Grant Creek Trail or other Blue Range ideas

[big_load]

I'm probably going to have a day and maybe another half early next week and haven't visited this area yet. I was thinking of following the upper part of Grant Creek from Hannagan TH (maybe camping there the night before) and looping around near Moonshine Park on either the unnumbered trail the Paradise Trail (with a little connection on the Steeple Mesa Trail). Any thoughts on this? I'd consider other hikes in the area, as long as I can reach the TH in a rental car.

[Grasshopper]

@big_load
There are 3 major Wilderness Areas to hike East or West off Hwy#191 between Alpine, AZ, and South to the Hannagan Meadow area: the Escudilla Wilderness (Alpine area), the Blue Range Wilderness and Primitive Area (Hannagan Meadow-East of Hwy#191) and the Bear Wallow Wilderness (Hannagan Meadow-WEST of Hwy#191).

In the Bear Wallow Wilderness I recommend the Bear Wallow Wilderness Trail #63 (a winner ).. http://hikearizona.com/decoder.php?ZTN=1262 and connecting trails. I do believe you can get a rental car up the Bear Wallow main access road. Review the triplog details for this TR#63 hike for various opinions,etc..

[haggster]

KP trail is a good one. There would probably be less people camping at KP Cienega. There are 2 ways to access it. You could park at a small lot off the east side of the Coronado Trail, or you could drive down to the KP Cienega campground. With all the hikes that take you into the Blue, there are a number of them that you could combine for loop hikes.

[big_load]

@Grasshopper
Thanks! How about camping near the TH? The trail itself doesn't look promising in that regard, but that little saddle across FR25 from the TH might be OK.

[azbackpackr]

Don't go down Grant Creek drainage it will take you all day. There is no trail and it is full of deadfall. Instead take 326 trailhead right by highway about 3 miles NW of Hannagan Meadow Lodge, to P-bar mudhole "lake" and turn right just past the lake onto Trail 75, then to cutover trail #306 dropping down into Grant Creek that way. Easy to go to Paradise Park and moonshine park from there, although neither one is much to write home about. Grant Creek is really pretty, though, by the cabin. You need Blue Range from forest service. It is by far the best map. ALL trails ARE numbered. For this hike take 326 to 75 which is the Paradise park trail, or drop down the cutover trail number 306 to Grant Creek. Nice campsite right where 306 gets to Grant Creek, by the old cabin there.

I am guiding backpack on WS loop, Lanphier Largo Canyons, Bear Mtn and Telephone Ridge June 11-13. It is kind of full, though. That area is down in the Blue, east side of Blue River.

Lower Fish Creek Trail to Black River is much nicer than Bear Wallow Wilderness. Or you can access Upper Fish Creek just south of the Lodge, and drop down, but it is 12 miles to the Black River from there.

I plan to do KP Creek later this summer as a backpack, but have not hiked the whole thing yet. It will be on ABC.

[Grasshopper]

How about camping near the TH? The trail itself doesn't look promising in that regard

You mean car camping near the TH? (the TH is right next to the access road, so little to no privacy and maybe dusty-noisy). What do you mean by "the trail itself doesn't look promising in that regard"? (if you mean for car camping, then you are correct. If you mean for backpacking, then that is what this trail is most used for.. suppose to be some of those elusive Apache Trout in that Bear Wallow Creek that runs along the trail bottom of TR63 If it were me, I would be camping at the free, first come-first serve Forest Service Campground right next to the Hannagan Meadow Lodge (which is where I stayed for a long week in June'07 and has nice shaded campsites, approved for drinking running water, and a decent pit toilet). From this campground you can drive to the TH's in Bear Wallow off FR25 in ~30 minutes or less.. Be sure to read gpsjoe's triplog for TR#63, I believe he suggests you hike down to the creek via a different access trail/TH and not use Bear Wallow #63.. due to downfall trees but this was in Sept'08 and not recent, but you will have to expect downfall trees on all these wilderness areas/trails.

[azbackpackr]

They have worked those trails since 2008. They were very bad that year because there was no crew. If you want me to, I will call Myron, the crew chief, to ask him if any trails are really bad right now. I need to call him again anyway to ask him something else.

Another access to Fish Creek Trail is right out the back of that campground Grasshopper was talking about, but that is the upper part of it. The lower part of it is accessed off of FR 24 and then FR 83-83A.

Another nice place to car camp would be KP Campground. I can't remember if it is free, but I think it is free before Memorial Day. The KP trail starts right there.

[haggster]

Lower Fish Creek Trail to Black River is much nicer than Bear Wallow Wilderness.

Lower Fish Creek is a real easy 5 mile hike to the Black River. There are nice camping spots at the confluence of the Black if you are backpacking.

