The weather in Arizona was perfect for riding, so David and I decided to take advantage and ride to the Coke Ovens and Box Canyon. David had just broken in his brand new KTM Adventure and was ready to ride. (The cult is growing...)

After stopping for gas in Florence, David noticed a large nail embedded into his rear tire. He tried fix-a-flat, but that didn't work. So, he had the pleasure of fixing his first flat on the new bike in the parking lot of the gas station.

The original plan was to meet a couple of guys from Tucson near the Florence-Kelvin highway. But the flat put us behind schedule, so the two of us shot up the dirt roads to the Gila river crossing. After getting a little wet, we made the easy ride up to the coke ovens. These are remnants from the late 1800's, when these five huge ovens were used to create coke - an
industrial fuel much like coal that was made by burning mesquite. Long since abandoned, these ovens have been a popular destination for off-road vehicles in the area. Bryan, one of the Tucson guys we were supposed to meet earlier, was waiting for us there.

David's first flat on the new bike	Trophy from the road	Heading up to the coke ovens	An old crumbling structure	Crossing the Gila River
A little wet...	Nice shot of the river	Some canopy near the river	The coke ovens	Another shot of the ovens

From the coke ovens, the trail to Box Canyon gets pretty rough in a couple of spots. The photos below are from one particular stretch that was steep and rocky. David put the first big scratch on the new bike here, and Bryan went down pretty hard as well. In fact, Bryan's left footpeg was rendered useless after his spill, so he had to utilize the passenger peg for the
remainder of the ride.

Trail break	Jeeps descending one of the steep sections	David picking up the KTM	Bryan making it up the rough incline	Right before Bryan goes down

David's new toy	A nice shot of the desert	Soaking up the great AZ weather	Trying to mend the broken foot peg	The final stretch of the rough stuff

After clearing the rough stuff, it was an easy ride through Box Canyon. This picturesque trail runs through a narrow canyon for a couple of miles, then opens right back up to flat desert. It really is quite a sight.

Another trail break	The twins	Entering Box Canyon	The canyon...

		Showing off fresh scars

Aside from the spills, it was a great ride though one of the best off-road areas in central AZ.