| | -
| 1 label |  |
|
|
-
| 1 label |  |
|
|
-
| 2 labels |  |
|
|
-
| 1 label |  |
|
|
-
| 1 label |  |
|
|
-
| 1 label |  |
|
|
-
-
| 1 label |  |
|
|
-
| 1 label |  |
|
|
-
| 1 label |  |
|
|
-
| 1 label |  |
|
|
-
|
| | |
|
| Hiking | 14.00 Miles |
3,000 AEG |
| | Hiking | 14.00 Miles | 8 Hrs | | 2.00 mph |
| 3,000 ft AEG | 1 Hour Break | | | |
|
|
| |
| Linked |
|
none
[ show ]
| no linked trail guides |
| Partners |
|
none
[ show ]
| no partners | | The mission was to hike to the Shady Dell of the western Bradshaw Mountains.
This is a little corner of the world that I know quite well, so it became a trip down memory lane, a carefree hike with a light pack; the burden of brass, lead, and steel left behind; a time to reminisce of better days.
Horse Mountain and the surrounding area have a rich heritage that dates back to the 1800's. Once bustling with activity, there are numerous abandoned mines and ghost towns; it is a place where nearly every creek, mountain, and holler has a name; the people and circumstances long since forgotten.
A few years back, my dad and I hiked across Cellar Basin and planted a couple of fruit trees. I decided to pay them a visit along this backwoods trek to the Shady Dell, hopeful that the trees had prospered and bore fruit.
I spent the better part of the morning inspecting my mining claims and all appeared in good order. There is little reason to fret over claim jumpers here, since my claims are as barren of gold as is hair upon my head. However, there is a thief living somewhere in those hills, a varmint who broke into the Z Triangle Ranch tack sheds, who pilfered my claims, stealing the bulk of my mining equipment. For him, frontier justice will be swift.
The route was fairly easy, taking a grassy ridgeline much of the distance, and then walking Blind Indian Creek on my return leg. The only hiccup was a thick stand of Manzanita that impeded my progress at mile 6, but it was minor league stuff, delaying me no more than an hour or so.
The washes around here are places to avoid, as they contain the thickest, most tangled mat of vegetation you will ever see. For some reason, the summer flash floods are not big enough to clear the washes; one is better off to employ a frontal assault when confronting the hedge.
I arrived at the Shady Dell just as the afternoon sun broke through the clouds, which allowed a few good pics before the winter gloom came back in force. Nestled among huge oaks are two adobe dwellings that appear to be of 1920's vintage. It also has a hand dug well that is still functional, lacking only a rope and dip bucket. The best access is from a trail off the Senator Highway, an easy hike of about a mile, the trail name I know not.
The fruit trees did not fare well: one had long since died, and the other is just barely hanging on, beaten down, and broken. It had long suffered from the ravages of both deer and insects, defoliated and stripped, its roots wasted by beetle grubs. The tree is too weak to bear fruit, yet too tough to die; it endures, ready to be reborn with the coming of spring. A helping hand is on its way, as Dad would have expected no less. |
  |
Willow Spring |
Quart per minute |
Quart per minute |
| | | Drys out in the summer. | | _____________________
| | comments disabled by a moderator | |
|
|
|
|
|
| |
Route Editor
Route Scout
