Arizona Trail: Passage 26

Highline Passage

Late 1990s-Early 2000s

I am certain to have been on this passage a couple of times:  I have a note that Chris and I walked the passage from the Pine Trailhead for a few miles toward Washington Park.  We stopped before the Geronimo Trailhead, however.  On the Highline, we did meet Will Gentrup from ASU on the trail, in my memory (I have no notebook entries on any of this).

I also remember doing hikes around Washington Park with Arley and Donna and others in, I think, the mid- to late 1990s, but don't exactly know where we went (also no notebooks).   I do remember going by the Tunnel Trail, which climbs the Rim from Washington Park.

Here's the passage map: https://aztrail.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/26_Highline.pdf

Arizona Trail: Passage 25

[A quick note:  Until this iteration of the Arizona Trail maps, this passage (Whiterock Mesa) was originally two:  Whiterock Mesa and Hardscrabble Mesa.  From this point on, each passage will be a numeral lower than the original passage numbering.]

Whiterock Mesa

January 19-20, 2002  Twin Buttes TH to LF Ranch (out at the Baby Doll TH).  Richard, Doug, Nathaniel, me.

1/19—Reached Twin Buttes at 11:15, took Trail 14 essentially SE.  Weather in the 60’s with high clouds.  Began in juniper scrub at 5800 feet.  If the map is correct, we descended a total of 1400 feet over the day, to Whiterock Springs at 4400 feet.

Great hiking, with ever-improving views.  Occasionally we lost the trail, which is lightly marked with cairns, probably for horse packers (the cairns were low and squat – hard to see from the ground, but probably easy from a horse, and they seemed too far apart).

As we descended, we actually got more spruce-type vegetation (it now strikes me that I’ve seen juniper scrub into and out of the Verde Valley on I-17 at about 5-6000 feet)1/19—Reached Twin Buttes at 11:15, took Trail 14 essentially SE.  Weather in the 60’s with high clouds.  Began in juniper scrub at 5800 feet.  If the map is correct, we descended a total of 1400 feet over the day, to Whiterock Springs at 4400 feet.

Great hiking, with ever-improving views.  Occasionally we lost the trail, which is lightly marked with cairns, probably for horse packers (the cairns were low and squat – hard to see from the ground, but probably easy from a horse, and they seemed too far apart).

As we descended, we actually got more spruce-type vegetation (it now strikes me that I’ve seen juniper scrub into and out of the Verde Valley on I-17 at about 5-6000 feet)

White Rock Springs is below a steep climb down, in the spruce.  Though it doesn’t look like it, there’s a great campsite east off the trail about 100 yards down or so from the spring.  Water flow at the spring was small, but there were two small full tanks.  We didn’t filter, just boiled, but the water had a lot of dissolved lime.  Cloud cover dissipated overnight, taking the temp down to 25 degrees or so.  It warmed up quickly after sunup.  We got underway at about 9:30 a.m.

 Great hiking!  The day was perfectly clear, and warmed up to about 65 degrees.  Most of the day was level, along a ridge that took us to within 2 miles of LF ranch.  There’s significant grazing for a couple of miles along that ridge with well(!)-used stock tanks built.  They would work for emergency water, but aren’t appetizing.  The trail drops just past Fuzzy’s Point (with a small marker).  From the point, you get a panoramic view of the Mazatzals and the cut-butte valley of the East Verde.  It is easy to see why LF Ranch is still inhabited – the setting is ideal.  But you’re really cut off from amenities.

A quick drop off the ridge brings you to an old ranch site that must have been earlier inhabited by Indians (saw 2 potsherds).  Polk Spring, on the bank of Rock Creek at the ranch site, really pumps.  There’s a small clear creeklet that flows into Rock Creek.  The East Verde was running low (too low to float), so it was an easy ford (thank goodness for a stick).  Ate lunch on the gravel bar at 12:30.  Trail 14 skirts the ranch.  It has a cutoff to the Baby Doll trailhead road, which we didn’t take.

The Road’s a good surface, but has some really steep slogs.  It always seems too hot when I hike it.  Got to the truck by 3:15.  Didn’t finish the car shuttle until approx. 6:30 (but we rested at the trailhead for about ½ hour).

Hardscrabble Mesa to Pine Trailhead

10-12-03:  Richard Sarah, Chris, Ranger, me

 Lovely hike along power lines.  Saw Blue Juniper, manzanita, Oak Spring running (dying), Ponderosa pines.  The bark beetle is changing the ecosystem.

[No pictures that I can find]

Here's the passage map: https://aztrail.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/25_WhiterockMesa.pdf

Arizona Trail: Passage 24

Red Hills Passage

[Continuing my notes on a trip with Richard, May 15-18, 1999]

5/17

Camped at Brush Spring – badly used by cattle and horse people.

