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Thursday, April 6, 2023

Johnson Wash Road

JOHNSON WASH ROAD

Snow on Mingus Mountain viewed from FR96

Largely shade-less and hemmed in by a grey sea of prickly cat claw, Johnson Wash Road reads like a not very interesting dirt two track.

Big sky vistas are the hike's hallmark.

At first glance, it clearly lacks the “Three Ws” of hiker catnip: woodlands, water and wildflowers. But what there is plenty of is air. Big, restless eddies unobscured by trees, landforms and botanical distractions propel ravens, turkey vultures and hawks skyward to glide in loose, lazy loops. A walk on this dusty back road earns its hike-worthy credentials on big sky vistas alone. 
Isolated cottonwoods in Johnson Spring Wash

Johnson Wash Road, which is also known as Forest Road 96, is part of the Great Western Trail, a 4,455-mile route that runs from Mexico to Canada.  Purpose built for vehicles outfitted for rough conditions, long stretches of nothingness and rutted dirt far removed from the nearest service station, the road runs through Arizona, Utah, Idaho, Wyoming and Montana.
Hance Spring Road crosses Johnson Wash

 
The Arizona section wanders through over 800 miles of spectacular deserts, mountains, forests, canyons, creeks, grasslands, heritage sites, defunct mining camps and historic town sites.  
Junipers, scrub oak and cat claw on FR96

Open to motorized vehicles, hiking, biking and equestrian use, the Great Western Trail is at its heart, an off-highway vehicle (OHV) destination.  Motorized users typically venture out with several spare tires, tool kit, a few days’ worth of food, fuel and water and a convoy of similarly equipped companions, lest they find themselves up the wilds without a winch.

Yucca and granite outcroppings decorate FR96

Hikers, on the other hand need only pack the essentials, park and walk. And this stark slice of Arizona is well worth a closer look on foot. Located just a few miles west of Interstate 17 in Prescott National Forest,  the hike begins at a dirt turnout along Old Cherry Creek Road. The easy-to-follow route heads west on a rocky course that unwinds in a roller coaster style that dips and rises over the scoured channels of Sour Water, Racetrack and Johnson Wash. All told, the “flat” hike accumulates over 600 feet of elevation change.

Manzanita color an otherwise muted landscape

With nothing but scrub, cat claw, cacti and spotty stands of juniper and cottonwoods, there’s nothing to obstruct the viewscape spectacle. The muted silhouettes of the Bradshaw Mountains and Pine Mountain Wilderness rise on the far horizons while nearby knolls, bluffs and granite outcroppings interrupt sprawling high desert grasslands and yawning valleys. 

FR96 is part of the Great Western Trail

Among the scrub oak and manzanita shrubs, skulking coyotes, rodents and lizards scurry under shadows cast by turkey vultures and ravens circling overhead in search of a meal. The dead quiet and open-to-the-elements flavor of this place can be either joyful or frightening--sometimes both, simultaneously.

At the 2.2-mile point, the road comes to a major intersection.  The Great Western Trail veers southeast, while Forest Road 9604S spins off to the northeast, brushing the base of 5,725-foot Onion Mountain before fading away. The junction makes for a good turnaround point, but  several other unsigned offshoots may be used to extend the hike.  One to try is Hance Spring Road, also known as Forest Road 9011D.

There's plenty of air on the Great Western Trail

The unsigned junction is on the north side of Johnson Spring Road, 0.2 mile before the FR9604S junction.  It’s a primitive road with many unmarked spurs that weave around Johnson Spring Wash as it climbs uphill about 3 miles toward Cherry Creek.
Horehound grows under juniper trees on FR96

 
With a Prescott National Forest map and compass, hikers can enjoy an unscripted trek up the wilds without a worry.  

LENGTH: 4.4 miles round trip

RATING: moderate

ELEVATION:  4,703 – 4,859 feet (650 feet of elevation change)

GETTING THERE:

From Interstate 17 about 8 miles south of Camp Verde, take the Dewey-Humboldt exit 278 for State Route 169. Go 5.5 miles west (left) on SR 169 to Cherry Creek Road just past milepost 10 on the right. Follow Cherry Creek Road 1.3 miles to the Great Western Trail sign at Forest Road 96 (Johnson Wash Road) on the right. Park in the dirt turnouts. Roads are paved up to the trailhead.

