BRADSHAW MOUNTAINS Offroad Adventure! | Bumble Bee, Cleator, & Crown King | Arizona
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- čas přidán 3. 07. 2024
- Just west of I-17 in the Bradshaw Mountains are many offroad adventures and living ghost towns hidden away for exploring. Today we visit and examine the towns of Bumble Bee, Cleator, and Crown King to see what history remains.
AZOFFROAD.NET - azoffroad.net/crown-king-road
VIDEO FILMED: 04/23/2023
▬▬ R E L A T E D V I D E O S ▬▬
⚪ MOKI DUGWAY - • VALLEY OF THE GODS and...
⚪ YAVAPAI CAMPGROUND - • YAVAPAI CAMPGROUND Tou...
▬▬ T I M E S T A M P S ▬▬
00:00 Intro & the Senator Highway Fail
05:00 Bumble Bee
09:31 Cleator
16:10 Murphy's Impossible Railroad
23:01 Crown King
31:30 Horsethief Basin Lake
▬▬ L I N K S ▬▬
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Welcome to the Cactus Atlas! We are Glenn and Amy and invite you to join us as we visit all sorts of locations across the American West. We tour both natural and man-made attractions.
Our base of operations is in the Phoenix, AZ area. We do a lot of hiking, day trips, and campground reviews and hope that we will be a great resource if you are planning a trip to the American West. We also hope to delight you with our exciting adventures!
Best time to get the pine smell is in monsoon time when it rains like crazy.
TIP on identifying flowers: If you have an I -phone, take a picture, then open the picture and at the bottom you will see an icon a small letter i encircled. Pressing that will bring you to a page that that says Look Up - PLANT. I’ve used it several times on hikes. Hope this helps❤
It probably is just easier using the phone. Not sure why either of us don't do that. 😂
Can you get to this place out of courtside Arizona?
My trip to the mines ten years ago! A great area to visit!
Yes!
It really is!
Crown King has good memories for me. Even though my Dad lived in CA, he came to camp so many times there with my oldest son. I have tons of pics from them. And a bear encounter ❤
I imagine those are some really treasured memories for you. 😊 But BEAR ENCOUNTER??? Okay, you're going to have to tell me about that one. That's one thing we haven't had yet (kinda hoping it stays that way). 😂
Thank you for sharing. These are trips here in our amazing state that my husband and I are now too old to take anymore. But again thank you. Blessings 💕🙏🏻
Our pleasure!
It seems you missed the actual meaning of the term "switchback" on your way up the Bradshaws. Note that at each switch back, the roadbed appears to continue on. That is because the train tracks used to go past the reversal where the train would stop just past the 180 degree turn and the track would be switched. The train would then back up the next leg until it hit the next switchback and it would go forward up the next leg.
The flowers are americas most common flower, lupine. Indian blanket are popular, globe mallow ,
You will run to prayers you can read too.
I live nearby in Prescott Valley AZ, and a buddy of mine lives there on Poncho Villa's land
9:38 Cleator was founded by a man who immigrated from the isle of man near the British Isles. His name was James Patrick Cleator. He was a longtime member of the fraternal organization known as the Oddfellows. He was a member of Arizona lodge #1, founded in 1868, which I am also a member of.
You are now goimg up to our neck of the woods.
Cool old photos in that bar. Wow that is a museum.
Purple flowers are Desert Lupine I believe.
Great Video!...been to CK many times on two wheels from many different directions. "The Palace Restaurant and Saloon is both the oldest business and oldest bar operating in the state of Arizona, United States. Located on historic Whiskey Row in Prescott, the saloon was opened in 1877, and rebuilt in 1901 after a disastrous fire swept the district in 1900."
Very cool! 👍
I've just come across your channel and I think you're doing a great job. I work for the county and my job takes me into the areas you have traveled. So many beautiful areas out there.
Very cool! Pretty cool perk of the job if you're around that kind of scenery. Thanks for commenting! 👍
Welcome back, Glen and Amy!
