Forest Road 6033C

INTO THE WOODS on FOREST ROAD 6033C

FR6033C on the Mogollon Rim

Forest roads can be sweet escape routes from the swarms of summertime recreationists that migrate from the Valley to the cool Arizona high country. Especially the ragged ones; the ones few people notice or care to explore. This is a boon for intrepid types willing to walk out into the albeit signed and plowed unknown.

McCarty Ridge seen from FR6033C

Forest Road 6033C reveals no obvious destination, its purpose is veiled in a tangle of pines.

A drought-stricken wildlife water hole on FR6033C

The backwoods road located a couple clicks north of the community of Clints Well on the Mogollon Rim is signed but not shown on forest service maps.   It runs on the terraced slopes above the course of East Clear Creek in Coconino National Forest west of the popular Blue Ridge recreation area and C.C. Cragin Reservoir.

Several side roads offer more exploratory options

Passage 27 of the Arizona National Scenic Trail winds over Battleground Ridge through the busy hot spot on its way north to Utah. Camper convoys, boat trailers and conga line of backpackers and day hikers speak to the area’s magnetism for heat-weary outdoor enthusiasts.  With so many rich hiking opportunities nearby, the logic for walking on a non-descript dirt road lands squarely between why and why not.

Kaibab pussytoes bloom May - July

The FR6033C hike is clocked from a gate just beyond the dispersed camp sites on Forest Road 9033H.  Within a half mile, the road meets its first junction where FR6033C continues left.  From the junction, the deeply rutted track is an endless series of ups-and-downs that hop drainages, draws and ridges, accumulating over 1,000 feet of elevation change. For a mind-clearing, uncrowded excursion, there aren’t many distractions. 

A horned lizard vogues for the camera

A wildlife water tank and several signed side roads that appear to disintegrate a few yards in are the only disrupters in an environment dominated by Ponderosa pine trees with their signature straight-arrow trunks and rounded canopies.  Forest water tanks are often dry in summer before the monsoons kick in, putting wildlife at risk. Arizona Game & Fish Department receives no general fund tax dollars to  maintain 3,000 wildlife waters including created catchments around the state and relies on donations to deliver life-saving water to drought-stressed locations. (Not necessarily the water hole shown here.)

Solitude not far from popular recreation sites

You can help by donating at azwildlifehero.com.

At the top of several rises, conifer-fleeced McCarty Ridge cuts a prominent profile on the southeast horizon. Except for wind-rustled branches and the scurrying of critters, it’s blissfully quiet. At the 2.5-mile point, in a shaded hallow, the road veers north and becomes sketchy enough to call it a turnaround point.

LENGTH: 5 miles round trip

RATING: moderate

ELEVATION: 6,894 – 7,132 feet (1,107 feet of elevation change)

GETTING THERE:

From the State Route 87/260 junction in Payson, go 40 miles north on SR87 (past Clints Well) to Forest Road 9033H on the right past milepost 292.

SEND WATER:

Arizona Game & Fish Department

Wildlife Hero Program

https://www.azwildlifehero.com/programs/lifesaving-water?gad=1&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI_7rjkcSEgAMVfg-tBh2KdgcnEAAYASAAEgKf7PD_BwE

 

 

 

BLUE RIDGE PASSAGE #28 of the ARIZONA TRAIL

BLUE RIDGE PASSAGE #28 of the ARIZONA TRAIL

Mogollon Rim

Blue Ridge views on the Mogollon Rim

Passage #28 of the Arizona Trail traverses some of the state's most scenic territory. Packed with history and ever-changing exposure to creek and canyon riddled terrain, the 16.1-mile trek is a summertime favorite especially among hikers who also like to camp. The route passes near several popular Mogollon Rim campgrounds including Moqui, Blue Ridge and Rock Crossing and there are plenty of dispersed camp sites along the trail for backpackers who prefer to rough it. Traveling from south to north, the segment begins in the enchanting cloister of General Springs Canyon. There's an historic forest service cabin at the trailhead and the ruins of the Fred Haught homestead off a side trail roughly 3 miles in. Canyon-bound meadows flushed green by perennial pools and monsoon rain burst with butterfly-magnet wildflowers. Keen-eyed hikers might spot our state amphibian, the Arizona Tree Frog. Moist cienegas are prime habitat for the tiny, green hoppers that sport a characteristic black eye stripe.

