Roberts Mesa Trek
Denny Harger submitted this Article with Map 842 days ago
| Route Information : Roberts Mesa | |
|---|---|
| Level of Difficulty | Moderate |
| Elevation At Trailhead | 5912 |
| Minimum Elevation | 5702 |
| Maximum Elevation | 6575 |
| Length In Hours | 45.94 |
| Length In Miles | 12.64 |
| Elevation Gain (feet) | 3123 |
| Download GPX file | |
There is a large mesa right at the bottom of Myrtle point; it's named after the old lawman Jim Roberts that used to ranch horses in the area in the 1880s. The road through the neighborhood is named after him as well.
To get to Jim Roberts road from Payson you just go east on highway 260 to about Kohl's ranch and you turn north on Fish Hatchery road (forest road 289). Go about two miles and you will find Jim Roberts road (forest road 29) heading of to the west right across the road from the Catch-A-Trout. Jim Roberts road goes through to the Control road on the west end. It goes past Meads Ranch, Collins Ranch, and Longs Ranch, all to the south of the road.
There are old roads to ride a quad on both north and south off of Jim Roberts. So far we have only trekked the ones on the north side. So when you turn west off of the hatchery road the first old road you come to that is noted on the accompanying map has a good place to unload quads and camp. There is also a great little road up the canyon from there. It goes to a parking place where you can take a short hike in a very green little gorge. There are little caves and a seep or two where the water comes right out of the ground. When you get to the end of the canyon turn around and go back the way you came. Only follow the map from here up onto the flat if you are looking for antlers sheds or hunting game.
Here's an idea; load a nights worth of camping equipment on your quad and take your best gal (or guy) and find your way up to Flat Top Rock in an afternoon. Make camp on top and watch a gorgeous sunset. Then wake up early and watch the sunrise. If you're thinking of proposing marriage this might be a consideration (don't forget the ring).
You've probably noticed Challenge Hill, its great fun crawling up it on your quad but if you're a beginner, be careful, it can be very dangerous.
There is a large watering hole just west of Challenge Hill where you can find all sorts of cool animal tracks (see Tracks and Treasures).
The road farthest to the west goes up on to Roberts Mesa. It's a great ride and I see Elk every time I go there. When you get on top there are some very nice places to hike.
Remember don't ride you quad where it's not supposed to be. Take ALL your trash home with you and for goodness sake be VERY VERY CARFULL WITH YOUR CAMPFIRE!!!
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