Route Editor
Route Scout
 The fabulous views just keep coming along all 22 miles of this ridgetop trail. It snakes its way among the highest peaks in the Galiuros and sidesteps the upper reaches of several of the range's major canyons. From the trailhead in Deer Creek, the East Divide Trail wanders its way along shallow drainages and grassy flats to the upper reaches of Oak Creek. It then follows this drainage to the top of the easternmost of the two ridges which divide the Galiuros. Once atop the East Divide, the trail follows a ridge line route past Kennedy, Sunset and Bassett Peaks, offering good views of other prominent points in the mountain range including Kielberg, Grassy and Rhodes Peaks, as well as Biscuit, Maverick and Cake Mountains. A quarter-mile side trip takes you to an even more impressive panorama atop Kennedy Peak, where the views stretch toward all points of the compass. From the high ridge of the Galiuros' East Divide, the trail drops into the upper reaches of Douglas Canyon where stands of Douglas-fir, ponderosa pine and aspen provide the scenery. Paddys River, Sunset Canyon and Redfield Canyon add more drama to the topography, both to the east and the west, as the trail passes its junction with the High Creek Trail #290 and continues on to the point where Bassett Peak Trail #287B sets off for the 7,663 foot summit of Bassett Peak, highest in the Galiuros. Here, the East Divide Trail drops off the high ridge and switchbacks down into Ash Creek Canyon completing the last leg of its long and notable journey. The East Divide Trail is also accessible via a number of other Galiuro Wilderness trails including Tortilla #254, Corral Canyon #291, Paddys River #293, and High Creek #290 trails. Notes: Portions of this trail can be difficult to follow. A topographic map and compass should be considered an essential part of your equipment when visiting here. 20.2 miles of this trail are within the Galiuro Wilderness. Check out the Official Route and Triplogs. Note This is a difficult hike. It would be insane to attempt this entire hike without prior experience hiking. Leave No Trace and +Add a Triplog after your hike to support this local community.
One-Way Notice This hike is listed as One-Way. When hiking several trails on a single "hike", log it with a generic name that describes the hike. Then link the trails traveled, check out the example. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
WARNING! Hiking and outdoor related sports can be dangerous. Be responsible and prepare for the trip. Study the area you are entering and plan accordingly. Dress for the current and unexpected weather changes. Take plenty of water. Never go alone. Make an itinerary with your plan(s), route(s), destination(s) and expected return time. Give your itinerary to trusted family and/or friends.
Most recent Triplog Reviews
East Divide Trail #287 - Galiuro
Bassett Peak is a top-10 Arizona hike anytime. But during fall, it might be second to none.
Obviously I'm not the only one who thinks so ... there were several meetup groups and a huge group of screaming kids. Somehow however, we had a very quiet hike with few interactions with other hikers.
A lot of HAZ folks were out there this weekend, besides those on this hike it was also nice to see rwstorm, outdoorlover, pivo, volcanoclmbr, whereveriroam, wyle coyote, jonnybackpack, redroxx44, ohiobike, moondancer627, and a couple of others too!
Joe and JJ nearly broke me on the way up, but I should have known that ahead of time. I went to the plane crash site on the way down as I hadn't been there before. It's interesting, but the scree chute to get down to it is a pain.
It was actually a bit warm on the exposed upper slopes and I was happy to reach the drainage with the vibrant colors and shade all the way back to camp.
On the drive home, I made it to Tempe in 2 hours and 55 minutes via I-10. On my way there I drove through Globe and the spectacularly scenic Aravaipa-Klondyke Road and it took 3:25. I still like that route better, especially if there is the potential for any traffic on I-10 in Tucson or the Phoenix area.
This hike was the cherry on a great weekend all around!
Foliage
It was a little early in the lower half, but absolutely rocking in the mile below the spring.
Obviously I'm not the only one who thinks so ... there were several meetup groups and a huge group of screaming kids. Somehow however, we had a very quiet hike with few interactions with other hikers.
A lot of HAZ folks were out there this weekend, besides those on this hike it was also nice to see rwstorm, outdoorlover, pivo, volcanoclmbr, whereveriroam, wyle coyote, jonnybackpack, redroxx44, ohiobike, moondancer627, and a couple of others too!
Joe and JJ nearly broke me on the way up, but I should have known that ahead of time. I went to the plane crash site on the way down as I hadn't been there before. It's interesting, but the scree chute to get down to it is a pain.
It was actually a bit warm on the exposed upper slopes and I was happy to reach the drainage with the vibrant colors and shade all the way back to camp.
On the drive home, I made it to Tempe in 2 hours and 55 minutes via I-10. On my way there I drove through Globe and the spectacularly scenic Aravaipa-Klondyke Road and it took 3:25. I still like that route better, especially if there is the potential for any traffic on I-10 in Tucson or the Phoenix area.
This hike was the cherry on a great weekend all around!
Foliage
It was a little early in the lower half, but absolutely rocking in the mile below the spring.
2017-11-11 chumley
East Divide Trail #287 - Galiuro
Sunset Peak via High Creek
With plans for Ash Creek on Saturday, I decided it would be fun to try out High Creek on Friday. Pivo and Joseph chose to join me, so had some company for the day.
I could probably have driven the final half mile of road, but it was slow going so I figured it wasn't worth not just starting the hike. Non 4wd vehicles will want to stop a full mile before the end of the road where there's a big camp area and a small FS sign.
