Sears Trail #90 • Hike • Arizona • All Triplogs • HikeArizona.COM

Phoenix, AZ

Hiking		Jan 14 2024
		John10s • Triplogs 346

Hiking	20.45 Miles	2,755 AEG

Hiking	20.45 Miles	9 Hrs 43 Mns	2.44 mph
	2,755 ft AEG	1 Hour 21 Mns Break

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[ checklist ] Davenport Peak Davenport Wash Horseshoe Dam Horseshoe Reservoir K A Ranch Mazatzal Peak Mazatzal Wilderness Mount Catherine 7358ft - Mazatzal Saddle Mountain 6,535, Mazatzal Sheep Mountain Peak 6996 Sunset Mountain Verde River

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TboneKathy

Route Recorded on Route Scout | Pop | Map | Popup | MapDEX

We parked near Horseshoe Dam and started out for Davenport Peak a little after 7AM with the temperature hovering right around freezing. We crossed the walkway under the dam and took a look at at the reservoir before starting the easy walk along FR 479...hiking roads often doesn't make for the most exciting hiking, but there are a lot of nice saguaro forests near KA Ranch and beyond, and we spotted a crested saguaro in there. The geology in the cliffs on the south side of the ranch was interesting, too, with cool spires.

Sears Trailhead isn't much more than a bullet-riddled sign with a small area to pull off the road, and we connected with FR 477 just beyond the sign and then followed the cairns that mark the route on the south side of Davenport Wash. The brush wasn't too bad, though I pulled the clippers out in a few spots, and the GPS came in handy when navigating that area, particularly with Joe's route downloaded with multiple "cairn" waypoints (thank you!

). After about a mile of following the winding cairn path, we passed an extremely tall saguaro, and the trail became more defined again as it climbed up between some nice limestone cliffs.

The trail remained easy to follow for a few miles, and a few deer crossed ahead of us. The route became a little less obvious again as we approached the unnamed springs ~8.5 miles in. TBoneKathy waited in that area while I took off for Davenport Peak, which was visible for most of the hike. The off-trail route approaching the S/SE side of the peak wasn't too bad--the brush was sparse enough that dodging it was usually easy.

The approach to the peak looked more challenging from a distance, but less so as I started up the southeast side, and there was enough solid rock that traction was good. But the last quarter mile was very steep and required scrambling up the rocks to reach the south end of the ridge, then it flattened out again on top, with great 360° views. There was a dusting of snow on the other Mazatzal Peaks to the east, and a little on the peaks to the west beyond Horseshoe Reservoir.

[ youtube video ]

Based on the register, the peak doesn't get many visitors--the last entry was from Joe/Eagle/LindaAnn/BiFrost in Feb 2022. Of the ten entries in the notebook that dated back to 2013, eight were from HAZ members (the four above plus chumley, mazatzal, ASUAviator, and BobP in 2014)...so an average of about one visitor per year. I added my name, took some pictures, and started back down, passing two very small patches of snow on the ridge. Once I was back on the trail, I rejoined TboneKathy, who'd noticed an usual protrusion on a cliff wall near her waiting point that resembled a wasp nest but was solidified and rock-hard. We weren't sure if it was geological, biological, or something else...guesses are welcome: [ photo ] .

The hike out was straightforward, and we didn't see anyone until two bikers passed us FR 479 less than a mile from the dam, then we saw more people around the river and in the parking lot. We'd never started any hikes from Horseshoe or visited the western Mazatzals before but will hopefully return soon. Before heading out, we drove around to check out the area and look at routes up toward some of the other peaks around Horseshoe. Overall, it was a great day and very comfortable once it warmed up.

Flora

Flora [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Saguaro Saguaro - Crested

Culture

Culture [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Graffiti Summit Register Log

Named place

Named place [ checklist ]

Horseshoe Reservoir

51-75% full

	Sears Unnamed Spr 3	Dripping	Dripping
	Moisture in the creek bed near the spring

1 archive

Feb 05 2022

BiFrost

Guides 4
Routes 491
Photos 10,890
Triplogs 1,257

55 male

Joined Nov 20 2012
Phoenix, AZ

Phoenix, AZ

Hiking		Feb 05 2022
		BiFrost • Triplogs 1,257

Hiking	20.80 Miles	2,831 AEG

Hiking	20.80 Miles	9 Hrs 45 Mns	2.39 mph
	2,831 ft AEG	1 Hour 3 Mns Break

no routes

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	joebartels	LindaAnn
	The_Eagle

Davenport Peak in the western Mazatzal turned out to be a fun mix of trail, no trail, creek hiking and route finding. Initially we tried to float the Verde River in my 4Runner but realized the Verde is probably undefeated in that category. So we headed for the dam trailhead to start the hike.

