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| Hardscrabble Mesa Loop, AZ | | -
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| | Hardscrabble Mesa Loop, AZ | | | |
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Hardscrabble Mesa Loop, AZ
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| Hiking | 12.50 Miles |
2,122 AEG |
| | Hiking | 12.50 Miles | 8 Hrs 11 Mns | | 1.76 mph |
| 2,122 ft AEG | 1 Hour 6 Mns Break | | | |
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| no partners | | I planned a loop up by Payson to an area I'd been once before. I didn't find much on that previous trip to Cane Springs Mountain but I knew there are "signs of the ancients" on the mesas and drainages above the East Verde River. Names like Hieroglyphic Canyon and Indian Spring are dead giveaways. But with no specific knowledge or satellite clues I expected to get some exercise with nice temperatures but maybe nothing more.
From the Twin Buttes road block I followed the old (but faint) road down Road Ridge. At one point I just happened to notice some pottery pieces along the trail. I walked around enough to see the "scatter" was extensive so I started looking more systematically thinking there must be a ruin near by. I found one spot with a small mound and arranged rocks that probably was a room or two but nothing commensurate with all the pottery around. The highlight was finding an arrowhead.
I continued down the ridge and crossed the creek in Hieroglyphic Canyon before the big drop. This took me to a lookout point where I found some more pottery, a couple bedrock metates, a low stacked wall, and some faint petroglyphs. It looked interesting to continue to a more isolated high point jutting into the canyon but I skipped it as too much work.
Staying high on the mesa edge I continued east and had to cross a creek drainage that was rough but not deep. I decided to follow it down toward the cliff edge and was lucky to find a nice pool (quite a convenience to the ancient inhabitants I imagine) that was decorated with several petroglyphs - mainly faded unfortunately.
I walked the mesa edge south and east and got some nice views down Greenhorn Canyon. I headed back up Bull Tank Mesa and found some more petroglyphs at the best rocky lookout there.
From there I just continued back through the sea of junipers. I came across occasional concentrations of flaked black rock and broken pottery and one particularly lucky find: a small natural alcove with a flat dirt floor surrounded by 4 bedrock metates and several more just to the side. There was another natural high walled trench next to the main one. Clearly these had some use to the inhabitants and probably there was a larger habitation site nearby but I didn't see it.
I found a lot more stuff than I expected... |
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