Wednesday, July 29, 2020

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.





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