Winter water clears the weir

WEIR TRAIL

Wet Beaver Creek Wilderness

Wet Beaver Creek near the weir

Near the weir

Finding “Bell Trail Virgins” isn’t easy.  Ranking high on the flagpole of
fabulous Arizona hikes, Bell Trail is a destination most seasoned trekkers have visited at
least once.  "Virgins" are those who have somehow managed to miss this blaring giant of a trail.  As for me, I’ve hiked
this trail so many times it cycles in my brain like an viral video over, and
over, and over……again.  Yes, the
beauty, the water, the juxtaposition of cactus-studded savannah with lush,
streamside greenery and, oh yeah---those pool-wallowing naked people.  Never again.  I said.  Until a
friend emailed me about introducing not one, but TWO “Bell Trail Virgins” to
this iconic, Red Rock Country route, the anticipation of seeing the smiles on their faces was just too good to pass up so, I
was on board, but with a twist that included a wander down the Weir Trail which
branches off the Bell at the 2.5-mile point.  For years, I’ve had a hankering to explore this short
diversion, however, since it seems to be a favorite haunt of the aforementioned
skin-clad hordes, I never got around to it. 
Alas, our hike this week amidst residual snow and 40-degree temperatures
meant the weir was clear.  Turns
out, the Weir Trail is a beautiful little trek that winds gently down to a
concrete dam (the weir) and a gauging station that transmits flow data to---I
don’t know.  Densely wooded with
cottonwoods, sycamores, alders and willows, the creek near the weir is bolstered
by rusty sandstone cliffs and sandy beaches.  One advantage of visiting this trail in winter is that the
creek flows fast and wild, more so than in springtime when snowmelt wanes, the
water warms and the nudists return to their wallows.

Water rages over the weir: Jan. 31, 2013

LENGTH:  7 miles
roundtrip

RATING: moderate

ELEVATION: 
3860' - 3760'

FACILITIES: restroom

FEES: none.  A
Red Rock Pass is NOT required here.

BEST SEASON: October - April

GETTING THERE:

From Phoenix, travel north on I17 to exit 298 for Sedona-Oak
Creek.  At the bottom of the off
ramp, turn right onto FR618 and continue 2.2 miles to FR 656 where there's a
sign for “Beaver Creek Work Station” and the trailhead.  Turn left and go 0.1 mile to the Bell
Trail parking lot. 

HIKE DIRECTIONS: 
Follow Bell Trail 2.75 miles (past the White Mesa and Apache Maid
junctions) to a large metal sign at the wilderness boundary. The Weir Trail #85
veers right while the Bell Trail continues straight ahead.  Follow Weir Trail .75 mile to its end,
and then backtrack.

INFO: Red Rock Ranger District, Coconino National Forest,
928-203-2900

http://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/coconino/recreation/hiking/recarea/?recid=55428&actid=50

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Rain check hike

KIWANIS TRAIL 

South Mountain Park, Phoenix 

If it hadn't rained this weekend, this was to have been my hike....

This sweet little traipse up a desert gully, has been entertaining Phoenicians since the 1920s.  The Kiwanis Trail #62 is an easy way to hike high enough in the hills to get excellent views of the Valley without breaking a sweat. Of all the trails in South Mountain Park, this is perhaps the best groomed— there’s little loose rock underfoot and even the shrubs and trees are trimmed. Stone steps and strategically placed railroad ties make the ascent effortless. In addition to the view, the trail features a healthy population of ironwood trees, which explode with pink pea-like blooms in spring. Also, keep an eye out for petroglyphs. Some are pecked into the cliffs while others embellish stones that flank the trail. The trail tops out at Summit Road where you can pick up the National Trail or hike another quarter-mile uphill to visit the Telegraph Pass lookout. LENGTH: 2.2 miles roundtrip RATING: easy ELEVATION: 1,570' – 2,070'  BEST SEASONS: October - April

DOGS: must be on leash

KID FRIENDLY?: yes   GETTING THERE: From Phoenix, go south on Central Ave. all the way to the end to where it enters the park south of Dobbins Road. Pass the guard gate and continue straight on the main road (San Juan Road) through a second gate at the old stone park administration building---where there are restrooms. At the 4-way intersection just past the admin site, turn left and follow the signs to the Kiwanis trailhead/picnic area. INFO: City of Phoenix Parks & Recreation: http://phoenix.gov/parks/trails/locations/south/hiking/index.html

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Help document a National Historic Trail

JUAN BAUTISTA DE ANZA

National Historic Trail

Anza's 1775-1776 route

From 1775-76 Juan Bautista de Anza lead
240 emigrants 1200 miles from Mexico to California and this National
Historic Trail established in 1990 preserves the route in a
collection of driving/hiking recreational paths. Much of the trail
passes through Maricopa, Pima, Pinal, Santa Cruz and Yuma counties in
little known "who-knew" pockets of history.

