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| Hiking | 7.60 Miles |
801 AEG |
| | Hiking | 7.60 Miles | 3 Hrs 38 Mns | | 2.19 mph |
| 801 ft AEG | 10 Mns Break | 20 LBS Pack | | |
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| partners | | The first time we visited Bushnell Tanks in April 2013 was the one-and-only time I had taken photos of the various tanks, so now being well over a dozen years it was high time for a return trip to document the changes.
Sunny, mid-60's and a varying breeze the day provided pleasant conditions for a hike. The only downer for me was a bit of hip pain on inclines, whether aggravated by humidity or cool temps, who knows, but other than when my focus/attention was elsewhere, it was a constant companion.
Whatever, we're out here to enjoy the day with some documentation thrown in, so let's get to it!
We had a few relatively easy water crossings along FR #22, near one we met two bow-hunters... they were pleasant enough for returning empty-handed.
The 16-or-so sheep-watering troughs (tanks) are in various states of disrepair, some will never hold water, others could if water was still piped in, and a few not only receive piped in water but actually hold water. I had always wondered why there so many tanks, when no livestock STAYED in the vicinity for any length of time.
And as it turns out, back-in-the-day (after ~140 years the last drive was in 2011) the 2,000 or so sheep on the bi-annual Heber-Reno sheep drive (Queen Creek/South Mesa/Dobson Ranch to Heber) were only allowed by law to stay overnight so as not to pass on or receive diseases from/to the bighorn sheep in the area. Since the sheep could go some time/distance without water, Bushnell Tanks gave them a chance to get their fill for the next part of the drive.
As for the main large tank, it doesn't appear any water makes it in due to broken pipes, so most likely it was dry. Although I was able to climb up a tree next to the tank back in 2013 and find the tank completely dry, on this occasion the was no safe means to climb the wall high enough to confirm the lack of water.
However, since a number of the water tanks were still receiving water, we decided to follow the large black plastic water pipe Eastward to locate its source. Within 1/8-mile we encountered a circular plastic tank with water, but it was teed off from the large pipe so we continued to follow it. While there had been part of a road and/or cattle track winding its way along, there was plenty of thorny vegetation to detour around. Eventually, noting the pipe was roughly following along a fence line (new since the 2020 Bush Fire) which appeared to reach a corner possible a half mile away, we called it quits and headed back.
On the return trip I had a thought of making a beeline to visit the Iris grove (which we have almost every time out this way since we first gathered bulbs in 2013... bulbs still growing strong in our back yard) which may have shortened the hike a half-mile instead of continuing to the junction with FR 524. But again, tons of thorny vegetation put a quick stop to that idea. In the end, we skipped the extra jaunt to the Irises, and stopped by a flat rock to enjoy our PB&J lunch.
While the previous "shoe-tree" at the Bushnell Tanks TH had been removed some time back, just as we were about to leave we were sad to see the beginnings of its sequel, so being only two pair, I saw to it they were disposed properly.
(Passing by on the highway a week later I noticed another pair had already appeared... have we no respect for our environment?) |
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