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Davenport Lookout s(u)

This is an old historic Lookout above West Pass, off US60 east of Pie Town. It has great distant views onto the Sawtooth Mountains, a a rugged series of outcrops appreciated not only by rock climbers. The GDMBR takes dead aim at the Sawtooth Mountains on a long straight trek through the dessert, when heading for Pie Town. .And the it actually bypasses it.

1.START-END WEST:jct US60 - Davenport Canyon
2.profile turns right on rough jeep trail to Lookout
3.TOP, 9300ft
4.START-END EAST:jct US60 - Thompson Canyon


Approaches

From West.
Crusing along on a wide shoulder of US60 with barely any traffic and cool forest for company is a 100 percent pleasant experience in late October. Along comes the turnoff on FR6, marked with a small sign. Once on the smooth dirt road and about to enter the small forested ravine, a sign even attaches a name to this scene: Davenport Canyon. The dense forest and camping park scenery comes as a surprise; so close to the dessert - and so different.

The next turnoff onto the jeep trail to the lookout tower is also signed. There is also an old historic school house here according to the signs. I'm not sure if I believe that, but there are a few structures of variable integrity, with one of them decked out as an investment tool. These last two miles to the top included a lot of walking for me. But it's all a workout, and the views on top are fairly incredible, stretching from the rocky Sawtooth Mountains behind Pie Town to various mystery ranges, shrouding themselves into increasing haze direction Arizona. The small historic lookout tower is flanked by two modern microwave relay stations. The tower is low, but you can climb it and marvel through the windows at the interior, including a historic Fire Lookout Register, a stove for cooking and other kitchen utilities to keep you from getting too hungry while keeping a lookout for smoke in the distance.


From East. (described downwards). This side is barely traveled now, since at the time of writing the access to the forest road from the bottom is blocked by a locked gate. A microwave service technician who just happened to be servicing something in one of the towers at the top however, told me that the owner of the blocked entrance was a very nice person and that with a bicycle there shouldn't be a problem. There wasn't.

The first two miles down are at least as rocky as the last two miles up. After that the dirt/rock road is 98 percent rideable without doing circus tricks, which are not in my repertoire. Thompson Canyon has a few fanciful, interesting rock outcrops. The road is clearly marked with a forest service road number before it enters the last section which seems to parallel private land. Coming from the other direction the turnoff can be recognized by  a road that is visible across a meadow and various "private road statements".

cLiCk on image , arrows , or thumbnails to advance slideshow


Dayride with this point as highest summit

PARTIALLY PAVED / UNPAVED

(< FR239 Lobo Canyon s(u) | Az261 White Mtn Rd s(u) > )

Davenport Lookout Tower s(u) , FR6A Sawtooth Mtns s(u) : near jct FR6A - US60 > US60 east > FR6 Davenport Canyon north > Davenport Lookout Tower s(u) > down Thompson Canyon > US60 west > back to starting point near jct FR6A - US60 <> separate out and back <> FR6A north <> FR6A Sawtooth Mountains s(u) << turnaround point on US6A in WH Canyon at ~7200ft: 54.8miles with 3570ft of climbing in 6:05hrs (garmin etrex32x m6:24.10.26)
Notes: the out and back on FR6A was planned as a loop over Pie Town. But the turnoff heading east from FR6A was too dubious. - Amazingly warm / hot day for end of October.


       



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