Route Editor
Route Scout
 Mormon Ridge Trail #269, Mormon Canyon Trail #352 & Saulsbury Trail #263 lead from the road up West Turkey Creek (FR 41) to the Crest Trail in the vicinity of Chiricahua and Flys Peak. Since their trailheads are all located fairly close together they offer a number of possibilities for loop routes into the Chiricahua Wilderness high country. Saulsbury Trail leads up the canyon of the same name to the north and east, then climbs up and out of the canyon and over Little Bull. Mountain to its junction with the Crest Trail. This route offers good views of West Turkey Creek Canyon, Rock Creek Canyon and the Sulphur Springs Valley. It can be hot if you traverse it during midday. Mormon Ridge and Mormon Canyon Trails are both located south of Saulsbury and are aimed almost directly at Chiricahua Peak. Mormon Ridge is quite steep and many choose to follow it down, rather than up, if they use the trails to form a loop. Since it clings to the south-facing slope of Mormon Canyon, it can also be quite hot. These trails cross near the head of Mormon Canyon. From that junction, Mormon Ridge goes north toward Cima Park and Mormon Canyon goes south to Chiricahua Saddle. Both are points along the Crest Trail #270. These trails traverse a wide range of biologic zones. Starting out among plants characteristic of the Upper Sonoran Desert such as Schott's yucca and silverleaf oak, the trails climb into a forest of Engelmann spruce, a species found as far north as British Columbia. Mormon Canyon Trail passes through a picturesque riparian area that includes a number of Rocky Mountain maples. Those who visit in autumn will want to pass this way and enjoy the fall colors. High country loops, Canyon and mountain views, Biological diversity, Riparian area, Fall colors. Saulsbury Trail is 4.4 miles long (4 miles in Chiricahua Wilderness); Mormon Ridge Trail is 4.5 miles long (3 in Wilderness); Mormon Canyon Trail is 3.4 miles (2.7 in Wilderness). All three of these trails connect to the Crest Trail #270. USGS Maps: Chiricahua Peak, Rustler Park Check out the Official Route and Triplogs. 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
Mormon Ridge Trail #269
This was the first part of what was to be a multi day trip in the Chiricahua mountains. After meeting Johnny Ringo I drove past the trail head on the main access road twice before noticing it. I parked my car on a pull out section, wasn't sure if I could but this was the best I could find. Hard to find is a recurring theme.
The Mormon Ridge trail is currently clear of any downed trees, but it is rugged and not marked well. It is also very faint in many places. Quite often I found myself double checking to make sure I was still on. It is pretty much straight up with only a few sections of switch backs. Really nice views as you get closer to the top. As you get closer to the top some older trails maps and trip logs say the trail veers right. I found and the Green Trails map I had confirmed it would veer left in a long switchback that eventually comes and meets the Crest Trail #270, the Chiricahua Peak trail and very close to the Anita Park/Spring trail. Some trail signs are on the ground,some very worn, so I was glad I had maps and GPS to assist with navigation once I reached that section.
Again, nice views, and you are definitely earning them with this straight up climb.
Additionally Anita Spring trail is marked but faint, and you will do some tree hopping to get to the spring.It was trickling,full of water, cold and refreshing. A tree fell right next to it to make for a nice seat while you enjoy.
The other trails I hiked ranged from good to terrible. The Crest trail was clear and easy to follow with signs at many junctions. However, take that with grain of salt and check your headings, I found myself not trusting them that much.
I spent the night near Ojo Aqua Frio spring but never looked for it as I had plenty of water from Anita Spring. There is a lot of dead fall in the area but there is also a wonderful site to camp on that is east of the Crest trail and looks directly west. Tent and hammock friendly.
Unfortunately,for me the weather turned bad that night. High winds, rain and the clouds just sat on me all day. After half a day it wasn't clearing I headed back down. Trying my luck I went via the Saulsbury Trail. This is just a bad trail until you get way down in the canyon and even then it meanders and is hard to follow. The lower portion has some orange flagging tape but eventually that person got lost too and stopped marking it.
At the top, it went from obvious, to faint, to is this a game trail to where did it go? Using map, compass and GPS I ended up doing a bit of bushwhacking (the rain and fog did not make following this any easier). I even found remnants of other hikers as well, a fleece jacket stuck on some thorns. All told I went over, under or around 103 trees from top to bottom.
I understand the whole area is much like this due to the past forest fires and weather events. It was hard, and if looking for a challenge, these are your trails. Eventually, I will try to get back to finish the rest of my trip.
