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Stehr Lake

Posted: Sep 12 2006 8:54 am
by JoelHazelton
I've been trying to make it to every rope swing I could find in Arizona lately, and after googling Arizona rope swing in the image search, I found a picture of one at Stehr Lake. I was just wondering where Stehr Lake was. I seem to feel like it is connected to fossil creek somehow, but I'm not sure. I guess that's about it... Or I guess if anyone has any suggestions of pretty fun rope swings I would also appreciate. So far out of the ones I've been to (3 at fossil creek, west clear creek and mooney falls), the one at fossil creek off of the tree stump takes the cake. Thanks for your help!

Re: Stehr Lake

Posted: Sep 12 2006 9:31 am
by ankaa
In response to azpride's reply:

Stehr Lake is connected to Fossil Creek, in a way. The creek actually flows through the canyon east of and about 500 feet below the lake. The flume that carries the water from upstream near the Fossil Springs, empties into and creates Stehr Lake. I think it's there to create enough pressure to push the water up and over Ike's Backbone before it reaches Childs Power Plant (is that still there?). If you've been to the swings on Fossil Creek, you've been fairly close to Stehr Lake (at least in the same general area). If you know where the Childs power plant is (was?), Stehr Lake is off to the left of the road just before you climb up Ike's Saddle (the last climb on the road before you drop down to the Verde River). I don't know if there's a swing there, but keep us posted.

Re: Stehr Lake

Posted: Sep 12 2006 10:02 am
by Al_HikesAZ
In response to azpride's reply:
Great directions from Ankaa, but sometimes a picture is worth a thousand words.

Go to the Fossil Springs Hike description in HAZ. On the right side under the "AREA MAPPING" box locate and click on the Dynamic Topo. Pan to the Southwest or follow Fossil Creek to the southwest. You will find a Gauging station and Stehr Lake. You can then zoom in or out, change view from topo to any of Google's other choices, or stay in topo and print the map. Have fun. :GB:

East of the power lines, NE from Ike Saddle. The Yavapai County/Gila County Border is marked just a little ENE of Stehr lake. NE from the Childs Power Plant.

Posted: Sep 12 2006 10:43 am
by azbackpackr
At one time there were rope swings in Sabino Canyon about 1/4 mile or so above Sabino Dam (right about where the Chinese girl drowned), and at the upper pool at Romero Pools, both in the Catalinas. Both areas have been subject to catastrophic fire and flood since the last time I visited them, however, so they may have changed a great deal.

Posted: Sep 13 2006 6:03 pm
by Filterman
I don't think Stehr Lake is a lake anymore. Both of the power plants up there were shut down and there is no water flowing in the flumes. I have gone to the hot springs near there and the lake can be seen from the road on the left and it looked pretty dried up.

Posted: Sep 13 2006 6:13 pm
by ankaa
In response to Filterman's reply:

Good point. I hadn't even thought of that. No power plants, no need for the water in the flumes or the lake. Were the plants dismantled, or are they still there? I would think they would be considered historic places.

Posted: Sep 16 2006 7:19 am
by Filterman
The plants are still there, the Irving plant is still occupied but Childs is shut down and some of the buildings have been removed. I don't know for sure if the lake is dried up but it did look that way.

Posted: Sep 18 2006 11:03 am
by JoelHazelton
I have a friend that said he went to shoot the flume a couple weeks ago. I was a little confused because I thought there was no more water going through the flume anymore, but he said there was water and it was fun. doesn't the flume shoot you into stehr lake or somewhere around that?