Hi there! 👋
Those sharp turns you were on were actuallly part of the Railroad Switch-Backs where the train would continue forwat, then back up the mountain, then go forward again. I think there were four major switch-backs. Also pick up the book, Arizona Place Names which was published in 1988. Really fun book to read. Another book is Marshall Trimble's Roadside History of Arizona which would be perfect for reseaching new place to explore with your channel.
Appreciate the reading recommendations! Always love them. Thank you! 😄
Every time I've seen that sign I also thought of it as just one thing "Bumble Bee Crown King" until I ended up looking it up one time. Great video, cool to see these places.
So did I! When I first came out visiting and shortly after moving here, every time I saw that sign on I-17, I thought it was one location and thought how incredibly cute it sounded. 😂
He is a very well rounded person and only speaks the truth as he knows it, awesome man I hope I can meet him someday in person.
I did not know that road was that xurvy and high up. That railroad had to go up that, no wonder it was called Murphys impossible railroad. Very cool.
I’m contemplating buying mining rights south of Bradshaw ranch closer to Sedona. Used to live up in Corneille, Grew up in Az and explored all over. A lot in Sedona rim rock VbarV from Jerome to flag to VbarV to camp Verdi all the way down to sears kay ruins.
That CK saloon was pretty cool 😎
Isn't it? So much history asking with a decent meal! 😄👍
I used to have a Cabin in Crown King. Was behind the General Store.
That's so very awesome! I imagine it was a great place to stay. 😊👍
@@CactusAtlas yes every weekend I was in Cleator and Crown King! For 14 years until my husband passed away.
I love that place! I learn something every time I watch your videos. You should have gotten the fudge from the General store. It's really good. Glad Amy came along.
Glenn's not much into fudge but unfortunately I only noticed it as we were checking out. Perhaps next time as I imagine we'll be back in the future. 😅👍
It’s always nice when the two of you have an excursion!
It's fun to get out with Glenn and be part of the process from start to finish. Seeing more remote places isn't half bad either. 😄
Ive never been to Cleater cool old buildings.
I am glad to see you are getting closer to 19k subscribers. You have earned it. I am hoping you will be well past 50,000 by the end of the year. Thank you for your excellent videos and being my recon team.
Not sure about 50k, but it would be nice. 😅 Thanks for the kind words.
Really enjoyed the video. That's a neat area and I like to mountain bike there. I have a copy of the "Crown King and the Southern Bradshaw's: A Complete History" book and it's written very well and is fascinating to read about the history of the Bradshaw's. There's a ghost town called Middleton about 5 miles west of Cleator on the old railroad bed. There's nothing left and you have to know it was there. It was a railroad town that had a station, water tower, a siding, power station, post office, housing for the railroad workers, and was a terminus for a tram that brought ore down from the De Soto mine to be loaded on railroad cars. The history of the Bradshaws is fascinating. Thanks for the video.
Sadly that's how a lot of old towns are now. Maybe a fragment of a foundation... a peek of an old wall. It's still awesome to read about though. We'll probably have to seek the book out eventually. 😅 Thanks for the comment!
Arcossnti.
West clear creek north road to ?
U great kid!
Thank you! 😄
Prescott Hwy not graded for a few years now, and I'm sure you found the exposed granite waterfall climbs and such... I'd rate the front way in a ONE, this way a FIVE, and the Lake Pleasant to Crown King (world famous) about a 6 or 7 depending on conditions.
Oh yeah, we watched a recent video of the backway to Crown King and it looks... interesting. 😂 The front way really feels like nothing. ESPECIALLY after the previous day.
Have you driven that road lately? I'm wondering how the road conditions are when coming from Prescott? I'll be in a 3rd Gen 4Runner and was thinking about making the trip this weekend (although pretty hot right now) also don't want to scare my passengers LOL! THANKS!
I live on what used to be the train track going to the mines. You did just scratch the surface, I have two quads that I put 30k+ and the other I am just short of 40K miles. 98% of those miles is from running on those old stage coach and mine roads. I loved it here until all the people moved in.
Indeed. Only so many hours in one day to explore and there's tons of it out there. I'm not surprised you have so many miles riding out there. 👍
Coreect about the heavy anow up in the woods. We dont go up there winter wise it gets too deep.
