Saddle Mountain: Passage 22 of Arizona Trail

Weather:  79º, sunny

About this Hike:  Still coming off the high from last week's enjoyable hike near Buckhorn Mountain, a thought hit me:  "What kind of hiking is there near Sunflower? Doesn't the AZT run down that way?"

A little research and planning later, and I had a hike in mind for this unseasonably warm weekend. Honestly, I probably could have gone up on the Mogollon Rim and been comfortable this weekend. Instead, I headed to lower elevation, knowing that the clock is fast running out for hiking weather down there.

All week I debated whether I should access Saddle Mountain - Passage 22 of the AZT from the Cross F Ranch Trailhead (McFarland TH on Google Maps) or the Mormon Grove Trailhead.  The point of contention was that Mormon Grove spits you out right at the namesake Saddle Mountain.  It also requires some dirt road driving.  Cross F has paved-road access but requires about five miles and 2,000 feet of elevation gain to reach Saddle Mountain. I was uncertain if this five mile hike was going to be interesting or just traverse exposed high-desert grassland. 

I ultimately chose the easier access afforded by Cross F trailhead. The trail here is called Little Saddle Mountain.  Being part of the AZT, it is very well maintained.

Little Saddle ended up being a great choice. While I definitely felt the elevation gain, it was never overly steep nor treacherous.  The entire hike featured some colorful geology. Rocks of every hue—blue, grey, quartz, red, purple, etc. cover the landscape. 

And when I wasn't in rocky spots, I was traversing riparian areas. Some of the creeks had a little water in them, while others were dry. There were sycamore trees and granddaddy pinion pines. Unfortunately, being late winter / early spring, there were a ton of gnats in the riparian areas. 

A much nicer thing that spring brings out: desert wildflowers. These were all shades of orange, red, yellow, and purple. There was one particularly showy strawberry hedgehog cactus. The hillsides were covered in fragrant shrubs sporting tiny white flowers. I called these honeysuckle, although AI tells me they are cliffrose. One of the riparian areas even had a few golden columbines growing in it. I was shocked to see these at ~3,800 feet. They usually grow in the forests on the Mogollon Rim. 

After studying the topographical map of this hike, I wasn't certain what kind of views I would enjoy. I figured more than likely hills an shrubbery would hide most views. That said, I was aware that Bartlett Lake and the lower Verde River were just a few miles west as the crow flies.  

Upon cresting a ridge, the Verde River canyon came into view, although the water wasn't visible. The McDowell Mountains came into view, confirming that the rooftops I could see were in fact North Scottsdale. The Sierra Estrellas were even visible, poking up through the smog soup that is the Phoenix Valley. 

I pressed on to the namesake Saddle Mountain. Along the way I enjoyed views of a mountain that had pale white cliffs banded with a deep-red vein below it. It was even deeper red than the rocks of Sedona.

Eventually Saddle Mountain came into view. It is certainly a tall peak, although there really wasn't much else to see. The better views, in my opinion, were of the hills directly east. Views of Mount Ord and green rolling hills topped with fiery red-orange rock peaks. 

A chalky rock formation at Saddle Mountain was my turnaround point, this marking just over five miles from the start. There was a side trail with an AZT sign posted that indicated the side trail was not part of the main path. I decided to venture down this. Tall trees quickly came into view, indicating water was nearby. This short jaunt led to a flat, grassy meadow. I'd love to know more on the story surrounding this spot...

The weather had changed a bit since when I started. Gone was the hot, intense sun. A welcome cool breeze and some clouds had rolled in. The light was completely different on the way back down. I noticed Red Mountain, Superstition Mountain and Weaver's Needle down below along with some buildings in Mesa. Poking up through the smog was the unmistakable shape of Mt. Lemmon and the Catalinas all the way down in Tucson. 

Ultimately, I am glad I chose to do this route today. I did pass the junction for the Mormon Grove Trailhead.  I think I will come back and utilize that trailhead to hike further north on Passage 22. Eventually it reaches Mount Peeley, an area I am already quite familiar with exploring. 

