ATV 24

Four Peaks ? I can see that from my back yard. I usually don’t like to go to places like that due to way too many people and people enjoying their “high performance toys”. With sharp blind curves and drop-offs, meeting someone head-on on the wrong side of the road in a full power slide can be ,,,,, exhilarating ?,, NOT ! I’m doing it today because; 1) The wife can’t go. 2) It’s Friday. 3) It’s cold. 4) Those “go fast guys” never dress correctly so they will not be very high up the road. 5) It’s like 10 miles from my house.

When I got to the parking area I felt like it was an assault on Mt.Everest or something like that. The mountain was hid in a cloud bank that jus hung there all day.

Most rides up this road are all about speed and sliding the turns (I was young once). This time I have the opportunity to actually look around a bit, stop and take some pictures. This is some of the most picturesque Sonora desert that you will ever see.

As soon as I got up the road just a little I was all alone. I knew the cold would keep the few people that I seen down lower.

With the rain and melting snow it seemed all of the washes were running. The road was dry but had sufficient humidity to keep the dust down. The road looked great but had several surprise washouts, 1 foot deep and 1 foot wide, just enough to get your attention.. I just can’t post all the pictures I took.

The camera just can’t capture the sheer magnitude and size of everything around me. This is the last descent before the assent to the top. At the bottom I took my last break hoping it would be warmer, it wasn’t . You could feel the cold coming down the mountain. Brrrrrr…

We made it to the top, Brrrrr…. . I am dressed very warm and I am freezing. The wind is blowing up here at the top. My wife carries the thermometer, but all signs indicate it is below 30 degrees, maybe 25. To the south I can see the other 3 of the 4 peaks. Off in the distance east I can see Roosevelt Lake below. (looks warmer) LOL

Only 1 jeep at the parking area. The roads in many places were packed snow and ice.
I did see another ATV but I’m not sure he was able to talk. He looked frozen. LOL

When I came down from the top I headed to Edwards Park . This area is lower but still up at the top. As I hoped, the wind was blocked in this are. In fact the air was dead still ???? What a difference a few miles can make ! No wind but I could tell the temperature was dropping. The snow was getting a crunchy crust, don’t remember that on the way in ? I feel like I’m out by myself at the Artic circle or something. I haven’t seen anyone in a few hours.

Don’t anyone get any crazy ideas that an ATV is a Snow-Mobile, it’s not. Passing through the snow is fine until it is so deep that it touches the bottom, then its over. I like running in the snow but am careful not to go too deep or go down any hills that I may not be able get back up.
4 Peaks is a great place to ride, even to ride slow ! It is picturesque from the lower desert to the thick wooded peaks. For those preferring the slower style of riding I would recommend riding during the week, even if you have to take a day off work. It requires no special skill for this ride (level-1) and would be a great place to take the kids or wife. Dress appropriately and then some extra cold weather gear, really! Even in the summer. Sure glad I hade some really thick gloves !
Take your CAMERA !

It seems those clouds only hung around the top. I was looking forward to the warm rays of the sun on the way down . Everything looks different going down and at a different time of day. (That’s the magic of the desert.) I wasn’t disappointed once today, but I kept my heavy gloves on until I returned to the staging area, Brrrrrrrr….

I wasn’t sitting on the couch today !