5/18

Very overgrown spur trail out to LF Ranch.  Glad we were going downhill.  Hot (100+degree) hiking from LF Ranch to the Doll Baby Trailhead.  When we got there, we had to fix a flat tire on the truck, which had happened about a mile from the trailhead.

[As with the previous entry, whenever I digitize my film slides, I will add pictures.]

Here's the passage map:  https://aztrail.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/24_RedHills.pdf

Arizona Trail: Passage 23

Mazatzal Divide Passage

This is the first passage of the Arizona Trail that I hiked.  It's also my first multiday packing trip with Richard.  He has the HikeAZ handle Mazatzal, because his project during the end of the 1990s and beginning decade of the 2000's was to hike as much in the Mazatzal Wilderness as possible.  At the time, I was not aware of the Arizona Trail, but this was the beginning.

This is also the second extended backpacking trip that I had taken in Arizona, the first being a traverse of the Mazatzals with Maxie in 1998 (which overlapped this trip from Horse Camp Seep to the Park).  In that trip, we'd traversed the wilderness west to east from Sheep Bridge Trailhead to City Creek (not the smartest direction of travel).  The year after this inaugurated an approximately 13-year annual backpacking or backcountry trip tradition among the three of us.  The Superstitions passage, as well as part of the Four Peaks passages were done as annual group trips.

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But here are the notes from May 15-18, 1999, with Richard.

5/15 Mt. Peeley to Windsor Seep

Weather:  Clear, high 70’s low 45 degrees.  Fair amount of initial climbing, but with good vistas.  We could see the Mt. Peeley Road until 2 p.m.  (Road surface good, but narrow and steep.  Many recreational people.)

Approx. 4 p.m. we found Bear Spring.  It was running decently and the spring had been improved with concrete.  We did not check Fisher Spring.

Widnsor Seep 5 p.m.  Great views (as usual).  Very tired.  At approx. 5:30 two younger men came from the Barnhart.  They seemed nice, but fired their gun several times in their camp at night, the last (2) times at 11:30.  Nervous night, but perhaps this was just cowboy stupidity.

5/16

Did not check Windsor Seep, since I would have had to pass our marksmen’s (?) camp.  We were walking by 8:45.  Nice views, but uneventful, to Chilson.  At Chilson, I was expecting the tanks to be full.  They weren’t.  I followed the pipe to the spring, which was running decently.  Lunch at Chilson, met a dayhiker, and filled the bottles at Chilson spring.  As it turned out, we needn’t have spent that extra 45 minutes.  About a mile down the trail, we came to some (slightly) running pools, right across the trail.  We sponged off here.

At Horse Camp Seep, water is available, but not immediately apparent.  We decided to camp here (at 3:30) because it was just a bit longer to get there, and because we knew there was water at Horse Camp Seep.  That means a longer day tomorrow, but I’ll be backtracking some of the trail I did last year.

Been feeling funny this trip, a bit.  Just nervous – about water, about gun-toting campers – even though so far everything’s been fine.  I put it down to severe exertion (though the trails aren’t as hard as last year, I’m not in as good of shape).

(If I ever digitize my film slides from this trip, there will be pictures.)

Here's the passage map:  https://aztrail.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/23_MazatzalDivide.pdf

Arizona Trail: Passage 22

Saddle Mountain Passage

I have done all but about 3 miles at the beginning of this passage in several dayhikes and one Mazatzal trip, in which we followed the Arizona Trail from the Mormon Grove Trailhead to Squaw Flat.  The other trips were taken some time in the mid-2000s, with a variety of people--Richard, Jeannie, Sarah, Taylor, Julianne, Chris--and with Ranger, the dog.

Here are the notes from the 2001 Mazatzal Mountains trip with Richard and Maxie:

March 30, 2001

Mormon Grove Trailhead to Squaw Flat (4 ½ miles)

½ mile in – connect to the AZ Trail.  Stay on AZ trail to Squaw Flat.  Temps. 80’s, but comfortable with light breeze.

White balls of live oak bloom smelling of cinnamon and must.  Spice on the breeze.  The trail is an old mining road.  Story Mine – 1 mi. off trail, just before Squaw flat.  Squaw Flat – plenty of water, running streams, pines.  Northwest Youth Corps camp at the best spot in Squaw Flat.  14 people?  Trail maintenance for 6 weeks.

Our campsite (1/4 mile farther) is also good, just not so big.  It’s at a creek-seep confluence.  Good manzanita fire (Manzanita Camp).

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I've found a set of pictures taken September 24, 2006 that seem to depict the trip from the Cross F Trailhead (on the old SR 87 near Sycamore Creek)  to somewhere above Squaw Flat, and maybe as far as Mt. Peeley Trailhead, though that may be another trip.