The Mormon Ridge trail is currently clear of any downed trees, but it is rugged and not marked well. It is also very faint in many places. Quite often I found myself double checking to make sure I was still on. It is pretty much straight up with only a few sections of switch backs. Really nice views as you get closer to the top. As you get closer to the top some older trails maps and trip logs say the trail veers right. I found and the Green Trails map I had confirmed it would veer left in a long switchback that eventually comes and meets the Crest Trail #270, the Chiricahua Peak trail and very close to the Anita Park/Spring trail. Some trail signs are on the ground,some very worn, so I was glad I had maps and GPS to assist with navigation once I reached that section.
Again, nice views, and you are definitely earning them with this straight up climb.
Additionally Anita Spring trail is marked but faint, and you will do some tree hopping to get to the spring.It was trickling,full of water, cold and refreshing. A tree fell right next to it to make for a nice seat while you enjoy.
The other trails I hiked ranged from good to terrible. The Crest trail was clear and easy to follow with signs at many junctions. However, take that with grain of salt and check your headings, I found myself not trusting them that much.
I spent the night near Ojo Aqua Frio spring but never looked for it as I had plenty of water from Anita Spring. There is a lot of dead fall in the area but there is also a wonderful site to camp on that is east of the Crest trail and looks directly west. Tent and hammock friendly.
Unfortunately,for me the weather turned bad that night. High winds, rain and the clouds just sat on me all day. After half a day it wasn't clearing I headed back down. Trying my luck I went via the Saulsbury Trail. This is just a bad trail until you get way down in the canyon and even then it meanders and is hard to follow. The lower portion has some orange flagging tape but eventually that person got lost too and stopped marking it.
At the top, it went from obvious, to faint, to is this a game trail to where did it go? Using map, compass and GPS I ended up doing a bit of bushwhacking (the rain and fog did not make following this any easier). I even found remnants of other hikers as well, a fleece jacket stuck on some thorns. All told I went over, under or around 103 trees from top to bottom. I understand the whole area is much like this due to the past forest fires and weather events. It was hard, and if looking for a challenge, these are your trails. Eventually, I will try to get back to finish the rest of my trip.
2018-10-19 element58
Mormon Ridge Trail #269
Great day hike to the top of the Chiricahuas! Nice intro to the range for me too since I had not previously been anywhere near this part of the state before.
First impression: The Chiricahuas are unlike other sky islands in that they really are a mountain range, rather than just a single primary peak. Lots of peaks, ridges, and valleys and a very well developed trail system. I was afraid that the Horseshoe fires had destroyed this entire island, but was pleased to find quite a bit of beautiful forest, some old growth pines, and areas of healthy regrowth. The fire scarred areas can be jarring to see, but there's also some beauty to be found from them too. The variety makes it interesting.
Things I learned: Turkeys can fly! We saw rafter after rafter of these enormous birds. Thanks to a little canine encouragement, I was impressed to see how easy a 40-lb chunk of thanksgiving feast can get off the ground. I wouldn't use the word "graceful" but nonetheless, they would easily qualify as air force pilots in a third world country.
Mormon Canyon #352
We headed up this canyon trail and it is a real gem. The climb is relentless, steep, and features no breaks, but the terrain is shaded, cool, and serene. Water flowing in the creek for the first half made for pleasant conditions for the pups. Only the very top section had burned, but the trail was well maintained, and the burn opened up some great views.
The north cut toward Crest near Cima Park
At the top of Mormon Canyon and the junction with Mormon Ridge 269 we opted to head for the Crest trail via a trail on the north side of Chiricahua Peak. This is a terrible idea. This trail has been abandoned. Fire damage, erosion, deadfall, and new growth has taken over, and this trail should not be attempted. I've seen varying sources name this trail as the continuation of either Mormon Canyon or Mormon Ridge. Either way, don't bother with this one.
Crest Trail #270
I eventually hit the Crest Trail well south of Cima Park after making a direct ascent for the ridge. The ridge has been badly burned, but the Crest trail has been well maintained and is a relative highway.
Anita Spring Trail
I wanted to check out Anita Park and Anita Spring, and didn't see any sign of a route to get there anymore. I eventually circled the rocky outcropping at Anita Park off trail and headed toward the spring I had marked on my GPS. Despite the burn, the spring looked and tasted fantastic. Good flow and a great source of water. From the spring, it was easy to follow the tread of the old trail back up to the Crest. The sign is missing but there's a post which I somehow missed on the way by earlier.
Chiricahua Peak Trail
The Crest trail traverses the east side of Chiricahua Peak and didn't look particularly well-traveled. I headed up the peak trail to meet up with the others who had gotten ahead of me while I had been exploring Anita. The peak trail is in fine shape and easy to follow despite the burn.