I was surprised to see how nice this trail is, and it was also impressively maintained. There's a ton of poison ivy along this one, but it was easy to avoid, and it was prime red for fall, so it was always easy to see too!
The top half mile is super steep, but it's over quickly. Once on the Divide Trail, we headed south about two miles to Sunset Peak which involves a bit of an off-trail scramble to reach. After reading Grotto Girl's report that the eastern peak was a little dicey to climb, I decided to settle on the west peak. They have to be within a foot or two of each other anyway.
This was a fun peak and it was great to check out a new access to the Galiuros via High Creek.
Foliage
A few spots with nice color, but still tons of green. I would estimate 2 weeks from prime color.
I could probably have driven the final half mile of road, but it was slow going so I figured it wasn't worth not just starting the hike. Non 4wd vehicles will want to stop a full mile before the end of the road where there's a big camp area and a small FS sign.
I was surprised to see how nice this trail is, and it was also impressively maintained. There's a ton of poison ivy along this one, but it was easy to avoid, and it was prime red for fall, so it was always easy to see too!
The top half mile is super steep, but it's over quickly. Once on the Divide Trail, we headed south about two miles to Sunset Peak which involves a bit of an off-trail scramble to reach. After reading Grotto Girl's report that the eastern peak was a little dicey to climb, I decided to settle on the west peak. They have to be within a foot or two of each other anyway.
This was a fun peak and it was great to check out a new access to the Galiuros via High Creek.
Foliage
A few spots with nice color, but still tons of green. I would estimate 2 weeks from prime color.
2017-11-10 chumley
East Divide Trail #287 - Galiuro
Bassett Peak and B24 Wreck via Ash Creek
We changed the hike up to get to a place a little cooler with color.
First time in this area for me and it's some pretty country. A Pistachio grove, fields of Bright Red Chili Peppers, Tomatoes, Apples, Pears, Peaches and cotton were all passed on the drive in. On the turn off from the Sunset Loop to Ash Creek Rd, there were Campers / RV's all set up for deer hunting. We saw 3 hung up on the way in and at least six on the way out. We heard no shots all day.
JJ made the most of the available road getting to the TH. We only stopped once to move a boulder out of the way, with JJ trying to put his Cherokee through a slot the same width of the rock opening.
The hike is enjoyable through Ash Creek to Upper Ash Spring. There was plenty of color, but also plenty green. A week or 2 should make this perfect.
Making the climb out of the creek, the views started opening up. The Mt Graham area looms large behind a vast grassy area running to the base of it. It's a steady climb to the top, with just a few loose spots. The turn off The East Divide trail to get to the top is a bit thin, but it's been recently flagged it to top.
We headed down to to checkout B24 crash site from 1943. 12 tragically lost their lives here. It is steep and loose getting down to this site. There is quite a bit of debris scattered about.
After climbing back up to the trail, it was all downhill to the Trailhead.
I'm glad I was able to finally make it out to this one. It's been on the radar for quite awhile.
Thanks JJ for all the driving...
Great hiking with you and the Turtle again. Two Thumbs? up!
First time in this area for me and it's some pretty country. A Pistachio grove, fields of Bright Red Chili Peppers, Tomatoes, Apples, Pears, Peaches and cotton were all passed on the drive in. On the turn off from the Sunset Loop to Ash Creek Rd, there were Campers / RV's all set up for deer hunting. We saw 3 hung up on the way in and at least six on the way out. We heard no shots all day.
JJ made the most of the available road getting to the TH. We only stopped once to move a boulder out of the way, with JJ trying to put his Cherokee through a slot the same width of the rock opening.
The hike is enjoyable through Ash Creek to Upper Ash Spring. There was plenty of color, but also plenty green. A week or 2 should make this perfect.
Making the climb out of the creek, the views started opening up. The Mt Graham area looms large behind a vast grassy area running to the base of it. It's a steady climb to the top, with just a few loose spots. The turn off The East Divide trail to get to the top is a bit thin, but it's been recently flagged it to top.
We headed down to to checkout B24 crash site from 1943. 12 tragically lost their lives here. It is steep and loose getting down to this site. There is quite a bit of debris scattered about.
After climbing back up to the trail, it was all downhill to the Trailhead.
I'm glad I was able to finally make it out to this one. It's been on the radar for quite awhile.
Thanks JJ for all the driving...
Great hiking with you and the Turtle again. Two Thumbs? up!
2016-10-29 The_Eagle
East Divide Trail #287 - Galiuro
Nice day in the Grass-iuros on an out-and-back to Powers Garden. Very long drive to the Deer Creek trailhead and the hike itself is pretty gnarly (and cow infested), but the destination is very cool. Lots of tents in the meadow but no one around, probably a trail crew out there. PG reminds me a lot of Reavis Ranch in the Supes.
2016-10-14 toddak
East Divide Trail #287 - Galiuro
Top 5! Wow, Bassett is an incredible peak and the trail is amazing. The views from the south end of the Galiuro Wilderness are as good as anywhere. You can truly see EVERY single sky island from here. Just amazing!
Of course we timed our trip to try and catch some colors and we weren't disappointed. I can see how this canyon could provide some amazing autumn colors, and while this year has been less than optimal as far as colors go across the state, we were not disappointed with this.