INFO:

https://www.azbackroads.com/gps-track/the-great-western-trail-arizona-route/

https://www.gwt.org/


Monday, April 3, 2023

Little Rock-Rabbit Ears Loop

LITTLE ROCK-RABBIT EARS LOOP

Creek crossing near thebeginning of Rabbit Ears Trail

Rerouted and revamped in 2021, the routes formerly known as the Pine Valley and Dairy Springs trails are the Rabbit Ears and Little Rock trails are the rising stars of the Big Park Loop Trails system in the Village of Oak Creek. 

Boulders line the undulating Little Rock Trail

The two single track paths were moved off areas that had become heavily eroded.
Milkvetch color the Little Rock trail

The rehabilitated routes now include an extra mile of scenic trail at the base of Lee Mountain southeast of the uber-popular Big Park trails that wind around iconic Courthouse Butte  and the Bell Rock vortex site. 
Rehabilitated trails add a mile of hiking near Big Park

Combined with a short stretch of the Big Park Loop, the Rabbit Ears and Little Rock make a moderate-rated 5.7-mile loop with lots of variety. The hike begins at the Jack’s Canyon trailhead, which essentially serves as the less crowded “back door” to Big Park. 
This hike uses a short section of the Big Park Loop

After passing a gate and crossing Jacks Canyon Road, the trail hops an ephemeral creek which may be difficult to cross during heaving spring run off season.
Mesa and valley views from Rabbit Ears Trail

Once over the creek, Rabbit Ears ascends a sun-drenched mesa dotted with catclaw, yucca and cacti.
White arrows point the way on Little Rock Trail

There’s little shade along the first 0.7-mile which means unobstructed views of Lee Mountain and the Munds Mountain Wilderness, Horse Mesa and the distant Bradshaw Mountains. At the first junction, the loop splits.
Rabbit ears formation at the loop's high point

To get in the climbing part first, follow Rabbit Ears as it ascends a stepped mesa to the loop’s high point beneath the eponymous bunny ears rock formation. Tucked into cleft below Lee Mountain, the ears stand out as double sandstone pillars. 
Stiffarm rockcress blooms Feb. - Oct.

The route then makes a gradual mile-long straight shot downhill overlooking a gully where the faint scribble of Little Rock trail is visible on the red ledges below. 
Rubble on the Little Rock Trail

Pinion-pine-framed looks at Courthouse Butte, Cathedral Rock and the skyline of Red Rock Secret Mountain Wilderness roll out all the way down. At the Big Park junction, the route heads left on Big Park Loop for 0.3-mile, then heads left again on the Little Rock Trail.
Cathedral Rock viewed from Rabbit Ears Trail

This lower 2.4-mile  leg of the loop is dodgier than its ridgeline component.
Rabbit Ears Trail descends toward Courthouse Butte

Twisted and undulating, the trail is a combination of woodsy passages and sketchy slickrock traverses.
Rabbit Ears Trail traces the edge of Lee Mountain

Where the trail crosses solid rock, white arrows painted on the slick sandstone point the way.
Fragrant Gregg's ceanothus blooms Mar. - May

While never demanding too much of lung capacity or leg muscles, the trail’s unrelenting dips and climbs add up to over 1,000 feet of elevation change mixing a mild sweat in with sweet vistas and a quieter outdoor space.
Vociferous scrub jays serenade hikers

Snow capped Bradshaw Mountains seen from Rabbit Ears

It’s a recipe for relaxed hiking in Red Rock Country.

LENGTH: 5.7 miles

RATING: moderate

ELEVATION:  4,222 – 4,709 feet (1,022 feet of total elevation change)

GETTING THERE:

Jacks Canyon Trailhead.

From Interstate 17 north of Camp Verde, take the Sedona/Oak Creek exit 298 and continue 6.5 miles on State Route 179 to the Jack’s Canyon Road/Verde Valley School Road traffic circle. Veer right and continue 2 miles on Jack’s Canyon Road to the trailhead on the right. Roads are paved up to the trailhead.

The trail begins at the Rabbit Ears sign at the north end of the huge parking area. There are no fees or facilities at this trailhead.

INFO:

Coconino National Forest

https://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/coconino/recarea/?recid=72017