First, I noted that (for us at the time) the stretch was not good for mountain biking, being steep and not well-marked. This was high, relatively open, Sonoran desert, with lots of cholla. There were cattle grazing on the open range. The best thing about the trip was the weather--there was water running after two days of rain. We began under cloudy skies, which then moved to partly cloudy at mid-day, back to cloudy in the afternoon. Not many days like that in Arizona.
Also--mud puddles. Ranger became a two-toned Lab after lying down in one, a mile from the trailhead. Also--water running over over rocks down a wash absolutely disappears (like going down a hole) into the sandy wash bottom below the rock stratum (granite and intrusive basalt).
The biggest problem was finding the turnoff for Ripsey Wash. We'd meant to get closer to the trail, but the road was so bad that we stopped at the fenced, posted area that marked the beginning of some state trust land. We hiked on the remaining road to the trail junction.
For the second trip (with the same contingent), on December 11, 2005, we dropped a vehicle at the river, to pick up later. This time, we got about 3 1/2 miles up the trail to the river.
Lots of fine sand on the roads and in the wash. There was significantly different vegetation in the wash canyons than on the tableland above. I think the canyon vegetation was Lower Sonoran desertscrub.
Anyway, the day was cloudy and cold, and we saw two vehicles on the trip, one in Ripsey Wash. The driver of the truck in the wash had a Queensland Heeler, and called Ranger "fat."
Something itched in that wash. Chris and I both picked up some irritation.
Here's the passage map: https://aztrail.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/15_TortillaMountains.pdf
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