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| Hiking | 11.56 Miles |
623 AEG |
| | Hiking | 11.56 Miles | 4 Hrs 39 Mns | | 2.49 mph |
| 623 ft AEG | | | | |
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| no partners | | I have ongoing projects day hiking / biking the Chesapeake & Ohio Canal, Black Canyon Trail and Maricopa Trail. Of course, that is not keeping me busy enough, so I figured I would add the General Crook Trail to my plate. 
I started hiking out the back of the Old Cherry Rd. pullout, in a small wash. Really, more of a break in the very dense brush. In ⅓ mile, the trail crosses the road. But the trail on the other side is blocked by a barbed wire fence. Seeing no gate, I walked down the road 100 yds. to a cattle guard, turned right along the fenceline for 100 yds., then picked up the trail again. 
In ¼ mile, the trail dumps back onto the road, which I followed through a cluster of small ranches. Just on the east side of the ranches, after just over a mile, was the signed start of General Crook Trail #64. My recommendation is start here.
The next ⅔ mile down to the old stage stop on Ash Creek was the highlight of the day. The creek had 1-2″ of trickling water, there was a large stone corral, a foundation with a scattering of period nails, and some truly massive trees. Hiking to the stage stop would be a fun short hike for oldsters and families with small children.
General Crook Trail turns east, ascends a small hill, then bends south. It starts out as foot trail, gradually transitioning into old jeep trail by the time it reaches the old wood & wire corral at AZ-169 after 3⅓ total miles.
While taking photos, I noticed some fire ants milling around, but I figured three feet distance was enough. It wasn’t. One stung me on my neck. I could feel numbness for the next hour. 
After a short walk on FR 9604K, the trail splits left. Vegetation gradually decreases as the trail heads east from FR 9604K. Shade is basically non-existent. There is erosion in the trail surface, but it is otherwise mostly obstacle free. However, it does disappear in some areas that have cheatgrass or even riparian vegetation. Other than a yellowjacket-infested puddle in Racetrack Wash, I never saw water after Ash Creek.
A little over halfway into my hike, at five miles, the trail crosses a quality dirt road at Hackberry Wash. There is a foundation and a spring box painted “John 3:16-17”. This would make a good turn around point from either direction, but my always helpful wife was shuttle driving, so I continued.
At six miles, the trail apparently has a junction with Black Canyon Trail. It has a fiberglass post marked to that effect, but my information is that the BCT runs from Orme Rd. to FR 9604F. Puzzling. 
After crossing Sour Water Wash, the trail turns into jeep trail for ¼ to the Gray Wolf Regional Landfill fence. On a small hill to the left is a solar array. The landfill is off limits, so I turned right, finding a “T64” marker a few yards later. I followed that catclaw-riddled foot trail down to Racetrack Wash.
From the 1915 spring box, I followed the landfill fence east for an easy, but trailless, ⅔ mile. I turned north when the fence did, continuing along the fenceline. After ⅓ mile across a small playa, I turned east, resuming General Crook Trail. There were cairns, and trail tape, and they didn’t always agree. It was a trudge to the FR 9604F trailhead.
Hiking Video: https://vimeo.com/748481497 |
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Wildflowers Observation Light
My wife said she didn't see anything, but I found lots! Rusby’s globemallow, silverleaf nightshade, plenty of dense blackfoot daisy clusters, common sunflower, Stansbury’s cliffrose, Trans-Pecos morning glory, some kind of buckwheat, fair number of southwestern mock vervain, sacred datura, dense goldenrod clusters, plus several others. |
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| http://prestonm.com : Everyone's enjoyment of the outdoors is different and should be equally honored. |
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