Across the dam and onto the road hike for over 3 miles to the start of Sears Trail. This was a fun mix of old road and hunting for cairns along with trail tread. Very pretty area as we continued the approach to Davenport Peak. Eventually we exited the trail and made the final approach which got steeper as we ascended. Took a short break about ¾ of the way up before the final ascent.

Perfect day for a summit with blue skies and almost zero wind. Took our lunch break on top and enjoyed the 360 views for about 30 minutes.

After lunch it was down a different way with the objective being Davenport Wash. The descent was quite steep especially first 500 feet or so but gets much less steep as we followed the ridge down to the wash. Once in the wash we were treated to cool riparian scenery with plenty of flowing water for the stretch we hiked.

Bruce had marked a route out of the wash which turned out to be one of the coolest parts of the hike. It followed the wash and went through some cool Utah like rock formations that we navigated back to the Davenport Trail.

Once back on the Davenport Trail it was a beeline back to the dam road and out to the trailhead. Great hike with a little bit of everything and fun to hike with everyone again!

Wildflowers Observation Isolated

_____________________

1 archive

Feb 05 2022

joebartels

Guides 264
Routes 2,797
Photos 14,494
Triplogs 5,894

55 male

Joined Nov 20 1996

Phoenix, AZ

Hiking		Feb 05 2022
		joebartels • Triplogs 5,894

Hiking	20.03 Miles	2,861 AEG

Hiking	20.03 Miles	9 Hrs 45 Mns	2.30 mph
	2,861 ft AEG	1 Hour 2 Mns Break

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[ checklist ] Club Cabin Club Ranch Davenport Peak Indian Butte Mazatzal Peak Mazatzal Wilderness Table Mountain Thompson Peak

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	BiFrost	LindaAnn
	The_Eagle

Route Recorded on Route Scout | Pop | Map | Popup | MapDEX

A little uncertainty with where we'd start. Karl tried crossing the Verde in his 4Runner. We could just see land across the first crossing and the water seemed borderline-ish at about a half foot above the lower door. The second wasn't looking good so we abanded plan-A and hiked across the dam. The added 6.8 miles RT is an easy road walk.

Dam to Sears 0 to 3.4 mi
It was wicked Siberian cold to start. With no wind, layered up and perhaps low humidity, it seemed pretty nice at a moving pace. Road miles ticked off quickly and it was good to have Linda & Karl in the mix.

Sears 3.4 to 8.65 mi
Cairned well but you have to constantly hunt 'em to sorta stay on track the lowest 1.75 miles, then it gets better. Unnamed Sprs on topo 4.25 miles up #90, then Spr at 4.65 mi had a slow clear trickle in the creek.

Off-trail to Davenport Peak 8.65 mi to 10.0 mi
When we got to our turn-off for Davenport Peak @ 2,920 ft, Karl and I followed @mazatzal's 2014 track up while Bruce and Linda started up slightly differently. We stopped to wait for them at a 3,200 bench. That lasted about ten seconds before they magically appeared within a stone's throw. We took a break at 3,440 to mentally prepare for the 4,010-peak in the next 0.3-mile... up.

Davenport Peak Mom, apple pie, etc
The nicest weather day and lunch I recall since Oct. 360-degree smorgasbord of views. One blooming brittlebush. No internet.

Peak to Davenport Wash 10.0 to 11.5 mi
Going... DowN! Barely in my range. Three-point-contact twists and two butt scoot-slides got the immediate 400 ft drop outta the way. Then it's easier but slow through hidden cactus mines, catclaw, loose rock, and such. I fell once as most did today.

Crick to Davenport Trail 11.5 to 13.4 mi
Davenport Wash is a treat in this section. Clear light flow, huge cottonwoods, cliff cut edges dotted with lots of Saguaros. From the wash up to the trail was my concern pre-hike planning. It resembles a mini version of Papago Buttes terrain in swiss cheese fashion. No issues.

Back to Square One 13.4 to 20 mi
Got a little warm dressed like an Eskimo. A couple of quick razor-type quads.