The aspens at upper Ash are the most unique, out-of-place trees I've ever seen. At one point I took a photo that included an agave, manzanita, fir, aspen, maple, juniper, chaparral, and probably a few other things I didn't identify. The diversity is truly unbelievable.
The wreckage from the plane crash deserves extra exploring, but we saved it for the next trip.
The weather was ideal, and we were surprised to find a peaceful canyon with no crowds. The first person we encountered saw us approach and looked at me and said "Chumley"! Always nice to meet fellow hazzers out on the trails. It was nice to meet Roger!
We also ran into Letty as we were about to head home and spent a few minutes chatting. Good to see her again too!
In the wildlife sighting department, we saw a Goulds Turkey. i swear it had to be over 50 lbs and stood 3 feet tall. It was enormous! Bright orange neck, and a distinctive, loud call. A real treat to see him gobble through our campsite!
Drove there via the Klondyke Road and arrived in 3:30 hrs. On the return trip we went through Tucson and managed it in 3:15. Depending on weather, I think the dirt road is a more pleasant trip and the slightly longer time is worth not having to deal with Tucson.
Foliage
Near peak for this year. Depending on storms this week, next weekend will also be great.
Of course we timed our trip to try and catch some colors and we weren't disappointed. I can see how this canyon could provide some amazing autumn colors, and while this year has been less than optimal as far as colors go across the state, we were not disappointed with this.
The aspens at upper Ash are the most unique, out-of-place trees I've ever seen. At one point I took a photo that included an agave, manzanita, fir, aspen, maple, juniper, chaparral, and probably a few other things I didn't identify. The diversity is truly unbelievable.
The wreckage from the plane crash deserves extra exploring, but we saved it for the next trip.
The weather was ideal, and we were surprised to find a peaceful canyon with no crowds. The first person we encountered saw us approach and looked at me and said "Chumley"! Always nice to meet fellow hazzers out on the trails. It was nice to meet Roger!
We also ran into Letty as we were about to head home and spent a few minutes chatting. Good to see her again too!
In the wildlife sighting department, we saw a Goulds Turkey. i swear it had to be over 50 lbs and stood 3 feet tall. It was enormous! Bright orange neck, and a distinctive, loud call. A real treat to see him gobble through our campsite!
Drove there via the Klondyke Road and arrived in 3:30 hrs. On the return trip we went through Tucson and managed it in 3:15. Depending on weather, I think the dirt road is a more pleasant trip and the slightly longer time is worth not having to deal with Tucson.
Foliage
Near peak for this year. Depending on storms this week, next weekend will also be great.
2015-11-14 chumley
East Divide Trail #287 - Galiuro
Its hard to imagine a three day backpack turning out this well after it was chosen as a somewhat last minute alternative to a cancelled LCR trip, but simply put it turned out to be nearly perfect. The landscape was rugged, the views were extraordinary, the company was great and the attractions in the area well worth it.
We made the long drive to the Galiuros Friday night. We agreed on knocking out the southern portion of our loop for our approach to Powers on Saturday with a stop at Kennedy Peak along the way.
The route to the cabin on Saturday was the best of times and the worst of times. The best of times consisted of: our fun group, the copious amounts of water spewing out of the mountain, a fun summit and some great scenery. The worst of times consisted of: the complete absence of a trail in spots, the thickest wildflowers any human has ever traveled through, concealed ankle breakers, not so concealed New Mexican Locust, grass as tall as one's eyes and trail obliterating washouts and landslides.
The trail conditions were much nicer day two and the hiking more rewarding. After the obligatory stop at the shootout site, we headed for some "fun" in the mine. The mine was very extensive inside and contained several remnants of its operational days. The more adventourous spent a considerable amount of time exploring the several passages and I completed a pretty dicey descent down an old ladder to explore a very deep vertical shaft. However, as my support team began to express their disaproval in the venture, I decided to call it quits. There was still probably a solid 30-40 more feet to drop, but I was starting to lose my faith in the old ladder, as the distance between rungs grew to a precarious 3 feet in spots and the bottom was still not clearly visible; that and I was not crazy about the wire holding some rungs on in replacement of nails.
After the mine and cabin, some headed for the garden, others headed for the ridgeline. John and I followed up on a a lead I had discovered while looking over some topo maps of the area. As it turned out, my lead turned out to be quite the rewarding little find. We came across presumably a prehistoric dwelling that had been recycled and certainly utilized in more contemporary times. The cave and its scenic surroundings were very interesting and the trail there was great with flowing water nearly the entire distance, modest cascades and the discovery of the classic wooden Galiuros Wilderness sign along the way. Inside the cave there was a man made cistern inside catching water from a seep and and a little loft area that was reachable by a ladder complete with some modern pictographs. After the cool little find, it was back to camp for the standard good times around the fire.
Day three offered some of the nicest views of the trip. A challenging little climb out, but some great creek side hiking due to the recent rains and some small waterfalls worth leaving the trail for a closer look. The trail was in better shape than our Saturday route in, however, it could certainly use a little TLC. Fast times out and fun times at the trailhead!
We made the long drive to the Galiuros Friday night. We agreed on knocking out the southern portion of our loop for our approach to Powers on Saturday with a stop at Kennedy Peak along the way.