Deer Creek 45

Weather:  66º, sun and clouds

About this Hike:  It's hard to believe that just over three years ago we came up and explored the South Fork trail of Deer Creek. I did not write a blog entry about that hike. 

However, back in late 2021 I noted that in addition to South Fork there are two other trails at Deer Creek Trailhead. All of them parallel each other through canyons that eventually reach the forest road near Mount Peeley—an area of the Mazatzals I've explored a couple of times.

Deer Creek trail starts off in desert ranch land. There are cow pies, cattle fence, and cattle gates everywhere. The trail parallels its namesake creek which forms a desert riparian area. At just under three  miles in is the gravesite of David Cowan. From what I've read he was an interesting explorer that settled in the Tonto Basin area of Arizona. 

We hiked along the creek and were surprised to see that it was flowing in some places, only to disappear underground again in other spots. I guess the little bit of rain and snow Arizona received earlier in the week was enough to refresh our dry creek beds. 

At about four miles in we reached the Mazatzal Wilderness boundary sign. From there on the trail conditions began to degrade. It became harder to follow. Haphazard cairns often pointed us down dead ends. We bushwhacked on a little further and I busted out my trimmers and pruned back some live oak. We were able to get down to the creek bed again and enjoyed the peaceful sound of its gentle flow. 

We opted to turn back at just over four miles. Constantly losing the trail and bushwhacking is just not my idea of a great hike. In theory you can follow this trail all the way up to the Mount Peeley parking area. I imagine this makes for a long, steep, overgrown, and rough hike. 

Regardless, now that Payson is home I'm glad to have explored this trail right in my own backyard. 

Mazatzal Divide via City Creek and Pole Hollow

Weather:  71º, sun

About this Hike:  Just about a year ago I noted the City Creek Trailhead when exploring the ruins at Doll Baby Trailhead. I was intrigued and planned to come back.

A high in the 70s around Christmas is too warm for Phoenix. It's even worse when you're reaching these kind of temperatures in the high country. Regardless, warmer temps meant today was a good today to visit City Creek and hike up this section of Mazatzal Divide. 

I read some reports of the trail being overgrown. However, the trail was in pretty good shape, likely having received recent maintenance. 

It's the usual Mazatzal scrub and grassland with some juniper and the occasional pinon pine thrown in. There are some cool swirly red rock formations within the first couple miles. The climb is never overly steep, but rather steady. 

At 4.2 miles the overgrowth began to get worse. Still not impassable by any means, just the annoying mix of manzanita and live oak encroachment. I had wanted to get to the Red Hills junction as my goal for today. However, I was bored of this hike. I got my binoculars out and studied the summit of North Peak, some other distant ridges, and the plume of smoke from Horton Fire. 

I opted to turn back. Many times the return hike seems to go by quicker. Not this one. I was ready to be done with this. Besides boredom, I noted the Pole Hollow Canyon trailhead on the drive in. I wanted to check this out as well.

The Pole Hole trailhead along Doll Baby Ranch Road can only accommodate one vehicle. Luckily I was the only one there today. I hiked in for maybe a mile. I observed some interesting pale cliff faces and thickets of young Arizona cypress trees. There were also some cattle grazing along the creek and their 'cow pies' were everywhere. Interestingly, Pole Hollow is not mapped on All Trails, but it is mapped on Google Maps. The trail runs about three miles down to the Mineral Creek Trailhead.

If I'm looking for an easy close to home hike in the near future, I may consider doing the full length of Pole Hollow as an out and back. My plan is to start at Mineral Creek so as to avoid the rutted section of Doll Baby and to ensure enough parking. 