Synopsis
Definitely wear pants and a long sleeve shirt for the catclaw and twists through brushy spots. Linda had helpful suggestions along the way(no clue why I took this note... lol) and was excited about bonus-AEG opportunities. Good to hear the famous Karl kackle after almost two years. Four absolute opposites, what a group. I'm honored any would tag along with this pimple on a flea for twenty miles... lol

Culture

Culture [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] HAZ Gear Throwing a Wendy

Named place

Named place [ checklist ]

Wildflowers Observation Isolated
one sprig of blue onions along lower Davenport

	Andrea Spring	Gallon + per minute	Gallon + per minute
	creek is flowing well and clear

	Sears Unnamed Spr 3	Quart per minute	Quart per minute
	A little better flow than the two Sprs grouped nearby. Felt like the true source.

	Sears Unnamed Sprs 1 + 2	Dripping	Dripping
	Very slow trickle didn't seem quite like a quart per minute... Lol

_____________________

- joe

Feb 05 2022

The_Eagle

Guides 41
Routes 1,626
Photos 14,983
Triplogs 2,760

69 male

Joined Jan 20 2009
Far NE Phoenix,

Phoenix, AZ

Hiking		Feb 05 2022
		The_Eagle • Triplogs 2,760

Hiking	20.80 Miles	2,831 AEG

Hiking	20.80 Miles	9 Hrs 45 Mns		2.39 mph
	2,831 ft AEG	1 Hour 3 Mns Break	14 LBS Pack

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	BiFrost	joebartels
	LindaAnn

Route Recorded on Route Scout | Pop | Map | Popup | MapDEX

Joe and I did a longer loop out here 8 years ago that took in the Ridge benchmark and Frustrum #30. During the hike Davenport Peak stood out as an interesting destination.

We attempted to cross the Verde to cut out 7 miles of road walking. In Karl's 4runner, we made it through the 18"-24" deep first crossing without incident, but the 2nd crossing had a flow that was too strong to attempt. So we retreated to the Dam.

Linda, Karl, Joe and I started out in a brisk windless (finally) morning. The road walk went quickly with the banter and catching up with Linda and Karl.

On the Sears Trail Joe and I attempted to follow the cairned path that stayed out of the wash. Linda and Karl smartly just followed the wash. I tangled with a few Christmas Cholla that I am still paying for today.

Our cairns took us back to the wash and Linda/Karl, where the Sears Trail started it's steady climb. The trail is pretty easy to follow going through grassy landscape and crossing a few washes with unnamed running springs.

We jumped off the trail to follow a ridge that would take us to the eastern approach to Davenport Peak. The climb went from steep, to STEEP. Nothing too tough, just slow going.

We took our lunch at noon on top of the peak to great 360 views. It was a mostly windless and very clear for extended views.
Youtube -> [ youtube video ]

Getting down the west side also had it's steep moments, but again, nothing too crazy.

We ultimately made our way down into the flowing Davenport Wash. Pretty walking, clear water, interesting geology. There was quite a bit of evidence of some high flow events here with logs tangled in spots.

We made our way out of Davenport Wash through the interesting canyon area that Joe and I had taken before. I call these the Papago-Zatals. A fun area to play in for sure.

We hopped on the Davenport Wash Trail for the trek back to the truck.

A fun time in the western Mazzy's. Great to see Karl and Linda again (and Joe).

Finally some perfect weather to hike in.

Culture

Culture [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Trail Signs and Markings

Named place

Named place [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Davenport Peak

Wildflowers Observation Isolated

	Andrea Spring	Gallon per minute	Gallon per minute
	The wash was running the entire distance we were in it. Un able to tell were the spring source was

_____________________

There is a very fine line between "hobby" and "mental illness."
Dave Barry

1 archive

Feb 05 2022

LindaAnn

Guides 110
Routes 2,246
Photos 8,982
Triplogs 2,600

45 female

Joined Dec 24 2007
Ahwatukee, AZ

Phoenix, AZ

Hiking		Feb 05 2022
		LindaAnn • Triplogs 2,600

Hiking	20.03 Miles	2,911 AEG

Hiking	20.03 Miles	9 Hrs 46 Mns	2.28 mph
	2,911 ft AEG	59 Mns Break

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	BiFrost	joebartels
	The_Eagle

Route Recorded on Route Scout | Pop | Map | Popup | MapDEX

While Davenport probably isn’t a peak I would have chosen on my own, it sounded interesting, as did the other options given, and I’m glad I was able to get this one done.