The national park service has posted a
very cool interactive mapping tool online and is asking you to assist
in documenting and drawing attention to the Anza Trail. Just go to
the MapCollaborator site and upload your photos, data and comments. An online tutorial shows how.  Once approved by NPS
staff, entered data will be shared on the web.

CHECK IT OUT:

http://www.mapsportal.org/mapcollab_anza/

A wilderness of sandstone and junipers

DOGIE TRAIL

Sycamore Canyon Wilderness

Descent into Sycamore Canyon: Jan. 19, 2013

Big enough to awe but small enough to conquer, Arizona's
second largest canyon is no simpering runner-up.  Whereas our #1 gorge, the Grand Canyon, is sculpted into
over a million acres of  knotted cliffs and soft bends by Colorado River water,
its little sibbling looks like a 55,937-acre, rough-hacked slice of geological
layer cake. From it's head on the forested plateaus and prairies near Williams
to its spring-fed riparian oasis outlet in the Verde River Valley near
Cottonwood, the canyon's diverse terrain spans three national forests (Kaibab,
Prescott and Coconino) and two wilderness areas (Red Rock and Sycamore
Canyon).  One of dozens of routes
leading into the wilderness, the Dogie Trail #116 accesses the canyon's
midsection in the heart of Sedona's red rock country and is a convienient entre
for backpackers setting out on the Taylor Cabin Loop circuit.  For a location sandwiched less than 10
miles from two busy towns, the Dogie Trail exudes a  primitive "out-there" kind of feel.  The trail's geological confection is
one of blaze-red sedimentary sandstone and buff-colored limestone with a frosting
of inky-black, volcanic basalt. 
Wind and water working over 290 million years have etched bizarre works
of art on the canyon walls while shaking loose a mixture of sand,  marine fossils and chunks of glitzy
quartz which have spilled  down
gullies to settle  underfoot along
the route.  The pinion pines, scrub
oaks and junipers bursting from the trail's  ancient rock pediment offer  little shade, which is why the best window of opportunity to
enjoy a nice cool outing here is from November through March. Temperatures
topped out in the high 50s when we hiked here this weekend, but it felt much
warmer. This repurposed cattle trail (a "dogie" is an orphaned
calf)  is maintained in an
respectful, unobnoxious kind of way, which is to say that the path is clear but
not overworked and signs are posted only at important junctions to preserve the
wilderness experience.  When used
for an out-and-back day trip, keep in mind that you'll be hiking down on the
way in and up on the way out and even though 400' of elevation change may not
sound like much, the constant dips and rises over loose-pebble ledges and rocky
creek beds will test your stamina more than expected.

Doggies on the Dogie Trail

LENGTH: 5.4 miles one way

RATING: 
moderate

ELEVATION: 4850' - 4450'

BEST SEASONS: 
spring, fall, winter

FACILITIES: none

FEE: A Red Rock Pass is required,
http://www.redrockcountry.org/passes-and-permits/index.shtml

DISTANCE FROM PHOENIX: 117 miles one way 

GETTING THERE:

From Phoenix, travel north on I17 to the McGuireville exit
293.  Go left onto Cornville Road
and continue 13 miles to AZ89A. 
Turn right and go 7 miles on 
89A  to FR 525 just past
milepost 364 on the left.  Turn
left and go 2.8 miles on 525 to a fork in the road with a sign for
"Palatki", turn left here to get on FR525C---which is not signed.  Continue 8 miles on FR525C, there are
many side roads but 525C is  well
signed and dead ends at the trailhead.   ROAD CONDITIONS: The access roads are good dirt with
just a few moderately rough spots and a short section of mountain grades.   Although high-clearance is
preferable, carefully-driven passenger cars can get thru just fine.   Call ahead, though,--the forest
service sometimes closes the access roads due to weather. 

