Running a BDR (Backcountry Discovery Route) this year is going to be a little different for us than it has been in years past, for several reasons. First, we'll be exploring a state that - due to its distance from home, or even Las Vegas where the Tacoma is now stored - we've done very little adventuring through. This should be a great thing, as one of the "problems" with the last couple of BDRs we've explored was that we were already reasonably familiar with what we'd encounter, making the trip less exciting. Second, we'll be running the route in April - a far cry from our usual July endeavors - since we're a little worried about the temperatures we'd find in the middle of summer. We're hoping this works out, but we'll certainly be threading the needle as far as snow goes along a couple high-elevation segments of the trail. And lastly, this year we have a schedule to meet. With the Tacoma stored in Las Vegas, we've got flights in and out that are already booked. We've allocated one day per stage - plus a travel day on each end - but it's no secret that unforeseen events can quickly cause a trip to go sideways.
And so, we are headed south - to the border between the United States and Mexico - to the beginning of a 750-mile route that explores the historic Empire Ranch, Sierra Ancha Cliff Dwellings, Mogollon Rim, Saguaro Cactus Forests, Navajo Nation, and Vermillion Cliffs. More mountainous than many expect, we'll experience a green terrain rather than the rocky, remote, and hot environment for which this state is known. Or, at least, that's the promise, as we view the Grand Canyon from vantage points most people never see.
Stage 1: USA-Mexico Border to Benson | 128 miles
Stage 2: Benson to Globe | 127 miles
Stage 3: Globe to Young | 86 miles
Stage 4: Young to Winona | 135 miles
Stage 5: Winona to Cameron | 125 miles
Stage 6: Cameron to Utah Border | 153 miles
As usual, BDR routes can be found on the RideBDR web site. I always find there's a little work to get them into tip-top shape, but that just gets you a little more familiar with the route before you embark yourself!
Mexico to Benson - Unusual Encounters | AZBDR Stage 1 - Prologue Running a BDR (Backcountry Discovery Route) this year is going to be a little different for us than it has been in years past, for several reasons. First, we'll be exploring a state that - due to its distance from home, or even Las Vegas where the Tacoma is now stored - we've done very little adventuring through. This should be a great thing, as one of the "problems" with the last couple of BDRs we've explored was that we were already reasonably familiar with what we'd encounter, making the trip less exciting. Second, we'll be running the route…
Benson to Globe - Kinda Boring | AZBDR Stage 2 - Having wrapped up Stage 1 of the Arizona Backcountry Discovery Route (BDR) more quickly than we'd anticipated, it was early afternoon as we headed north out of Benson, toward Globe. Having just gorged ourselves on Wendy's, we weren't in any position to stop at the shop directly below this tantalizing sign as we left town. While unexpected, we were both glad that things were working out this way. We've found it much more pleasant to end a day halfway through a stage - rather than at the end/beginning of one - in order to find somewhere to setup camp and…
Globe to Young - Take a Hike | AZBDR Stage 3 - Globe definitely won the "best marketing" award of all the towns we passed through on this trip. It was fantastic to photograph. Rolling out of Globe early on our second day of running the Arizona Backcountry Discovery Route (BDR), we were once again on - you guessed it - pavement! This was quickly getting old - as we sped north at speeds we rarely encounter on our adventures - and by now we were pretty sure that the AZBDR wouldn't be climbing to the top of our "favorite BDR" list unless something changed dramatically, and quickly. AZ-288 (the Globe-Young Highway)…
Young to Winona - The Mogollon Rim is Closed | AZBDR Stage 4 - As our tires hit pavement in the outskirts of Young, it was time to start thinking about Stage 4. Climbing - and then traversing the Mogollon Rim - this was where satellite imagery, which I'd been watching on a daily basis for several weeks prior to our departure, suggested that 5-19" of snow still blanketed the ground. This didn't look promising. Still, my copilot - having spent the last half hour looking through the road conditions page for the Coconino National Forest - thought we stood a chance, at least in part. Though she confirmed closure of the Forest Service…
