Tommy
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Post by Tommy on Mar 16, 2022 14:03:20 GMT -5
This is just bored speculation and dreaming - no specific trip is planned to go to Sheep Bridge but I've always been curious about access to the location. It's my understanding that the 'only' route to the location is a grueling 40 mile 4x4 crawl on Bloody Basin Rd. to FR269 starting at Hwy 17 north of Phoenix. Is the nature of this drive just rockhound lore or is it really that bad? My specific question though is can the bridge be accessed from the south via Horseshoe Reservoir and the Catfish Point rec area - and if not, why not? There does appear on Google earth to be a road that goes from CP directly to Sheep Bridge - is it blocked with a gate or otherwise impassible? I'm tagging the two guys I can think of, Tim and Brian, that are local rockhounds that have probably been there and might know the answer but anyone with knowledge of the area is welcome to jump in. AzRockGeek, beefjello
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Post by Pat on Mar 16, 2022 14:20:55 GMT -5
Could you send a drone to take a look?
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Tommy
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Post by Tommy on Mar 16, 2022 14:25:15 GMT -5
Could you send a drone to take a look? Haha I wish I had that kind of long range power. Maybe I would do a little missile strike deep digging on the site to reveal more goodies.
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AzRockGeek
has rocks in the head
Member since September 2016
Posts: 627
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Post by AzRockGeek on Mar 16, 2022 14:31:14 GMT -5
I have been there going through Bloody Basin and Seven Springs Rd. both roads suck!!!! We had a club trip there many years ago to the Az Agate mine (Where the two Rds Meet) there were three cars in our group that each had two tires blow out way back there, and this is the good part of the road. The last seven miles are non-maintained and you are bolder hopping. You probably could go in through Horseshoe lake, but there would be two river crossing's you would have to deal with, the one a sheeps bridge could be deep and if you get stuck it would be a VERY long walk out. The road is so bad to get to this place and one of the local clubs wiped out all the float, I would never go back unless I was in a side by side.
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Tommy
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Post by Tommy on Mar 16, 2022 15:18:40 GMT -5
I have been there going through Bloody Basin and Seven Springs Rd. both roads suck!!!! We had a club trip there many years ago to the Az Agate mine (Where the two Rds Meet) there were three cars in our group that each had two tires blow out way back there, and this is the good part of the road. The last seven miles are non-maintained and you are bolder hopping. You probably could go in through Horseshoe lake, but there would be two river crossing's you would have to deal with, the one a sheeps bridge could be deep and if you get stuck it would be a VERY long walk out. The road is so bad to get to this place and one of the local clubs wiped out all the float, I would never go back unless I was in a side by side. Thanks Tim now that you mention it I remember now you told me that story before about the tires blowing. That's actually why part of me wants to get out there while my tires are still fresh and my bones can still handle it. I put 'E' rated 10-plys on my truck right before I met up with you at Burro Creek - 2018 I think - but I've barely put 5k miles on them if even that much, since then. There's got to be some kind of payoff coming to me eventually for driving around with those bricks on lol. From Google view coming up the road from the dam it looks like there are four major Verde drainage creeks to cross and a couple more small ones. They all appear dry when the satellite snapped the image but we all know that's no safe bet once you get there and see it in real life. The road then travels along the river then comes in on the eastern side of the bridge, apparently without having to cross the actual Verde. Just out of curiosity which direction from the bridge is the collection area? I was reading something on the web about having to schlep a backpack a mile and a half north along the river once you reach the bridge.
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AzRockGeek
has rocks in the head
Member since September 2016
Posts: 627
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Post by AzRockGeek on Mar 16, 2022 15:30:43 GMT -5
The main collecting site is right where the red pin is on the third photo (West Side) of the bridge, there is a small turn out about 1/4 mile before the road ends at the river, from there hike little north and start looking for the diggings. I know some people have collected on the east side of the river long ago, I have not heard of anything recently. I have heard stories of people pulling out large boulder's by hiking north on the river bottom. If your driving let's go!!!!
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Post by mohs on Mar 16, 2022 15:51:22 GMT -5
Interesting guys Unfortunately I’ve never been back there Altho I did want to mention that just past the Bartlett Lake turnoff on Cave Creek road about 2 miles is the Sear-Kay Hokokam fort ruins If ya never visited and you’re in that area it’s a must. The view up there is serious And the amount of black basaltic rocks moved to build the rooms is remarkable....
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Post by jasoninsd on Mar 16, 2022 15:56:30 GMT -5
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Tommy
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Post by Tommy on Mar 16, 2022 16:27:11 GMT -5
... I would never go back unless I was in a side by side. Well, that escalated quickly I really would love to go out there - I've been thinking about it for a good long while. Can't do anything before May when the hot season rolls in there so it would have to be next slow work season, Dec or January - maybe in conjunction with a Quartzsite trip.
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Tommy
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Post by Tommy on Mar 16, 2022 16:29:07 GMT -5
That might work to shuttle rocks back to the truck one at a time
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Post by Rockoonz on Mar 16, 2022 22:19:01 GMT -5
Tommy I would be happy to tag along and help you test those tires.
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Post by Rockoonz on Mar 16, 2022 22:22:33 GMT -5
The people I talked with say going up through Cave Creek is a better route, at least for the first few miles. Edit: Now that I think about it, I think that people was Vince while we were tearing up the huge saw. hummingbirdstones does that sound right? Of course if you were going in from Prescott the Bloody Basin route would be better. I saw a late 90's Samauri on FB market recently, very tempting. The Vitara has the gear, but also a tire size not available in decent off road tires and delicate plastic fender flares, and the Highlander AWD is clearly not intended for real off roading.