The route to the cabin on Saturday was the best of times and the worst of times. The best of times consisted of: our fun group, the copious amounts of water spewing out of the mountain, a fun summit and some great scenery. The worst of times consisted of: the complete absence of a trail in spots, the thickest wildflowers any human has ever traveled through, concealed ankle breakers, not so concealed New Mexican Locust, grass as tall as one's eyes and trail obliterating washouts and landslides.
The trail conditions were much nicer day two and the hiking more rewarding. After the obligatory stop at the shootout site, we headed for some "fun" in the mine. The mine was very extensive inside and contained several remnants of its operational days. The more adventourous spent a considerable amount of time exploring the several passages and I completed a pretty dicey descent down an old ladder to explore a very deep vertical shaft. However, as my support team began to express their disaproval in the venture, I decided to call it quits. There was still probably a solid 30-40 more feet to drop, but I was starting to lose my faith in the old ladder, as the distance between rungs grew to a precarious 3 feet in spots and the bottom was still not clearly visible; that and I was not crazy about the wire holding some rungs on in replacement of nails.
After the mine and cabin, some headed for the garden, others headed for the ridgeline. John and I followed up on a a lead I had discovered while looking over some topo maps of the area. As it turned out, my lead turned out to be quite the rewarding little find. We came across presumably a prehistoric dwelling that had been recycled and certainly utilized in more contemporary times. The cave and its scenic surroundings were very interesting and the trail there was great with flowing water nearly the entire distance, modest cascades and the discovery of the classic wooden Galiuros Wilderness sign along the way. Inside the cave there was a man made cistern inside catching water from a seep and and a little loft area that was reachable by a ladder complete with some modern pictographs. After the cool little find, it was back to camp for the standard good times around the fire.
Day three offered some of the nicest views of the trip. A challenging little climb out, but some great creek side hiking due to the recent rains and some small waterfalls worth leaving the trail for a closer look. The trail was in better shape than our Saturday route in, however, it could certainly use a little TLC. Fast times out and fun times at the trailhead!
2015-10-12 friendofThundergod
East Divide Trail #287 - Galiuro
Outstandingly fun weekend trip into the heart of the Galiuros with a great group of people!
East Divide 287
Starts off reasonably well with some minor route-finding issues due to the healthy growth of summer grasses. Turns into a full-fledged machete-required jungle in the Oak Creek drainage before rising up through the burn area toward Kennedy Peak.
Kennedy Peak 287a
This trail cuts through a moonscape burn area and the trail is largely lost to erosion. Cairns exist, but staying along the old barbed wire fence will get you most of the way there. The resulting wildflower display is impressive. Great views in all directions: Santa Teresas, Pinalenos, Bassett Peak, Wrightson, Mica, Rincon, and the Catalinas.
Corral Canyon 291
This trail is almost completely gone. Recent rain over the burn area has washed out many of the traverses leaving a very difficult challenge to travel through. Add to that wildflowers that are waist deep and it's a fight to push ahead. Once in the bottom of the canyon, much of the trail has been obliterated by flash flooding. Especially in the upper part of the canyon. The last mile or so, most of the shelf and the trail remains, but the crossings are a challenge. This trail needs a full-fledged reconstruction.
Powers Garden 96
Post-wildfire floods have wiped out some of the shelf along this trail as well rendering travel a bit more of a challenge than I suspect it once was. But the route can be found if you look for it. The fire didn't reach this low, so the valley is still shaded and cool.
Tortilla 254
Not much flood damage on this trail, but still in pretty rough shape. Travel was much quicker than the East Divide/Corral combo on the way in, but plenty of growth to fight through.
On the way in, I commented out loud that if somebody had told me it would take 5 hours to hike in I wouldn't have believed them. I repeated the same and updated it again at 6 and 7 hours!
So yeah, it was a real grind due to unexpectedly terrible trail conditions on the south side of the loop.
Nonetheless we arrived safely and met Claire, 9L and Kyle who had arrived the previous day. We set up camp and settled in for the night. Sunday we all did our own thing, and Sunday evening a group of trail workers from the ACC stopped by our campfire for a while. Kudos to these volunteers for the work they do. It is impressive and much appreciated!
Monday we all headed out together around 8am. We split up into different groups all taking a different pace. A few of us finished via the Deer Creek Cabin route which is a nice option that we were pleasantly surprised about and resulted in a mile of fast road walking rather than rocky trail. It was a welcome end to a long weekend on tough trails.
I feel like we were very lucky with the amount of water. It's a beautiful area, but I could see it being much more of a challenge without the creeks and drainages flowing with water.
But I'll be back to the Galiuros for sure!
* I meant to mention that I successfully used Route Scout for all navigation and track recording over the entire three day trip. I charged my phone with a backup battery (anker) on the second night as it would not otherwise last 3 full days while recording 7-8 hours each day. I'm very happy with how well it worked!
Foliage
Saw a few small bright red somethings that I can't remember what are, and some poison ivy changing colors. Otherwise nothing yet.
Wildflowers
Amazing display still popping on the upper slopes exposed by fire.
East Divide 287
Starts off reasonably well with some minor route-finding issues due to the healthy growth of summer grasses. Turns into a full-fledged machete-required jungle in the Oak Creek drainage before rising up through the burn area toward Kennedy Peak.