Chiricahua Peak Southeast Descent
Maps showed a trail descending the southeast slope of Chiricahua Peak, but after a quick search, the group came up empty, and didn't want to repeat the experience above Mormon Canyon, so they all headed back the way they came, while I decided to look for the trail. After not too long, I found an old cut to follow, and this side of the peak didn't burn so travel is easy even if there had not been a trail. I followed the easy track until I joined the obvious junction with the Crest Trail that traverses the east side of the peak. It looked much better traveled on this end.
Route Scout was telling me I was close to Headquarters Spring. I opted not to make the trip since it dropped farther down the hill than I was willing to go. Shortly thereafter I arrived at a sign for Ojo Agua Fria #361, which I also skipped. Now in wide open, sandy burn area, I looked for the trail that cut back to the west, and didn't see an obvious cut. But just a few steps later I reached the well-marked junction with Crest Trail 270D to Chiricahua Saddle ... where I was headed.
Crest Trail #270D
This stretch of the crest trail that traverses the southern side of Chiricahua Peak was some of the nicest high-elevation trail of the trip. The eastern end traverses a gravelly burned slope before entering unburned forest and traversing some great rocky landscape and unbelievable trail construction through a boulder slope. It drops easily to Chiricahua Saddle, where I headed north a hundred yards to meet up with the others who had just arrived from the other side of the peak to get here. It's a short stretch through some burn with a couple of deadfall obstacles descending to the north and the junction of Mormon Canyon and Ridge trails where we had been earlier in the morning.
Mormon Ridge Trail #269
Claire, 9L and I decided to take the ridge trail, while the others took the canyon back down. The trail is impressively built, and generally easy to travel. I would not want to ascend this way, and in fact, having now done it once, I would probably stick with the canyon trail on the way down as well. It descends just below a south facing ridge, so the flora is small and desert-like, despite the elevation. It is exposed to sun and warmed up nicely despite the strong winds we had endured all day. The area from just above the wilderness boundary to the bottom had received recent maintenance. There were a couple of sections that were so well maintained, I wondered if they had brought the "trail machine" out there!
Turkey Creek back to camp
The Ridge trail reaches Turkey Creek road about half a mile below where the Canyon trail begins, so to complete the loop you have to do a short road walk. I hopped along the creek instead, finding a couple of cascades, a neat section of narrows with a dam, as well as a natural waterfall. I then found the old road cut on the opposite side of the creek as the current alignment and followed that in a pleasant forest setting adjacent to the creek. There were signs of an old homestead too. I continued upstream to the waterfall just below our camp where I got to brush up on my Spanish before settling into a chair with an ice cold beer and newfound socks!
This was an extremely enjoyable day hike and—except for that short stretch of trail that doesn't exist anymore and can be easily avoided—is an ideal trip for anybody staying in the Turkey Creek area. Thanks to 9L for planning this one!
First impression: The Chiricahuas are unlike other sky islands in that they really are a mountain range, rather than just a single primary peak. Lots of peaks, ridges, and valleys and a very well developed trail system. I was afraid that the Horseshoe fires had destroyed this entire island, but was pleased to find quite a bit of beautiful forest, some old growth pines, and areas of healthy regrowth. The fire scarred areas can be jarring to see, but there's also some beauty to be found from them too. The variety makes it interesting.
Things I learned: Turkeys can fly! We saw rafter after rafter of these enormous birds. Thanks to a little canine encouragement, I was impressed to see how easy a 40-lb chunk of thanksgiving feast can get off the ground. I wouldn't use the word "graceful" but nonetheless, they would easily qualify as air force pilots in a third world country.
Mormon Canyon #352
We headed up this canyon trail and it is a real gem. The climb is relentless, steep, and features no breaks, but the terrain is shaded, cool, and serene. Water flowing in the creek for the first half made for pleasant conditions for the pups. Only the very top section had burned, but the trail was well maintained, and the burn opened up some great views.
The north cut toward Crest near Cima Park
At the top of Mormon Canyon and the junction with Mormon Ridge 269 we opted to head for the Crest trail via a trail on the north side of Chiricahua Peak. This is a terrible idea. This trail has been abandoned. Fire damage, erosion, deadfall, and new growth has taken over, and this trail should not be attempted. I've seen varying sources name this trail as the continuation of either Mormon Canyon or Mormon Ridge. Either way, don't bother with this one.
Crest Trail #270
I eventually hit the Crest Trail well south of Cima Park after making a direct ascent for the ridge. The ridge has been badly burned, but the Crest trail has been well maintained and is a relative highway.