[big_load]

The lower part of it is accessed off of FR 24 and then FR 83-83A.

How are those on rental car? The trail description suggests high clearance for the last half mile, which I don't mind walking if there's a place to pull off.

You need Blue Range from forest service. It is by far the best map.

Yep, I've got that one right here. Been saving it for a good opportunity.

Be sure to read gpsjoe's triplog for TR#63, I believe he suggests you hike down to the creek via a different access trail/TH and not use Bear Wallow #63.. due to downfall trees but this was in Sept'08 and not recent, but you will have to expect downfall trees on all these wilderness areas/trails.

I checked that out and downloaded his track

What do you mean by "the trail itself doesn't look promising in that regard"?

It looked kind of narrow and a bit steep for tent sites, but I'll check better maps now that I'm home.

[Grasshopper]

Grasshopper wrote:What do you mean by "the trail itself doesn't look promising in that regard"?


It looked kind of narrow and a bit steep for tent sites, but I'll check better maps now that I'm home.

You are probably correct, mostly too steep a downhill for a backpack camp. I believe most backpackers hiking on TR#63 camp along the creek areas along the trail.

[big_load]

I believe most backpackers hiking on TR#63 camp along the creek areas along the trail.

There looks like a few good sites near creek junctions.

Fish Creek from Hannagan Meadow looks convenient, although the numerous wet crossings clash with my footwear plans. The 326-to-Grant Creek idea sounds OK. I need to look some more at KP. I really wish I had the whole week, I think I could have some real fun.

[Grasshopper]

I think I could have some real fun.

Kind-of fun like the Grand Canyon hikes--> ALWAYS going downhill first, then having to hike back uphill to finish

[azbackpackr]

First of all, I have never gotten wet crossing Fish Creek. You have been on the East Coast too long...!

Secondly, the upper part of Fish Creek as accessed from Hannagan is nice, but crosses road FR 24, and then you have to walk along FR 24 to the right to find it again, and that is tricky. Watch for a hidden sign. I saw a bear right there one time, took a photo of it. It didn't see me for the longest time, was browsing in the creekside plants. I was above, on FR 24's berm, and the wind was just right, so it didn't smell me!

Thirdly, regarding access to Lower Fish Creek via 83: the A-S standard Forest Service map is inaccurate. There is about a 5-mile section by Lost Lake along Bear Creek that has been rerouted, so that now, what you see on the map that says 83 in that area is actually 24. (The closed section along Bear Creek is now a trail.) So therefore, the trailhead access off 83 A is shorter than it used to be from 24. I have driven it in a car before, but it was dicey. But it shouldn't be too far a walk off 24 as I recall. Haven't walked it, we just drove in. We never used a 4WD vehicle, though.

Another really nice hike that no one has mentioned is hiking to the Black River via FR 24 (good gravel road) and accessing it via the very short Bear Creek Trail. On your FS map it probably isn't shown, but there is a big trailhead parking for it. On the standard FS map, you can see where FR 83 and FR 24 used to join, just west of the junction of FR 26 and FR 24, the Sprucedale Rd. (This is before the rerouting, but the map has not been updated.) Near that spot, a bit to the west of that spot, is where Bear Creek crosses FR 24. You can start hiking at the small bridge, or drive a short distance to the west and you will see a dirt road leading to the trailhead. At the trailhead there may no longer be any signs, but there is still probably a kiosk. Lots of parking, and you can camp there, too. Big flat area. It is only about a mile to the Black River from there. Once you are at the river, you can walk upstream and down for some distance without having to actually cross the river. Downstream is best, it is a beautiful hike indeed. (At the Alpine RD there is a map of the Bear Creek Trail/Mainstem Black River.) This is also easily seen on upper left corner of topo map Hannagan Meadow, 1997, but then you need topo Hoodoo Knoll, 1997, to complete the view. The Bear Creek Trail is actually shown on my topo maps. Also, the re-routing of FR24 onto the old FR 83 is shown correctly.

However, oddly enough, the 83A access road (on Hoodoo Knoll map) to Lower Fish Creek, is NOT shown on my topo map, although the trail is on there. I see I have drawn it onto the map. Again, Alpine RD has trail maps.

Now that I have learned to upload routes, I will start putting some up this summer. Not sure if I will be working or just hiking...

[azbackpackr]

I was looking over some of my old posts, and realized I never posted photos for the Black River Wade backpack in July '08, so here is the write-up with photos, this was accessed via Bear Creek Trail #66:
http://hikearizona.com/photoset.php?ID=11176

I will enter photos from my Grant Creek backpack, June of '08, later today.