Nissan Trail Ride - Arizona Run Seven

Georgina Marin from Mesa, Arizona, takes her built Xterra over a rocky ledge.

There's a springtime tradition that draws Nissan enthusiasts to gather for a week of camaraderie and wheeling. This past March saw the passing of Arizona Run VII, the latest of adventures that has run for seven consecutive years now. The location for the event was set northwest of Phoenix in an area that transitions from low-elevation desert with cactus and mesquite to high-desert scrub trees, and on up into pine forests. Terrain included sandy washes, boulder-infested creeks, loose hillclimbs, and rocky ledges.

The participants rolled in from nearby locales and as far away as Texas and Mississippi. A basecamp was set up off Highway 87 and served as a central location for the entire event. The week-long gathering featured a number of local trails, including Log Corral, Rocker Panel Pass, Tonto Foothills, Payeatt Draw, Sunflower Mine, and the Rolls area. The weather was nearly perfect, though a bit unseasonably warm. Basecamp was nestled among a good stand of trees, and the organizers brought in some big grills for cooking. From what we saw, the group ate well and spent many an evening sharing trail stories and talking tech around the campfire each night.

The weekend went well, albeit not without the usual dose of carnage on the trail. There were a few blown hubs, some fractured axleshafts, a broken axlehousing, and other assorted minor breakage. Not to worry, as everyone pitched in and ensured all the rigs made it safely back to camp each day.

You can find all the info for next year's event with just a few mouse clicks. Log on to www.nissan4wheelers.com, and you just might be on your way to Arizona Run VIII in March 2008.

Here Glen Meloy climbs up a rock pile on the Log Corral Trail. His '01 Xterra is lifted with a Calmini front coilover kit and rides on Interco Boggers. Glen made the trek to Arizona from Texas after having a blast at last year's event.
Here Glen Meloy climbs up a rock pile on the Log Corral Trail. His '01 Xterra is lifted w
Dennis Pina runs a lot of trails with the local Nissans. He and his son came along for the event in his modified '99 Cherokee on 33-inch Super Swampers.
Dennis Pina runs a lot of trails with the local Nissans. He and his son came along for th
From the top of the Log Corral Trail, you can see Bartlett Lake in the distance. The water is a welcome destination at the end of the trail when the weather turns hotter.
From the top of the Log Corral Trail, you can see Bartlett Lake in the distance. The wate

Some of the trails in the Sunflower Mine area have fairly steep climbs of loose dirt. Allan Foster climbed up out of a rocky creekbed, headed for higher elevation.
Some of the trails in the Sunflower Mine area have fairly steep climbs of loose dirt. All
Brian McKibbin traveled from his home in Torrance, California, for another week of Arizona wheeling. His Xterra has been modified for running these types of Southwestern trails.
Brian McKibbin traveled from his home in Torrance, California, for another week of Arizona

There were a few odd Toyotas, Jeeps, and a Blazer mixed in with the Nissan majority. Leland O'Brien joined the group for the week in his Toyota FJ62.
There were a few odd Toyotas, Jeeps, and a Blazer mixed in with the Nissan majority. Lela

Flipper Geiger scoots his '95 Pathfinder over a large sand berm. Negotiating his IFS rig with open front diff was a challenge on some obstacles, but his skill at driving helped keep him moving down the trail.
Flipper Geiger scoots his '95 Pathfinder over a large sand berm. Negotiating his IFS rig
Dee Schauer idles her '02 Xterra down a steep, rutted descent headed toward Bartlett Lake. 3.92:1 transfer-case gears, an ARB locker, and Goodyear Wranglers helped her get to trail's end and back.
Dee Schauer idles her '02 Xterra down a steep, rutted descent headed toward Bartlett Lake.
At the close of the week, the group handed out a number of fun awards. Mark Jobin easily won the long-distance award. He put over 3,000 miles on his '86 truck making the round trip from Laurel, Mississippi. He was a long way from Gulf Coast mud but loving the rockcrawling.
At the close of the week, the group handed out a number of fun awards. Mark Jobin easily

The broad washes in the Sycamore Creek area offer some fun running in the sandy soil. When torrents of flash-flood waters strike these canyons, they carve deep sand pits with vertical walls in the wash bottoms.
The broad washes in the Sycamore Creek area offer some fun running in the sandy soil. Whe
Keith Maddox earned the "Hot Wrench" award for the week by patching rigs back together with his onboard welder. His '98 Pathfinder is loaded with owner-fabbed goodies and proved to be quite capable on the trails.
Keith Maddox earned the "Hot Wrench" award for the week by patching rigs back together wit
A broad wash funnels into a rocky canyon on the Log Corral Trail. Here you'll find a challenging entrance followed by a boulder-strewn path. Water often flows in this wash after recent rains.
A broad wash funnels into a rocky canyon on the Log Corral Trail. Here you'll find a chal

Terrence Foster's '99 Frontier is lifted and set up with a Dana 44 front-axle swap, Low-range transfer-case gears, and lockers. Thirty-seven-inch Wrangler MT/Rs helped him climb this optional line on the Log Corral Trail.
Terrence Foster's '99 Frontier is lifted and set up with a Dana 44 front-axle swap, Low-ra
Some of the trails run during the week, including Payeatt Draw, took drivers to higher elevations and to terrain where the cactus disappeared and tall pines sprung from the hills.
Some of the trails run during the week, including Payeatt Draw, took drivers to higher ele
The old Sunflower Mine area retains a few of the old mercury mine structures. Here, cinnabar ore was extracted from adjacent hills. From there, it was heated in furnaces to produce mercury vapor that was condensed to liquid form in large metal tubes.
The old Sunflower Mine area retains a few of the old mercury mine structures. Here, cinna

Marshall Stone ran a well-modified '00 Xterra. Crawlability is much improved with a Calmini D44 coilover front suspension kit. With the lift, lockers, gears, and Fox shocks, this Nissan rode smoothly and proved itself to be very capable.
Marshall Stone ran a well-modified '00 Xterra. Crawlability is much improved with a Calmi
Bob Simmons lifts a tire over a deep rut making one of the long hillclimbs in his lifted and locked '04 Frontier.
Bob Simmons lifts a tire over a deep rut making one of the long hillclimbs in his lifted a

This rocky creek often has water flowing in it but was close to dry when we came through. Jim Wickes crawled along the trail in his '98 Frontier.
This rocky creek often has water flowing in it but was close to dry when we came through.
This area on the Log Corral Trail was scorched by fire in the last year. The trail here is rutted and off-camber, and the burnt terrain looks like some odd moonscape.
This area on the Log Corral Trail was scorched by fire in the last year. The trail here i