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| MALPAI and Wild Burro Mesa, AZ | |
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| | MALPAI and Wild Burro Mesa, AZ | | | |
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MALPAI and Wild Burro Mesa, AZ
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| Hiking | 7.94 Miles |
1,659 AEG |
| | Hiking | 7.94 Miles | 6 Hrs 25 Mns | | 2.07 mph |
| 1,659 ft AEG | 2 Hrs 35 Mns Break | | | |
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| no partners | | Wild Burro Mesa is west of I-17 and just east of the Agua Fria River, before the river flows into Lake Pleasant to the southwest.
Background:
Surveyors monumented Malpai Triangulation Station atop Wild Burro Mesa in 1924, and the main reason for the benchmark location was the Maricopa/Yavapai county border survey of 1924.
Surveyors placed many benchmarks along and near the county border to assist in determining where the county line should be located.
In this area the county border, coming from the east, hits the middle of the Aqua Fria River, just north of Wild Burro Mesa, then the river acts as the county border, going south into what is now the middle of Pleasant Lake. From there the county border goes off to the west northwest again.
Malpai benchmark was set two years before the first dam construction was begun for Lake Pleasant. There are a couple benchmarks (and at least one border frustum) at the bottom of Lake Pleasant. I’ll take a ‘pass’ on locating those.
Trivia - The designer of the original dam was a guy named Carl Pleasant, and initially the lake (actually reservoir) and the dam were both named after Mr Pleasant. Later, the dam (and the newer, present dam) had a name change to Waddell Dam, but the ‘Lake’ retained the designer’s name. The original dam is still in place, but way under water most of the time.
The hike:
I used ‘Sweat Spring’ as my trailhead. It’s still an active spring, with a windmill pumping out water and a small corral with water troughs and tanks. Cattle must love it there.
I hiked west, through a saddle, bordered on one side by Sweat Peak to the south and Peak 2673 to the north. The Malpai Azimuth Mark was set on a table, just north of the saddle, and I located the azimuth mark first, on my way to the mesa. The surveyors’ datasheet gave excellent info as to its location.
This whole area appears to be the world center for cholla, especially Buckhorn Cholla. It’s all over the place, including the top of Wild Burro Mesa. Luckily, I was able to avoid all of them except one.
The one that got me snuck up on me from behind, when I wasn’t looking and ‘danced’ all over my left arm. At least the blood matched my red shirt.
Once atop the mesa, locating Malpai Benchmark was easy, as was locating it’s two reference marks. From the benchmark high point, I hiked the higher west ridge to the north, then went east and dropped off the mesa and made a loop back to my Sweat Spring trailhead.
This mesa has great views, mostly to the south and west, with Lake Pleasant and the river as the highlights.
Two surprises on the hike - A family of javelinas scattered in all directions (except mine), while I hiked north. They can really move.
Surprise #2 - I found a half dozen boulders on the north section of the mesa ridge decorated with petroglyphs. The artists had a great view of the Agua Fria River 1,500 Ft below, while they were doing their artwork. |
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Not All Those Who Wander Are Lost
J.R.R.TOLKIEN |
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