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Post by hummingbirdstones on Mar 17, 2022 10:26:33 GMT -5
The people I talked with say going up through Cave Creek is a better route, at least for the first few miles. Edit: Now that I think about it, I think that people was Vince while we were tearing up the huge saw. hummingbirdstones does that sound right? Of course if you were going in from Prescott the Bloody Basin route would be better. I saw a late 90's Samauri on FB market recently, very tempting. The Vitara has the gear, but also a tire size not available in decent off road tires and delicate plastic fender flares, and the Highlander AWD is clearly not intended for real off roading. I wasn't there when you guys were talking about it, but Vince says he remembers someone from our club who had to go in there to rescue someone who got stranded and they said they road is rougher than hell. So is Bloody Basin. Neither one are enjoyable. I've always wanted to go down to Bloody Basin but Vince doesn't like the idea because if you get stranded in there, you're kind of screwed. Back when there was no cell service in there. Don't know if there is now, but I wouldn't go in without an ATV. The other thing you have to be careful of is flash flooding.
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Tommy
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Post by Tommy on Mar 17, 2022 11:07:47 GMT -5
I wasn't there when you guys were talking about it, but Vince says he remembers someone from our club who had to go in there to rescue someone who got stranded and they said they road is rougher than hell. So is Bloody Basin. Neither one are enjoyable. I've always wanted to go down to Bloody Basin but Vince doesn't like the idea because if you get stranded in there, you're kind of screwed. Back when there was no cell service in there. Don't know if there is now, but I wouldn't go in without an ATV. The other thing you have to be careful of is flash flooding. Definitely a trek best done by multiple well prepared vehicles with towing capabilities. This is precisely why I'm wondering why I hear no mention of the road in from the bottom of the lake. It definitely exists on satellite and looks substantially shorter than either of the other two roads in - my guess is it was created (or improved) for the workers when the modern version of Sheep Bridge was built. There must be a gate or private property to cross - either that or the creek crossings are too gnarly. Does anyone know the best way to look up on a computer if it's BLM land or private property out there?
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Tommy
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Post by Tommy on Mar 17, 2022 11:08:50 GMT -5
drocknut was that you I remember pulled your trailer into the Bloody Basin collecting area a few years ago or was that someone else?
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AzRockGeek
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Member since September 2016
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Post by AzRockGeek on Mar 17, 2022 11:53:45 GMT -5
I wasn't there when you guys were talking about it, but Vince says he remembers someone from our club who had to go in there to rescue someone who got stranded and they said they road is rougher than hell. So is Bloody Basin. Neither one are enjoyable. I've always wanted to go down to Bloody Basin but Vince doesn't like the idea because if you get stranded in there, you're kind of screwed. Back when there was no cell service in there. Don't know if there is now, but I wouldn't go in without an ATV. The other thing you have to be careful of is flash flooding. Definitely a trek best done by multiple well prepared vehicles with towing capabilities. This is precisely why I'm wondering why I hear no mention of the road in from the bottom of the lake. It definitely exists on satellite and looks substantially shorter than either of the other two roads in - my guess is it was created (or improved) for the workers when the modern version of Sheep Bridge was built. There must be a gate or private property to cross - either that or the creek crossings are too gnarly. Does anyone know the best way to look up on a computer if it's BLM land or private property out there? It is Tonto national Forest, the road is FR479. Here is a link to trip someone documented on it. myjeeprocks.com/forums/forum/pitch-a-tent/trail-reports-trail-discussions/9279-sheep-s-bridge-tonto-national-forest-az
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Tommy
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Post by Tommy on Mar 17, 2022 12:37:18 GMT -5
OK that's very cool, thanks Tim. I hadn't found that one. Sounds like they did a clockwise loop starting in Cave Creek up Seven Springs to Bloody Basin rd/FR269 then they crossed the Verde at Sheep Bridge, and came south down the east side of the river on FR479 to the lake and dam. So there is hope afterall What I'm proposing is a drive to the dam where it sounds like crossing the river will depend on the current water release, then east and north on FR479 to the bridge and back without having to cross the river again except maybe on foot at Sheep Bridge. I'm sure once you get out there and take a look at some of those wash crossings it looks completely different from what it looks like on the map but it still sounds like less of an ordeal than the 40 mile crawl in from the west. The road to the dam is even paved for quite a long ways...
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hummingbirdstones2
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Vince A., 1958-2023
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Post by hummingbirdstones2 on Mar 17, 2022 21:30:22 GMT -5
The only time I've ever been there was at least 30 years ago. A bunch of us went there with no 4WD vehicles via Bloody Basin. Even went over the boulders down to the river in an old Chevy pickup. That bit was pretty exciting.
I'd be interested in seeing a trip report if you guys go in from either direction. I know there's a place a few miles from the river where the road follows along around the edge of some ridges, and one in particular was almost like a switchback where a wet-weather stream came down. That spot is prone to washing out.
I know I've been on much worse goat-paths. If it isn't badly deteriorated since then you shouldn't have any problem getting there.
Oh - when I got here in 1986, the old-timers around here all called it "Sheep's Crossing". Not Sheep's Bridge. They'd snort and shake their heads and say "It was a crossing a looong time before there was ever a bridge... .".
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Post by catmandewe on Mar 17, 2022 23:00:21 GMT -5
I have been there via Bloody Basin road, its a long slow road but its not that bad, I have been on worse.
We were going to cross the Verde and go out the bottom but it was too high to cross while we were there.
Tony
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Post by RickB on Mar 18, 2022 14:17:31 GMT -5
This is down in the Rockbox Tommycraigcis I just returned from Bloody Basin with a pretty decent haul. I got some material that is superior to anything else that I have seen in the last 5 years. I'll be going back soon to try and get a bit more of this beautiful plume agate.
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