Back to Barnhardt Six Years Later

Weather:  55°, sunny

About this Hike:  Six years ago we came and explored Barnhardt Trail 44 for the first time. After January 2018 hike we stayed up in Payson and commented on what a dumpy town it seemed to be. Ironically enough, Payson is now home (and it's actually a pretty nice place). Barnhardt Trail is just a 20 mile drive from home, and after exploring Rock Creek and numerous other area trails this past fall, I decided it was time to get back to Barnhardt. For one, Barnhardt is well-maintained and showcases some of the Mazatzal's best geology, plant life, and scenery. Other area trails are often extremely steep, overgrown, and just not as scenic. 

With multiple days of rain earlier this week (snow in the higher elevations), and now a warm up, I knew today would be perfect conditions to visit Barnhardt again. The creek and waterfall were sure to be flowing. In fact, they did not disappoint. 

In 2018 the waterways were but a trickle. I even noted back then a large, black rock wall that I assumed would be a waterfall in wetter conditions. I called it a 'false' waterfall. While not a rushing cascade, it was a beautiful, vertical stream today. Shortly beyond this is the main attraction:  the Barnhardt waterfall. I noted in 2018 a rope one could use to climb the waterfall. That rope appears to be gone as of 2024.

The water was rushing out of the fissure in the rock, cascading down the red-purple quartzite, and collecting in blue-grey pools. While a strong flow, there were plenty of large boulders and shallow parts for hiking across. I was able to get up close to the waterfall. In the rock grotto above the main falls is another cascade that works its way down the curving chute. It was stunningly beautiful.

Beyond the falls the trail climbs and scenery gives way to what I believe is about a 20-year old burn scar. The area has long been reclaimed by manzanita and gamble oak. A charred stump here and there reminds you that this may have been forested at one time. And that's where I opted to turn around. Wrinkly emerald hills and ridges cover the landscape, beckoning you to keep hiking around the next bend. However, the manzanita forest gets boring quickly. I came to enjoy Barnhardt Canyon today, and so I turned back. 

Hiking back through the canyon was a whole different experience. You're seeing things from a different perspective. The light has shifted and is different now on the canyon walls. The creek was flowing strong deep in the canyon below. The rock formations and zig-zags in the canyon wall make for unique and stunning geology. 

I've said Barnhardt is some of the best the Mazatzals have to offer. Today's hike just reinforced this notion.

Spanish Ruins via Doll Baby

Weather:  65°, mostly sunny

About this Hike:  I originally read about the hike up to Spanish Ruins via Doll Baby Trail last January. After looking at a home for sale in Payson, we set out to visit Doll Baby, but the dirt road was extremely muddy and rutted. We opted to turn around and went to Peach Orchard Trail that day instead. My intention was to return to Doll Baby in a drier season.

Now Payson is home, and with unseasonable warmth and dryness, I decided it was time to give Doll Baby another shot. 

The road was dry, save for where water always trickles across the road near the sewer treatment plant. I don't know if I want to know the reason why there seems to be a perennial stream in this area...

What's really intriguing about this hike is the drive to get there. The road goes from dirt, to good paved road, and then back to dirt again. There are also utility boxes for electric and fire hydrants. Why is there so much developed infrastructure along a forest road? My best guess is that it serves the ranches in the area. 

Finally we reached the Doll Baby TH and parked. We had it all to ourselves. I've read this is a boring hike. I'd have to beg to differ. There's very intriguing geology in this area. Red and purple Mazatzal quartzite is scattered on the ground. I was admiring a Sedona-esque red rock cliff face that loomed just above the hiking trail. The hike at this point involves climbing a steep hill on an old road. 

Upon passing a large metal gate, an immediate left turn reveals the side trail up on top of that same red-rock cliff face. The side trail can be confusing. People have set up cairns, but I believe more than one route has been traversed. It involved a lot of off-trail trial and error. The red cliff facings form the edge of a mesa, and once we'd hiked and scrambled a bit, we were on top. The search for the ruins site had commenced. 

We got off trail quite a few more times. Hiking GPS definitely helped to re-orient us, especially after following a few oddly placed cairns. 

Eventually we got to the ruins site. It is much bigger than I anticipated. I wonder how whoever created this structure found so many relatively flat red stones to build these walls out of. There is no mortar between the stones and they have fallen in a few places. However, the walls are surprisingly sturdy. I imagine whoever built this used it as a lookout on the Verde River valley far below. 

