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| no partners | | The last thing on my to do list Saturday before heading home was to spend some time wandering around up by the ranch/meadow. There were some things I found many years ago that I hadn't seen in recent years on visits there. So I took a little extra time and successfully located what I was looking for (the clothesline/telephone line near the old well and the place where the Peterson's may have dumped their trash). 
I went in on the Abbey's Way Trail as usual, but before I reached the meadow, I cut up through the woods and brush in the area that corresponds to Middle Fork drainage, before emerging into the southern portion of the meadow not far from where the old barn was. The drainage passes near the well by the former house, then heads uphill through the tangle of trees and brush toward its start point below the saddle north of Aztec Peak (this is somewhat visible in satellite view). There frequently is a boggy, muddy area where the Abbey Way Trail crosses the spot, just before you reach the lower end of the meadow on the current trail alignment. From there it appears to empty into the South Fork, very close to the confluence with North Fork. It appears that most of the water in this branch derives from the seeps and springs that are present at Peterson Ranch.
One of the things I find interesting is that the dashed line on present day topos representing the Abbey Way Trail doesn't correspond to the present day alignment in the beginning section (from TH at FR487 to about where it reaches the 7000 foot contour a bit north of the old site of the house). I believe the dashed line represents where an old road went to the ranch ( we know the Peterson's had a vehicle in later years there). It could also be that it represents a prior trail alignment, perhaps changed following the Coon Fire. Personally, I think the first choice is more likely.
One of the reasons I think it corresponds to an old road to Peterson Ranch is that in 1970 when we were tasked to check the calibration of the weighing rain gauge in Peterson Meadow, we drove up to the edge of the meadow in the government vehicle. I remember it being a fairly short walk to the weather station. (By the way, the little black square symbol on present day maps is the location of that old weather station). Many years later in the 1980's I tried to find that place again, but couldn't remember how to get there. I saw the old road cut branching off FR 487, where the weir is on the North Fork (the 151 road to Baker Mountain), and followed that. I didn't cross the creek and head up toward Baker, but continued on along the south side of the stream for awhile, thinking it would head to the meadow, but it didn't. Came close, but didn't find it! Next time I tried was in 1999, and again didn't find it. Finally in 2000, after the Coon Fire I got there by way of Abbey Way Trail. So, I am pretty sure that drive in back in 1970 was along a road that was where the dashed line is. Still kicking myself for not finding it in 1987! ](https://hikearizona.com/dex2/images/smilies/eusa_wall.gif "Brick wall")
After looking around the ranch area I bushwhacked over to the North Fork of Workman Creek to see if I could find the old dump site. I followed an ancient track, which was evident, then not so much so, for awhile upstream and found a place that sort of looked familiar. Sure enough, this was where I had seen bottles, broken dishes, old cans, etc. years before. I was quite happy to have found it again, but there was a lot less there than before. This spot isn't too far from the meadow, so to me it was either the Peterson's garbage dump OR where the Forest Service dumped debris from when they tore the house/cabin down. I didn't continue on past this spot upstream this trip, but in the past I did find another old elevated rain gauge stand further up. That leads me to think some of these old tracks were from the early days of hydrometeorological research here (1930's vintage).
At this point I was done with my mission, so headed back to the truck and departed the special (to me) Sierra Ancha Mountains!
Next time up there I might make a new discovery. Fun stuff!  |
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