Kennedy Peak 287a
This trail cuts through a moonscape burn area and the trail is largely lost to erosion. Cairns exist, but staying along the old barbed wire fence will get you most of the way there. The resulting wildflower display is impressive. Great views in all directions: Santa Teresas, Pinalenos, Bassett Peak, Wrightson, Mica, Rincon, and the Catalinas.
Corral Canyon 291
This trail is almost completely gone. Recent rain over the burn area has washed out many of the traverses leaving a very difficult challenge to travel through. Add to that wildflowers that are waist deep and it's a fight to push ahead. Once in the bottom of the canyon, much of the trail has been obliterated by flash flooding. Especially in the upper part of the canyon. The last mile or so, most of the shelf and the trail remains, but the crossings are a challenge. This trail needs a full-fledged reconstruction.
Powers Garden 96
Post-wildfire floods have wiped out some of the shelf along this trail as well rendering travel a bit more of a challenge than I suspect it once was. But the route can be found if you look for it. The fire didn't reach this low, so the valley is still shaded and cool.
Tortilla 254
Not much flood damage on this trail, but still in pretty rough shape. Travel was much quicker than the East Divide/Corral combo on the way in, but plenty of growth to fight through.
On the way in, I commented out loud that if somebody had told me it would take 5 hours to hike in I wouldn't have believed them. I repeated the same and updated it again at 6 and 7 hours!
So yeah, it was a real grind due to unexpectedly terrible trail conditions on the south side of the loop.
Nonetheless we arrived safely and met Claire, 9L and Kyle who had arrived the previous day. We set up camp and settled in for the night. Sunday we all did our own thing, and Sunday evening a group of trail workers from the ACC stopped by our campfire for a while. Kudos to these volunteers for the work they do. It is impressive and much appreciated!
Monday we all headed out together around 8am. We split up into different groups all taking a different pace. A few of us finished via the Deer Creek Cabin route which is a nice option that we were pleasantly surprised about and resulted in a mile of fast road walking rather than rocky trail. It was a welcome end to a long weekend on tough trails.
I feel like we were very lucky with the amount of water. It's a beautiful area, but I could see it being much more of a challenge without the creeks and drainages flowing with water.
But I'll be back to the Galiuros for sure!
* I meant to mention that I successfully used Route Scout for all navigation and track recording over the entire three day trip. I charged my phone with a backup battery (anker) on the second night as it would not otherwise last 3 full days while recording 7-8 hours each day. I'm very happy with how well it worked!
Foliage
Saw a few small bright red somethings that I can't remember what are, and some poison ivy changing colors. Otherwise nothing yet.
Wildflowers
Amazing display still popping on the upper slopes exposed by fire.
2015-10-10 chumley
East Divide Trail #287 - Galiuro
Bassett Peak Tales 2012
3 days
607 miles
33 gallons of gasoline
266 digital images
Fall colours
"Robber" stellar jays
Clean, crisp mountain air (with just a hint of snow)
Unexpected solitude
No work distractions
Priceless!
The Plan => Friday 11/9 rendezvous at Einstein's Bagels in Ahwatukee AZ, truck pool, and hit the road to the Bassett Peak trail head at the end of FR660/Ash Creek Road to set up camp in the Galiuro Mountains to enjoy what many consider the best fall colours in Arizona.
I've been able to keep my 2012 quarterly wilderness adventures pretty much as planned; "Anza Borrego California Tales 2012" (check out => http://hikearizona.com/photoset.php?ID=18664 ), "Oregon Tales 2012" (check out => http://hikearizona.com/photoset.php?ID=20147 ), and Colorado Fall Colours 2012" (check out => http://hikearizona.com/photoset.php?ID=21834). Those 3 days crossed out on the November calendar to take in the Bassett Peak fall colours at Ash Spring were about to be tested...
Thursday started out with 6 adventurers ready and raring to go, by sundown there was only 1. Weather forecasts and other calamities took their toll. With Friday already booked off, I decided to roll the dice and use the Willcox Holiday Inn Express as basecamp with some adjusted plans;
A. Ahwatukee AZ - ground zero, home
B. Willcox AZ - basecamp at the Holiday Inn Express (check out => http://www.willcoxlodging.com/)
C. Fort Bowie National Historic Site - stop at the old fort (check out => http://www.nps.gov/fobo/index.htm and http://hikearizona.com/decoder.php?ZTN=934)
D. San Simon AZ - S. Noland Rd. turn-off to head south to Portal AZ and the South Fork of Cave Creek TH in Chiricahua National Monument
E. South Noland Road - note; signage is not "San Simon Road" as noted in HAZ write-ups
F. Foothills Road - turn-off to SE towards Portal AZ
G. Portal AZ - SE access to Chiricahua National Monument (check out => http://www.nps.gov/chir/index.htm and http://hikearizona.com/decoder.php?ZTN=27)
H. South Fork of Cave Creek TH - access at the South Fork picnic area (check out => http://hikearizona.com/decoder.php?ZTN=509)
I. Forest Road 42 - up and over the Chiricahua Mountains (check out => http://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/coronado ... &actid=105)
J. Dos Cabezas AZ - a drive back to Willcox via SR186
K. Willcox AZ - basecamp at the local Holiday Inn Express (check out => http://www.willcoxlodging.com/)
L. Bassett Peak TH - end of the road for FR660/Ash Creek Road in the Galiuro Mountains (check out => http://hikearizona.com/decoder.php?ZTN=252)
M. Tucson AZ - Sunday dinner with my youngest daughter, Tobyn
N. Ahwatukee AZ - home again...
DAY 1 - Friday 11/9
Ahwatukee AZ to Willcox AZ
185 miles
3 hrs 1 min 1-way per Google Maps
Hit the road for the Willcox AZ basecamp.