And that brings up another point I wish to mention. The Verde River is lined with sycamores and cottonwoods. I want to revisit this area in the fall. I imagine the color is fantastic. 

After hanging out at the ruins for a while, we hiked back to Doll Baby TH and did a quick side trip over to the Verde River. Being as this is right in Payson's backyard, I look forward to exploring more of this area in the future. 

North Peak 24

Weather:  57°, mostly sunny

About this Hike:  With 2,800+ feet of elevation gain, a hike up North Peak Trail sounded like the perfect end to a four-day Thanksgiving weekend filled with feasting. 

The trailhead is on FR 414-A, which is a turn off from FR-414. I'm glad I studied the map carefully and was aware of this. The parking area is just a "lollipop" road, but I had it all to myself. 

The trail starts in a riparian area along Mineral Creek. Had I visited a week or two earlier, I would've been treated to some nice fall color among the sycamores, cottonwoods, and (what I assume to be) sumac. A few colored leaves were still hanging on, but the peak color has certainly passed for this year.

Most of the 2,800 feet of elevation gain come at you fast. The climb is steep. Remember that what goes up has to come down... But as you ascend the views keep getting better. Look up for some cool Mazatzal quartzite formations and look down for views into the canyon made up by the lower reaches of the trail's namesake North Peak. 

As I climbed higher the views just got better and better. Today was a rare clear day in Arizona. The snow-capped Humphrey's Peak up near Flagstaff eventually came into view. 

While the hike is seldom completely flat, the brutal elevation gain eventually settles down into more of a "roller coaster." There's climbs up hills and then drops into ravines. This is the best part of the hike, in my opinion.  The scenery is typical of the Mazatzals with wrinkly green mountains in the distance, stunning rock formations, and distant canyons. One thing lacking on this hike is old-growth forest. I  believe much of it may have burned around 20 years ago. Some areas are showing signs of recovery, but the massive old ponderosas are sparse. Enjoy the few brief stands of them that remain. 

I didn't quite finish North Peak Trail. It ends at Mazatzal Divide Trail, and I opted to turn back with just about a mile to go. The air was getting chilly and I knew the hike down was going to be treacherous. 

The typical Mazatzal ecosystem and the stunning views are what make this hike worth it. Whether or not I'll be back is TBD. Now that Payson is home, there are still so many other trails around here I look forward to exploring. 

Rock Creek 42

Weather:  70°, sunny

About this Hike:  Rock Creek Trail 42 sounded intriguing. This hike thru the Mazatzals was supposed to take you by a waterfall before the trail ends at Mazatzal Divide Trail. 

I drove to the trailhead via forest roads accessed from Rye just off AZ-87. In theory you could follow this same FR-414 down from Payson. While I'm sure it's a beautiful drive, I prefer to limit my time off the pavement. 

The drive in was OK, save for the two final creek crossings which featured large boulders and were  uncomfortable. My Tacoma made it thru unscathed. 

A well-marked 'TH42' sign indicates the start of Rock Creek Trail. Initially the hike follows the creek, and I honestly think this is some of the best part of the hike. The sycamores lining the creekbed were in full orange array of fall color, and the few cottonwoods were just beginning to turn yellow. The creekbed is a rainbow of boulders grey, grey-blue, and red-purple. 

The 2,000+ feet of elevation gain comes at you quickly and steeply on this well-maintained trail. As I reached the red-purple Mazatzal quartzite ridges, that began to change. Manzanita overgrowth began to pose more of a challenge. While the trail was still visible and the bushwhacking not impassable, it was annoying. Sometimes I was sidestepping manzanita while trying to avoid impalement by the spiky yuccas near the trail. 