After deciding to not use Karl’s 4Runner as a boat, we parked at the dam and got started to some crisp temps. I was delighted, and considering I hadn’t brought a jacket anyway, stuck with just a light long-sleeved shirt. Warmed up within a couple of minutes.

The road walk was pretty close to flat, pretty smooth, and the first few miles flew by.

Sears Trail was initially pretty easy to follow, got a little more vague, then turned into a cairn search where Karl and I bailed down to the wash while Bruce and Joe seemed to be able to continue following cairns. The wash was easy walking and we all met back up where the wash intersected the creek. After that, we stayed on the more-defined trail and continued uphill. To me, it seemed like Davenport Peak ahead of us had not gotten any closer after all these miles, while Joe assured me it was at least twice as close as the last time I complained.

Once on the off-trail, we continued heading uphill through catclaw, prickly pear, yucca, and a bunch of other sharp vegetation. Bruce and I contoured slightly more to the west before heading up to the ridge. I managed to roll a rock out from under my foot and did a hard sit on my pumpkin, but avoided landing in a cactus. I will NOT be posting any pics of that bruise. Met up with Joe and Karl’s route after that, then we took a short break with the peak looming above.

After that, the incline got real and we made our way up to the peak. Steep, loose in places, and just up. Once on a ridge of sorts, the rocks were more stable and it was a fun scramble to the highpoint, arriving a couple of minutes before noon. Amazing views in all directions while we had lunch and enjoyed the nice weather. No names in the register since 2014.

Left the peak to the west. Initially, although very steep, the rocks were pretty stable, although Bruce tried to loosen up a couple of them. The good rock didn’t last enough and it became a slippy, slidy descent down the ridge. I semi-scooted in a few places, but managed to not fall. As the steepness lessened, the ridge curved around to the west and north. Just before reaching Davenport Wash, it got steep again, was like walking on ball bearings, and we had to detour slightly to get to the wash.

Reasonably easy walking in the wash, which had a nice light flow of water. Lots of evidence of significant flooding at some point. The wash was enjoyable but slow at times while we negotiated keeping our feet dry and the debris strewn about.

We left the wash and headed over to Bruce’s “interesting rocks”, which were kind of like a mini Papago Park. It was fun working through the maze of rocks, ridges, and gullies on the grippy surface. Neat area, with sort of a Utah or Mars feel.

Once on Davenport Wash trail it was an easy road walk back west. Lots of tall grass, but the trail/road sees plenty of traffic and the grass was flattened. Some neat views off to both sides of the trail. Once back on the original road walk, those miles went by quickly again.

Fun day, with plenty of fun conversation. Kind of nice to bookend the week with twenty mile hikes.

_____________________

Stop crying and just go do the hike.

Mar 21 2021

Routes 36
Photos 2,658
Triplogs 1,347

67 male

Joined Jul 28 2004
Scottsdale, AZ

Phoenix, AZ

Hiking		Mar 21 2021
		mazatzal • Triplogs 1,347

Hiking	8.00 Miles	2,301 AEG

Hiking	8.00 Miles
	2,301 ft AEG

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Started from the dam and walked the road to the Sears TH. Took the trail in a couple of miles and then cut across Davenport Wash to the lower part of Davenport trail. The first couple of miles of Sears is very overgrown and painful.
Saw two groups of ATVs along FR 479 and two equestrians on Davenport.

Named place

Named place [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Horseshoe Dam

Wildflowers Observation Isolated

_____________________

Apr 14 2017

jacobemerick

Guides 38
Routes 182
Photos 1,602
Triplogs 232

40 male

Joined Dec 09 2014
Gilbert, AZ

Copper Camp Loop II

Copper Camp Loop II

Phoenix, AZ

Backpack		Apr 14 2017
		jacobemerick • Triplogs 232

Backpack	33.60 Miles	5,993 AEG

Backpack	33.60 Miles	2 Days
	5,993 ft AEG

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Copper Camp Trail #87

Sheep Creek Trail #88

[ checklist ] Camp Creek @ Loading Corral Copper Camp Creek Lizard Spring Round Spring Sears TH Spring

Sheep Creek Cabin

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Short Version
This is a fantastic loop through a remote section of the Western Mazatzals. The trails are sweet, the views are big, and it almost entirely avoids the Willow/Sunflower Fire burn areas.
-------------------------------------

Long Version
Prelude
Drove up on Thursday and car camped at Horseshoe campground. Mostly quiet, road was a bit rough. Not sure if I'll be taking the minivan on 205 again until it gets graded.