East Clear Creek

Moving north, the trail climbs through pine-oak woodlands onto Battleground Ridge, the site of Battle of Big Dry Wash-- a July 1882 confrontation between the United States Army Cavalry and the White Mountain Apache tribe. Two monuments near the route stand testimony to the area's contentious history. After topping out on craggy limestone cliffs above East Clear Creek, views peeking through the tree cover reveal glimpses of the river-like waterway of C.C. Cragin Reservoir and clearly show why the passage is called blue ridge. Next up--a 600-foot descent into the creek gorge. Finding water here is hit-or-miss. Either way, the crossing is usually easy but the ascending trail on the opposite bank takes back its 600 feet. Once beyond the creek, the trail cuts through high pastures surrounding busy recreation sites on its way to its northern terminus at State Route 87.

Fred Haught Canyon

LENGTH: 16.1 miles one way

RATING: moderate

ELEVATION: 6,740' - 7,395'

Fred Haught Cabin

GETTING THERE:

South: General Springs Trailhead:

From the intersection of State Routes 87/260 in Payson, continue 28 miles north on SR87 to Forest Road 300 (Rim Road) near milepost 280. Turn right and go 12.2 miles to Forest Road 705 where there’s a Battle of Big Wash Monument on the northeast side of the intersection. Go left (north) onto FR705 and continue 0.5-mile to the General Springs/AZ Trail trailhead. Roads are maintained dirt and passable by sedan, although high-clearance is a better idea. Trail begins north of the cabin sharing the first miles with the Fred Haught Trail.

North: Blue Ridge (Hay Meadow) Trailhead:

From the State Route 87/260 junction north of Pine-Strawberry, continue 19.5 miles north on SR87 to Forest Road 138 (signed for Moqui Campground),turn right and go about 100 yards to the trailhead on the left. Roads are paved up to FR 138.

In Between: Jumbo Trailhead:

From State Route 87 north of Clints Well, turn right onto Forest Road 751 (just past milepost 295) and continue 2.1 miles to the trailhead on the left.

INFO: Arizona Trail Association

http://www.aztrail.org/passages/pass_28.html

MORE PHOTOS:

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ARIZONA TRAIL: HAY MEADOW

AZ TRAIL PASSAGE #29

Near Clint's Well

We love smelling trees. Not just any old species---we prefer “yellow bellies” -- the crème de la crème of local aromatic timbers.

Yellow bellies are mature Ponderosa pines with distinctive yellow-brown, scaly plates enveloping their trunks. This species can live 300-600 years and it takes between 150-250 years before the smoother ash brown bark the trees are born with evolves into the fragrant veneer we love to savor. When warmed by the summer sun, the bark emits an olfactory spectrum of scents like butterscotch, vanilla, cinnamon, cherry-almond and a pungent delight I’ve dubbed “eau de bois”. No tree smells exactly like its neighbor and connoisseurs will gravitate toward the complex aromas of the largest, crustiest specimens. Because northern Arizona—specifically the Mogollon Rim-- is home to the world’s largest swath of Ponderosa pines, it’s easy to find a forest to inhale by hiking various Rim-area passages of the Arizona Trail.

Hay Meadow is a good place to start. Following a portion of the 32-mile Happy Jack passage #29, this hike features some truly gourmet pine sniffing opportunities. Mostly flat, the route passes through a patchwork of conifer-oak woodlands and sun drenched meadows before dipping 400 feet into the narrow corridor of Jack’s Canyon. Near the end of the canyon, trail signage tends to succumb to the ravages of toppled trees, winter runoff and rock slides, making the route difficult to find. It’s here where we end the casual “Hay Meadow” trek, returning the way we entered---a blithe band of bark-breathing backpackers.

