AzBDR to Expo West

[Trailjeeper]

Hello, all, my brother and I are planning on doing the BDR in May, headed up to Expo West. He and a few friends are riding dual sport motorcycles, while myself a d maybe a few others will be taking 4x4s.

I'm just curious ,for those who have done it in 4x4s, how fast was your pace, and how many days did it take you? I'm thinking of leaving Monday morning from the beginning and ending up in Flagstaff by Thursday morning, depending on trail conditions.

Btw, anyone else planning on doing this? We are doing this as a totally unsanctioned event, just for fun, so there is no set schedule other than we want to be at Expo close to opening time.

 

[BPCLFD]

Me and My daughter did the AZBDR this summer in mid June it took us 4 days and we didn't really kill it just drove easy. I had 8 days planned for AZBDR so it went a lot faster than expected. Mostly stock 2017 Tacoma with KM3 tires feel free to ask any questions happy to try and answer them

 

[1Louder]

3 nights is plenty. In reality if you are stopping in Flagstaff 2 nights is plenty. It’s mostly scenic wide dirt roads vs trails. We made it just south of Globe on day 1 and near Flagstaff on day 2.

 

[Trailjeeper]

Thank you for the info. That helps out a lot with planning.

 

[Trailjeeper]

So, depending on whether or not they lift the stay at home recommendations, we are still planning on doing the AZ BDR in May. The stay at home policy is supposed to be lifted at the end of April, so the trip will be a go, if it does. But, since Expo West has been moved to July, this trip will be just the BDR, with some extra days thrown in for sightseeing.

We are planning on starting at the Beginning, on Sunday, May 10th. We have modified the route slightly for sections 2 - 4, because I live in this area and know a little more of the back roads that I believe would be much more enjoyable than driving up 4 lane divided highway. Section 2 will go east to Tombstone, for those who haven't been there, with camping in the Dragoon Mountains, at the end of the day. From there up through the city of Wilcox, and then back to dirt for quite a few miles through the San Pedro River Valley.
Section 4 will be modified slightly for camping up at the top of Pioneer peak, instead of just driving over Pioneer pass.

So far we have my jeep YJ, a '67 CJ5, a 16' 4x4 Sprinter van, and 4 dual sport motorcycles. This may change as we get closer to the date.

We are planning on using the whole week and folowing weekend for the trip, so there is plenty of time for folks to stop and check places out, and for the bikes and 4x4's to be able to catch up or wait up for each other as needed.

This is an informal event, so everyone is responsible for their food, gas, tents, etc. But we expect this to be an adventure, so helping each other out is a given. Weather is expected to be from cold at higher elevations (above 7000 feet) to possibly into the upper 90's to 100 's in the desert.

You can check out Arizona Backcountry Discovery Route (AZBDR) Map & Information for info on the route itself.

 

[Trailjeeper]

Well, 7 days until we leave. Looking forward to hitting the trail. No expo on this trip, so plenty of time for sightseeing. 2 jeeps, 1 roxor(the first day or so) 2 motors, and a Sprinter. What a diverse group. We have modified the first 2 sections to come through Tombstone, and camp in the Dragoon mountains.

Still getting rigs ready, so we will see how it turns out.

 

[SoAZLuke]

Good luck, look forward to the post trip pics. I live in tucson and might have to try this route out one day

 

[Trailjeeper]

Update: tomorrow is the day we start. Final count will be 1 jeep, 2 motos, and 1 Sprinter van. There are others on the azbdr facebook page who will be somewhere on the trail at the same time, that we may run into.

Really looking forward to the trip. My YJ is about as packed as I have had it, which probly means I am taking too much stuff.

I will post a trip report when we are finished with pics and maybe some video.

Really wish that it was still heading to Expo West, but we are excited to get out and explore...

BTW, I will have my "Adventure is Necessary" banner up each time we stop. :D