479/477
Plan was to do most of this road walk in the dark, though alarm failed me and then I got confused trying to find my way to the dam from campground. Following roads is hard. So only 479 in the dark. Start of 477 was difficult to track through the wash, then a rocky, hilly ride to wilderness boundary. Tweaked my left knee early on which filled me with confidence. Brief pauses at Cholla Tank and Trail Springs to check on water situation.

Copper Camp #87
Trail starts humble enough - no formal trail sign, horse gate is overgrown w/ prickly pear, sporadic tread, and few cairns for the first mile. Plus the final drop is badly washed out. Along the creek things gets more fun. Trail criss-crosses the creek repeatedly, and it definitely pays to look for the cairns. Creek was very overgrown and forced me to a crawl repeatedly. Path will climb up along the sides of the valley (reminding me of Upper La Barge Box) and is in shockingly good shape for the most part, only a few bad overgrown patches and washouts. Water flowed in several sections, including the loading corral. Then it climbs up Squaw Flat in a punishingly exposed way.

Cairns help a lot on the climb, as the trail can be difficult to trace over the grassy/rocky slope. I made some bad water decisions and made the haul up with only two liters in the afternoon and it hurt. Once it crests near 5400' it ventures through lovely pines, where some angry yellow rattler was waiting for me, and then deadfall and route-finding after you enter the burn area. A surprise seep at the junction of Sheep Creek Trail was very appreciated. I pushed on to Squaw Flat Spring expecting to find more water there and didn't. Set up dry camp here and read for a few hours before a most exhausted sleep.

Sheep Creek #88
Woke up early and made it back to junction and that seep before sunrise. Watered up and headed up the trail, which quickly climbed out of the burn area with none of the deadfall or route-finding issues that the end of #87 had. The roller coaster was fun to do in the cold morning temps, and then it was down down down. Knee felt surprisingly good and most of the trail was broad and easy to roll down. Last few hundred feet of descent began to get a bit choked up. Creek section was fantastic, reminding me of a rocky Midwest creek with piles of leaves and soft grassy banks, and the trail criss-crossed a few times and was well-defined. Beyond the end of Cypress Ridge the desert took over from the trees and the banks became thorny and nasty.

Trail seemed harder to follow so I began switching between hopping along the rocks in the wash, connecting game trails, and hunting for cairns. Then the old fence line led right to Sheep Creek proper and my planned breakfast stop. After a too-long break I checked out Round Spring and then promptly lost the trail on the way up to the corral. Took some hunting to find the trail sign, assumed it was the junction of Sears, and started heading west a few hours before noon.

Sears #90
The first few miles of this was taxing. Trail and I played a game that I kept losing. Cairns helped, as did some glimpses of the tread, but there were no prints to speak of. Near the fulstrum I decided to check out Lizard Spring, choosing water over a cement thing, and had a terrible time descending down the hill. Bit of a path leading down but it involved a whole lot of sliding. Found plenty of water and a weird tree, so it was worth it? Climbed back up to trail and then had an easy time dropping down into the unnamed wash. Trail was clearly marked the whole way, and then the wash was easy enough to trot along. I followed some cairns where my GPS told me to exit the wash and had a very bad time. Eventually found the trail after spilling a whole lot of blood and it was stupid wide and easy, looking more like an old two-track than trail.

Trotted down past the corral and finished the drop into Davenport. Cairns took a sharp left turn at the bottom of chalk cliffs and, vaguely remembering a discussion on here about a Sears Trail re-route, I decided to follow it instead of the road. I'm not sure if this was a smart idea. Instead of what looks to be a straight half mile of road in the wash I was on a zig-zagging route with plenty of little climbs up and down washes that made for a frustrating ending. Finished the last of my water right before meeting back w/ 477, and then decided to follow cairns instead of the road in hopes of finding an actual trailhead sign for Sears. Never did. Did meet another rattler at Sears TH Spring. Oh, and that spring looks toxic.

Final few miles of road walking was not a lot of fun, especially with a few vehicles blowing dust and diesel fumes on their way to/from the ranch. Dam was pretty busy with fisherman and photogs. Considering that I hadn't seen a single person on the trails, guess it was only fair that there were crowds at the end.

