jealous? A little, but I love my Superfly.

     I've put over 600 miles on my Superfly since I got it with probably 90% of those miles being unpaved. I converted it to tubeless using the Stan's tape and Bontrager sealant. They were a bear to get set up but have performed pretty much flawlessly since. Tubeless is definitely the only way to go up in this country unless you want to run a stiff an narrow hard case tire. We ran hard cases for awhile and loved them, but as the performance of our bikes have gone up we've opted for more performance oriented tires to match them. I was fairly satisfied with my tubeless system and for the most part still am, but then I had to mount tires on Celisse's Mavic UST rims. UST is the full on tubeless, not just tubeless ready. Instead of sealing the spoke holes with tape or other device the rims just come standard with sealed rim beds, no spoke holes on the inside. In addition to that the bead interface is designed for tubeless and as I found out it works much better. My rims took lots of trial and error with an air compressor to mount. Celisse's older tire took a small shot from the compressor to seat up while the newer Specialized tire took nothing more than a floor pump. When the tire does run out of air (I've found while deflating them) they stay glued to the rim so that all you have to do is patch the hole (flats are rare with tubeless however) and fill it up with a mini pump. My rims do not hold the bead when flat so I am required to use either an expensive CO2 can (which might not work) or throw a tube in it until I get home. Both situations are undesirable. This experience has prompted me to start saving my pennies, because the first upgrade I'm making to my bike is new Mavic 819 (or 821) UST rims.

  Finally a fun shot from my and Celisse's 3 year wedding anniversary. We rode our bikes up to a local trail and had a picnic. Sparkling Cider and picnics go great together and apparently they go great with mountain bikes too.

Well, that's my goals and outlook for 2014. Hopefully my next post will be an actual adventure report!

Adventures on the Trails

My Superfly showed up about three weeks ago and I've been riding it ever since. As of this writing it already has 241 miles on it. Every mile has been a blast and I am well on my way to completing 1000 miles in 2013.

     Most of my riding has been on two tracks in the Clay Springs area, and it is a beautiful area but in order to increase my skills I have begun to seek out more true single track. I rode a little more than half of the Juniper ridge trail a couple of weeks ago. It was beautiful and a great adventure but it's rarely used and quite overgrown. When I have more time and a riding partner I will be returning to finish that ride. I have recently found Show Low's secret trails to be a ton of fun and a great learning tool. They have some of the more technical features of the trails in the area and they are close by when I'm in Show Low. The mountain now has a high school mtn bike team. I think it's awesome! They ride twice a week. I had a blast riding with them last week and will probably ride with them a couple of more times before their season is over.

     Most recently I started building a single track trail on the family property. All said and done it will be about two miles long with the main loop being about a mile and a half. It will be a great place for me to practice without interference and it will also be a safe place for Celisse to ride by herself when she doesn't want to ride out into the woods alone. I'm really excited about it because I think it will benefit everyone in the family. Trails help bring people to fitness, without them thinking about getting fit.

     I don't know if I plan to race anytime soon. Sure I still dream about going to Rio in 2016 but the the sacrifice that would take is too much for my family. I am excited for our second daughter and I want all of my kids to see a few bike races before they have a chance to race. My daughter is already getting excited about the bikes and can't wait to have one of her own. I might do a couple really awesome races every year but for right now I'm just focusing on having fun and improving where I can. For me the bike is still about the adventure.

Bikes, Monsoons, and Future Plans

          It's not always convenient to get outdoors but sometimes it actually is. I've been going into the local bike shop for years, but until recently there hadn't really been room for me to work there. Either they already had someone or my own schedule didn't fit. A few weeks ago though I walked in looking for some info on my mountain bike's fork and everything clicked. I've been working there a couple days a week since and having an absolute blast.
       I've been kind of messing around on my bike for the past few years. I did teach a spin class in 2011 and 2012 and I also helped lead weekly group rides at BYU Idaho before it got to cold in the fall' of 11'.

My first and only mountain bike race was in June of 11 as well but the fact of the matter is that I didn't do a single bike in 2012 or 13 and I haven't held a road license since 2010 and haven't ridden a sanctioned road event since 2009.
     I've been riding but it's mostly been to explore the backwoods, or run errands. My trail riding came pretty much to a halt when my suspension fork locked up for good a few months ago, which is really too bad because Celisse and I were having an awesome time riding together.
     Working at the bike shop has been great therapy for me but it's also inspired me to get a little bit more serious. I dusted off the Madone and TT bike and put a good chunk of miles on them in the last few weeks. My brother Matthew and I took the opportunity before he left on his mission to embark on a one hundred mile high elevation road ride before he left on his two year mission for the church. We managed to make it 46 miles before we were hit by a massive rain/hail/freezing storm and 55 miles before we managed to find shelter and call for a ride. It was a little scary but it was a ton of fun and a ride that we will never forget.
     My TT bike has never gotten very much use and even though I absolutely loved getting out on it every now and again I also knew I needed a new mountain bike, which has proven to get a lot of seat time. It turned out that entry level suspension fork was completely toast and a new fork was crazy expensive. It made more sense to buy a new bike especially considering that Matthew needed a bike on his mission in DC. My old mountain bike was still reliable and functional for city riding, so I boxed it up and sent it off. In the mean time I posted my TT bike on Craigslist for a steal and it was gone by the end of the day. Losing the Trinity was hard but I believe it will be worth it.
   
   

  I ordered my new Trek Superfly a couple of days ago and am just itching to hit the trail. I find it ironic that working at the bike shop would soon lead to me temporarily having only one bike, but here we are. The new Superfly is supposed to be completely awesome and a huge upgrade over my old Giant. It will be my first 29er and I'm excited to go on some awesome adventures.
     Mud has been an issue with crazy amounts of rainfall this season and sections of my favorite trail, Los Burros, are still avoided due to mud. As things dry up though I plan to ride the following trails by the end of the year.
Los Burros 13
Land of the Pioneer 8
Panorama 9
Willow Springs Loop Trail (with Celisse) ?
FR 237 and possibly below Larson Ridge 14+

And of course the forest road between Clay Springs and my Parents house in Taylor (26 miles round trip),


     There are a ton of other trails in the area though and I plan to hit up a bunch of them. Celisse and I rode about three quarters of Los Burros early in our marriage and I hiked all of it with my family when I was pursuing my hiking merit badge. I've hiked Land of the Pioneer as well but never ridden it. Both are incredibly beautiful but I think that Los Burros is the best in the area. I've ridden Panorama a few times, once with Celisse even. I've hiked part of the Willow Springs Loop Trail which is closed off to motor vehicles and the lake is our favorite spot. I've driven 237 in our Jeep and we hiked to the bottom but it looks like a great place to ride and the trail in the canyon could lead further, we don't know. I've spent a ton of time on the route between me and my parents and ridden it fully once.

     I finally discovered Strava a couple weeks ago and have been trying to compete on the various segments near me. I'll have to remind myself to relax and take in the view sometimes, even when the competitive side tries to get the better of me.

     I'm really loving the new cycling kit I got from the bike shop. Not only is it local, and put me and my bro on the same team but the Hincapie kit is top notch in quality. Also my first set of bib shorts, different but awesome. This was my last ride on the Trinity, I didn't know it at the time but I'm really glad we got a picture. I don't know if you can tell but I'm really counting on the new Superfly to make up for it.