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| Hiking | 9.02 Miles |
3,360 AEG |
| | Hiking | 9.02 Miles | 7 Hrs 55 Mns | | 1.38 mph |
| 3,360 ft AEG | 1 Hour 23 Mns Break | | | |
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| no partners | | Some research told me there was a good size Hohokam ruin west of the Verde that I figured must be seldom visited. The only reference to it I could find in the "Google-verse" was a dot on a map.
I tried to get there a few weeks ago by going over Kentuck Mtn. but had the location wrong - don't trust a low res map. I studied satellite pictures and thought I spotted it near a springs which shared the ruins name (rhymes with Schmooberry). Tried an approach from the Horseshoe side but the going was too rough for me. Finally a foolproof plan: make a better approach from the west (Seven Springs Rd.) and drop down to the location.
I parked near the Bronco Trailhead and headed east up the ridge. Gentle and open it's a pleasant walk and I was happy to pass three small ruins on the way up to the "Horseshoe divide". The first two were just single rooms - the first one had some pottery. The last one, essentially at the saddle point on top, had several rooms, some pottery pieces, and would have been good lookout both east and west.
The drop down the far side was steep and loose and a little worse than expected. I ended up on a nice flattish plain north of the creek and found a fair amount of pottery and a small ruin there. Unfortunately my target on the other side of the creek was a dud - nothing there - so much for foolproof.
I decided to head back to the flat plain and look a bit before climbing back out. I found another ruin area with several rooms - whether these sites combine to represent Schmooberry Springs "Village" I do not know.
The climb out toward Maverick Butte was tough. I continued on to the top but upon reaching the summit I was attacked by bees. Sheesh....I had a good 5min. battle which only ended when I scrambled quite a ways down the scree, all the time swinging my hat at the swarm around my head. I got in a good couple hundred blows (to my head). Anyway no chance to check for a register, no summit pictures, and I donate my old sunglasses to the top of Maverick Butte.
I continued with my plan to head a bit north and come back to Seven Springs Rd. using the next ridge heading west. This one was (much) rockier and more overgrown than the one I went up.
Interesting loop in interesting country (sublime and ridiculous). Disappointed that I didn't find a big seldom seen ruin but I'm crossing this one off the list. |
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