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| Hiking | 10.39 Miles |
552 AEG |
| | Hiking | 10.39 Miles | 3 Hrs 38 Mns | | 2.86 mph |
| 552 ft AEG | | | | |
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| no partners | | Tonto NF is closed. Luckily, I had a Plan B: Explore Milk Ranch Point, at the top of the Mogollon Rim, in the Coconino National Forest. I didn’t have a route loaded in my GPS, so I figured I would just wing it.
I basically walked south along Milk Ranch Point Rd. for almost four miles. FR 218 is in better shape than Rim Rd. / FR 300 usually is. (Though Rim Rd. is currently in the best shape I've ever seen.) FR 218 is easily SUV-able as far as I walked it, and even cars would have no problem if it’s dry and they mind their speed.
The views above West Webber Creek are SPECTACULAR. 
There are informal car camping spots all along Milk Ranch Point Rd., mostly on the east canyon side of the road. But there were a lot fewer fifth wheel RVs than at formal campgrounds, such as nearby Kehl Spring. I think I got passed by two vehicles all day, and they were driving reasonable speeds, not channelling their inner Sebastian Loeb. 
Although nowhere near urban levels of garbage, there was more trash than I expected given the low population density along Milk Ranch Point Rd.: Plenty of discarded beer cans, tins of mystery meat, and even rain-bleached toilet paper. But don’t let that dissuade you from a visit!
A ½ mile south of the corral is the prairie known as Dickenson Flat. In the middle of the prairie, I saw some white rocks arranged in some sort of design. Crossing the muddy, elk-poo strewn, flat I found that the rocks spelled “PPA” and “PHX  75”, with the arrow pointing southwest … towards Sun City. Obviously, some sort of old aerial navigation aid, but whoever followed the arrow would have faced a long, hot, thirsty 18-mile hike across then virgin desert to 1930s Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport. Missed it by that much. 
A ⅓ of a mile south of West Webber Trail #228, Milk Ranch Point Rd. intersects several forest roads and a trail marked by nothing more than a generic white hiker on brown background sign. (Which turns out to be Donahue Trail #27, down to the town of Pine.) It had started sprinkling 30 minutes before, and by the time I got to the intersection it was raining pretty hard, so I bailed. A few minutes later it stopped raining. 
On the way back to the FR 218A trailhead, I did about 2½ miles of mostly very easy off trail hiking. No views, but I wanted to confirm that the interior of Milk Ranch Point was as obstacle free as it appeared from the road.
Hard to believe I hiked over 10 miles, especially given my knees still being achy after last week’s adventure. Next time I explore Milk Ranch Point, I’ll do it from a forward trailhead, probably at the top of West Webber Trail #228, so I can spend more time off trail and still get to enjoy the mesa’s expansive southern views.
Hike Video: https://vimeo.com/467152247 |
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Wildflowers Observation None
Three flowers is more than none, but less than "isolated". If there are flowers on Milk Ranch Point, July is the wrong time for year for them. |
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| http://prestonm.com : Everyone's enjoyment of the outdoors is different and should be equally honored. |
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