Winona to Cameron - Volcanoes, Pueblos, and a Grand Canyon | AZBDR Stage 5 - Having "wrapped up" (and by that I mean, essentially, skipped) Stage 4 of the AZBDR in a little under six hours, it was just after 3:30pm when we set out from Winona in search of open roads. The elevations here were nearly as high as those on the Mogollon Rim, so I was a little worried that we'd soon find ourselves blocked by snow, but @mrs.turbodb was reasonably confident that we'd be just fine. As usual, she was right. The snowy San Fransisco Mountains would provide a familiar - and beautiful - backdrop for much of this stage. For the…
Cameron to Utah - The Best for Last | AZBDR Stage 6 - A quick recap... We knew even before starting the AZBDR that we'd need a permit to cross the Navajo Nation, and we knew we could conveniently pick up the permit just outside of Cameron, AZ just prior to entering Navajo land. What we didn't know for sure were the hours of the permit office. Knowing that we didn't know, we'd tried calling the permit office earlier in the day - just before visiting Waputki National Monument - thinking that we could pick up our permit well before the office closed for the day. However, when no one answered the phone,…
Underwhelming | AZBDR Epilogue - The Arizona Backcountry Discovery Route (BDR) is the eighth that we've completed in as many years. Through the experience of each one, @mrs.turbodb and I are - as you can imagine - regularly comparing the current BDR to those we've explored in the past and a few years ago I finally started writing some of these comparisons down. Now, naturally, I feel obligated to carry on that tradition into the future. TL;DR - the Arizona BDR is the least technical that we've run, and the vast majority of the route would rank near the bottom of our list of "best…
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Hey it was great reading the write-up of your trip, brought back many memories. I did the same early May 2023, it was my first solo trip so some sections were a bit exciting.
The stream crossings before Pioneer Pass (not knowing if my truck would sink) and the backside of Pioneer Pass (pretty washed out) had me a bit nervous. And the trail out from the GC was fun. I agree a lot of it was pretty boring. The trail just north of Winkleman was pretty horrible for scratches. I also had to skip section 4 due to snow, went back a few weeks later and the first part was nice in the trees, but the second part into Winona was several miles of terrible rock garden. Basically, softball to basketball volcanic rocks, with grass grown up in the roadway so the bigger ones were pretty well hidden. I would recommend skipping it.
I just completed most of the NVBDR (solo again), ended in Elko. That was also an adventure for me, got pretty stuck in the mud during a creek crossing and next day shoveled a path through a snow drift blocking the road. I have not done nearly the hikes/exploring that you do. I think a big part is being alone part, also not as fit as I used to be.
In 2022 I joined a few people from TW and we did most of the WABDR, I plan to go back some time and hit the missing sections.
I plan to do the CABDR-North this Sept. (exact dates TBD) most likely with a couple friends, if they can make it. If you have time and are interested let me know.
Note we are all tread lightly and leave no trace campers.
Hey Sam,
Glad you enjoyed reading the AZBDR story, and it sounds like you had a great - even if there were "exciting bits" time on the trail yourself. Those BDRs are a great way to get miles under your belt to build up confidence, and running the Oregon BDR was one of our first adventures; it got us hooked.
Oh, and yeah, that bit of trail north of Winkleman was horrible. I don't care about scratches on my truck anymore, but I still didn't love that stretch; I felt like, what's the point of this?!?
And the NVBDR - that was one of our favorite BDRs. Nevada, I feel, is so underrated.
Keep me posted as dates for the CABDR-N firm up, and if I can't make it, let me know how the goes! I've done a lot of that area via the Plumas Discovery and Lassen Discovery Trails, and it's beautiful country up there. Even further north, the Siskiyou Crest trail is a great one that I highly recommend. All are easily run solo.
Cheers,
Dan