INFO:

Red Rock Ranger District, Coconino National Forest,
928-203-7500, 928-203-2900 

http://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/coconino/recreation/hiking/recarea/?recid=55300&actid=50

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Hike a Sedona volcano

HOUSE
MOUNTAIN VOLCANO via TURKEY CREEK TRAIL

Coconino
National Forest, Sedona

view from the top

on the rim of House Mountain volcano

Unlike
the name implies, turkeys and creeks are rare sights along this
route. Yet, for what this trail lacks in terms of running water and
wild fowl--it more than makes up for in scenery and geological
interest. The trek starts out on a wide, closed road with numerous
unmarked junctions and side paths. To stay on track, be sure to
follow the piles of rocks wrapped in wire known as “basket cairns”.
If you loose your way, just backtrack to the last cairn and spot the
next one to correct your bearings. At roughly the 1.5-mile point, the
trail passes Turkey Tank, a tiny cottonwood-ringed oasis. From here,
the route begins its gradual climb along a juniper and cypress shaded
path to the rim of House Mountain volcano. On the way up, views of
Red Rock country get progressively better with the piece de
resistance occurring on a scenic saddle where views of Sedona, Mingus
Mountain and the gaping, eroded volcanic vent collide for an
overwhelming carnival of visual delights.

Turkey Creek Trail

LENGTH:
7 miles out-and-back

RATING:
moderate

ELEVATION:
4,000 – 5,100 feet

DISTANCE
FROM PHOENIX:
125 miles one-way

FEE:
a Red Rock Pass is required---$5 daily fee per vehicle.

http://www.redrockcountry.org/passes-and-permits/index.shtml

GETTING
THERE:
From Phoenix, go north on I-17 to the Sedona exit 298—located just
north of Camp Verde. Turn left and follow AZ 179 to Verde Valley
School Road---this turnoff (part of a traffic circle) will be on the
left past milepost 306---the street sign is difficult to see when
traveling north. Go west on Verde Valley School Road 4 miles to
Forest Road 9216B where there’s a sign for Turkey Creek trailhead.
From here, the road degrades from decent dirt to a rut-and-pot-hole
riddled mess. However, just before the road turns bad, there’s a
small parking area for those driving low-slung sedans. Park here and
hike another half-mile to the signed trailhead. Those with
high-clearance vehicles may opt to drive this miserable last
half-mile to the parking circle.

INFORMATION:
Red Rock Ranger District, http://www.fs.fed.us/r3/coconino/recreation/red_rock/turkey-creek-tr.shtml

Hiking for your health

Two weeks into the new year and------who needs to jumpstart those resolutions to get more exercise? 

McDowell Sonoran Preserve

Staying motivated can be a challenge, and having a go-to solution can help.  An easy way get fit and make new friends while hiking in gorgeous desert terrain is to participate in the McDowell Sonoran Conservancy's  group hikes.  Next up:

WHAT: Hiking for your health 3-mile loop hike.

WHEN: Sunday, January 20, 2013

TIME: 8:45 a.m.

WHERE: Lost Dog Wash trailhead in Scottsdale

INFO & DIRECTIONS:

http://mcdowellsonoran.org/event/displayEvent/245#sthash.ackvnXgS.dpbs

A hike among picnic tables and dance floors

T-BONE-MAX DELTA-CROSSCUT-MA HA TAUK LOOP

South Mountain Park, Phoenix

What to do?  It
was Christmas morning and I found myself without a hiking partner---they were
all sleeping in, wrestling wrapping paper or prepping for guests. Given that I
was not about to waste a day off by not going for a hike, I decided to take a traipse on
a heavily used trail located in a very busy part of South Mountain Park
(SoMo).  That way, if I became
incapacitated, someone would see me---or the brand new fluorescent green shirt from Wal-Mart that Santa brought me. 
The southernmost edge of suburban Phoenix dead-ends at the park
boundary, and T-Bone Trail flanks a subdivision for most of its 1-mile length.  It then connects with Max Delta Trail,
which weaves among picnic ramadas, outdoor dance floors and paved roads.  In terms of scenic quality when
compared to other SoMo routes, this trail is more gristle than T-bone, but for
a quick solo hike or leg stretch while picnicking, it makes for a satisfying
journey.

entrance to a dance floor

HIKE DIRECTIONS:

The start of the T-Bone trail is not signed.  It’s located at the far east side of
the parking lot at the break in the curb next to a no parking sign. From here,
hike 1 mile east on T-Bone Trail to the Max Delta junction.  Turn right (south--toward the road) and
go 0.25 mile to the Crosscut Trail junction.  Turn left and follow Crosscut 0.5 mile to Ma-Ha-Tauk Trail,
turn right and hike 1 mile back to the trailhead.