Love your videos! Moved to Prescott 2 years ago so your videos come in handy. Please keep making them. Got a question for you. Is the Palace Saloon in Prescott in operation longer than the saloon in Crown King?
From everything I've read, yes the Palace Saloon is older. Glenn swears he read somewhere that the Crown King saloon was older but I haven't found where he read that. 🤔 Prescott is such a beautiful place. We briefly thought about moving there a couple years ago.
@@CactusAtlas Thanks for the response. Looking forward to seeing some of the many areas you have taken us to with your videos. Thanks!!!
Cool, i fud not know the raulroad webt up there abd has veen gone fir a ling time. I just learned a bew thing.
Beautiful drive, thanks for bringing us along!
Cheers and safe travels
Thank you too! 😊
About the burger...pink is good 😊
I could tell you more but don't want to get to deep. Ore bell was another town up there also a couple more towns that where there. The saloon was brought out of the town of ore bell and rebuilt in the spot it is in now.
When you are out exploring the back roads you should leave your watch at home and forget about being anywhere “on time.”
Definitely the way it should be. 👍
@@CactusAtlas it is always dark-thirty or daylight-thirty where I am
The Magic Bridge. From desert to forest..I lived there in the 80’s 😊
What a great trip and glad to have Amy along!! Just as you said, what a good excuse to take a ride for a burger and stroll around the lake.
It was a pretty good weekend getting out together and exploring. With a burger to boot? Perfection. 😊
The stone building in cleater was a school house.i am a prospector so I have been all over those areas up there. The whole road was where the track was on. There used to be old mine mills still on that road on your way up to crown king. Pancho villa used to work at the lumber mill in crown king.
The book is Arizona Place names by Will C Barnes 1935
Awesome! Will check it out. Many thanks! 😄
The more drought we have the kess pine snell that s when yiu dint see much if that healthy orange color.
What a great adventure! That's awesome they kept the historic saloon. Hearing about that railroad was wild!
Right? I can't even imagine a train slowly chugging up that incline. Nor one coming down! 😅
Been going to these places since I was a kid. I live in cordes now.
The cuter graphics made me chickle😊. Really enjoyed all the things in this video!
Thank you so much! I had a little fun with this one. 😊
My Bestie and her Hubs owned a house up there until recently. She and I spent some time in CK and I thought it was really cool. We had a great time at MJ’s Cafe and the Saloon, the General Store had the best fudge - mmm mmm. Thanks for the great video!
You're the second person now to mention the fudge in the general store. Dang! I really missed out. Next time! 😅 Sounds like you've had some good times and good memories in Crown King with your friend!
Excellent video. Way back when, a friend and I set out from Prescott on mountain bikes. The plan was to ride the Old Senator Highway destination for the night Crown King. We got about ten miles in and the monsoon opened up. We realized how dangerous the flash flooding could be pretty quickly. Some of the portions ahead had vast quantities of water flowing across the road. We turned around and road back to Prescott. We were blessed that we were not further along on the ride. It rained for the next three days straight. We could have been stranded on the Old Senator Highway for days. Please warn everyone to watch the weather in Arizona!
Try foing up further next time to Hasdayamoa lake just to see it.
They have a wood urnimg stove. Vety cool we had one ling time ago ar our cabin and gave it to my cousin terry who restored it. He dtull has it in peoria outside on the patio near tgrir pool rhey use it to cook rhings and as warmth in winter when oit om the patio
So cool to see all those old buildings.
Really cool, isn't it? We love them too. 😊
If you ho up above that lake up where senator highway connects with crown king road you go uo the hull there is a sign go up anc you will come to Hassayamoa lake. Rhere is a resort there owned by the city of Prescott.
Looks like a fun place! Gay latino with a higher pitched voice. Idk how comfortable I would feel at that first bar with the door sign but glad I got to visit through ur video!
Thank you! Honestly, at the place in Cleator, Glenn might be able to fake it using the "hippie door" but I don't think I could either way as I 100% would not classify myself as either. 😂 I'd probably just stare at the pirate ship all night. 🤣
I never heard of these little towns! A nice excursion!!
