TELEPHONE RIDGE TRAIL #103

TELEPHONE RIDGE TRAIL #103

Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest

Chevelon Creek flows north on the Mogollon Rim

It's a long, dizzying hike from the top of Telephone Ridge down to Chevelon Creek. The 1.25-mile, cliff-hugging trail plunges 700 feet to reach the pristine waterway coveted by anglers and beloved by hikers seeking solitude in this otherwise congested area of the Mogollon Rim south of Chevelon Canyon Lake. Although the Telephone Ridge Trail #103 was built only as a path from the rim to the creek, it's possible to continue hiking up or downstream. Just follow the water and be prepared for creek crossings and bush

whacking. Even if all you do is trek down trail #103 to the creek and back, the trip is a satisfying adventure. Not recommended for the directionally challenged or faint-of-heart, the narrow route snakes down the canyon wall through a mix of pine-oak woodlands and precariously exposed ridges. In some spots, social trails leave the true route heading straight down the cliffs. The official trail makes much safer, long climb turns, so if you find yourself going dangerously vertical, backtrack and scope out the better (and more sustainable) path. At the bottom of Chevelon Canyon, a field of deadfall from an old wildfire obscures the trail, so make a mental note of your entry point before exploring the alternating patches of open meadows, willow-cluttered bogs and deep pools along the creek.

LENGTH: 1.25 miles one way on trail.

RATING: moderate-difficult

ELEVATION: 6,450' - 7,225'

GETTING THERE:

From Payson, go 29 miles east on State Route 260 to Rim Road (FR300, signed for Woods Canyon Lake). Turn left and continue 8.4 miles to FR 169, turn right and go 7.4 miles to FR 119. Follow FR119 1.5 miles to the FR 180 junction. From here, the road degrades into a very rough, narrow 2-track suitable only for high clearance vehicles. At this point you can park in the turnouts and hike or carefully drive the last 1.5 miles on FR 119 to the trailhead.

INFO:

Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest
http://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/asnf/recreation/recarea/?recid=62790&actid=50

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CHEVELON CANYON

CHEVELON CANYON from CHEVELON CROSSING

Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest

Crossing of Chevelon Creek

One of my hiking  buddies describes the trip through Chevelon Canyon on the Mogollon Rim as a "cross the creek and cross your fingers" venture. This spot-on assessment is a playful nod to the dozens of creek crossings, overgrown willows, log jams, and befuddling boulder-clogged bends that make route-finding a challenge. Therefore, navigating the steep walled, twisted watercourse from Chevelon Crossing to the dam at Chevelon Canyon Lake is a trip only experienced hikers should attempt. 

Sporadic rock cairns belie clues where the primitive trail cuts through thick  vegetation or was taken out by floods. As a general rule, if you find yourself getting very high on the canyon walls or disoriented, backtrack, cross the creek and hunt for signs of a passage.For attentive hikers, the trail-muddling obstacles are but an inconvenience in an otherwise beautiful gorge of vertical limestone cliffs, flowing stream channels and refreshing pools.  Within the moist riparian corridor at the bottom of the canyon, Ponderosa pines, alders and Gambel oaks (think: fall foliage hike) provide plenty of cool shade, but just a few yards up from the stream, drier pinon-juniper grasslands speckled with cacti can be quite warm in summer. 

Trekkers planning a through hike should come prepared with map, gps and plenty of supplies as the 8.5-mile, trip is slow going. For those out for a day hike, the way is relatively simple before the head scratching begins at around 2-miles in.   Finding the start point also is tricky. Here's how--at the Long Draw North trailhead, where the dirt road splits just past the restrooms, walk down the left fork for about 20 yards to a campsite with a picnic table. Where the road makes a sharp right turn going uphill, look for an unmarked path on the left (N 34 35.425 W 110 47.270) heading toward the creek.

LENGTH: 8.5 miles one-way

RATING: experienced hikers only

ELEVATION: 6,300' -6100'

FACILITIES: restrooms, campsites, picnic tables

GETTING THERE:

From Payson, go 29 miles east on State Route 260 to Rim Road (Forest Road 300 at the Woods Canyon Lake sign).  Turn left and follow FR300 8.3 miles, turn right on Forest Road 169 and go 20.3 miles to Forest Road 504.  Turn right and drive 1.4 miles to the turn off on the right for Chevelon Crossing Campground. Forest Roads are sedan-friendly dirt, but there are steep drop offs and hairpin turns on FR504.

INFO:

http://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/asnf/recreation/camping-cabins/recarea/?recid=44685&actid=29

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EAST CHEVELON CREEK

EAST CHEVELON CREEK Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest The trickling creek and shallow pools of water in the bottom of Chevelon Canyon, feed a lush forest teeming with plant and animal life. Elk, wild turkey, beavers, blue herons, eagles and even the occasional bear can be spotted snacking on wild berries and succulent grasses in this pristine, shallow valley. Even though it’s located near the bustling Woods Canyon Lake campground on the Mogollon Rim, this unmarked route bestows a distinctively “wild” flavor. To find the route, walk down to the lake from the Spillway Campground. Once at the water, head east (right) at the earthen dam, scramble down the embankment, pick up one of the dirt fisherman’s paths and stroll into the canyon. Over the first half-mile, the tread way is distinct, but is soon swallowed up by enormous pine trees and dense riparian vegetation including healthy clumps of False Hellebore. To stay on course, simply pick your way along the banks of the creek using fallen trees and rocks to hop the water as needed. Casual hikers can easily trek two miles into the canyon to where the creek intersects Woods Canyon. Because exploration beyond this point requires expert navigational skills, most day hikers make the junction their turnaround point. HIGHLIGHTS: densely-wooded creek canyon with abundant wildlife LENGTH: 4 miles roundtrip RATING: easy ELEVATION: 6,300 -6,100 feet DRIVING DISTANCE FROM PHOENIX: 137 miles one-way GETTING THERE: From Payson, travel east on Highway 260 foe 32 miles to Rim Road (Forest Road 300) just past milepost 282. Turn left onto FR 300 and continue 3.5 miles to Woods Canyon Lake Road (Forest Road 105). Go right and continue 1.5 miles, bearing right at a fork and park in the Spillway Day Use Parking lot. INFORMATION: 928-535-4481 or fs.fed.us/r3/asnf