Here's the passage map:  https://aztrail.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/22_SaddleMountain.pdf

Arizona Trail: Passage 21

 

[I've done this passage, with the exception of about 6 miles in the middle, in two trips, one in 2005, just below, and one on November 18, 2018, below that.]

 From 4 Miles North of Lone Pine Saddle to FR 429 in the 4 Peaks Wilderness. March 6-8, 2005.  With Richard, Maxie, and Ranger.  Circa 48-65 degrees, rain and overcast.

3/6/05

From 4 mi. north of Lone Pine Saddle to Shake Spring in 4 Peaks Wilderness w/ Maxie and Richard.  Threatening rain on and off from the time we left the house.  It was cold—48 degrees during the day. Some sprinkles, but no serious rain.

We made “Ranger Camp” near a flowing drainage just below Shake Spring.  Great camp. Why "Ranger Camp"?  Well, Ranger’s still great on the trail, but didn’t have enough exercise, even with the dog backpack.  He was a nuisance in camp until I used the tie-outs.

Lots of 4-wheelers on the road to Lone Pine.

Remembering embers of story around a dying campfire.

 

3/7/05

Granite Camp (Granite Spring).  We went from Shake Spring around Granite Mountain.  The AZT has been rerouted here—it no longer goes straight over the top of Granite Mountain.  But it’s no longer 6-7 miles, more like 7-8.  Very tired. Ranger did very well, and is settling down in camp.

Too many dipsy-doodles through drainages. 

But great views—

4 Peaks, Anchas, tip of the Rim (w/snow), Roosevelt Lake.

Also, Maxie reminded me that Ranger got stuck under a downed burned pine today, and had to slip out of his pack to get out from under.

From SR 87 to FR 422.  November 18, 2018.  With Chris, Richard and Sarah.  (An approximately 12 mile out-and back.)

Nice weather, probably mid-60s and clear.  The primary purpose of the trip was for Richard to reconnoiter the approach to a point on the Arizona Trail for a cattle gate.  In the process, we walked part of the passage, and took a quick side trip to Bushnell Tanks.

Nice weather, probably mid-60s and clear.  The primary purpose of the trip was for Richard to reconnoiter the approach to a point on the Arizona Trail for a cattle gate.  In the process, we walked part of the passage, and took a quick side trip to Bushnell Tanks.

Here's the passage map:  https://aztrail.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/21_PineMountain.pdf

Arizona Trail: Passage 20

From Forest Road 429, West of Roosevelt Dam, to the Frazier Trailhead.

December 8, 2002.  With Chris, Richard, and Sarah.  Weather:  55-70 degrees, clear.

Total hike from FR 429 trailhead to SR188:  6.72 mi.  Beginning from 3750 ft. to 2225 ft.  Desert scrub/grassland to Upper Sonoran.

Clear skies, great vistas of Fish Creek Hill/Apache Lake to the south, The Sierra Ancha and Roosevelt lake (what’s left of it in the drought) to the north.  Easy hiking on dirt roads and new trails.  Little elevation gain, but about 1000 feet of full loss.  Covered springs and seeps, but little evidence of grazing.  I think the [Pine Mountain] passage begins at the trailhead where we stopped, and goes about 7 miles to Lone Pine Saddle [actually, it goes all the way to SR-87].  There are supposedly Indian ruins up there.

Easy hike across ridges, for the most part, until lunch at 12:30.  We hung around on the ridge until about 1, then climbed down steeply to SR 188.  There’s a radio tower up there that’s not connected to any wires, so you can’t figure out what it does.  This tower overlooks Roosevelt dam, now off limits because of 9/11.  There’s a suspension bridge over the mouth of the Salt River in front of the Dam.  It looks like a metal rainbow with streams of rain (cables) coming down from the bow.

Richard and Jim:  3.56 miles to Frazier Trailhead.

We’d parked the car at the pullout before the bridge, but the AZT continued beyond the bridge.  Richard and I hiked over the bridge (very little vehicular traffic), then up a ravine to a low ridgeline.  This section skirts the town of Roosevelt, and winds through all the drainages.  Though this was listed on the AZT description as a 2-mile trail, going in and out of drainages actually made it 3.5 or more miles.  The landscape is badly cow-scarred, and some of the trail dirt is loose and fine.  It’s Sonoran landscape, more used than that across the bridge.  Interesting things we saw:  an old rusted U.S. Dept. of the Interior sign in the shape of a shield, probably dating from the 1930’s, designating the area a wildlife refuge.  We wanted to take it, but that would have been vandalism.  Also, I stepped off into the air on a narrow part of the trail, and really banged a knee.  Luckily the paloverde and jojoba broke my fall.  The trail ended at the Frazier Trailhead, where Richard, Maxie, and I had come out on the ill-fated trip last Spring Break, when I had a 102 degree fever.

Here's the passage map:  https://aztrail.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/20_FourPeaks.pdf