LENGTH: 7 miles roundtrip

RATING: easy

ELEVATION: 6,838’ – 6,585’

DISTANCE FROM PHOENIX: 125 miles one-way

GETTING THERE:

From Phoenix, go north on I17 to Camp Verde. Connect to SR260 east (toward Payson) and travel 31 miles to the SR87 junction. Turn left (north) and go 9 miles on SR87 to Clint’s Well. From here, continue 8.3 miles to the turnoff for the Moqui campground (FR138). There will be a “Moqui” sign a few hundred feet before the road on the right. Turn right onto FR138 where a sign located roughly 50 yards in from SR87 reads: "Blue Ridge Campground/Moqui Campground/138". The trailhead is on the left about 100 yards from SR87.

ALTERNATE: From Phoenix, take Loop 202 east, connect with SR87 north and follow it through Payson and Pine-Strawberry all the way to the trailhead. It's a few miles longer this way, but the scenery is nice.

HIKE DIRECTIONS:

From the trailhead, hike back out to SR87, cross the highway heading north to a gated dirt road (FR9852). Pass the gate and follow the road a few hundred yards to the signed turnoff for the AZ Trail on the right. From here, watch carefully for AZT signposts and rock cairns to stay on track.

INFO: Coconino National Forest, Mogollon Rim Ranger District: http://www.fs.fed.us/r3/coconino/recreation/mog_rim/az-tr-happyjack.shtml

Arizona Trail Association:

http://www.aztrail.org/passages/pass_29.html

MORE PHOTOS: http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.1554045029795.59673.1795269672&l=2e1073128a

BLUE RIDGE

BLUE RIDGE Passage #28 of the Arizona Trail Coconino National Forest In 1994 a group of dedicated hikers formed the Arizona Trail Association to fulfill the dream of a geophysicist, teacher and long-distance runner. The seeds of the Arizona Trail were planted back in the 1970s when Dale Shewalter thought it would be cool to hike the Appalachian Trail, but instead, moved to Arizona. Once in the Grand Canyon State, Shewalter quickly succumbed to the geological diversity underfoot and set out exploring. By 1985, he had blazed his way from Nogales to Flagstaff by linking existing trails and roads spawning a plan for a state-traversing hiking path. Over its 750-mile route, the Arizona Trail passes through virtually every eco-system in the state. From its origin in the desert near the Mexican border to its terminus on the Kaibab Plateau, the trail is designed to showcase Arizona’s diverse landscapes. Divided into 43 “passages” the route can be tackled in manageable chunks. The Blue Ridge passage samples the canyon-riddled high country south of Flagstaff. Best experienced as a 2-day backpack or one-way car shuttle hike, the trail is mostly flat except for where it plunges into the awe-inspiring gorges of East Clear Creek and General Springs canyon. Throughout the hike, the blue-green ridges, for which the trail was named, take center stage on the pastel horizon. HIGHLIGHTS: Pleasant introduction to the northern segments of the Arizona Trail featuring scenic views and a plunge into East Clear Creek Canyon. LENGTH: 15.8 miles, one-way RATING: moderate ELEVATION: 7,300’ – 7,500’ Driving distance from Phoenix: 165 miles one-way GETTING THERE: North access: From Payson, go north on Highway 87 to Forest Road 138 (road signs say Moqui Campground). Turn right onto FR 138 and continue for about 100 yards. The trailhead is on the east (left) side of the road. South access: From Payson, go north on Highway 87 to Forest Road 300 (General Crook Trail). Follow FR 300 (stay straight) for 12 miles to a turnoff on the left that leads to “Battle of Big Dry Wash” historical marker. From there, turn left and follow the power lines for roughly a third-of-a-mile to the General Springs trailhead. Information: (928) 477-2172 or fs.fed.us/r3/Coconino or aztrail.org