Hackberry Springs & Western Superstitions 2020 Annual Hike

Weather:  65º, sunny

About this Hike:  Visiting Hackberry Springs has become a December tradition. Typically the hackberry bushes are in full bloom and the red berries are very festive. Last year we had significant rainfall through October and November leading to beautiful flowing creeks and lush foliage. 

This year Hackberry Springs looks like what you'd expect from 2020.  Dry.  Desolate.  Tinder-box ready.  Not a hackberry blossom in sight.  The creek is dry as a bone with only a small drip at the Hackberry springhead. 

Continuing on from Hackberry, we ascended Black Mesa and then linked up to Dutchman to come back to the Second Water parking area. 

Starting at Black Mesa is where things go from bad to 2020-bad.  Most of this area is completely toasted in lieu of Sawtooth and Superstition Fires.  You read the Forest Service fire reports and you hope it won't be that bad.  You hope it was low intensity and the mighty, water-filled saguaros survived even if the grasses and chaparral brush burned. 

Unfortunately this fragile Sonoran ecosystem is likely forever altered.  Black craters mark where trees and desert brush burned so hot the root balls exploded.  Mighty grandfather saguaros stand blown to pieces, scorched arms all around the burned-out skeletons.  Likely their insides boiled in the fire.  

One small valley remains in tact as you descend Black Mesa Trail and approach Dutchman Trail.  This valley is surprisingly lush and green despite the dry year.  It is an oasis in what is otherwise moonscape.

However, once back on Dutchman, the burn scar becomes evident again.  And it follows you all the way back to the parking lot, and all along First Water Road.

Honestly, I'm surprised the Tonto Forest Service has reopened this area so quickly. Other burn casualties of this summer (i.e. Four Peaks) remain closed to date.  This is precious Sonoran hiking grounds that are forever ruined.  Safe to say 2020 is the year I've fallen out of love with Arizona. 

Icehouse to Kellner - Pinal Mountains

Weather:  74º, sunny

About this Hike:  In May we visited the Pinal Mountains with the intention of hiking down Telephone Ridge and back up Icehouse Canyon.  The sparse US Forest Service map seemed to indicate this would be possible because while the two trails didn't have a direct junction, it appeared they ran parallel and together at one point.  Needless to say, I never found that point and ended up doing Telephone Ridge as an out-and-back. 

Today we planned to do Kellner Canyon down and Icehouse back up as a loop.  After the dusty drive up FR-651, the two parking spaces at the Kellner trailhead were full.  We drove another mile or so up the road and parked at the Icehouse trailhead and decided to do this loop in the opposite direction. 

A big purpose of this trip was to see fall color atop the Pinal Mountains.  With how hot and dry it's been this year, apparently the trees have taken notice.  Maples have a washed out pinkish hue, although a few were bright gold which was prettier.  The oaks are just turning brown—no vibrant red this year.  And the aspens are still green. Higher up the mountain near Upper Pinal CG the foliage may be a little better.

Regardless, hiking down Icehouse was very steep but very beautiful at the beginning.  As high-elevation forest gives way to lower elevations, the trees become more sparse.  Deciduous trees give way to ponderosa pine and eventually manzanita and high desert. 

Icehouse trail is in need of maintenance. Several large, felled trees across the trail made for interesting obstacles.  A water pipeline runs parallel to the trail and fills livestock tanks.  Evidence of cows grazing was everywhere.  And I mean everywhere.  It was awful trying to dodge cowpies the whole time.

As we were nearing the transition point from ponderosa to manzanita, we stumbled upon a clearing with a small cattle herd.  A bull was among the grazers.  I went off trail high on a ridge in an effort to circumvent the docile cattle.  I ended up off Icehouse, but on another trail that All Trails app did not have logged.  I was on the link trail between Icehouse and Telephone Ridge.  But this is not May, and we had a different route planned today.  My hiking partner braved going near the cattle and didn't go off trail.

We picked our way back to Icehouse and had to go near the cattle again.  We found the correct trail.  The trail turned to a rocky old Jeep road, and rounding a bend, we came across two bessies.  There was no way around them, and I didn't want to just pass fearing they'd kick.  As we walked closer, the cows kept walking down the road in front of us, looking back inquisitively every so often.  We drove cattle for 15-20 minutes and then the one cow let out an annoyed 'mooo' and they both trampled down the thorny brush and into a steep ravine.  

The cows now safely behind us, we soon intersected the junction for Kellner Canyon. This was a steep climb back up to the high forest.  While the cowpies weren't as prevalent as on Icehouse, and the trail was in better shape overall, there was still plenty of cow evidence.  Having to go thru two closed cattle gates was proof they graze on Kellner as well. 