I reached the rock formations and came to a perfect rock bench in the shade. There were beautiful views down to Highway 87, the Mogollon Rim, and the eastern Mazatzals. Beyond this, the trail had a sheer drop off. As in, get your ankle caught in some overgrowth and you very well may fall to your death. I have an extreme fear of heights and seeing this ledge caused me a panic attack. I opted to sit on the rock bench, eat lunch, and contemplate my next move. I was sick of bushwhacking, and honestly the map indicated the trail was going to be more of the same the rest of the way to the waterfall—steep, sheer drops, and likely overgrown. 

As I've found myself doing more and more lately, I made the tough decision to turn back, not having reached my goal at the waterfall. By the way, the waterfall was sure to be dry, but I still wanted to see those cool rock formations that water spills over when the creeks are flowing. 

The hike down was uneventful, although I was very cautious considering the steepness of the trail. The Mazatzals have a lot to offer in terms of rock formations and cool high-desert-to-forest scenery. There are better options than Rock Creek 42 in my opinion...

Y Bar Trail #44

Weather:  55°, sunny

About this Hike:  It seems like in December / January I often end up hiking in the upper Mazatzal Mountains. If you luck out with weather, it can be reasonably warm during the day, but not overly hot this time of year.  The temperature plummets quickly once the sun is behind canyon walls and then sets for the day.  An added bonus is rain / snow in the mountains can make for flowing springs.  Today was just such a day. 

Back in March when I explored Mt. Peeley and Mazatzal Divide, I noted more trails across a distant valley.  I did some research and learned this was likely Y Bar Trail #44.  In fact about five years ago I explored Barnhardt Trail, which splits with Y Bar to form a loop around the circumference of Mazatzal Peak.  Both trails are accessed from the same Barnhardt Trailhead.

While I had no plans to complete the entire nearly 15 mile loop, I did want to explore the Y Bar side of the mountain.  I had observed Douglas firs in the old-growth forests along Mazatzal Divide.  I was hoping to find some similar foliage along this hike, and Y Bar did not disappoint.  The forested areas began after several miles of climbing.  The entire elevation gain for this hike can easily be 3,000+ feet.  However, Y Bar trail is well-worn and seldom overly steep.  The elevation gain is steady, but not grueling.  The rockiness of the trail does require some extra care with footing, especially on the way down. 

The Mazatzals reach higher than the Superstitions.  The canyons and valleys are every bit dramatic, and the views are composed of wrinkly mountains covered in green foliage.  There aren't as many rock spires and needles as the Superstitions.  Some of Y Bar trail traverses old rock slides.  These are made of what looks like the most beautiful landscaping rock, but it was landscaped by mother nature.  There are narrow canyons that feel like nature's refrigerator, with cold, moist air seeping out all around.  There are sun-drenched ridges of manzanita that are often a welcome warm-up after hiking through the aforementioned icebox canyons.  

An observation we made five years ago on Barnhardt was the lack of wildlife.  Even birds chirping was a rarity.  The Y Bar ecosystem seems to also mirror this theme.  You would expect this to be bear and mountain lion country (and I'm sure it is), but evidence of these animals is almost non-existent on the trail.  The scariest encounter I had was with a fighter a jet.  Airmen from Luke AFB must've been practicing over the Mazatzals.  This extremely loud sound of thunder filled the canyon I was in.  I covered my ears in pain and crouched down--as if this would've done any good.  Panicked, I looked skyward to see a fighter jet crest over the ridge and then zoom away.  I had to take a break to stop shaking.  With how volatile the world is right now, this incident gave me quite a panic.  Or, it could have been one of those aforementioned rockslides...either way, not good. 

We traversed some beautiful, thick old-growth forest.  The smell of pine hung heavy in the air.  This was by far my favorite part of Y Bar.  Like most Arizona forests, these sections of dense tree cover never lasted long enough.  We reached a seasonal spring that was flowing a bit.  There were impressive views of Mazatzal Peak and down into what I believe was Shake Tree Canyon.  This marked the turnaround point. 