LENGTH: 2.75-mile loop

RATING: moderate

ELEVATION: 
1300' - 1770'

PARK HOURS: 5 a.m. - 7 a.m.

FACILITIES: restrooms at the big picnic ramada

INFO:  City of
Phoenix Parks & Recreation, 602-262-7393

http://phoenix.gov/parks/trails/locations/south/index.html

MAP: 
http://phoenix.gov/webcms/groups/internet/@inter/@rec/@parks/@parks/@nrd/documents/web_content/062880.pdf

GETTING THERE:

Form Phoenix, travel south on 7th Ave to Baseline.  Turn right (west) and continue on
Baseline to 19th Ave. Turn left (south) and follow 19th Ave to the end where
there's a small parking lot and trailhead sign.  The hike begins at the east end of the parking area (not at
the Ma-Ha-Tauk sign) where a dip in the curb provides access. There's no
"T-Bone" sign here, but you'll begin to see them in about 0.2 mile.
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Wet & winding segments of the Black Canyon Trail

BLACK CANYON TRAIL: K-MINE SEGMENTS

Near Rock Springs

Agua Fria River, January 5, 2013

"bridge" over Slate Creek

our crossing point

Running from the flat desertland near Carefree Highway in north
Phoenix to the foothills of Prescott’s Bradshaw Mountains, the entire course of
the 70+-mile Black Canyon National Recreation Trail is a scenic wonder.  In its former lives, the trail served
as a wagon road and cattle drive route before being repurposed into its current
status as a non-motorized hiking, biking and equestrian trail.  Although an end-to-end trek would be a
worthy endeavor, the segments that run through the Agua Fria River Canyon are,
in my opinion, the "jewels in the crown" and therefore, the best
place to sample the trail.  
In a nod to this attraction, the good folks of the Black Canyon Trail Coalition and the BLM created a large, easy-access trailhead right in the heart of the
trail's glorious, watery mid-section. 
A 0.8-mile spur path leads directly to the Horseshoe Bend- K-Mine
segment junction.  Go south (left)
for Horseshoe Bend (see separate blog entry) or north (right) for K-Mine as
described here. Either segment will get you to the river gorge goodies in a
jiff. The spur path is so immaculately groomed it looks as if it was
landscaped----gigantic saguaros and a rich under story of brittlebush, ironwood
and Palo Verde seem impossibly lush for a ridge located less than a mile from
I-17.  The junction appears at the
top of  the ridge, and then traverses a geological Garden of Eden.  Snowy-white quartz, ancient
metamorphics and massive outcroppings of crumbling stone decorate an ever-changing
roller coaster ride of twists, turns, dips and climbs.  Once over the crest, get ready for
jaw-dropping views of the Agua Fria River and it's scoured floodplain rolling
out hundreds of feet below. Here the trail begins its descent along skinny
hairpin coils carved from the cliff face.   At the bottom of the canyon, the trail meets the
boulder strewn sandy shores of the river where the path is swallowed up in a
riparian corridor of Gooding willows, reeds and salt cedar.  To stay on track, look carefully across
the waterway and you'll spot trail signs for a clue about how best to navigate
the quagmire.  Agua Fria water
levels vary from barely there to raging torrents, but as long as you plan to avoid
peek snow melt season or the days after heavy rains, you should be able to hop
the river with just muddy soles. Beyond the water, the trail jogs up-and-down
through the bluffs surrounding Slate Creek (no water on our trip) then follows
an old Jeep road to segment's end. 

overlooking the Agua Fria from K-Mine segment

LENGTH:  8.4
miles out-and-back

Access path: 0.8 mile

K-Mine South: 2.0 miles

K-Mine North: 1.4 miles

RATING: moderate 
(creek crossing)

FACILITIES: restroom at trailhead

ELEVATION: 1680' - 2070'

GETTING THERE:

From Phoenix, travel north on I17 to exit 242 for Black
Canyon City/Rock Springs.  Go West
(left) and continue to the stop sign. 
Turn north (right) here and proceed about 300 feet to Warner Road on the
left.  There's also a sign for
Black Canyon Trail here.  Follow
Warner Road roughly 0.2 mile, turn right onto the first crossroad and follow it
to the trailhead a few hundred yards ahead.  Warner Road is good dirt, passable by sedan.

INFO: Black Canyon Trail Coalition

http://www.bctaz.com/

MAP: International Mountain Bicycling Association:

http://www.imba.com/resources/maps/success-story-mapping-black-canyon-trail

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Historic trail building effort needs your help.