There are a lot of awesome trails within the Pinal network.  I don't think I'll back on Icehouse anytime soon, although I do look forward to exploring more of this beautiful sky island.

Miller Peak via Carr Peak

Weather:  85º, sunny

About this Hike:  I can't say as of a week ago I knew much about the Huachuca Mountains.  That changed quickly as I started to research places off the beaten path where we could spend the Labor Day holiday weekend.  

Flagstaff, Rim Country, Prescott, Grand Canyon—all out.  These are hard to get to on most given summer weekends. Add a holiday, pent-up COVID energy, and distancing restrictions and it's a recipe for disaster. 

Heading down to Sierra Vista proved to be a good choice. Despite being just a few miles as the crow flies from the Mexico border, with the border closed to all non-essential crossings, crowds were light in Sierra Vista.

We opted to start this hike at Carr Canyon near Ramsey Canyon Campground.  Despite two maintained campgrounds along the way, the drive up Carr Canyon Road is not fun.  The road is very rocky and eroded in places.  It's a narrow shelf road without guardrails in some spots, and those are usually the spots you meet another vehicle approaching head on.  The USFS has placed a warning sign near when the pavement transitions to dirt warning that the road is not recommended for passenger cars.  I rode in someone else's Subaru Outback, and it handled the road OK.  A Prius and a late-90's Honda Civic were also seen along the road.  With a careful line this road is doable in a car, but I doubt it's a pleasant ride. 

The original plan was just to visit Carr Peak summit.  This part of the hike went by fast with plenty of hours to spare.  We decided to press on along the ridge and eventually go all the way to Miller Peak and summit there at nearly 9,500 feet.  

The Miller summit was hotter than expected considering the elevation.  Lady bugs were gathered in clusters everywhere, and the summit was notably void of large trees.  An old concrete pit in the ground (maybe an old latrine?) and a solar powered antenna device were the only infrastructure on top.  The 360º panoramic view was breathtaking with Fort Huachuca to the north, Bisbee / Tombstone to the east, Parker Canyon Lake to the west, and Mexico to the south all being visible.  

For as green as the Huachuca Mountains look from afar, the tree cover is clustered.  There are areas with stands of pine and aspen that provid welcome shade, but there is a lot of exposed hiking too.   

There are other canyons and summits to explore in the Huachucas.  This made for an inexpensive, uncrowded holiday weekend escape with slightly cooler temps compared to Phoenix.  I think we'll be back to explore more of the Huachucas in the future. 

    

Camelback During COVID

Weather:  100º, sunny

Time:  42 minutes

About this Hike:  I haven't been to Camelback, Piestewa, or any other urban hiking locations since the pandemic began. Just the thought of having to distance from people, worrying about every cough and sneeze (lots of that on these dusty trails)—all on top of the parking mayhem just hasn't appealed to me.  

Today was an unexpected day off from work, courtesy of my employer extending the Labor Day holiday weekend. Being a hot weekday, I thought Echo Canyon wouldn't be crowded.

Upon pulling in, the lower lot was fuller than expected.  The upper lot, however, was not that full.  Signs warning of limited parking, yellow tape restricting benches, and new soap dispensers in the men's room were all COVID touches that I noted at the trailhead.  Regardless, there were more people hiking today than I would have liked.  There were times that people didn't want to (or couldn't) maintain distance.  With the amount of water I need to consume, and the fact my gloved hands were touching high-touch, dirty surfaces (i.e. railings), there was no way I was about to wear a mask. 

I got started around 9:30 AM and the heat ended up being a little bit intense. Between water breaks, pulling off the trail to distance from other hikers, and just making sure I didn't overheat, I posted a lackluster time, but that's OK by me.  

All that said, it's been just about a year since I visited Camelback last.  If nothing else, I feel that I accomplished a good workout today.  

Aspen Draw Mt. Lemmon

Weather:  63º, sunny

About this Hike:  Last July we did an impromptu weekend Tucson trip.  It was not so different from what we've done this year over Memorial Weekend.  After exploring a lower-elevation trail on Mt. Lemmon, we drove to the summit at Ski Valley.  We explored a trail on the side of the mountain that went thru a burn-scarred area.  As daylight was running out, we discovered Aspen Draw and knew we'd come back.

Aspen Draw is about three miles steep out-and-back thru dense forest.  We opted to park at Ski Valley again and hike down then back up, although this can be done with the ascent first by parking near Iron Door Restaurant. 