Mazatzal Miles: 78.6/274 (28.7%)

Fauna

Fauna [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Western Diamondback Rattlesnake

Named place

Named place [ checklist ]

Camp Creek @ Loading Corral

Light flow

	Chalk Tank	1-25% full	1-25% full
	Dripping from under the roots.

	Copper Camp Creek	Medium flow	Medium flow
	Big pools, clear flowing water.

	Lizard Spring	Quart per minute	Quart per minute
	Good flow above and along spring.

	Round Spring	Quart per minute	Quart per minute
	Overflowing spring.

	Sears TH Spring	Dripping	Dripping
	Ugly green ponds of water.

Sheep Creek - Upper SE Fork

Light flow

Sheep Creek Seep

Quart per minute

	Squaw Flat Spring	Dry	Dry
	No sign of dampness or spring.

_____________________

2 archives

Nov 26 2016

Routes 36
Photos 2,658
Triplogs 1,347

67 male

Joined Jul 28 2004
Scottsdale, AZ

Phoenix, AZ

Hiking		Nov 26 2016
		mazatzal • Triplogs 1,347

Hiking	10.00 Miles	900 AEG

Hiking	10.00 Miles	5 Hrs 55 Mns	1.82 mph
	900 ft AEG	25 Mns Break

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Headed out to Horseshoe Dam and took the road and Sears trail out about 5 miles up Davenport Wash On the way back we cut over to the lower part of Davenport trail.

There were a lot of birds at the dam: 3 pelicans, a bunch of egrets and cormorants and a bald eagle.

The washout along 479 has been fixed and the road stays up out of the wash which has been deepened to help avoid more future washouts.

Flora

Flora [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Saguaro

_____________________

1 archive

Apr 17 2016

Routes 36
Photos 2,658
Triplogs 1,347

67 male

Joined Jul 28 2004
Scottsdale, AZ

Phoenix, AZ

Hiking		Apr 17 2016
		mazatzal • Triplogs 1,347

Hiking	11.00 Miles	980 AEG

Hiking	11.00 Miles	5 Hrs 5 Mns	2.36 mph
	980 ft AEG	25 Mns Break

no routes

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There is new construction below the dam. Looks like they built a hydroelectric power plant to supply the rest of the facilities :-k

Took Davenport out to wilderness boundary on way back we cut over to Sears for the return. The mesquites look great out here right now

the foxtails not so much :lol:

Wildflowers Observation Isolated

_____________________

Feb 20 2016

FOTG

Guides 37
Routes 556
Photos 10,872
Triplogs 1,052

43 male

Joined Jan 21 2013
AZ

Phoenix, AZ

Backpack		Feb 20 2016
		FOTG • Triplogs 1,052

Backpack	30.40 Miles	5,214 AEG

Backpack	30.40 Miles	2 Days
	5,214 ft AEG

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This little over-nighter turned out to be a hotter, drier and more rugged introduction to the west Mazatzals than I was looking for. My initial plans were an out and back to the Club Cabin area. However, on Friday I got the idea to try and incorporate the Sears Trail into my plan and make a large loop.

I did not research the loop I was going to make that much, but did download almost everyone's routes who had been in the area. I was using Outlander's posted loop route and some off trail extravaganza route of Bruce's to navigate Sears Trail. I ended up deciding to bail on doing the loop because there was just no water to be found and I was starting to lose faith in being able to find the connector trail to Davenport. But instead of turning around, I thought I would take Bruce's crosscut route he apparently made while visiting waterfalls in the area. I thought, "how bad could it be?" take his crosscut route to a the first point I can climb up onto Davenport and then head for the Club. Needless to say his route ended up not being very backpack friendly, but the water fall he marked on his GPS did end up being our saving grace.

I had given my last water to the dogs on the ridgleline coming down, because they were going on over an hour without water, it was on the blind faith that we would find some water in the upcoming canyons. I was hoping that water would be at a waterfall marked along Bruce's route. However, soon I was starting to doubt we would find any, as all the canyon bottoms within sight were dry. After finally reaching one of those dry canyon floors, we started to make our way towards the marked waterfall at the intersection of a parallel canyon. As we neared and maybe after an aloud prayer asking for some water to be there, Blanco heard the trickle and was off, right around the corner was a trickling waterfall, complete with deep pool underneath. The waterfall ended up being the start of a long stretch of continuous water anyways, but man did I fee like we found an oasis at the time. We made my way down canyon looking for the quickest possible route up to Davenport. I finally committed to the steep climb out and after about 7-8 tenths of a mile hit Davenport. The climb was rough on the dogs, but we were now on Davenport and I was still itching to make it to the Club.