Anita Spring Trail
I wanted to check out Anita Park and Anita Spring, and didn't see any sign of a route to get there anymore. I eventually circled the rocky outcropping at Anita Park off trail and headed toward the spring I had marked on my GPS. Despite the burn, the spring looked and tasted fantastic. Good flow and a great source of water. From the spring, it was easy to follow the tread of the old trail back up to the Crest. The sign is missing but there's a post which I somehow missed on the way by earlier.
Chiricahua Peak Trail
The Crest trail traverses the east side of Chiricahua Peak and didn't look particularly well-traveled. I headed up the peak trail to meet up with the others who had gotten ahead of me while I had been exploring Anita. The peak trail is in fine shape and easy to follow despite the burn.
Chiricahua Peak Southeast Descent
Maps showed a trail descending the southeast slope of Chiricahua Peak, but after a quick search, the group came up empty, and didn't want to repeat the experience above Mormon Canyon, so they all headed back the way they came, while I decided to look for the trail. After not too long, I found an old cut to follow, and this side of the peak didn't burn so travel is easy even if there had not been a trail. I followed the easy track until I joined the obvious junction with the Crest Trail that traverses the east side of the peak. It looked much better traveled on this end.
Route Scout was telling me I was close to Headquarters Spring. I opted not to make the trip since it dropped farther down the hill than I was willing to go. Shortly thereafter I arrived at a sign for Ojo Agua Fria #361, which I also skipped. Now in wide open, sandy burn area, I looked for the trail that cut back to the west, and didn't see an obvious cut. But just a few steps later I reached the well-marked junction with Crest Trail 270D to Chiricahua Saddle ... where I was headed.
Crest Trail #270D
This stretch of the crest trail that traverses the southern side of Chiricahua Peak was some of the nicest high-elevation trail of the trip. The eastern end traverses a gravelly burned slope before entering unburned forest and traversing some great rocky landscape and unbelievable trail construction through a boulder slope. It drops easily to Chiricahua Saddle, where I headed north a hundred yards to meet up with the others who had just arrived from the other side of the peak to get here. It's a short stretch through some burn with a couple of deadfall obstacles descending to the north and the junction of Mormon Canyon and Ridge trails where we had been earlier in the morning.
Mormon Ridge Trail #269
Claire, 9L and I decided to take the ridge trail, while the others took the canyon back down. The trail is impressively built, and generally easy to travel. I would not want to ascend this way, and in fact, having now done it once, I would probably stick with the canyon trail on the way down as well. It descends just below a south facing ridge, so the flora is small and desert-like, despite the elevation. It is exposed to sun and warmed up nicely despite the strong winds we had endured all day. The area from just above the wilderness boundary to the bottom had received recent maintenance. There were a couple of sections that were so well maintained, I wondered if they had brought the "trail machine" out there!
Turkey Creek back to camp
The Ridge trail reaches Turkey Creek road about half a mile below where the Canyon trail begins, so to complete the loop you have to do a short road walk. I hopped along the creek instead, finding a couple of cascades, a neat section of narrows with a dam, as well as a natural waterfall. I then found the old road cut on the opposite side of the creek as the current alignment and followed that in a pleasant forest setting adjacent to the creek. There were signs of an old homestead too. I continued upstream to the waterfall just below our camp where I got to brush up on my Spanish before settling into a chair with an ice cold beer and newfound socks!
This was an extremely enjoyable day hike and—except for that short stretch of trail that doesn't exist anymore and can be easily avoided—is an ideal trip for anybody staying in the Turkey Creek area. Thanks to 9L for planning this one!
2016-04-23 chumley
Mormon Ridge Trail #269
Chiricahua Peak via Turkey Creek
Chiricahua Peak has been on my to do list for at least a year. Claire & I had plans to hike it back in September but the road to Rustler Park was unexpectedly closed so we stayed near the National Monument. After the trip I did some research and saw trip reports starting from the west side in Turkey Creek. This looked like a great option and we worked out all the details and hit the road on Friday afternoon. Our plan is to day hike on Saturday & Sunday and hit a variety of trails in the area.
Chumley, Claire, Kyle and myself left Phoenix around 1pm and made the drive to the Chiricahuas. We made good time and found ourselves at Sycamore Camp around 4:30pm. The established campground was about half full with four parties so we continued up the road and spotted a sweet site right next to the creek. The turn off was blocked with some medium size rocks and we weren’t sure if it was a legal site. Chumley and I both had the motorized use plan PDF on our phones and saw this truly was legal camping so we moved the rocks and drove down. The site is magnificent with a fire ring and lots of room for camping. We set up camp and then drove back down the dirt road to get cell signal so we could text FOTG our camp location and other important items. Did someone forget hiking shoes?!?!
