HikeArizona.COM

By popular demand... or something like that.

September 12-14th, 2014
Santa Maria Mountains
Prescott National Forest - Camp Wood area

Never heard of it? Isn't that half the fun?

This event posting is just for the car-camping social gathering. Participants are free to arrange their own hikes (or not). There are numerous possibilities. Short trails. Longer trails. Connecting routes. Possible loops. Hyde Mountain lookout. Off-trail options. Apache Creek Wilderness. And more. There are even a lot of 4wd roads if you are into that. Some area hikes can be found on this map http://hikearizona.com/map.php?QX=3535 Other options are available.

Driving Directions:
Beginning at Cordes Junction / AZ69 and I-17
Travel AZ69 north for 20.75 miles.
Turn right onto Fain Road. [It's the 4th traffic light in Dewey ... before you get to Prescott Valley. Sign indicates "To AZ89, I-40, Chino Valley, Prescott Airport".]
Travel 18.4 miles to T intersection. [Fain Road turns into Pioneer Parkway and is a divided highway much of the way.]
Turn right onto Williamson Valley Road.
Travel 19.5 miles on Williamson Valley Road. Watch your speed. This road is very well patrolled.
Turn left onto Camp Wood Road (dirt).
Travel 15.4 miles on Camp Wood Rd. [The first 5-6 miles is smooth. The road condition deteriorates as the miles go on.]
Turn right onto FR95. The sign for "Merritt Spring" across the street is bigger and brighter than the sign for FR95.
Travel 0.4 miles on FR95 to and turn left into FR95C. HAZFest site is 200 yards up the road. FR95 is a rough dirt road and caution is required when driving.
Map with downloadable GPS tracks here> http://hikearizona.com/map.php?QX=3553
You may find this location using Google Maps by searching "County Road 68 & Forest Service 95 Rd, Prescott, Arizona 86305"
The site is now 1mile short (west) of the marked location at the end of the GPS track. A reflective "camp chumley" sign marks the turn at FR95 and 95C.

I have made this trip in under 2.5 hours from Tempe.
60 min from Tempe to Cordes Junction
20 min from I-17 to Fain Road
20 min from Fain Road to Williamson Valley Rd
20 min from Williamson Valley Rd to Camp Wood Rd
30 min from Camp Wood Rd to HAZFest (This portion WILL take others much longer. I drive fast on dirt roads).

If you are coming from the west valley it may be shorter to go through Wickenburg. From Flagstaff it's quicker to take I-40 west to Ash Fork, and then south on AZ89

This area is popular with hunters, but deer and bear hunts close on September 11 so I don't anticipate seeing a lot hunting activity.

While there is currently some water flowing in creeks and streams in this area, I expect that by next month, things will dry out somewhat.
The elevation is about 5700 feet, and while weather can't be determined at this time, the normal/average for mid-September is 80-85° for daytime highs, and 40-45° for night time lows. Or what people like me call "absolutely perfect!"

Everybody is welcome. There are no restrictions.
But, please respect fellow attendees. I wouldn't personally bring children since we tend to stay up late and make a bit of noise. Dogs are welcomed as long as you can control them and they don't bother people or other dogs. Common sense things.

Disclaimer:
Nothing is provided. This is dispersed camping in the middle of a national forest. There are no restrooms, no water, nothing. Bring what you need. You are responsible for yourself. Bring your own food, shelter, etc. You are responsible for taking your own trash back home with you. There is no trash service here. Access is via a 15-mile dirt road that is sedan accessible. High clearance is preferred, but not necessary, especially if you are accustomed to driving your vehicle on forest roads. If this isn't something you normally do, proceed at your own risk. I take no responsibility for your vehicle, the drive, or anything that happens to you or your property while getting to/from, or at HAZfest. You are on your own.

A fire will be built, maintained, and safely extinguished. Everything else is up to you.

I hope to see you there!

Please post comments or questions in this thread, or PM me directly and I will gladly respond.

BobP wrote: if you see a bonfire you've arrrived

Actually when you see this campfire you may still be five miles from the campsite!

Looks like it will be a nice weekend out there. Highs around 82, Lows around 55. Just a slight chance of an afternoon shower.

This monsoon has been fantastic in the Santa Maria Mountains, with radar estimates putting more than 2" of rain again in the past week. This has been going on for over a month now!

