Return to Bear Flat

Weather:  65º, mostly cloudy

About this Hike:  We've wanted to return to Bear Flat since first visiting in early November of last year. Today was finally our chance. 

After parking at the trailhead outside the private Bear Flat neighborhood, we carefully crossed Tonto Creek. In general, flow was lower today than it was in November. The water crossings on FR-405 were mostly dry today.

Despite having learned a lesson about how to follow the main Bear Flat trail last time, we still managed to get a little off course at the start. We stayed parallel to the fence that marks the land boundary. We kept paralleling it, even as it got steeper and steeper. Finally, I realized this was wrong. A quick check of hiking GPS and we were able to get back on course relatively quick. Even on the correct trail, the hike out of Tonto Creek and Bear Flat is no picnic...it's extremely steep. 

We continued past Mescal Ridge, picking up were we left off last time. The pine forest only got thicker. And it stayed that way. I was amazed at the density of healthy ponderosa pine and fir trees in this area. It feels like this should be up on the Mogollon Rim. 

Last November we also visited the southern end of the Bear Flat trail near Haigler Creek. I observed the same dense pine forest down there. I just didn't realize that it extended all the way north along Bear Flat Trail, especially with so much of Hellsgate Wilderness being more high desert vegetation. 

During that southern Bear  Flat hike, I also mentioned wanting to reach Horse Mountain. Today we made it to Horse Mountain, but it was nothing distinct. Rather the trail (more like the typical Hellsgate ATV road) wrapped around the side of Horse Mountain. I could look up the steep hill and see dense pine forest. 

At the 5.5 mile mark from Bear Flat is where the vegetation finally opened up. We got some views to the south with Tonto Basin, Sierra Ancha Wilderness, and Four Peaks coming into view. The ridgeline of Christopher Mountain to the northeast was also a distinct feature. Otherwise, the vegetation on this hike often obscured any potential viewpoints. The trail was going to begin a steep drop beyond this point. We opted to make this our turnaround. 

Since last fall we've done a lot of day hikes around Hellsgate. I would like to see a part of Hellsgate called Salt Canyon. In that area I've observed a large, white piece of infrastructure thru binoculars. It may be some type of water catchment device. I'm definitely intrigued. However, unless I get into overnight backpacking, some of the deeper parts of Hellsgate may not be easily accessible via a day hike. 

Arizona Trail Passage 25 - Walnut Trail 251

Weather:  67º, mostly cloudy, windy

About this Hike:  I needed some nature time this Sunday afternoon. I decided to check out a hike I've bookmarked near Pine. The plan was to hike along Arizona Trail (AZT) Passage 25 down to an area called Oak Spring. 

Rather than park at the 'official' trailhead for this hike at the Pine Trailhead, I opted to utilize a dirt road on the west side of 87 so I could avoid having to cross 87 from the trailhead. This also would put me closer to the segment of AZT that I intended to hike. Overall this was a good strategy, although the road was a little rutted and bumpy. 

Despite being close to Pine neighborhoods, this hike felt more remote. As I left rooftops and ranches behind, it began to feel a lot more remote. I crossed a small, trickling creek and then several other dry ones. That canyon that contains Oak Spring came into view. It is an impressive canyon, easily accessed by the well-maintained AZT. While this is part of the AZT, a junction sign indicated the official trail name to be Walnut Trail (#251). 

The canyon area is a lush riparian environment. Ponderosa pines again come into view, having faded for a bit on the more desert portion of this hike between here and the trailhead. The first creek in the canyon was dry. Bigtooth maples have just put on their spring leaves...something I made a mental note of for this fall. A little further into the Oak Spring canyon revealed a sign and side trail to its namesake. The spring was tricking and the spring box was full. I also checked out a grassy meadow directly up the bank from the spring. 

Having reached this area in about an hour, I decided to hike on a little further. I climbed out of Oak Spring and hiked the AZT along the top of what seemed to be a mesa. There were good views to the south of Houston Mesa, Granite Dells, and the Mazatzals. The environment up here was rocky and high desert grassland, yet the juniper, gamble oak, and occasional pinion pine were surprisingly thick. 

Seeing another riparian-looking area with ponderosa pines ahead, I opted to press on a little further. At this point the trail became what was clearly an old two-track road. A utility line bisected the trail overhead. I hiked through the riparian area, climbed again, and opted to make this my turnaround point. This was 4.5 miles, making for a nine-mile Sunday afternoon out-and-back today. 

Sunflower Mine and Cornucopia

Weather:  79º, sunny

About this Hike:  I thoroughly enjoyed my hike a few weeks ago at Saddle Mountain along Passage 22 of the Arizona Trail (AZT). So much so, that I began plotting a continuation hike just as soon as I got home. 

Originally I considered driving FR-25 to Mormon Flat TH and continuing along Passage 22 from there. Instead, I created a route that involved parking at the FR-25 / 25A junction, hiking the road 3.5 miles, and then doing a loop of similar length using Thicket Trail and Cornucopia Trail, which is part of the AZT. I would skip a couple miles of Passage 22, but I'm not sure there's much to see beyond Saddle Mountain. 

I find it amazing that anyone can drive in on FR-25A. Even with a lifted Jeep or ATV, there are some insane rock walls and obstacles. Surprisingly, about a mile in I crossed a bridge. The guardrails and signage didn't look that old. I read this bridge was rebuilt in the 1990s.

I imagine 25A was a much better road sometime in decades past. This road leads to the abandoned Sunflower Mine, which I stopped to visit. An old tumbler pipe and some concrete foundations are all that remain, although I read structures and artifacts were still on the site as recent as 2012, just prior to that year's Sunflower Fire. 

Beyond the mine, the hike went into lush riparian sycamore and cottonwoods that flank Sycamore Creek. There were rocks all shades of the rainbow, especially blue-green and red cinnabar-studded stones. Unfortunately this part of the hike was not enjoyable. The gnats were the worst I've ever experienced. I was rushing through this area hoping that hotter, more exposed terrain would offer some relief from the bugs. 

There was short-lived relief from the gnats at the junction for Thicket Trail which I opted to follow first and clockwise, closing the loop via Cornucopia Trail. I expected Thicket would live up to its name, and it did. Thicket isn't so much a trail as it is just a narrow drainage. It got more overgrown and the gnats came back. I was not enjoying it at all, and it had a creepy vibe. I turned back.

Upon reaching the junction, I was getting tired, but opted to go up Cornucopia. Since this is part of the AZT, it gets much better maintenance. Mount Peeley loomed not so far ahead. Old growth firs and ponderosa pine came into view. The bugs weren't as bad. I intended to only go a short ways on Cornucopia. Thirty minutes later I was at the junction with Thicket. Only there was no Thicket Trail there, just a sign and lots of overgrowth. Skipping the Thicket portion of what would have been a lollipop loop was the right choice. I'm not one for bushwhacking. 

Mount Peeley parking area was 1.5 miles according to the junction sign. The hot, exposed manzanita-covered switchbacks did not appeal to me. Plus, I've been up to Mount Peeley a couple times in the past, so this wouldn't be any new scenery. I made this my turnaround point with five miles back to the FR-25 / 25A junction. 

The hike out went fast as I fought my way thru flocks of gnats, failing to enjoy the riparian scenery that I otherwise love. Despite some challenges, this was an enjoyable Mazatzals hike.