Aspen Creek Do-Over

Weather:  79º, dry, sunny, windy

About this Hike:  Last August I tried exploring Mt. Francis via Aspen Creek Trailhead.  The only reason I was hiking in August was thanks to an active monsoon, the temperature was tolerable.  Unfortunately, that active monsoon blew in a huge storm not so long after I began my hike.  It ended with me scrambling to get back to the trailhead.  I tried waiting it out, but the storm was unrelenting.  I finally gave up and headed to one of the many breweries in Prescott. 

So today was a do-over.  The weather was perfect and it's not monsoon season yet.  In fact, there wasn't a cloud in the sky, but there was a strong breeze which made for pleasant natural air conditioning.  While not an intense hike with any major elevation gain, it was still warm in the sun.  

I hiked up and around Mt. Francis wandering down many of the side trails and often following old roads.  It's a good idea to have a GPS and maps.  I use the All Trails Pro app on my phone.  The network of trails and side trails extensive and confusing in here.  If you forget to download your map ahead of time, you'll likely have service as several major cell phone towers are on top of Mt. Francis. 

After exploring Francis it was too early to head out.  I opted to hike up Cold Spring Trail 393 for a ways, eventually veering onto a side trail.  All of this takes you through beautiful ponderosa pine forest.  I saw plenty of deer and a massive Sonoran gopher snake sunning itself on the trail.  On the way back down, I found a freshly severed deer leg on the trail, meaning there's mountain lions in the vicinity.  I'm guessing the lion wouldn't be too interested in me, having just eaten a deer for lunch.  

There are miles and miles of trails to explore in this part of Prescott.  In my opinion, this is the better part of Prescott with dense ponderosa forest.  I look forward to escaping the heat of Phoenix and coming back here soon. 

Paradise Lost (and Found) + Bull Basin

Weather: 71º, sunny

About this Hike:  In October of last year I did my semi-traditional Haunted Canyon hike.  Last year I tried the upper trailhead which is accessible past the old iron one-lane bridge and up FR-287A.  

As I studied the map in preparation for that hike, I noted that there are a number of other trails in the area.  Two more miles up FR-287A (for a total of just six miles from the bridge), there is another abandoned ranch and plenty of trails at the Miles Ranch Trailhead.  

The weather was perfect today, and probably won't be like this too much longer.  I decided to drive up to Miles Ranch and explore.  I plotted out a 10 mile loop hike starting on West Pinto Trail 212 until the junction with Bull Basin 270.  At this point I would follow Bull Basin down to Haunted Canyon 203, do a brief jaunt on 203, and then return to Miles Ranch via Paradise Trail 271 plus a brief half-mile on FR-287A.  

My map work in All Trails was beautiful.  I didn't see any traffic or other hikers until I reached the Miles Ranch Trailhead.  The meadow near the old ranch was surprisingly busy with tents and vehicles, this due to a Boy Scouts campout.  The scout troop was lining up to go on a hike, and I am glad they went a different way than me—I know from experience being stuck behind a hiking scout troop is a tedious affair.

My hike began on West Pinto 212.  An freshly fallen oak tree blocked the path.  It took a lot of careful maneuvering, but I got around it unscathed.  It was but a foreshadow of what was to come.

The first two miles of Bull Basin 270 were quite beautiful.  The trail meanders along a creek, and then begins to climb with dramatic, but not super steep, switchbacks.  Beautiful wildflowers were everywhere.  Shrub overgrowth on the trail was getting annoying.  Much of it was live oak which is a bit prickly, but won't tear you up like cat claw will.  Annoying, but manageable.  Until about 2.5 miles in when it wasn't manageable anymore.  I don't know if a machete would've gotten me through the thicket that was now the trail.  

Some people insist bushwhacking is part of the fun.  I think it's a good way to get cut up and lose an eye.  I decided to turn back and return to West Pinto 212.  I explored West Pinto which follows the creekbed of Pinto Creek.  The stream was flowing a bit and there were some dramatic cliffs and rockslides.  The lush forest gave way to burn damage along West Pinto.  Again, I opted to turn back and return to the Miles Ranch Trailhead. 

I took a few minutes to explore the old horse stables and other infrastructure at the ranch.  Despite the name Miles Ranch Trailhead given by the Forest Service, this ranch was called Kennedy Ranch.  Judging from some of the artifacts and the condition of the stable building, I don't think it's been abandoned all that long.  I'm hoping to learn more of the history of this place...

I departed Miles Ranch and drove about a half mile back down 287A where there are two pullouts that will fit a few cars.  This is the trailhead for Paradise Trail 271.  Paradise started out along thickly forested creekbeds, one of which still had some water flowing.  I didn't get too close, because I saw poison ivy all around the creek.  There was also what appeared to be an abandoned pink tent in one of the clearings.  Creepy.  