We've passed by signs with their names on them for YEARS. It's so cool to finally see them for ourselves after all this time. 😄
6:04 they named it Bumble Bee because they said the Indians were as thick a bees in the area.
I’ve been there before
Have a good one love your vids
The dirt riad ftom Hassayamoa lake on the senator highway to criwn king have been with otter people on dirt bikes it was really rough and very bumpy we had to turn around amd go back iy eas too rocky yo get thru to criwn king and bumblebee. Rhat was in rhe seventies. Now naybe us not as bad.
"I smell a smell" lol. I notice that juniper around here are really fragrant on warm days in late winter/early spring.
Can't say either of us have smelled a juniper purposefully but maybe we'll add that to the list. 😂
In Colorado, we have lots of ashe juniper. When it starts to get warm after winter, you can smell them just by walking past them.
10:14 Love your videos, and also loved that you quoted *Adam the Woo* fellow CZcamsr! 😅”Are Those Petunias?” Hehe😂.
Hahah! He is one of our original inspirations. Love his travels. 👍
One more hint, Sigouenet weaver and Tim allen are in it.
i could tell ya soooooo much about the bradshaws.....btw you HAVE to stop at cleator bar when its open.....city ordinance......and the oro bella......omg have enjoyed? so many crazy times.......all around there....
That Cleator bar was PACKED when we went by the day before. Pretty popular it seems. I can see that there probably are a lot of good times back in the Bradshaws. 👍
Bumble was named that for the big bumble bees that where there back in the day.
At cleater there is a wolf sanctuary there on the right down by turkey Creek.
For years my husband and I spent time down Bodey mine road past Palace Station panning for gold.
Sounds like a great way to spend some time. We're still toying with the idea of trying panning for ourselves for fun.
NEATO....translates to cool for you.
Thank you! 😊
The bees migrate back and fort befote summer or winter to stay warm. Thise woods or forest are above bumblebee and crown king.
My aunt took m and my brother, mom and xousins up to Lynx creek and taught us hiw to pan. I think if theres gold it will sink in rhe pan in water and fiols gild will float. Gold is heavier so it simks.
20:17 Beautiful scenery you have captured. AND the “OLLLLLLD Railroad,” comment - was that a nod to fellow CZcamsr *Justin Scarred*? If so, the right people get it! 😊 Great work Amy & Glenn!
Thank you! Hahah... not sure if Glenn intended it as a nod so much as influenced by hearing it so often from Justin. We watch all his videos and "ooooooold west" has definitely become a quoted thing in our house. 😅
Correct about the color that means its healthier and has jad more water smd you can smell yhe pine better.
Call Woody W.,he's the real thing, when it comes to protecting. You will learn a lot and find some Gold to keep.
This is a nice video of your trip to the Bradshaw Mtns. I'm guessing your wife didn't want to be filmed as you didn't show her. The town of Crown King must have been fun. It looked like a nice area to camp.
Thanks! It's a really awesome and scenic area. And I don't particularly want to be on camera so we just film Glenn and I edit our videos so I'm not seen. 😊
1st timer here. Hope to run. Into you. On the trails. ZR2 driver here too
Welcome! We're pleased with our ZR2. Best purchase we made; only wish we did it sooner! 😅
Another animal we see in our forest are turkeys, pigeons too only a small amount of pigeons they stay only a little time they luke lower elevations better.
Lavender that was lavender to purple flowers
Gokd was here sine stull is in Az but rare bevause thus state is vilcanic. I just learned that the Superstitions are a huge super volcano not active but there is magma under thus state aldi there are fault lines all iver the superstitions and south mountain is on one.
Oops spelled cleater wrong its Clearor.
There is a book about Arizona place names written in the early 1900's that gives fascinating info on how places got their names . Recommended by nerds like me who love minutia and my adopted state. Since I have been here since 1978,I might qualify for native status?! 😮
Not sure how many years qualified as native but you definitely earned local expert status I imagine. 👍
Does rhat rankc aldo rent out range rivers? Thry sre a four person open jerp like vehicle. Very fun.