DAY 2 - Saturday 11/10
Willcox AZ to South Fork of Cave Creek Trail #243 via FOBO and FR42 to SR186
96 miles
3 hrs 34 min per Google Maps
I have never been to the Chiricahua Mountains before and thought I could take advantage of being in the vicinity. My home library contains the book "Cochise - the Life and Times of the Great Apache Chief" by ASU professor Peter Aleshire (check out => http://www.amazon.com/Cochise-Times-Gre ... 0471383635 ). Despite the literary criticism, I've always been intrigued by this book and the subject (an easier read about Cochise was authored by Dave Roberts). It's arguable that the existence of Fort Bowie can be attributed to Chief Cochise, so it was fitting to make the side trek. Upon entry to the site, I discover the cool nickname for Fort Bowie - FOBO, uttered by one of the staff (FOBO is now forever burned into my brain). A quick tour of FOBO Loop followed by a pondering about the location of the tent Cochise cut open to make his escape in 1861 (check out => http://www.nps.gov/fobo/historyculture/ ... elix-3.pdf ) during the "Bascom Affair". The low hanging clouds created a fittingly eerie FOBO atmosphere...
The main objective of the day was exploring South Fork of Cave Creek Trail #243 and the fall colours I've heard raves about from some HAZ trekkers and others (check out => http://www.dykinga.com/p947625174/h1be05152#h1be05152 and http://www.flickr.com/photos/mkmphoto50/6330187608/ ). Maple Camp would be the primary objective given some of the photos I've seen. I arrived at the picnic area at the end of South Fork Road noon-ish. A group of 3 hunters decked out in full camouflage were exiting the trail as I began my trek. They said they managed to get a single shot off during their morning hunt - I indicated I hoped to get considerably more (digital) shots off that afternoon... I arrived at the Maple Camp area wondering what all the fuss is about. Undeterred, I trekked another 2 miles or so upstream from the Burro Trail junction seeking fall colours. I have to agree with Letty's recent assessment (check out => http://hikearizona.com/photoset.php?ID=22250 ) and look forward to area recovery to its former blazing colours. I returned to the TH with just enough remaining daylight to spark-up the BBQ and grill a couple of burgs. To my complete surprise, I discovered a robbery in process - Stellar Jays landing on my picnic table and helping themselves to my Doritos - with me only an arm's length away!
I returned to my Willcox basecamp via Forest Road 42 up and over the Chiricahua Mountains to join up with SR186 near Dos Cabezas. When I packed up and left the South Fork picnic area my truck thermometer indicated it was 48degF. As I peaked-out along the Chiricahua ridgeline, my truck thermometer indicated it was a chilly 34degF!
DAY 3 - Sunday 11/10
Willcox AZ to Bassett Peak TH (Ash Creek Rd/FR660)
36 miles
1 hr 37 min per Google Maps
Sunday sunrise revealed a brilliant blue cloudless sky with snow visible on the highest mountain peaks. I slowly made my way to the trail head stopping many times to observe the various eye-candy (I still regret passing up the pumpkin field and failing to re-create the image captured by Derek von Briesen => http://www.pbase.com/sedonamemories/image/128206856 ) including snow on Mount Graham. As I turned onto FR660 near the intersection of Ash Creek Road and Sunset Loop, I was surprised to see nobody at the usually busy "hunter's meadow". Saw one group of campers at the large site as you exit the wash and another group at the almost-TH. I parked my truck here and discovered the campers were mostly from Mesa AZ. They indicated it had snowed overnight accompanied by some strong winds. Once on the trail, I was treated to a riot of colour (albeit a week past their prime). At Ash Spring, the aspen still had about half their leaves. Another one of the old growth aspen fell victim to the weekend winds - every time I've visited there's another old growth casualty. Without any new growth aspen, I wonder how many more years we'll have to enjoy this spectacular scene??? After capture my fill of fall colours, I packed up my gear with a dinner stop in Tucson visiting my daughter Tobyn.
And that's my Bassett Peak Tale 2012! Photos to follow...
3 days
607 miles
33 gallons of gasoline
266 digital images
Fall colours
"Robber" stellar jays
Clean, crisp mountain air (with just a hint of snow)
Unexpected solitude
No work distractions
Priceless!
The Plan => Friday 11/9 rendezvous at Einstein's Bagels in Ahwatukee AZ, truck pool, and hit the road to the Bassett Peak trail head at the end of FR660/Ash Creek Road to set up camp in the Galiuro Mountains to enjoy what many consider the best fall colours in Arizona.
I've been able to keep my 2012 quarterly wilderness adventures pretty much as planned; "Anza Borrego California Tales 2012" (check out => http://hikearizona.com/photoset.php?ID=18664 ), "Oregon Tales 2012" (check out => http://hikearizona.com/photoset.php?ID=20147 ), and Colorado Fall Colours 2012" (check out => http://hikearizona.com/photoset.php?ID=21834). Those 3 days crossed out on the November calendar to take in the Bassett Peak fall colours at Ash Spring were about to be tested...