Saturday morning started slow for everyone. FOTG and Jackie arrived around midnight and all of us took our time with breakfast and gearing up. Our group of six people and four dogs left camp around 9am and walked down the road to Mormon Canyon Trail. We hit the trail and started making our way up canyon. This is a really nice trail that parallels the creek most of the way. It’s a steady gain that had all of us huffing and puffing as we made our way up. We took short breaks when needed and continued the climb up. The trail eventually leaves the creek and makes a few more switchbacks before leveling off at a saddle that is the junction with the Mormon Ridge Trail.
We took a short break and discussed our options. The known route heads to the southeast before turning for Chiricahua Peak. I noticed an old trail on some of the forest service maps that heads to the north. I didn’t have any info on the trail and made a hand drawn route for us to follow. We decided to go for it and this turned out to be a mistake. The route was very overgrown with lots of deadfall. I felt bad for the dogs but we kept pushing through. We could see the trail cut but had a very hard time staying on it. About a third of a mile across the route was completely consumed by new growth so we decided to bushwhack straight up the mountain. The going was very slow and difficult as each step slid down about six inches in loose dirt. We eventually topped out near Anita Park and were glad to be on the Crest Trail.
Once on the Crest Trail we made the final push for Chiricahua Peak. This last stretch was fairly easy besides some deadfall to navigate. Once up top we took an extended break and enjoyed the summit. The views are limited from all the trees but I didn’t mind. The temps were perfect with a nice breeze and I enjoy the cool mountain air at elevation. After our break we looked for an alternative route down the east side of the peak but couldn’t find an established route. We didn’t want to experience another route finding fiasco so all of us, except Chumley, went down the way we came up. From there we connected to Chiricahua Saddle. This trail was in good shape for the most part other than more deadfall. Once at the saddle we met back up with Chumley and continued down.
Our group decided to split at the top of Mormon Ridge & Mormon Canyon. FOTG, Jackie & Kyle decided to stay in the canyon so they could water the dogs. Claire, Chumley and myself headed down the Mormon Ridge Trail which was in good condition for the most part. There was some deadfall but no major issues. We made relatively good time as we headed down. The sun was beating down and I wouldn’t want to climb this trail on a hot and sunny day. We eventually hit the road which we followed back to camp returning around mid-afternoon.
This was a nice day on the trails. I really enjoyed the Mormon Canyon and Mormon Ridge Trails. I also enjoyed Chiricahua Peak. It doesn’t have the expansive views like Mount Wrightson but is still a quality peak. My biggest takeaway is the vast trail system in this range. Trails are all over the place and I would love to explore more of them. A return trip is definitely in the plans for some point in the future. Thanks to Chumley and FOTG for both driving.
Chumley, Claire, Kyle and myself left Phoenix around 1pm and made the drive to the Chiricahuas. We made good time and found ourselves at Sycamore Camp around 4:30pm. The established campground was about half full with four parties so we continued up the road and spotted a sweet site right next to the creek. The turn off was blocked with some medium size rocks and we weren’t sure if it was a legal site. Chumley and I both had the motorized use plan PDF on our phones and saw this truly was legal camping so we moved the rocks and drove down. The site is magnificent with a fire ring and lots of room for camping. We set up camp and then drove back down the dirt road to get cell signal so we could text FOTG our camp location and other important items. Did someone forget hiking shoes?!?!
Saturday morning started slow for everyone. FOTG and Jackie arrived around midnight and all of us took our time with breakfast and gearing up. Our group of six people and four dogs left camp around 9am and walked down the road to Mormon Canyon Trail. We hit the trail and started making our way up canyon. This is a really nice trail that parallels the creek most of the way. It’s a steady gain that had all of us huffing and puffing as we made our way up. We took short breaks when needed and continued the climb up. The trail eventually leaves the creek and makes a few more switchbacks before leveling off at a saddle that is the junction with the Mormon Ridge Trail.
We took a short break and discussed our options. The known route heads to the southeast before turning for Chiricahua Peak. I noticed an old trail on some of the forest service maps that heads to the north. I didn’t have any info on the trail and made a hand drawn route for us to follow. We decided to go for it and this turned out to be a mistake. The route was very overgrown with lots of deadfall. I felt bad for the dogs but we kept pushing through. We could see the trail cut but had a very hard time staying on it. About a third of a mile across the route was completely consumed by new growth so we decided to bushwhack straight up the mountain. The going was very slow and difficult as each step slid down about six inches in loose dirt. We eventually topped out near Anita Park and were glad to be on the Crest Trail.