You make it look so good people will want to move to Arizona. STOP. 😅
😂 😅
1969, i eas five yrats old then.
So this is the story the soldiers back in 1860. Were camping out in the area? And they reported that the Indians were as thick as bees in a Bee hive and that's how they got the name bumblebee.
Hassayamoa on west side of the dam is a straight down high drop off and east aide us the lake. So if you cam go on that dam i dont think its safe cause it gies down and you up high. At hadsayamoa dam one step wrong way your done.
Love the video. Question: is there a place to rent the side by sides close to the enterance or do they need to be trailered in from town?
Thanks, keep the vids coming!
I don’t know the answer to that one, but hopefully one of the folks watching does. My guess is, you’d probably rent somewhere in north Phoenix or black canyon city, somewhere off 17.
Thanks, that is what I figured. Is there a best time of year? Being in the mountains would summer months be okay?
Is just my sister iñ law. She has been there since, 1978.
The dream sequence I thot beautiful an innocent right handed girl.
I had similiar dreams of kings and crowns of gold giant rocks and cantankerous Buccaneers looking for gold gold!
Oh ya I grew up on 63rd avecand Camelback, so I cant spell. Legal by city schools..
Fungible.
.
Been a few suicides at that bar also
Very familiar area my great g am amd grampa no ght a one took cabin up above Hassayampa lak, south east of it near potato parch above it. Is parr of am old mine. Our fam and a lot of orher cabins are part of the ild mine camp. No gold is tio derp amd bery luttle there. We own it and we dint eant it dug it would cost more tham itd worth and omly a few roads in so it would trar up the scenic atea. Have found crystals there and a lit of fooks gild up on the tailimgs bit no gold. It was heavily mined in the minig eras. May be bigfert up here. We are at 7 thousand foot level. Have seen bears one in fall but not ud a neighbor who lives up there til winter gets too deep snow wise amd us gard to get in and out ynless diet riad us plowed. As a kid i remember living at the cabin and no people for mikes but now you cant ealk in the eoids except on dirt roads cause too many people live yo there. As a kid used to go all iver the woods up rhere fuwn to hassayampa lake rhem back to cabin. Cavin had iuthouses, no eunning water and no electric or phone now totally differentm mo woodburner srive no more and have inyernet, phone electric amd wster. Have an indiir bathroom with shower. We dud jeep our rain barrel just in case cam taue water from it boul it im micro or in a kettle on stove and is safe. We still have to biy bottled water ours has rudt in it ftom the high mineral gintent tastes nasty and cam grt sick id drimk too much of tap water. At night is very dark gou font go off a road if you walk around night with a flashlight can get losr amd lots of critters like wild pug that are huge and mean, deer, some rabbit, mountain lion but nuy as much they stay awayfrom cabin areas, coyotes, snakes un liwer areas near ricky areas. If course bugs misrly moths, bers, spiders like daddy long legs and water ones rhat arw really long legged but not daddy lomg legs, lizards. There us a canib area above ours across dirt rias rhat have some der provlems are far away up the hill. Thry have to clear them webs off rhe cabin and use a natural soray yo get rid of them. Lots of squirrel and have woodpeckers, hymmimgbirds, robins, blue jays, bug crows are very smart and cuatty there is ine that loves to eake me up before its time to get up comes over by my bedroom and squawks like het wake up. Naughty. One day i almisr hises it with water just enough to svate it away. Are also songbirds that sound rralky prettt ehrn they are awake. Its a great place to get away from the geat in summer.. modt of our neighbors do we.
More Amy please
Haha! We shall see. Don't think I will ever be comfortable on camera (just so not my thing), but I'm trying to join Glenn on more local day trip adventures. 😄
Hello. I have a question. Can I drive up to Bradshaw Mountain, (Senator Hyw) without 4 wheel drive? I drive a Toyota Rav4, but no 4wh drive.
Hmmm. I think almost anything can make the drive we show in this video. But if you're wanting to drive Senator Highway, you might be wishing for 4WD at times.
That ranch is not bumble bee. Bumble bee was the buildings on the left when you got on the main road.