Thursday started out with 6 adventurers ready and raring to go, by sundown there was only 1. Weather forecasts and other calamities took their toll. With Friday already booked off, I decided to roll the dice and use the Willcox Holiday Inn Express as basecamp with some adjusted plans;
A. Ahwatukee AZ - ground zero, home
B. Willcox AZ - basecamp at the Holiday Inn Express (check out => http://www.willcoxlodging.com/)
C. Fort Bowie National Historic Site - stop at the old fort (check out => http://www.nps.gov/fobo/index.htm and http://hikearizona.com/decoder.php?ZTN=934)
D. San Simon AZ - S. Noland Rd. turn-off to head south to Portal AZ and the South Fork of Cave Creek TH in Chiricahua National Monument
E. South Noland Road - note; signage is not "San Simon Road" as noted in HAZ write-ups
F. Foothills Road - turn-off to SE towards Portal AZ
G. Portal AZ - SE access to Chiricahua National Monument (check out => http://www.nps.gov/chir/index.htm and http://hikearizona.com/decoder.php?ZTN=27)
H. South Fork of Cave Creek TH - access at the South Fork picnic area (check out => http://hikearizona.com/decoder.php?ZTN=509)
I. Forest Road 42 - up and over the Chiricahua Mountains (check out => http://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/coronado ... &actid=105)
J. Dos Cabezas AZ - a drive back to Willcox via SR186
K. Willcox AZ - basecamp at the local Holiday Inn Express (check out => http://www.willcoxlodging.com/)
L. Bassett Peak TH - end of the road for FR660/Ash Creek Road in the Galiuro Mountains (check out => http://hikearizona.com/decoder.php?ZTN=252)
M. Tucson AZ - Sunday dinner with my youngest daughter, Tobyn
N. Ahwatukee AZ - home again...
DAY 1 - Friday 11/9
Ahwatukee AZ to Willcox AZ
185 miles
3 hrs 1 min 1-way per Google Maps
Hit the road for the Willcox AZ basecamp.
DAY 2 - Saturday 11/10
Willcox AZ to South Fork of Cave Creek Trail #243 via FOBO and FR42 to SR186
96 miles
3 hrs 34 min per Google Maps
I have never been to the Chiricahua Mountains before and thought I could take advantage of being in the vicinity. My home library contains the book "Cochise - the Life and Times of the Great Apache Chief" by ASU professor Peter Aleshire (check out => http://www.amazon.com/Cochise-Times-Gre ... 0471383635 ). Despite the literary criticism, I've always been intrigued by this book and the subject (an easier read about Cochise was authored by Dave Roberts). It's arguable that the existence of Fort Bowie can be attributed to Chief Cochise, so it was fitting to make the side trek. Upon entry to the site, I discover the cool nickname for Fort Bowie - FOBO, uttered by one of the staff (FOBO is now forever burned into my brain). A quick tour of FOBO Loop followed by a pondering about the location of the tent Cochise cut open to make his escape in 1861 (check out => http://www.nps.gov/fobo/historyculture/ ... elix-3.pdf ) during the "Bascom Affair". The low hanging clouds created a fittingly eerie FOBO atmosphere...
The main objective of the day was exploring South Fork of Cave Creek Trail #243 and the fall colours I've heard raves about from some HAZ trekkers and others (check out => http://www.dykinga.com/p947625174/h1be05152#h1be05152 and http://www.flickr.com/photos/mkmphoto50/6330187608/ ). Maple Camp would be the primary objective given some of the photos I've seen. I arrived at the picnic area at the end of South Fork Road noon-ish. A group of 3 hunters decked out in full camouflage were exiting the trail as I began my trek. They said they managed to get a single shot off during their morning hunt - I indicated I hoped to get considerably more (digital) shots off that afternoon... I arrived at the Maple Camp area wondering what all the fuss is about. Undeterred, I trekked another 2 miles or so upstream from the Burro Trail junction seeking fall colours. I have to agree with Letty's recent assessment (check out => http://hikearizona.com/photoset.php?ID=22250 ) and look forward to area recovery to its former blazing colours. I returned to the TH with just enough remaining daylight to spark-up the BBQ and grill a couple of burgs. To my complete surprise, I discovered a robbery in process - Stellar Jays landing on my picnic table and helping themselves to my Doritos - with me only an arm's length away!
I returned to my Willcox basecamp via Forest Road 42 up and over the Chiricahua Mountains to join up with SR186 near Dos Cabezas. When I packed up and left the South Fork picnic area my truck thermometer indicated it was 48degF. As I peaked-out along the Chiricahua ridgeline, my truck thermometer indicated it was a chilly 34degF!
