Turkey Spring and W. Webber via Milk Ranch Point

Weather:  90º, sunny

About this Hike:  All the guides I read to this hike talked about starting at the Geronimo Boy Scout camp and hiking up the Rim. While undoubtedly a great hike, there are conflicting reports on how to even access the trailhead, with restrictions placed on some access points by the camp.

I decided instead to hike this top-down by starting at Milk Ranch Point on the Rim. I parked near the Turkey Springs trailhead off FR-218. Across the road is a meadow called Dickenson Flat. A cool feature on the flat is a large sign made of white-painted rocks. It reads, "PHX → 75," and is intended for airplanes heading down to Sky Harbor. It's also readily visible on satellite images. 

The hike down Turkey Springs started in nice forest. It quickly gave way to exposed hillsides and manzanita scrub. The trail is a steep hike down, albeit just short of two miles to the Webber junction. The views of the Rim are fantastic—almost Grand Canyon-esque in places. 

I chose to use the Webber trail for the hike back up the Rim because unlike Turkey Spring, Webber has a lot more shade. Webber is in a lush canyon of maple, oak, spruce, fir, and ponderosa. Tree cover provided a welcome respite from the hot sun. A trickling creek paralleled the trail for a while. 

Webber trail is only about two miles back up to FR-218. The elevation gain is steady at first, but when you hit the switchbacks it really intensifies. I'd say most of the ~1,600 feet is gained on these switchbacks. The steepness and heat forced me to take this hike slow and take in the scenery. The sides of the Rim are so steep here; it's incredible a trail was able to be built at all.

Once back on top of the Rim, the forest changes quickly. Gone are the spruces and firs, replaced by less dense ponderosa pine and grassland. I reached the 218 road and followed it for a mile back to where I was parked. While closing the loop with a road is typically not enjoyable, this one wasn't too bad. Sections of the road were shaded. I scoped out numerous potential camping spots along the way. 

My final stop was a walk through the aforementioned Dickenson Flat. Doing this hike using Turkey Spring for the descent and Webber for the ascent was perfect. Despite hot weather, I thoroughly enjoyed today's excursion.