Well, this was vastly easier than I've ever seen it... the 'curb height' rocky bits I mentioned before don't currently exist. The whole thing is really nice right now.

I continue to believe it's a horrendously bad idea to do in a car, but that's just me. If you were to do a car attempt, going down would be a lot easier... but mind cooking the brakes - use as much gearing as you can to slow it up. If you start to smell something, it's you!!

And don't forget to take plenty of pictures......or video would be even better!!!

tibaal89 wrote:

Well, this was vastly easier than I've ever seen it... the 'curb height' rocky bits I mentioned before don't currently exist. The whole thing is really nice right now. I continue to believe it's a horrendously bad idea to do in a car, but that's just me. If you were to do a car attempt, going down would be a lot easier... but mind cooking the brakes - use as much gearing as you can to slow it up. If you start to smell something, it's you!!

so you're saying it's like fr 300?

If you take the peppersauce canyon trail, it's a little more difficult, just cut out to the right and follow the trail, there are alot of fire roads cut out so you have to pay atention to make sure you stay on course. The top of the mountain has a good view, but the last bit up there gets washed out real bad and last time my buddies jeep almost ended up about 1000 ft down the cliff.

Just an update on the Oracle Control Road. I did it from the bottom up on April 29, 2010. The first part is like a highway and as you go up, it gets more primitive. There were no major obstacles all the way, just some stray rocks, some partially cleared trees, and some small erosion from runoff. In 26 miles I met only 2 oncoming vehicles, a Wrangler and a Liberty. There are plenty of turnouts for passing. A little bit of snow was on the side on top but nothing in the road. I take it easy and slow on these roads and keep the wife happy. All in all, it was just what I was looking for while on vacation in Tucson. Thank you for your website, which I studied before I left home (Taos, NM).
Bob
(lifted Jeep WK)

Hey Bob, thanks for the post. The road tends to be a big wife/girlfriend/s.o. pleaser.

How do you download the kml file?

fredwood wrote:

"Peppersauce Campground (very clearly marked by signs)." If I remember correctly there is a cave there. When I was a boy scout we went in the cave on a couple different trips. It goes way back in the mountain. Just a possible added bonus to the run. Correct me if Im wrong Mike.

At the bottom of the first post in this thread there's a little table... the title of that has a picture of a floppy disk and the filename - it's the download link. You need to be logged in for this to be visible.

I figured it out. Had to play with the file extensions.

Has anyone done this recently? Conditions?

I came down the back side about 2 weeks or so ago. You didn't even need High clearance. It was the smoothest I ever remember it. The first 6 miles at the top through the twists was a "touch" rougher but really a low rider could've gotten it done. After a few monsoon storms, it should rough up a bit hopefully.

The views were still awesome, still cows all over the place and still only two or three vehicles seen as usual.

The pie place has been torn down however, this I wasn't aware of as i don't head into the village that often. Was kinda sad about that.

I hope you don't mean the pizza place! The cookie/pizza cabin place?

Thanks for the info! I will be heading up from Oracle

blatant wrote:

I came down the back side about 2 weeks or so ago. You didn't even need High clearance. It was the smoothest I ever remember it. The first 6 miles at the top through the twists was a "touch" rougher but really a low rider could've gotten it done. After a few monsoon storms, it should rough up a bit hopefully. The views were still awesome, still cows all over the place and still only two or three vehicles seen as usual. The pie place has been torn down however, this I wasn't aware of as i don't head into the village that often. Was kinda sad about that.

The cookie place is further into town. The best pies in the world came from a kinda beat down looking building as you enter town and its on the south side. It was a blue building. Just past the post office. I hope they are just changing locations. They weren't touched by the fire.

CopDoc wrote:

The cookie place is further into town. The best pies in the world came from a kinda beat down looking building as you enter town and its on the south side. It was a blue building. Just past the post office. I hope they are just changing locations. They weren't touched by the fire.

The pie place is gone. The lady who did the baking died in September '08.

Sad News