We know. It's mostly what is there at this time. The original buildings were removed for newer buildings but we're not going to film residences. A little too creepy. 😅
A small area north east of us called walker is not even a town its just a bunch of cabins like a small neighborhood. A cery curvy road. We go to our cabin mostly memorial dat but not this year due to road widening out if Phoenix on rhe i ten and july fourth weekend for sure our beiggbors next yo ys have a big party. We ear and sut outside enjoy the cokl air that rhe valley dies nit have rhat yime if the year. I have nit beek yp rhere fir a year and am gettimg city sickness meams u jeed to get out to the wide open soaces ti the firest and the mountains and get away from my problems fir a little while. I need a break.
Yes rhry eant you yo visit there so you will biy something , maybe are havimg a hard time moneywise
Miners not minors. Can you guess what movie that kibe is from. Big himt its a sci fi spoof.
Be careful of ivy there is pooson ivy and poison j oak in these woods. Aldo is a chike berry budh that has white betrirs is poisonous animals can eat it but not people. There are rare spots of wild blackberry vut not as much as when i is as a kid im the sistirs, now is maybe tate patches of them.
Gold is bought and sold by the ounce. Not ton.🙂It's still mined up in that area. I wouldn't be surprised if many of those off roaders were not in a glod prospecting club I love it up there. Prospectors and prostitutes. Yee-Haa!! Can't go wrong there. Until next time...........Peace.
Haha! I imagine that is what Glenn meant to say but you know... driving and talking and GoPros being a pain in the butt and all. 😂 It's a really fantastic area there. Hopefully we find time to explore some more and there's so much on the map that calls out.
@@CactusAtlas I believe the lake was created for the miners down stream. Placer miners prefer water to operate their mills. If y'all find gold for $30.00 a ton, buy all of it. Wait...todays price is $2024.00 an ounce. So yea, if you find a ton of gold selling for the price of an ounce? Buy it, good investment.🙂Y'all do a wonderful job.
My mom dad ne amd mt brother lived up there for a couple weeks befire rhe first snow. We went yp in a statuon wagon uo the strep hill from walkee to potato parch in the snow up wed ho themnslude back them aheun it took a long time hours to get ip there they could not afford a place til my fad got a resl estere job rhem we moved in towk if Prescott befire the firet heavy snow. My dad went in towk wgile we were at the cabin to get food and it snowed and he almost jot list my mom was about ready yo have my brothrr born. Scary i was two ir three. Fad thankfully mare it back. After that we mived un to prescott to west sude near thimb butte to remt a snall cabin eith a part open druveway. We moved several times, dadalso got another kib as a fiteman and ent after taking classes for it. We wanted to stdy up there but dad got a better job un Phoemix. I wish we would have stayed up there its tio jit gere in Summer I
Oops m ant it's too hot here in summer.
Every summer there is a forest fire somewhere in the forest, I wish that would stop it's usually due to people accidentally not putting out a campfire correct or sometimes is from the heat and not enough wet monsoons.
Ps hassayamoa llake, as a kid my great grandpa took me and my brother and cousins out on the frozen lake in winter and showed us how to ice skate with our shoes on or just socks and where not to skate where is this ice. Also Grandma r and great grandma her mom took all us kids into the woods and showed us how to make a teepee. They are part native American not sure what we're told Apache but we are white looking. Facial features though are native like high cheek bones and small nose and other features. May be Cherokee they were from Oklahoma. I was born and raised in Phoenix Az and lived in Prescott now am living in Glendale.
That real bumpy road looks familiar probably been on it a gazillion times. Don't take a car up there my step mom did and after a while the frame and motor mounts had to be replaced those roads are only meant for trucks, SUVs, jeeps and Hummers or ATVs. They are too rough.
Did you just use ab Adam the Woo
Quote
Sorry for the misspelled comment
😅 We in fact did. We're both fans of his channel.
Lol woody yuk.
Was he tryimg to copy Lwgend coty which eas a ild wesr type theme park with wallace and ladmo who invested the n it.
SideXSides and their owners have ruined much of old Arizona.