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| Moody Point Ruins via Leisure Trailhead, AZ | |
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| | Moody Point Ruins via Leisure Trailhead, AZ | | | |
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Moody Point Ruins via Leisure Trailhead, AZ
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| Hiking | 8.41 Miles |
2,863 AEG |
| | Hiking | 8.41 Miles | 8 Hrs 21 Mns | | 1.36 mph |
| 2,863 ft AEG | 2 Hrs 10 Mns Break | | | |
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| Partners |
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[ show ]
| partners | | Our schedules finally lined up for another hike, and I met @ishamod at 4AM and headed for the Sierra Anchas to visit another cliff dwelling site that had been on my list for a few years. We parked at a small unsigned pullout at Leisure Trailhead just after sunrise, and I zoomed in and could see the ruins at the base of the cliff. Moody Point Trail was mostly easy to follow at first, with occasional brushy pockets on the way to Cherry Creek. We couldn't find a crossing with enough rocks to stay dry, so we waded across near the fence line near Flying H Ranch...that was a chilly wakeup on a morning in the mid-30s.
On the far side, we crawled under another fence, passed through a gate, and picked up the trail again as it started the climb toward the cliffs. After a few faint spots down low, it quickly became easier to follow as we gained elevation, marked with large cairns and surprisingly free of brush. We passed some interesting formations in an open area before another steep climb through a fire-damaged area, with the ruins in view most of the way. I hadn't seen any triplogs for the lower/eastern side of Moody Point Trail since @jacobemerick visited the ruins in 2020, so I was pleased to find it so open.
The route leveled off in a grassy meadow as we turned south, then approached the ruins from the southeast up a short but very steep hill. We spent a long time up there relaxing and exploring the site. There are ~8 rooms; one with a tall doorway is in much better shape than any of the others. One other room had a doorway, but most of the front walls are gone, with some of the side walls still in decent shape on the smaller rooms. As always with these SA sites, it was cool to see the impressive architecture and hundreds of finger marks in the mortar and to consider all the effort it must've taken to haul water and build/live there. We didn't find a single piece of pottery, but there were quite a few corn cobs in the main room and some pieces of quid.
[ youtube video ]
After eating lunch, we started back down and cut north, staying closer to the cliffs below the ruins to check out Demeter Arch. It was another steep approach but worth the effort to stand in the large opening, and we explored around the far side before starting down again. [ youtube video ] Then it was downhill most of the way back, with another cold crossing at Cherry Creek before returning to Leisure TH.
Fun day, and this was certainly one of the easier Sierra Ancha ruins sites to access--a lot more trail and less brush than so many of the other sites, and none of the talus slopes, scrambling, or other usual obstacles...it reminded me of Coon Creek with some elevation. Plus it's a relatively short hike at ~4 miles from trailhead to the dwellings, with the destination and the starting point in view most of the way. Though the fire damage detracted from the scenery on the hike in/out, that also contributed to the lack of brush, and the views overlooking Cherry Creek from the cliffs were impressive. We didn't see anyone all day, and hopefully we'll be back to check out Nordhoff-Hope before the summer heat. |
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Leisure Canyon |
Dry |
Dry |
| | | Dry at the parking area for Leisure TH, and no water along Moody Point Trail until Chery Creek, which had a moderate flow | | | |
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