At the bottom of Aspen Draw, we did a brief jaunt on the road, and then joined the Red Ridge Trail. Red Ridge is largely burned-out area as well, with one thick grove of relatively young recovered aspens. It was a steep descent, and we didn't go far before turning back on the not-so-scenic trail. 

I had hoped to start down Mt. Lemmon Control Road (the unpaved back road) and explore Oracle Ridge as well, but my hiking partner had had enough for the day.  While not long by miles, Aspen Draw is very steep and a definite workout. 

Temps were chilly at the summit, and it was a great day to get out of low-desert heat.  The crowds on Mt. Lemmon were surprisingly light for a holiday weekend and parking was never an issue.  I only wish Phoenix had an easily accessible respite like Mt. Lemmon. 

Madera Canyon Springs

Weather:  79º, sunny

About this Hike:  Lockdown is over and Arizonians are like bats out of hell.  Memorial Weekend is always a stampede up to the high country, but this year more so than ever.  All the valley rats are headed north to trash the forests and then incinerate their trash with illegal campfires.  Can you tell I feel a little cynical? 

Anyway, we headed south to Tucson for the weekend.  After all, who wants to go south where it's still nearly as hot as Phoenix?  This was a theory that proved correct.

Tucson has easy respites within 30 or so miles.  We spent the afternoon in town at a museum and then decided to do a late-day hike at Madera Canyon.  We parked at Bog Springs and made it up to Sylvester Spring before turning around.  Back at the parking area, I saw my first ever coatimundi up close.  He was raiding a picnic site that picnickers had left unsupervised.

The big takeaway here is that while I've been to Madera before, I never appreciated it so much as I did today.  There are a lot of trails with lush forest and flowing springs in that area.  It's a nice alternative to Mt. Lemmon when you want to get out of the Tucson heat.  

Pinal Peak & Telephone Trail

Weather:  73º, sunny

About this Hike:  Just about a year ago to the day we parked at Icehouse CCC and hiked up Pinal Peak via Sixshooter Trail 197.  We enjoyed beautiful wildflowers, a flowing stream, and changing flora with the elevation gain.  This year we opted to drive FR 651 to the summit of Pinal Peak and work our way down. 

With the summit campgrounds being closed right now, we found minimal traffic on the winding, but well-maintained FR 651.  I parked the truck in the shaded pines at Pinal Campground, and we set out for an adventure. 

The thought was to do Telephone Trail 192 and then loop back up on Icehouse 198. This appeared possible on the USFS map. While the trails are well signed, at least one junction sign was uprooted and propped against a tree in the wrong location.  We ended up doing Telephone as an out and back.  At least I think it was Telephone.  It could have been one of the other aforementioned trails.  For next time, I have a map with GPS loaded to a hiking app on my phone for more accurate results.

And speaking of that map, it fell out of my pocket about halfway down the trail.  Thankfully with towers atop Pinal Peak, I had perfect cell reception and downloaded a new copy of the USFS map.  Even better, I found my paper map littering the trail on the way back up and grabbed it.  Leave no trace.

In addition to magnificent trees and cooler temps, we enjoyed views to the south of the Catalina's in not-so-distant Tucson.  There also is a small neighborhood of privately-owned cabins on Pinal Peak with some fascinating history 

The original plan for Pinal was to camp there.  We may try this again when one of the many area campgrounds re-open.  There are a lot of trails in the Pinals, and I'd also like to visit the fire lookout on neighboring Signal Peak.  Overall, this sky island just south of Globe delivered a better-than-expected day hiking in the pines.

Cabin Loop & Blue Ridge Reservoir Pipeline

Weather:  73º, sunny

About this Hike:  Many hiking blogs and websites warn that the Cabin Loop Trail is not easy to follow in spots.  That may be true, but you have to actually be on one of the trails first...

We followed Rim Road (FR 300) to Battle of Big Dry Wash Monument and parked there.  The plan was to follow Fred Haught Trail as an out-and-back for so long as we had daylight. 

The General Springs Cabin is in the meadow area immediately north of the battle monument.  Of all the cabins on the nearly 20-mile loop, I'd say it's the easiest to get to.  After admiring the restored old cabin, we continued following the rough dirt road north.  The directions did say Fred Haught Trail follows an old road for a while....

We stopped to admire all the pipelines and pumping infrastructure coming out of Blue Ridge Reservoir—after all, the plan was to kayak the lake tomorrow.  At one point I noted a trail marker on a tree and we began to follow it.  Right into a dead end in the woods.

Confused, we returned to the meadow.  Behind the General Springs Cabin I noted a trailhead.  We were wrong the whole time.  Fred Haught Trail did not follow the forest service road, as I had originally believed.   The trailhead did have a warning posted about a washout some seven miles north or so.  With daylight running low, we hiked just a short jaunt on Fred Haught, me kicking myself for the wrong turn and wishing we had more time to explore this beautiful trail.

