Holder Tank Loop, AZ

Overview
There's almost no shade on this hike, and 70% of it is in sand, so it is a good bit harder than the distance and AEG would make it otherwise appear. The main objectives of the hike are the extensive facilities at Holder Tank/corral and the USLM mark.


Hike
Proceed through the Orofino Windmill corral, up a sandy wash for 0.65 miles to a jeep trail intersection. Right is back towards FR 72. Left is the return leg of the loop. Go straight ahead.You will pass through an area of severe erosion just after the intersection, arriving at a barbwire fence at 1.1 miles. Hop it, following the jeep trail on the other side. At 1.3 miles, you will arrive at Homestead Tank, which had water when I was there, the only depression tank on the loop which did.

The following two and a half miles to Holder Tank are sandy wash walking. The wash is wide, shallow, and has a lot of brush. The brush is easily avoided. The most efficient way to hike the wash is to look for the dry watercourse or cow tracks and follow those.

At 3.8 miles, you will arrive at Holder Tank, which consists of a windmill, a three-sided metal shelter that apparently is protecting a bush, a dry depression tank, a 1000+ gallon metal cylinder tank (like you would see on a truck), a pair of dry rectangular cement tanks, and a round metal tank with water ... and a bajillion bees. Across a meadow of Mojave prickly poppy, there is a redneck stonehenge and the corral.

Proceed through the corral's two metal gates, aiming for a saddle between two nearby hills. At 4.4 miles, there will be an intersection; the left will take you more quickly back to the trailhead while staying right will keep you on track. The wash between the two hills has a small foot trail, so you are better off on that than walking in more sand. After the caliche outcropping, you will see a small hill ahead. That is where the "mine" is. Skip the mine.

Instead, turn up a small draw on the southwest slope of Hill 4690, climbing to the top of the hill at 5.5 miles. You can see all the way from Peeples Valley to Wilhoit. A few feet down the north slope is the USLM. Continue down the north slope, past the grave / old marker (not sure what it is) to the obvious jeep trail.

When you hit the jeep trail, turn west for a few hundred yards to the intersection. This is where you would be if you turned left at 4.4 miles. Turn right. At 7.1 miles you will hit a gated barbwire fence. The gate is one of those deals where a loop of barbwire holds it shut. Try not to get tetanus opening it. Riggle Tank (dry) is just past the fence. At 8.0 miles, there will be another intersection; turn northwest up the slight rise -- which, oddly enough, is this loop's high point. From there, it is downhill to the four-way intersection at 8.7 miles, then a right turn and a half-mile back to Orofino Windmill.

Reception
1-bar, with these exceptions:
Riggle Tank: 2-bar
Hill 4690: 3-bar

2013-08-12 kingsnake