DAY 3 - Sunday 11/10
Willcox AZ to Bassett Peak TH (Ash Creek Rd/FR660)
36 miles
1 hr 37 min per Google Maps
Sunday sunrise revealed a brilliant blue cloudless sky with snow visible on the highest mountain peaks. I slowly made my way to the trail head stopping many times to observe the various eye-candy (I still regret passing up the pumpkin field and failing to re-create the image captured by Derek von Briesen => http://www.pbase.com/sedonamemories/image/128206856 ) including snow on Mount Graham. As I turned onto FR660 near the intersection of Ash Creek Road and Sunset Loop, I was surprised to see nobody at the usually busy "hunter's meadow". Saw one group of campers at the large site as you exit the wash and another group at the almost-TH. I parked my truck here and discovered the campers were mostly from Mesa AZ. They indicated it had snowed overnight accompanied by some strong winds. Once on the trail, I was treated to a riot of colour (albeit a week past their prime). At Ash Spring, the aspen still had about half their leaves. Another one of the old growth aspen fell victim to the weekend winds - every time I've visited there's another old growth casualty. Without any new growth aspen, I wonder how many more years we'll have to enjoy this spectacular scene??? After capture my fill of fall colours, I packed up my gear with a dinner stop in Tucson visiting my daughter Tobyn.
And that's my Bassett Peak Tale 2012! Photos to follow...
2012-11-09 Randal_Schulhauser
East Divide Trail #287 - Galiuro
Ash Creek has already become an annual fall colors pilgrimage but this trip instead of continuing on to Bassett Peak we decided to continue north on the East Divide Trail as far as we had time for. But due to being a last-minute, one-day trip (with a ~4 hour drive each way) along with all the stops for photos along Ash Creek we only got in a mile along the ridge. But no matter, the trip along the creek was worth it.
The hike had all the pluses... perfect weather, peak colors and great views. Unfortunately I managed to leave my favorite hiking pole at the trail head... not once, but twice. The first time was before the hike so all I had to do was hike an extra 1/4 mile to retrieve it. But the second time I was 200 miles from the trail head before realizing I had left it there AGAIN!
I guess getting old is catching up with me whether I like it or not.
Between the two of us we took over 300 photos so it's been taking some time to wade through them selecting the best. I'll be posting a small subset here on HAZ with the best 100 photos on my web site here:
http://changephoenix.c...
1-minute video: Peak 6803 summit panorama
The hike had all the pluses... perfect weather, peak colors and great views. Unfortunately I managed to leave my favorite hiking pole at the trail head... not once, but twice. The first time was before the hike so all I had to do was hike an extra 1/4 mile to retrieve it. But the second time I was 200 miles from the trail head before realizing I had left it there AGAIN!
I guess getting old is catching up with me whether I like it or not.
Between the two of us we took over 300 photos so it's been taking some time to wade through them selecting the best. I'll be posting a small subset here on HAZ with the best 100 photos on my web site here:
http://changephoenix.c...
1-minute video: Peak 6803 summit panorama
2012-11-07 CannondaleKid
East Divide Trail #287 - Galiuro
since i knew of a couple of large meetup groups going next weekend and i tend to want a little more peace and quiet on the trails and at camp, southpawaz and i decided on this weekend. i had been out here in 2008 and attempted the peak, but got sick and stayed at the saddle, and then again in 2009 just to upper ash spring for a photography trek. i wanted to have a go at the peak again, and this time i made it.
we got up early from tucson and drove out, set up our camp, then drove to near the trailhead sign to park and we headed on up. surprisingly very few folks on the trail! we ran into three older gentlemen in the color heading down as we were heading up, and then when we came back, we saw some backpackers setting up camp near the lower spring. it turns out that i knew these guys - and not from any hiking or backpacking club (or website) either. how serendipitous!
i was in full-on tibber mode through the colorific section below upper ash spring and the aspen stand. then the camera went away somewhat and gave way to the huffing and puffing up the mountain. coming back was faster, as usual, and we noticed even more color.
i don't know why i waited for a few years since doing this last! oh yeah - the thought of a zillion people on the trails did not appeal to me then, or now. so glad we did this one early. although the aspens weren't in full glory, the rest of the colors were just beautiful. and those pesky aspens can be fickle anyway. when i did this in 2009, i had a report of beautiful aspen leaves from the day before and overnight a breeze came through and that yellow canopy was no more.
oh! one more thing. i did get a look at the airplane wreckage, but we didn't go to it, and i didn't get very good pictures because of the distance and the lighting on the way back down. since seeing RWStorm's photos of the wreckage, that is something i'd like to try to get to another time.
we got up early from tucson and drove out, set up our camp, then drove to near the trailhead sign to park and we headed on up. surprisingly very few folks on the trail! we ran into three older gentlemen in the color heading down as we were heading up, and then when we came back, we saw some backpackers setting up camp near the lower spring. it turns out that i knew these guys - and not from any hiking or backpacking club (or website) either. how serendipitous!
i was in full-on tibber mode through the colorific section below upper ash spring and the aspen stand. then the camera went away somewhat and gave way to the huffing and puffing up the mountain. coming back was faster, as usual, and we noticed even more color.
i don't know why i waited for a few years since doing this last! oh yeah - the thought of a zillion people on the trails did not appeal to me then, or now. so glad we did this one early. although the aspens weren't in full glory, the rest of the colors were just beautiful. and those pesky aspens can be fickle anyway. when i did this in 2009, i had a report of beautiful aspen leaves from the day before and overnight a breeze came through and that yellow canopy was no more.
oh! one more thing. i did get a look at the airplane wreckage, but we didn't go to it, and i didn't get very good pictures because of the distance and the lighting on the way back down. since seeing RWStorm's photos of the wreckage, that is something i'd like to try to get to another time.
2012-11-03 cindyl