About two miles in and over 1,000 feet elevation gain, Paradise was lost.  Overgrowth again became impassable and at this point it was late in the afternoon and I was tired.  I opted to turn back the way I came. 

While I didn't accomplish the original loop I had set out to do, I can't say I was completely surprised.  The few bits of information I was able to find on this trail network warned overgrowth is a big problem in this less-visited area of the Superstitions.  In fact, the series of out-and-back hikes that I did was my Plan B if things didn't work out.  I was still able to explore all the trails I wanted to see.  And the forest in this area is so unique.  Made up of mostly Arizona cypress, there is also the occasional pinon pine, along with plenty of live oak and manzanita.  A rare saguaro cactus still makes an appearance, seeming to defying the top of the mighty saguaro's range.  

I'm sharing a screenshot of my map. You can see the original loop route which would have taken me south and around Government Hill.  The colored lines indicate the actual out-and-back hikes that I was able to accomplish:

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. 

Horsethief Basin Lookout Loop

 Weather:  60°, sunny, clear

About this Hike:  Originally I mapped this hike following old OHV roads in Horsethief Basin.  My intention was to see the Native ruins at East Fort and South Fort.  Last minute I added on a side trip to the Horsethief Lookout Tower.  

February is low season for otherwise popular Horsethief Basin.  With unseasonably warm and dry weather, it seemed like the perfect time to visit.  The campgrounds and developed sites are closed for the season, so this meant a lot less traffic. In fact, I pretty much had Horsethief Basin to myself on a beautiful Saturday.

My first stop was at the lookout tower.  While unmanned for the season, a posted sign said it was OK to climb the tower.  I tried, but didn't get far.  Those see-thru metal grate steps are just too much for my fear of heights.  Regardless, the views at the lookout site are magnificent.  You can see Lake Pleasant, Glendale, and mountains in the Phoenix Valley.  You can see Superstition Mountain and Weaver's Needle.  Four Peaks and the Matazals are prominently visible.  Humphey's Peak poked up like a snow-capped glacier to the north.  And if you really looked close toward the southeast, you could see the top of the Santa Catalinas down in Tucson.  This was by far the most comprehensive view around Arizona I've ever experienced at one site.  The only landmark not visible up here was Sedona's red rocks. 

Both of the fort sites ended up being a bust.  Both areas have suffered heavy fire damage, especially East Fort.  The trail became impossible to follow, and it was not mapped correctly on my All  Trails GPS.  I was getting caught up in burned branches and other obstacles.  The fire was bad enough that soil was burned black.  It was a similar situation at the South Fort.  

Regardless, this was a good day to experience another unique and beautiful part of our state.  And while seeing the Hohokam ruins at the fort sites would have been cool, I doubt there would have been any additional views to take in.  From the fire lookout, I feel like I saw all that there was to see.  

Tortilla Trail FR-213 to Tortilla Ranch

Weather:  65°, partly cloudy, breezy

About this Hike:  Many reviews of this hike describe it as being a boring walk through the desert.  Today we were looking for a Superstitions hike that wasn't overly strenuous, nor had too much elevation gain.

The Tortilla Trail was a perfect option.  The trailhead is about a mile from where the pavement ends on AZ-88, Apache Trail.  The hiking path follows FR-213.  The rocky ledges at the start of this road require some serious high clearance and other off-road accessories in order to climb over.  I wouldn't even think of taking my Tacoma over it.  However, through the course of this hike we did encounter a Chevy truck that was surprisingly unmodified and a heavily modified Subaru Forester.  While infrequent during our visit, vehicle traffic is something to keep in mind if you opt to hike on this route. 

The views of the Superstition Mountains and Four Peaks were breathtaking, as were the views down into Tortilla Canyon.  Tortilla Creek was flowing steadily.

Upon reaching the old Tortilla Ranch, we marveled at the good condition of the infrastructure and historic artifacts.  I am hoping to research the history of this place some more.    

We continued past the ranch a ways and explored the beginnings of JF Trail and Peter's Trail.  There are some interesting artifacts right after you junction with Peter's Trail.  These include an old cistern, and a windmill that has fallen over.  Sadly, many of these artifacts are riddled with bullet holes.  

Past the cistern the trail descends into the creek, and the views of the Tortilla Canyon walls are spectacular.  Sycamore trees line the creekbed.  With the creek flowing, and muddy evidence of a recent flash flood in the area, we weren't able to go far.  This became our turnaround point. 

