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Tonto National Forest
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| Cave Creek Trail |
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| New River Mesa as seen from Skunk Tank Trail |
Except for an A minus I once achieved in a grad school
statistics class, I've never been particularly gifted with numbers. This might explain my befuddlement over
the actual length of Tonto National Forest’s Skunk Tank-Cave Creek Loop
hike. Additionally, inconsistent signage and
conflicting published reports didn't help rectify the numbers. It's pretty common
knowledge that forest service trail signs are rounded up or down to convenient
fractions. Trail segments that are
actually 0.3 mile might well be posted as .25 mile and 0.6 mile as 0.5
mile. Yup, that's me
splitting hairs for no good reason, and yet, over 10 miles or more, with 5
trail junctions, the discrepancy can add up and escalate into a hot topic especially
along that last mile which always feels longer than its advertised range. A check of various hike books, maps and
web sites declare this trail length at anywhere from 9.2 miles to 12
miles. So, I geared up for a
12-miler, grabbed my GPS and stepped out to get my own read. Now, I wasn't about to place too much
trust in my GPS either. That's
because on past hikes, GPS-totting trekkers in my group have all come up with
different mileage reads on their devises----BIG differences, like 2-3
miles. But, since my devise is
brand new and set up to acquire all those extra Russian satellites, I figured,
why not give it a try.
But, I refuse to be a GPS junkie---checking moving speed and
elevation profiles every half-mile and robotically announcing the results to
bored travel companions as if it mattered. Nope. Set up, hit track, waypoint when necessary and don't
look again until trail's end. We
began the loop hiking counterclockwise to take on Skunk Tank Trail #246 (note:
some trail signs mistakenly say Skunk "Creek"). This open-to-the-sky segment makes a
steady climb over rolling desert hills dotted with cactus and the sprouts of what may be a good wildflower season . At 1.4 mile from the 246 junction, run
off from Quien Sabe (means: "who knows") Spring spills down a narrow
gully. The spring itself is 0.3
mile up the gully, but it's a bushwhack to get there, and frankly, not
worth the effort. Skunk Tank Trail
tops out at a 4100' lookout point with dizzying views of New River Mesa,
Humboldt Mountain and Quien Sabe Peak.
From here, the route plunges downhill toward Skunk Tank on a slim path
cut into sloping, exposed (not for acrophobics) hillsides. The tank is a lovely willow-ringed
oasis where swarms of birds and other local wildlife---like mountain lions and
deer---gather to quench their thirsts and maybe score a meal. Pass through the
tank's rustic barbed wire fence and soon the junction with Cave Creek Trail #4
comes into view signaling the final leg of the hike. This is also the best part because trail #4 moves among the
waters of Cave Creek, lofty canyon walls, a lush riparian ecosystem and two
rare crested saguaros. Back at the
trailhead, my GPS read 10.385 miles.
I'm gonna call it 10.4-miles, and "who knows" if it's really
10.6 or 10.2. Who cares?
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| Cave Creek water: Feb. 16, 2013 |
LENGTH: 10.4
loop
RATING:
moderate
ELEVATION:
2980'-4100'
FEES: a Tonto Pass is NOT required at the hiker trailhead,
but may be required if you park at other recreation sites in the area.
GETTING THERE:
Cave Creek Trailhead (as described here): From the Loop 101
in Scottsdale, take the Pima/Princess Road exit 36 and go 13 miles north on
Pima to Cave Creek Road. Turn
right (east) and go 12.5 miles on Cave Creek Road (a.k.a FR 24 and Seven
Springs Road) past Seven Spring Recreation Area to Cave Creek trailhead on the
left located between MCDOT mile markers 12 and 13. Roads are a mixture pf pavement and good dirt passable by
passenger cars when dry. Two minor creek crossings on cement are required—do
not attempt after heavy rains.
HIKE PLAN:
From the trailhead, pick up Cave Creek Trail #4 and hike 0.6 mile south to the Cottonwood Trail #247 junction. (NOTE: winter 2013 flooding has washed out much of this area. Cairns and red trail tape have been placed have been placed as temporary navigation tools). Follow #247 less than a mile to the Skunk Tank Trail #246. Follow #246 to Cave Creek Trail #4, turn right and follow it back to the trailhead.
INFO:
Cave Creek Ranger District, Tonto National Forest,
480-595-3300
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