For several years, I've vaguely tried to find out exactly what that monument north of the 202 in east Mesa was about. You can see it from the freeway, right by the river as you zip by. Also for years, I've ridden the canal roads and have considered them unsung gems of mountain biking. These two things have come together in the last several weeks, as I ride the canals near our home. A major canal parallels McDowell Road to the south and crosses the 202 near Lehi Road. Where the canal crosses McDowell, near the Lehi Road turnoff (see the map), I see small brown signs, reading "The Lehi Trail." An Internet search has just deepened the mystery; the city has an urban recreation plan that mentions the trail, but there is no description of just what it is, or what its history is. As I have ridden down Lehi Road, I see signs for the trail until the turnoff to "the bridge to nowhere, which comes off Lehi Road, crosses the 202, then goes into an orange grove. However, after much poking around, I found the Lehi trailhead, on a turnoff just north of this bridge. Halfway out, one comes to the monument. It is an apparent Boy Scout project commemorating a pioneer camp that was made at the ford here. I believe there had been an intermittent ferry service and camp here already.
As an added note, the trail goes on past the monument, where it gets lost in a maze of tracks around Val Vista Road. One can parallel the canal and follow the river, however, all the way to Higley Road. One gets a bit lost in the undergrowth north of some isolated horse stables between the freeway and the trail. It does appear that the trail and tracks are used relatively regularly by horses and riders, as I found on my exploratory journey of June 26.
Quick timeline: trip to the monument: June 6, 2010; exploratory trip ending up at Higley Road, June 26.
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