VOLUNTEER WITH THE MCDOWELL SONORAN CONSERVANCY

view from within the newly-acquired land

Because of the efforts of the McDowell Sonoran Conservany,
2013 is going to be an epic year for Valley hikers.  Recently acquired land in the Brown's Ranch area of north
Scottsdale has bumped the pristine desert terrain of the McDowell Sonoran
Preserve to over 27,000 acres.  And
with all that grand space comes the promise of extended recreational
opportunities.  Three new
trailheads and roughly 120 miles (you heard right) of new and improved trails
are in the works NOW---and, that's where you come in.  The conservancy is in need of dedicated volunteers to build
and maintain trails, patrol the preserve to support conservation efforts and
serve as on site educators for the visiting public.  So, whether you prefer to swing a pick axe, work a crowd or
wander the desert in solatary bliss, there's a place for you and your talents
among the  volunteer ranks.  This is  a rare opportunity to get involved in an historic,  ground-up effort.  As the conservancy has agressive
plans to soft open trailheads by late spring-early summer 2013 with grand
opening ceremonies planned for October,  the need is URGENT. 

UPCOMING 2013 VOLUNTEER ORIENTATIONS:

January 12, February 9, March 9, April 13.

SIGN UP TO VOLUNTEER:

McDowell Sonoran Conservancy, 480-998-7971,

http://mcdowellsonoran.org/#sthash.v4SyINAv.dpbs

Happy New Year, hikers! Now, let's go hike.

WOODS CANYON TRAIL #93

Oak Creek, Munds Mountain Wilderness

Shortie inspects an icy pool

the red rock "beach"

What could be better than hiking in Red Rock Country on a
crispy cool winter morning? Sedona’s backcountry is especially stunning under a
layer of frost as we experienced on the Woods Canyon Trail this week. Following
the gorge created by Dry Beaver Creek, this trail begins with a traipse through
Jacks Canyon Riparian exclosure---a delightfully lush strip of cottonwoods and
reeds where you’ll need to make a pair of easy creek crossings.  Beyond the crossings (which were frozen
over on our hike) the trail encounters a cattle gate and its first of two
junctions.  Just past the first
gate, go right at the sign that warns of extreme conditions in the area.  Not to worry, trail #93 is pretty easy
up to 4 miles making for an easy out-and-back day hike.  The first mile follows a two-track jeep
road through a yucca-studded savanna prowled by resident cattle, but soon
dissolves into a sandy-muddy footpath as it delves into the canyon.  At 2.1 miles, the junction for Horse
Mesa/Hot Loop pops up on a sunny ridge. Here, be sure to turn around for some
super sweet views of Mingus and Woodchute Mountains (snow covered on our trip).
Veer right at this junction to continue on Wood Canyon Trail, which will enter
the Munds Mountain Wilderness Area in another 0.1 mile.  Now, the really good stuff starts to
show up.  The hike transitions from
a flat stroll into a gentle ascent along the cliffs above Dry Beaver
Creek.  Leafless, white barked
sycamore trees clutter a creek bed full of gunmetal gray basalt boulders
washing up against rusty sandstone escarpments.  The cool winter color palette here is a memorable sight. The
skeletal trunks interspersed with junipers and ponderosa pines against a
backdrop of red and gray is chilly and wild.  The highlight of the hike is “red rock beach”, a slab of
brilliant russet sandstone jutting into a stream of boulders.  Beyond the beach, the trail gets
sketchy and ledgey, which is why many hikes make it their turnaround point.

crossing in Jacks Canyon riparian area

LENGTH:  5.3
miles one-way (trail degrades after 4 miles)

RATING: 
moderate

ELEVATION: 
3890’ – 4310’

FEE: Red Rock Pass is required.  $5 daily fee per vehicle.  Passes are available at the ranger station, which opens at 8
a.m. daily.

GETTING THERE:

From Phoenix, travel north on I17 to ext 289 for SR179,
Sedona-Oak Creek, Go left (west) and continue 8.5 miles to the turn off for the
Red Rock Ranger District Station on the right.  Trailhead is located within the ranger station complex in
the south (lower) lot where a small metal sign indicates the start point.

early morning start on trail #93

INFO & MAP: Red Rock Ranger District, Coconino National
Forest, 928-203-2900

http://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/coconino/recreation/hiking/recarea/?recid=55440&actid=50

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