Upon arrival back at the Tortilla Trailhead parking area, we opted to drive one more mile up the Apache Trail to watch sunset at the Fish Creek Overlook.  This is as far as you can go on Apache Trail, and a large gate bars vehicles from going beyond the overlook site.  Apache Trail was damaged severely in a post-fire mud slide a few years ago and has yet to reopen.  

Camelback Christmas Tree

Weather:  71°, sunny, partly cloudy, poor AQ

About this Hike:  When I created this blog years ago, its namesake was to serve as a record of my climbs up Camelback Mountain. I used to do this climb once a week most every week.  In 2016 during a brief period of unemployment, climbing Camelback or Piestewa was a near daily workout routine for me.  

Times have changed.  Camelback has only gotten increasingly more popular.  Then the pandemic struck and everyone and their brother decided they were outdoorsmen.  

Labor Day Weekend 2020 was the last time I visited Camelback.  Now more than a year since my last climb, I decided to visit Camelback on this weekday afternoon.  Surely a Wednesday afternoon won't be busy, right?  Wrong.  Parking was full and a city parks ranger was keeping watch.  I circled the lot once, thinking seriously about scrapping my plans and going home. Then a spot miraculously opened in front of me.  

Today's hike had a bit of an ulterior motive, as I wanted to see if the Camelback Christmas Tree tradition was still going on.  In past years people were offended, complained, and just generally tried to ruin it for everyone. Then bureaucracy stepped in and eventually created rules and a special use permit.  The tree is still a thing, albeit I don't see the traditional handmade ornaments anymore. All I see are bird treats.  

The hike was crowded, tourists blocked the trail for selfies, and the air was smoggy as is typical this time of year.  I also pondered all the hazards along this trail that could lead to nasty falls and broken bones.  I'll be facing a huge reduction in benefits for my employer-sponsored medical insurance Jan. 01.  

Between parking mayhem, crowds, and potential injury, I can't say I enjoy Camelback like I once did.  But I'm glad I got to see this Christmas tradition for another year. 

Annual Christmastime Hackberry Springs - Superstitions Hike

Weather:  64°, sunny

About this Hike:  Hackberry Springs is an annual Christmastime tradition for me.  In a good year, the hackberry bushes have some festive red berries.  I hoped this would be the case following a wet summer monsoon.  No such luck.  I never saw even one hackberry this year.  

That said, this hike is always enjoyable.  There was water in the springhead in Hackberry Creek, but that is to be expected.  In the little pool of water, there were topminnows with iridescent colors and bright orange tails.  I've seen tadpoles in this little pool before, but never fish.  It was some of the coolest wildlife I saw all day.  

After emerging from Hackberry Creek Canyon (which was bone dry this year), it seemed too early to close the relatively short loop and return to the parking lot.  We opted to head east on Second Water Trail 236 thru Garden Valley, past the Indian Paint Mine, down to Boulder Canyon, below the 'hull' of Battleship Mountain, and then peek into La Barge Canyon.  

I thought this would be a fun side trip, especially after visiting a completely different end of La Barge Canyon just a week prior.  It did not disappoint.  Besides all the beautiful landmarks along the way, there was fall color in the riparian areas of Second Water Creek and Boulder Canyon.  There was also a cool daytime moonrise over Geronimo Head, the mountain which forms the cliffs of La Barge Canyon.  

I should note that this route is all still beautiful Sonoran Desert—most of it was not touched by recent fires in this area. 

We trekked back from La Barge Canyon and debated following Second Water 236 back to the main parking lot (which would require a half-mile walk by road to where we parked), or returning to Hackberry and closing the loop.  Daylight was running low, and the Hackberry portion seemed a bit shorter.  

This ended up being an excellent choice, but also a little unnerving.  We've never actually closed the complete Hackberry Loop as it's mapped on All Trails.  We've always started at Hackberry and ended up doing a long day around Black Mesa and other trails.  Some of this was backtracking through Hackberry Canyon, but when we reacted the junction on the map, a signpost indicated the trail only went one way.  In fact the final portion of the Hackberry Loop jutted off behind the signpost, not following any of the sign's arrows. 

An unsigned trail (albeit mapped on All Trails) made me very nervous.  However, horseshoe prints and other horse 'evidence' led me to believe this was a good trail if it was getting equestrian use.  It ended up being a very good route.  There were a few creek crossings (mostly dry).  It was never overgrown or terribly difficult to follow. It also went past what appears to be an old ranch.  There were remains of a windmill and a covered corral.  From there it was no more than half a mile and we popped up on First Water Road, just a short walk from the parking lot and Hackberry Trailhead.  

The sun had just set and the Superstitions began to make their nighttime sounds.  This was a beautiful hike through unspoiled Sonoran Desert.