The final bust was when we returned to the parking area and I insisted we cross the street and at least check out the Old Railroad Tunnel Trail.  My hiking partner was not happy.  I got close to the tunnel, but we were now in a time crunch and the trail was too treacherous. 

We were off Rim Road before dark and back to Pine just before THAT Brewing Company closed it's takeout window at 7 PM. 

While a bust of a hike, it's another excuse to escape the summer heat and come up to Rim Country to do it right next time. 

Secret Canyon - Hidden Sedona

Weather:  63º, overcast

About this Hike:  This one's been on my bucket list a while.  In April 2018 I did explore the very beginning of Secret Canyon, but this was an unplanned side excursion after a long hike over Sterling Pass, Sterling Canyon, and Vultee Arch.

The challenge with Secret Canyon is getting there.  The 3.5 miles over Forest Road 152 are more than I'd even like to attempt even with my Tacoma TRD OR.  I learned of a shortcut (~2.5 miles) by parking at Long Canyon and hiking to FR-152 via Chuckwagon Trail.  From there it's about a mile along FR-152 to the Secret Canyon Trailhead. 

This hike to the trailhead was beautiful in and of itself.  Chuckwagon is high above Dry Creek, which is still not living up to it's name based on the cascades of water flowing through.  This route added an hour in both directions just getting to the trailhead.  Surprising, because I can usually average 4+ MPH in good hiking conditions. 

Secret Canyon's beauty needs to be kept a secret.  It's so close, yet so far away from the circus that Devil's Bridge has become.  Secret Canyon could be a satisfying alternative to West Fork.  No, it's not as beautiful as West Fork, but it's sheer remoteness drives away the flocks of tourists that wait in long lines to access the Fork. 

The creeks in Secret Canyon were flowing strong which made it all the more magical.  The trail largely runs parallel high above a creek.  A mile or so in and snow began to appear.  At about 2.5 miles in, scrub oak and old-growth ponderosa forest offered shade and fragrant scents. 

Eventually the trail dropped in the creekbed and parallel to a massive red-rock wall.  I assume the trail begins to follow the creek here, which was impassable due to the high volume of icy water rushing down.  This made a good stop-and-turn-around point. 

High above the creek on the way out, I could hear the distinct roar of a waterfall.  Finding a safe vantage to view it was another challenge.  Following my ears, I picked up a side trail to a stunning overlook point that was the highlight of this hike.  A flume was pouring out of the red rocks and filling a pool below with deep blue water.  It reminded of something you'd see in Watkins Glen, NY, only with red sandstone instead of limestone shale. 

Part of me wishes I could have gone all 4.5 - 5 miles to the end of this trail.  Another part of me thinks I got pretty close and likely saw the best there was to see of Secret Canyon.  There are a number of trails that intersect with Secret Canyon, so I wouldn't be surprised if someday I'm back to explore more of this stunning area.

Dogie Trail and Sycamore Canyon - Hidden Sedona

Weather:  58º, sunny

About this Hike:  Back in November I hiked the unimpressive Casner Mountain after an equally disappointing hike at Robbers Roost Cave (see post from November 2019 for details). 

When I was high up on Casner I could see down into a valley with lush greenery, Sedona red rock spires, and a canyon with a creekbed in the bottom.  "I should be down there hiking..." was the only thought in my mind that hot November day. 

Subsequent research revealed that ~1.5 more miles down the dirt Forest Road 525C would have taken me to a trailhead into what I learned is the Sycamore Canyon Wilderness. 

Today was my chance to check out the Dogie Trail in Sycamore Canyon.  FR-525C starts out as graded dirt and gravel and only begins to deteriorate in the last mile or so to the Dogie Trailhead.  It's still not bad though and was nothing for my Tacoma TRD OR.  A friendly couple I met at the trail had done it in a Jeep Cherokee Latitude on plain old Firestone all seasons.

Regardless, this hike afforded views of magnificent red rock formations, cow tanks, and even some snow in the shaded parts.  If I had pushed another mile, the trail would eventually have descended to the creekbed in Sycamore Canyon.  Due to time and daylight constraints, I only observed the creekbed from high above.  It was largely dry with a few icy pools of water remaining. 

I am glad to check this one off the bucket list and find myself debating if I want to eventually visit the other end of Sycamore Canyon at Parsons Trailhead near Cottonwood.  More likely, I'll go up to the head of the canyon near Williams and visit the picturesque Sycamore Falls at some time.