Two hiking options for HAZFest attendees to consider:

1. Hyde Mountain. This is a 4.4 mile out-n-back with great views from a historic fire lookout. (2.2 miles to the peak, 1500 feet gained)
A little lasso-loop around the mountain can be made by using the 7 Up Trail and the Grapevine Springs trail for a total of 5.3 miles.
http://hikearizona.com/map.php?MY=8364&M=3

2. Apache Creek shuttle. This is a 10-mile one-way hike through the heart of the Apache Creek Wilderness along picturesque Apache Creek. It starts with 3 miles of jeep-road hiking before hitting the wilderness single-track. It ends at the north end of the wilderness and requires a 20-30 minute shuttle back to camp on a good quality dirt road. Can also be arranged as as key swap if enough people want to do it.
http://hikearizona.com/map.php?MY=8365&M=3

I'll add a couple more later...

chumley wrote: Can also be arranged as as key swap if enough people want to do it.

HAZFest isn't one of those kind of events is it? Thought key swaps went out of favor by the early 80's.

3. Shivers-Stinson-Cutoff figure-8. This is an 8.5 mile figure-8 that features three named trails and about 1200 feet of aeg. It begins with a 0.75 mile stretch hiking on Camp Wood Road. As far as I know, nobody on HAZ has hiked any of these trails, but from driving past them a few weeks ago, the terrain looked nice, with ponderosa in the higher elevations and scrub in the lower elevations, plus a few creek crossings and shaded oak scrub in the drainages.
http://hikearizona.com/map.php?MY=8368&M=3

Oh, this is this Friday. So, soon. Perhaps a Fall HAZ-fest should be held, lose organization, at best?

@Jim_H
Why? You wouldn't go anyway.

@chumley
You can't prove that.

Besides, this one fell on a day I am working. I'm off for 4 or 5 days at the end of the month, and 3 days mid-month. I expect, at this time, to head to Flag both times, to take advantage of the expected dry fall weather, and visit the Peaks.


But, depending on where the event was held, I probably wouldn't go.

@Jim_H
Well thanks for telling us you are not coming and would not have came anyways along with your work schedule for the rest of the month ;)

all essential pieces of formation for us planning on going this weekend... :roll:

I see you have gone to the AZbackpacker school of posting ;)

Also, it didn't rain in Williams today.

IF i can make it.. does anyone want to share a corny keg of my homebrewed Citra IPA? (corny keg is roughly 5 gallons)

Do we have to finish it? I like some beer variety over the course of a weekend, and even assuming a few of the "interested" people end up coming, that's over 50 beers. I know you can handle 25 over two days ... but I'm pretty sure Tibber is just a 2-beer girl. :FG:

te-wa wrote:IF i can make it.. does anyone want to share a corny keg of my homebrewed Citra IPA? (corny keg is roughly 5 gallons)

I'm usually up for a beer or three...

@friendofThundergod
You're missing a punctuation there. I am not going to say where, but somewhere in there, it is incorrect.

chumley wrote:but I'm pretty sure Tibber is just a 2-beer girl.

correctomundo. I have been wanting a chocolate stout beer for a few months but my store never carries one that gets my attn. Went to Trader Joe's and found one but it's like a beer and a half in one. Usually I can depend on nonot to help me finish it off...
but I always like trying new beer

te-wa wrote:does anyone want to share a corny keg of my homebrewed Citra IPA?

keeping in mind my two beer quota ;) . However, I am sure there are others to make up for it.

Just got back from stocking up at Total Wine. IPA's and Cider should do it for me.

@tibber

I have been wanting a chocolate stout beer for a few months

that may be up my alley, I think I like milk stouts if my memory serves me correctly..

However, I will probably end up just playing it "safe" this weekend and stick with H20..;)

da 'brew is tasting really good. another week, it would be perfect. for now, it's under force carbing and will be ready to go come saturday at lunch. i'll try to leave right after work at 2 from far north phoenix.

bring proper glassware...

friendofThundergod wrote:I think I like milk stouts if my memory serves me correctly..

Perhaps you like them well enough that it doesn't.

ok I'm bringing a bag of marshmallows for the adult version of smores: http://50campfires.com/kahlua-roasted-m ... low-shots/ So gather your marshmallow sticks and your favorite booze and give this a shot ;) . (I will have some kahlua and creme de almond, oh and butterscotch schnapps).

no huckleberry taffy this year but I will have huck jelly beans and I actually made some huck brownies.

drive carefully.