Once on the Crest Trail we made the final push for Chiricahua Peak. This last stretch was fairly easy besides some deadfall to navigate. Once up top we took an extended break and enjoyed the summit. The views are limited from all the trees but I didn’t mind. The temps were perfect with a nice breeze and I enjoy the cool mountain air at elevation. After our break we looked for an alternative route down the east side of the peak but couldn’t find an established route. We didn’t want to experience another route finding fiasco so all of us, except Chumley, went down the way we came up. From there we connected to Chiricahua Saddle. This trail was in good shape for the most part other than more deadfall. Once at the saddle we met back up with Chumley and continued down.
Our group decided to split at the top of Mormon Ridge & Mormon Canyon. FOTG, Jackie & Kyle decided to stay in the canyon so they could water the dogs. Claire, Chumley and myself headed down the Mormon Ridge Trail which was in good condition for the most part. There was some deadfall but no major issues. We made relatively good time as we headed down. The sun was beating down and I wouldn’t want to climb this trail on a hot and sunny day. We eventually hit the road which we followed back to camp returning around mid-afternoon.
This was a nice day on the trails. I really enjoyed the Mormon Canyon and Mormon Ridge Trails. I also enjoyed Chiricahua Peak. It doesn’t have the expansive views like Mount Wrightson but is still a quality peak. My biggest takeaway is the vast trail system in this range. Trails are all over the place and I would love to explore more of them. A return trip is definitely in the plans for some point in the future. Thanks to Chumley and FOTG for both driving.
2016-04-23 John9L
Mormon Ridge Trail #269
I got an invite from John for a car camping weekend in the Chiricahuas and I was quick to accept. I have always been intrigued by the Chiricahuas, but I have been too preoccupied with other areas of the state to make the long drive and commit to something in that area. This weekend's hikes offered a nice intro into the area, a county high point, great hikings and some quality camping in the pines.
Chiricahua Peak was tabbed for Saturday. I was very elated to know that I was going to stumble across another county high point in this hike and initially thought that might be the highlight of this hike. As it turned out, the peak was pleasant, but the views were limited and the real highlights of the hike were probably some stretches along the ridgelines and the lower portions of Mormon Canyon. The first couple of miles up Mormon Canyon Trail were very pleasant with running water a couple of robust springs and some nice stands of pine. The hike then becomes a bit of a relentless climb, but nothing too overwhelming and along generally well-kept trails.
We tried an alternate approach to the summit and took a trail with little beta on it and only a hand drawn route. After a somewhat promising start, it turned out to not workout at all for us. After losing any semblance of the tread and some time spent navigating the eroded slope, most of us made the decision to shoot straight up the seemingly less-overgrown over hillside to our ridgeline trail that led to the summit. The climb was tough, but for us it seemed like a better alternative than continuing our off-trail contour along the steep slope.
It was nice to see several surviving pines on the summit, but they do hinder the great views one might expect from a county high point. We enjoyed our time on the peak nevertheless and after an extended stay finally made our way down. We opted for the out and back return minus the alternate route because it offered more shade and guaranteed water for the pups. The hike down was a bit of a knee-jarring ride at times, but it went by quick even with a few stops to let the dogs have their fun in the water.
In the end Mormon Canyon Trail made the hike for me, but I was happy to knock out a high point and the views while limited were still certainly redeeming enough to warrant the climb. The burnt out sections were a bit of a bummer. However, I thought there were enough nice stretches of great forest and areas seemingly untouched by previous fires to keep the scenic factor pretty top notch. There are also some pretty promising signs of rebirth in some of the burnt out areas to keep one positive about the future of this area.
Chiricahua Peak was tabbed for Saturday. I was very elated to know that I was going to stumble across another county high point in this hike and initially thought that might be the highlight of this hike. As it turned out, the peak was pleasant, but the views were limited and the real highlights of the hike were probably some stretches along the ridgelines and the lower portions of Mormon Canyon. The first couple of miles up Mormon Canyon Trail were very pleasant with running water a couple of robust springs and some nice stands of pine. The hike then becomes a bit of a relentless climb, but nothing too overwhelming and along generally well-kept trails.
We tried an alternate approach to the summit and took a trail with little beta on it and only a hand drawn route. After a somewhat promising start, it turned out to not workout at all for us. After losing any semblance of the tread and some time spent navigating the eroded slope, most of us made the decision to shoot straight up the seemingly less-overgrown over hillside to our ridgeline trail that led to the summit. The climb was tough, but for us it seemed like a better alternative than continuing our off-trail contour along the steep slope.
