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| Hiking | 6.00 Miles |
644 AEG |
| | Hiking | 6.00 Miles | 6 Hrs | | 1.00 mph |
| 644 ft AEG | | | | |
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| no partners | | I recently received a copy of Dr. Rich Lange's new book "Echoes in the Canyon - The Archeology of the Sierra Ancha".
Link
One of the more intriguing cliff dwellings described is the "Nordhoff-Hope Site V:1:170" located in the upper Coon Creek drainage. Although the exact location is not disclosed, there are photos and detailed site maps. The text also mentions that;
"The Nordhoff-Hope Site is at a relatively low elevation in the Coon Creek drainage. It is on the east side of Coon Creek, in a cliff with typical southern exposure. At least 20 rooms and spaces are mostly contiguous along the base of the cliff. The site has a commanding view down Coon Creek and over toward the Coon Creek Butte area. One can easily see the cliff area where Hermatite House ruins is located downstream."
With this basic information we scoured topo maps of the upper Coon Creek drainage and discovered Coon Spring Trail 124 within the Sierra Ancha Wilderness Area that joins FR189 (located off the Young Highway SR288) to FR203A (located off Cherry Creek Road FR203).
Wendy, Mike, Clark, Fabian, and I met early Saturday morning at a local Starbucks. We pooled into 2 vehicles and headed towards the Young Highway. FR189 is unmarked just beyond a hairpin curve on one of the major switch-backs along SR288. FR189 was remarkably well maintained without any washouts! This made for a pleasant adventure to the Oak Creek Trail Head.
From the west TH, we hiked down to Coon Spring. Multiple corrals and camp fire rings are located at Coon Spring. Spring water is piped into water troughs (caution - very foul smell).
We headed south down Coon Creek, boulder hopping all the way until we tracked a side drainage on the east side. We made a hellish scramble up the slope through hackberry and manzanita on an intermittent game trail. We tracked along the cliff band for about a mile without any luck locating the cliff dwelling...
Oh well, it's the thrill of the hunt. Stay tuned, we'll be back soon! Hopefully we'll have enough info to post a HAZ hike description...
http://www.fs.fed.us/r3/tonto/wilderness/sierra_Ancha/Sierra_A.htm
PS. I'd appreciate hearing from anyone that has been to the Nordhoff-Hope Site. |
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Route Editor
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