RESTORATION OF MARICOPA
TRAIL SEGMENT 20 COMPLETE
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| Tree burned in the 2005 Cave Creek Complex Fire |
Wildfires can be
as confusing and they are devastating.
Sometimes they roar through a forest in take-no-hostages fury while in
other situations, they hopscotch over the land creating a random patchwork of
destruction and untouched swaths.
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| Strawberry Hedgehog cacti bloom March-April |
The 2005 Cave Creek Complex Fire that swept through Tonto National
Forest north of the Valley resulted in a combination of heartbreaking ruin
and pockets of unscathed life. One fluke
is the survival of a stand of junipers along Cottonwood Creek, an intermittent stream below
Quien Sabe Peak. A point of pride of the restoration efforts of the nearly 14
miles of fire damaged trails that connect the Bronco Trailhead at Seven Springs Road with Spur Cross Ranch Conservation Area is the mending of the route that passes by
the mile-long juniper haven that escaped the blaze.
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| Corrals at the Bronco Trailhead |
Heavy brush and debris was cleared away from
the evergreen passage, enabling hikers to admire the trees instead of battling
through scrappy thickets.
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| Stock Tank on Trail 245 |
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| Precious junipers |
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| Sign showing partners in the trail restoration efforts |
The reclamation
work has been a years-long endeavor with numerous organizations and volunteers
contributing time and materials. A major push that wound up this year put the
finishing touches on the project. From
January through February crews from Maricopa County, Tonto National Forest and
the American Conservation Experience completed four week-long hitches to repair
Segment 20 of the Maricopa Trail which incorporates forest routes Bronco Trail
#245 and Cottonwood Creek Trail # 247.
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| Sugar sumac |
Crews camped and
worked to clear brush, locate and restore historic cairns, repair tread and
place trail markers at half-mile intervals along the route. Flagstaff-based
American Conservation Experience is a non-profit organization for young adults
ages 18-25 who are considering careers in land management, conservation or
other outdoor fields.
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| False Toadflax blooms April -August |
Participants serve 3-to-12 month terms under the tutelage
of industry professionals. In addition to performing needed work, associates
gain valuable knowledge and hands-on experience. During the two-month Maricopa Trail restoration undertaking, crews
repaired or built 170 drainages, fixed 10 water bars and built or fixed 23 cairns
while clearing the trail of rocks and hazards.
Crews were assisted by The Backcountry Horseman Association of the East
Valley which hauled in tools and food taking some of the load off the sweaty
work.
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| A fire survivor grows strong |
Thirteen years
after the fire, the classic trails that run beneath desert mesas and peaks
are revitalized
and gaining traction as must-do hiking destinations. The land surrounding the
route is healing slowly but steadily.
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| Blooming barberry along the Maricopa Trail |
Dead trees bearing black scars of the blaze stand among emergent sprouts and spotty islands of survivor
mesquite, sugar sumac, scrub oak, yuccas and blooming cacti. Part of the joy of hiking this section of the
Maricopa Trail is seeing how, with a little help from McLeod tools, rakes and
human effort, the forest is bouncing back.
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| Patches of junipers survived the Cave Creek Complex Fire |
Although there may be fewer junipers, those that remain are cherished
finds and reminders of the whims of Nature and our role in preserving
irreplaceable resources.
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| The stock tank makes for a good day hike destination |
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| A Crucifixion thorn tree frames mountain vistas |
With major work
in the in the rear-view mirror, the Maricopa Trail continues to grow and evolve
into a world-class recreational hub.
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| Scene on the Maricopa Trail |
There’s
still plenty to do and anticipate.
Major goals for
the 300+-mile Valley-circumnavigating route include linking county parks,
metropolitan areas, municipal trails and communities with a non-motorized, open
space corridor that will protect natural and cultural resources from
development.
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| This Gila Monster was not interested in posing for a photo |
Per Dwana
Taylor, Maricopa County Parks and Recreation Public Information Officer, trail
users can look forward to greater connectivity, new trailheads and spurs to the
Hassayampa River Preserve and future Vulture Mountain Recreation Area in
Wickenburg.
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| Hikers on the Bronco-Spur Cross segment of the MT |
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| Even in dry years, Blackfoot daisies find a way to bloom |
LENGTH: 13.6
miles one way (Bronco Trailhead to Spur Cross)
DAY HIKE OPTION:
Hike 2.6 miles on Trail 245 to the stock tank at the east fork of Bronco Creek. for a 5.2-mile round trip with an elevation range of 3,700 - 4,234 feet.
RATING: moderate
ELEVATION: 2,400- 4,224 feet
GETTING THERE:
Bronco
Trailhead:
From the intersection of Cave Creek Road and Pima Road in Carefree,
continue 11.6 miles north on Cave Creek Road which turns into Seven Springs
Road/Forest Road 24 to the Bronco Trailhead on the left. The last 3 miles of FR 24 is an all-weather
gravel road suitable for passenger cars.
INFO & MAP
American Conservation Experience
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