It was nice to see several surviving pines on the summit, but they do hinder the great views one might expect from a county high point. We enjoyed our time on the peak nevertheless and after an extended stay finally made our way down. We opted for the out and back return minus the alternate route because it offered more shade and guaranteed water for the pups. The hike down was a bit of a knee-jarring ride at times, but it went by quick even with a few stops to let the dogs have their fun in the water.
In the end Mormon Canyon Trail made the hike for me, but I was happy to knock out a high point and the views while limited were still certainly redeeming enough to warrant the climb. The burnt out sections were a bit of a bummer. However, I thought there were enough nice stretches of great forest and areas seemingly untouched by previous fires to keep the scenic factor pretty top notch. There are also some pretty promising signs of rebirth in some of the burnt out areas to keep one positive about the future of this area.
2016-04-23 friendofThundergod
Mormon Ridge Trail #269
Turkey Creek Chiricahuas
Born and Raised in AZ and growing up, I did not get a chance to see much of AZ...Saw the White Mountains once, the Mogollon Rim a few times, how to get to and from the Bass Fishing Reservoirs many times and got to know the Drive to Orange County, CA via Wickenburg annually....I left AZ when I was 21 and moved to MN for 14 years. When I got back, I worked for an ADOT Subcontractor and since I was doing the Field Work, the State of Arizona opened up for me, via the State Highways...
Approximately 12 years ago, I worked a 10 Mile Project in Sunizona and saw that area of the State for the first time...The Dragoons intrigued and the Chiricahuas looked temptingly close since our Project started pretty much at the turnoff with Hwy 191. A few of the Weeks I was down there, I worked alone, so a couple of those days, I had the luxury of doing a couple of "Scenic" Drives after I was done working...I went to the Monument once and drove around it a little, seeing as much as I could before Dark...Before I even did that Drive, I went straight off 181 onto Turkey Creek Road and followed it all the way to the End...There was a Trail at the End and I actually Hiked the Trail for awhile before turning around due to darkness...
I have not been back to the Chiricahuas since then, but I always thought that I would like to return...
This was the Trip. After Whitewater Draw, I went to Sunsites to borrow an Inverter from a Friend so I could still run my Camera. I had pretty much come to the realization that 3 Camera Batteries on this Trip was ridiculously inadequate.
After a nice visit, I took off to retrace the Drive from my Past...Since it was a Friday, I hesitated to do the Monument, both for possible lack of Campsites and just the thought that it might be pretty crowded over the Weekend. So I made the Decision to go to Turkey Creek again. It was a good call. Although there seemed to be only one decent "dispersed" Camping Spot along the Creek and it was being taken up by several RV's, I found that the Sycamore Campground was completely empty, so I decided to Camp there. The area has changed quite a bit since I was first there 12 Years ago...Only one other Vehicle pulled in that Night so it stayed very nice and quiet. I timed this Trip nicely. Turkey Creek had a nice Flow....After settling in a bit, I decided to just go up the Creek a ways and check it out...I went about 1 1/2 Miles RT, taking the Road back...
My Friend had warned me that the Weather was supposed to turn bad by Saturday, but Friday night was ok and I didn't get the Wind that was expected. The next morning, it was looking like the Weather was building pretty good, but after actually cooking a nice Breakfast, I decided to go for a Hike anyway...I didn't have any Trail Maps, but had noted some "TH" Markers at certain points along the Road with one of them being downstream from me, so I headed Downstream. I got to a "TH" and tried to make Heads or Tails out of what the "Signs" were trying to tell me, but since I had not researched any of this, it wasn't making much sense. I noticed that another Creek was joining Turkey Creek just Downstream, so I decided to follow it up a ways as well. Looking at it now, it was Saulsbury Canyon. I then doubled back to the TH trying to follow a Trail that I found, but it kept disappearing. This must have been Saulsbury Trail, but judging by how hard it is to follow, it's been awhile since it's been maintained...No matter, I would then just follow the Creek again. I wanted to get some Elevation today so I jumped on the one Trail that seemed evident. This turned out to be Mormon Ridge Trail and it climbed out of the Creekbed right away and stayed nice. I jumped off the Trail at one Point and went up to Peak 6789 to see the Scenery on the other side of the Ridge...I didn't stay there long as the Skies continued to get Darker and Darker and I could see Flashes and hear Thunder in the Distance. I went a little further up the Trail and around that Peak and then decided to turn around and head for the Barn before I got really caught in the Storm. When I got back to the TH, I tried to follow what is supposed to be the Mormon Canyon Trail, but again, couldn't follow it very well as it kept disappearing, so I finally jumped on the Road and walked back to the Campground. The Weather was still dark, but it wasn't Raining yet, so I grabbed my Tripod and another Camera and headed to a Spot on the Creek just downstream from the Campground and grabbed a few more Shots. The Clouds cleared for about two seconds and then it really was starting to Rain, so I spent the rest of the Day in Camp with the Tarp up. It got pretty cold up there...
