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Planning on my semi-annual garden trip during the heat and wet of the monsoon season. The Garden is usually green green green if we get a good monsoon season, unlike how most people see it. TH will be either Deer Creek or Power's Hill ( the original wagon road built by the Powers') depending on vehicles and time. If you're interested come on along. This will be an easy overnighter, with hopefully some exploration included. I plan on carcamping near the TH Fri nite and an early Sat start to beat the heat ( and the storms). Plan on getting wet and take some bug dope.

I've yet to see this area te-wa deems gods country so hopefully I can make it. Will Brian be making an appearance?

Eh, who knows. He's promised me he'll take a trip in there sometime. ;)

I might be ready for another day hike with backpacking gear.

Maybe you guys should start at like 3:00pm to get to camp and relax. Just kidding. From the Garden lots of old mining stuff to see, a couple of tunnels, and a shaft I wanna drop sometime. Maybe I'll bring a rope and we'll have some entertainment----

i do like powers garden, its like a more remote Reavis Ranch. but in august? id just die..

exactly, that's where I wanna die

well shoot, Letty. Looks like i may be in S. San Juans, CO at that time. But, i may return to the Galehr-ohs (big load) on my annual November trip.

joe bartels wrote:I've yet to see this area te-wa deems gods country so hopefully I can make it.

It's about time! I may be out in August, but probably not until the following week, or else I'd sign up. I've got a lot more exploring yet to do down there.

te-wa wrote:But, i may return to the Galehr-ohs (big load) on my annual November trip.

That still could happen. I have too many good choices to pick from.

Wish I could join you, never made it there.

Me too. I think that's the weekend I am going to be in Telluride. Choices, choices!

Looks like I will be going in at Power's HIll. I will be driving in Fri with Brian and Charlie ( dog) and probably camping on Rattlesnake Mesa. We might try to make the 1.5-2 miles to the actual TH but do not drive off the mesa top unless you have a MODIFIED 4wd vehicle. HC 2wd should be fine to top of the mesa. Please refer to maps and other sources. This road is not marked. After you turn off the road coming toward Aravaipa Klondyke from out of Safford, you "T" into the western approach to Aravaipa. Go not more that 2-3 miles as I can remember and look for a road turning to your left right before a cattleguard. There will be a ranch house across the road and a mailbox on your side. There will be small signs announcing right of way courtesy of Az Game and Fish. Cross Aravaipa creek which may be dry or running a little. Come to a sign in area almost in the ranchers back yard. Please sign in and take a tag to place on your vehicle while crossing ranch land. The road climbs up here to the ridgeline. It is steep in areas and narrow, pay attention. It roller coasters some and you get great views of the Pinalenos and Santa Teresas. Continue past water tanks, corrals etc. Rattlesnake Mesa has no real shade and the road gets rough at the end near some basalt type rock outcrops. Used to be a sign here but not last time. The road gets a lot worse coming off the other side and has some moderately difficult sections. People have broken axles back here, leaf springs etc. It's not that far to the real TH and the drop into Rattlesnake Canyon. This canyon is very beautiful and may have pools or running water depending on storms. From the true TH it is only 4 miles to the Garden. You will intersect Pipestem canyon in a riparian area of willows, just make a left.

In case of access issues or heavy rain ( rancher requests you not drive in this way if very wet as road ruts up badly initial approach) then I will default to Deer Creek, south of the Klondyke Aravaipa intersection and marked. It is a scenic drive although I think a little longer into that access point. About 7.5 miles to the Garden that way and more ups and downs. Easy trail to follow now.

I'm bringing my Shoot Out at Dawn book. If we get enough people maybe we can reconstruct the gun battle at the old Power cabin.

I'll update as it gets closer.

With no ride out of the valley it looks like I'm out on this one
Which undoubtedly means it will be the hike of a lifetime with red ribbon sunsets. (Blue didn't sound right so I looked it up and red ribbons are 1st place in Schulhauser land) Probably for the best since I'm not much of an actor for the gun battle. Though according to many my singing is top notch if it's a musical.

I still want to go but that ends up being a kid weekend...sweetie I signed us up for survival school...by the time you're twelve you'll be wrestling bears.

joe bartels wrote:Though according to many my singing is top notch if it's a musical.

@hikeaz
Don't believe him....
A foot note taken from my trip last Saturday w/ Joe

"When Joe sings it sounds good in his head. Most of the Artists on the radio did not know the words to their own songs."

I'm not so sure that I'd want to be known as a good singer if it was just musicals, even if it was in my own mind. Not that there's anything WRONG with musicals or anything, Joe... if that's what you like.
I'm thinkin' that Joe just has more experience singing musical numbers is all.

@hikeaz
That dude on the left with his foot on the table. is a dead ringer for Joe!
He is pretty light in his...um...er...hiking shoes
I believe I've seen him hike in that outfit also.....
Not that there is anything wrong with that?

@coanbru