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| Cottonwood Trail 247-247A Loop, AZ | |
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| | Cottonwood Trail 247-247A Loop, AZ | | | |
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Cottonwood Trail 247-247A Loop, AZ
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| Hiking | 8.24 Miles |
1,120 AEG |
| | Hiking | 8.24 Miles | | | |
| 1,120 ft AEG | | 12 LBS Pack | | |
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| no partners | | This hike, as well as our Cottonwood Springs hike posted on 2/13/19 were exploratory and conditioning hikes towards the goal of eventually going up on top of Skull Mesa to check out the views and ruins. We've been to the gate at the 248 junction and it is only 1.1 miles up to the mesa from that point but alas, we are geezers and need to work up to it a couple of times!
We did this as a counter-clockwise loop which starts in earnest just north of the SCRCA in the Tonto National Forest. Parking was at the main Spur Cross lot. After starting out eastbound on 247A we took the un-named but cairned shortcut north to Cottonwood Trail 247. A screenshot of the route will be in the photoset. As mentioned in a previous log this shortcut was posted by several HAZ members and our thanks go out to you folks for the coordinates and route. Instead of heading east at the junction we opted to head west towards Cave Creek and the Skull Mesa and Trail 4 trailhead. This was our first time on this section of 247 and the scenery was fantastic.
After approx. 1 1/2 miles,(I forgot to mark the exact spot) on 247 westbound we came to a spring with a concrete box. This water source was not on any of the three maps we had with us. I'm sure someone knows the name of it and will answer with a reply in this log or photoset. Excellent water flow at this no-name spring but the cement box was filled with dirt and was bone dry. The water was flowing from 50 yards farther up the wash. We used the box as a chair to eat our lunch and take a break. I spied a vague damp spot at the corner of the box and proceeded to dig around with a sharp stick. Inquiring minds... I soon uncovered the end of a pipe clogged with dirt. After removing some dirt, water started to drip out. I found the perfect dead Hackberry branch and used it and it's thorns to pull out all the matted roots and assorted junk from a full 3 feet up the pipe. After some belching sounds (from the pipe), water came pouring out and it soon overflowed the remaining room in the box and went down stream. I'm not volunteering, but it would be a good idea to dig that box out and return it to being a water source for the horsemen and fauna in the area.
After lunch we made it down to the creek to soak our feet and then headed south following the creek back to the parking area. Is it just me or is that section of 48 southbound from the Mariposa Hill turnoff to the lot getting longer and longer???  Every time I return this way (no matter the length of the hike) it turns into some sort of Bataan Death March. There is something about that section of road that causes one of my upper-left quad muscles to stop firing completely. Time to find a specific exercise I suppose. |
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| "If you wait, all that happens is you get older" |
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