The next morning I packed up Camp and headed back to Sunsites before beginning my Road Meander back to Safford.
It was a good Trip in here...I didn't get a lot of Hiking in, but I became much more familiar with the area and will return to do some more...And next time, I'll have Maps... Not sure about Hiking up to the big Ridgelines though, they were looking pretty fried from the Horseshoe 2 Fire still. But, it might be worth a Trip for the Summer Wildflowers.
Approximately 12 years ago, I worked a 10 Mile Project in Sunizona and saw that area of the State for the first time...The Dragoons intrigued and the Chiricahuas looked temptingly close since our Project started pretty much at the turnoff with Hwy 191. A few of the Weeks I was down there, I worked alone, so a couple of those days, I had the luxury of doing a couple of "Scenic" Drives after I was done working...I went to the Monument once and drove around it a little, seeing as much as I could before Dark...Before I even did that Drive, I went straight off 181 onto Turkey Creek Road and followed it all the way to the End...There was a Trail at the End and I actually Hiked the Trail for awhile before turning around due to darkness...
I have not been back to the Chiricahuas since then, but I always thought that I would like to return...
This was the Trip. After Whitewater Draw, I went to Sunsites to borrow an Inverter from a Friend so I could still run my Camera. I had pretty much come to the realization that 3 Camera Batteries on this Trip was ridiculously inadequate.
After a nice visit, I took off to retrace the Drive from my Past...Since it was a Friday, I hesitated to do the Monument, both for possible lack of Campsites and just the thought that it might be pretty crowded over the Weekend. So I made the Decision to go to Turkey Creek again. It was a good call. Although there seemed to be only one decent "dispersed" Camping Spot along the Creek and it was being taken up by several RV's, I found that the Sycamore Campground was completely empty, so I decided to Camp there. The area has changed quite a bit since I was first there 12 Years ago...Only one other Vehicle pulled in that Night so it stayed very nice and quiet. I timed this Trip nicely. Turkey Creek had a nice Flow....After settling in a bit, I decided to just go up the Creek a ways and check it out...I went about 1 1/2 Miles RT, taking the Road back...
My Friend had warned me that the Weather was supposed to turn bad by Saturday, but Friday night was ok and I didn't get the Wind that was expected. The next morning, it was looking like the Weather was building pretty good, but after actually cooking a nice Breakfast, I decided to go for a Hike anyway...I didn't have any Trail Maps, but had noted some "TH" Markers at certain points along the Road with one of them being downstream from me, so I headed Downstream. I got to a "TH" and tried to make Heads or Tails out of what the "Signs" were trying to tell me, but since I had not researched any of this, it wasn't making much sense. I noticed that another Creek was joining Turkey Creek just Downstream, so I decided to follow it up a ways as well. Looking at it now, it was Saulsbury Canyon. I then doubled back to the TH trying to follow a Trail that I found, but it kept disappearing. This must have been Saulsbury Trail, but judging by how hard it is to follow, it's been awhile since it's been maintained...No matter, I would then just follow the Creek again. I wanted to get some Elevation today so I jumped on the one Trail that seemed evident. This turned out to be Mormon Ridge Trail and it climbed out of the Creekbed right away and stayed nice. I jumped off the Trail at one Point and went up to Peak 6789 to see the Scenery on the other side of the Ridge...I didn't stay there long as the Skies continued to get Darker and Darker and I could see Flashes and hear Thunder in the Distance. I went a little further up the Trail and around that Peak and then decided to turn around and head for the Barn before I got really caught in the Storm. When I got back to the TH, I tried to follow what is supposed to be the Mormon Canyon Trail, but again, couldn't follow it very well as it kept disappearing, so I finally jumped on the Road and walked back to the Campground. The Weather was still dark, but it wasn't Raining yet, so I grabbed my Tripod and another Camera and headed to a Spot on the Creek just downstream from the Campground and grabbed a few more Shots. The Clouds cleared for about two seconds and then it really was starting to Rain, so I spent the rest of the Day in Camp with the Tarp up. It got pretty cold up there...
The next morning I packed up Camp and headed back to Sunsites before beginning my Road Meander back to Safford.
It was a good Trip in here...I didn't get a lot of Hiking in, but I became much more familiar with the area and will return to do some more...And next time, I'll have Maps...
Not sure about Hiking up to the big Ridgelines though, they were looking pretty fried from the Horseshoe 2 Fire still. But, it might be worth a Trip for the Summer Wildflowers. 2014-03-07 outdoor_lover