Last December we explored not-so-far-away South Fork Trail 46. In comparison, Y Bar was a far better hike in my opinion.  A big gripe about South Fork is that it is active cattle ranching land.  The herds of cattle and all their cow pies made parts of this hike unpleasant.  I'm also very fearful of livestock--more so than wild animals.  Cows can kick.  Bulls can charge.  

Last night we wrapped up about 30 minutes after sunset.  We were prepared for this and had headlamps.  Speaking of wildlife, we scared quite a few birds that were roosting in trees for the overnight. Getting back to the trailhead after dark and observing the star-studded black skies away from the valley is always a treat.  It was a great day in the Mazatzals. 

Mount Peeley

Weather: 73º, sunny; became mostly cloudy in the afternoon

About this Hike:  Since learning of the Mt. Peeley Trailhead late last year I've been intrigued by this hike.  It has been on my mind all winter, and today was the perfect day to pull the trigger on it.

Beeline Highway (AZ-87) can be a parking lot on weekends as folks escape the heat of the Valley.  It must not be high season yet, as this March weekend it was not busy at all.  At the turnoff for Mt. Ord, instead of going right, I turned left.  This paved road is listed as FR-626, FR-627, and Sycamore Canyon Road.  Whatever you prefer to call it, FR-201 intersects about a mile later and then the pavement disappears.  

FR-201 is narrow and steep in places with some blind corners. It's mostly hard-packed dirt.  Thankfully I didn't have too many meet ups with oncoming vehicles.   There are wider portions and pull offs, but there are a lot of narrow, shelf portions as well.  The road offers good sightlines so you can watch for evidence of oncoming traffic, clouds of dust, etc.  About 10 miles of this fun, and I was at the Mt. Peeley Trailhead. 

I followed the Mazatzal Divide trail until reaching the spur to the Mt. Peeley summit.  There is a large cairn marking the spur trail, but beyond that it can be hard to follow.  Hiking GPS is a must.  I used a pre-mapped route from All Trails App.  There are other cairns marking the path to the summit, but it appears many people have done this a few different ways.  There isn't always a clearly blazed trail in front of you, and I ended up off trail quite a few times.  I was always able to recalibrate, and after about 30 minutes I reached the summit.  

Peeley summit has some wonderful views.  You clearly see the defined edge of the Mogollon Rim to the north.  Superstition and Weavers Needle poke up to the southeast out of the smog cloud of the Phoenix Valley.  Of course Four Peaks is ever visible, and there was even snow on its northern flanks.  Horseshoe Reservoir is visible to the west along with the 'golf ball' weather station on Humboldt Peak.  You'll likely have cell reception thanks to the clear sightlines of towers atop Mt. Ord directly to the east.

There's an ammo box with a logbook at the Peeley summit.  I meant to bring a pen and forgot; thankfully pencils were provided in the ammo box.  I was able to sign the logbook and have lunch at the Peeley summit.  While large vegetation is sparse, there is crumbly Sedona-esque red rock all around.  I noted very soft, loose soil on the hike up, so erosion is a real possibility in this ecosystem.  There is also a surveying stamp to look for; it dates back to 1924.  

The trip down from Peeley summit was easier than going up.  I don't know if I just had a better visual of the trail or what, but I didn't get off trail quite as much as I did on the ascent.  I rejoined Mazatzal Divide / AZ Trail for about 2.5 more miles.  The forest in this area is still relatively healthy and it's interesting to note the transitions from ponderosa pine and other cold-weather evergreens to juniper and pinyon pine and then back again.  Mazatzal Peak is always looking over you in the distance, and there's views of lush forest below deep in Deer Creek Canyon.  I met two friendly ladies who were backpacking their way along the Arizona Trail, having started at the Mexico border.  Otherwise I didn't see a lot of people or wildlife on this beautiful and well-maintained trail.

Even though I did this as an out-and-back, the light was quite different on the return trip.  There were still patches of snow in places, and I noted a trickling creek that I completely blew past on the ascent.  Sometimes the return hike feels like a completely different place...

There's a lot to explore in the Mazatzal Wilderness.  I've only just begun experiencing this part of our beautiful state.