I should have just called it a day and turned around there, but all the water in the canyon we climbed out of had me convinced that there must be some water still residing in the secondary washes along Davenport. This held to not be true and the dogs and I had a pretty hot dry hike up Davenport. I ended up giving the last of my water to the dogs just after four and we did not see water until about a mile before the Club Cabin area, sometime after six p.m. All the springs were dry and there was not even as much as a puddle left in any wash. The lack of water was compounded by the blazing midday sun and no shade. Seeing that my death march was now taking a toll on the pups, I said to myself, "stop camp, first available water." Dog Spring had a great site, but no water, Rock Spring bone dry and then finally I heard the trickle of water as we made our final drop before heading up canyon towards Club Cabin.

The campsite was not perfect, but was much appreciated. I never have too much trouble finding the good in a campsite out in the middle of the wilderness. Usual camp business, but with a little more sense of urgency due to the late arrival. The dogs were out after food and water. I had a small fire and was able to still grade a pretty good pile of essays. In bed relatively early, slept very well. The moon was great company.

I woke up early Sunday with aspirations of still making it to the cabin and then heading back, but I wised up. I knew the low light of an early start would serve the pups better on Davenport heading back to the TH. The hike out was much nicer than day one and made me wish I would have never tried to wrap the Sears Trail into my backpack. But I still found as much good in the trip as I could. It was nice to make it out to the western Mazzys, but the area really does not compare to some of the areas I have grown fond of on the other side of the range.

The heat and lack of water made the hike a little precarious at moments and I thought I broke poor Cup off on day one, but she woke up spry and chased rabbits with Blanco nearly up to the end.

Culture

Culture [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Cadastral Survey Marker HAZ Food

Named place

Named place [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Davenport Peak Horseshoe Dam Verde River

Dog Spring

Dry

	J M Spring	Dripping	Dripping
	No way to access spring, as its in a concrete box, but water seeping out bottom, enough for dogs to drink

Rock Spring

Dry

	Trail Springs	Quart per minute	Quart per minute
	trickle in wash with some small pools, actual cement trough in disrepair

_____________________

5 archives

Jan 11 2015

Routes 36
Photos 2,658
Triplogs 1,347

67 male

Joined Jul 28 2004
Scottsdale, AZ

Phoenix, AZ

Hiking		Jan 11 2015
		mazatzal • Triplogs 1,347

Hiking	11.00 Miles	860 AEG

Hiking	11.00 Miles	4 Hrs 55 Mns	2.44 mph
	860 ft AEG	25 Mns Break

no routes

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Took Davenport wash out for a few miles and came back on Sears trail. Chumley's 9L cairn was still there

FR 479 has a major washout hence the closure but you can still get around using the wash for 50 yards. Davenport wash has completely changed its course in a couple of places and an old area with large boulders is all filled in now.

Sears is starting to get a little overgrown and there were two trees down along the trail. A few spots of rain in the afternoon.

[Adding comment]: There are 3 large heavy earth moving machines building a new short road down to river level on the east side of the dam. The old metal catwalk/stairs has been removed. The vehicles are too wide to have driven across the dam so I have no idea how they got these machines there!

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2 archives

Feb 09 2014

chumley

Guides 94
Routes 840
Photos 22,055
Triplogs 1,993

52 male

Joined Sep 18 2002
Tempe, AZ

Davenport Peak & Wash Loop, AZ

Hiking		Feb 09 2014
		chumley • Triplogs 1,993

Hiking	11.53 Miles	2,816 AEG

Hiking	11.53 Miles	7 Hrs 21 Mns	2.31 mph
	2,816 ft AEG	2 Hrs 21 Mns Break

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[ checklist ] HAZ Decal Route - finding Labels Summit Register Log

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	ASUAviator	BobP
	mazatzal

After working too much over a three-day conference, I had agreed to do some hike I didn't know anything about. I was exhausted and didn't feel well. I somehow invented that this would be a 6-7 mile hike with maybe 1000-1500AEG.

So I didn't eat breakfast, brought two liters of water, an open package of pepperoni that I bought at least a month ago, some almonds, and a few jelly beans.

When I found out this was going to be a 12-13 mile day and the peak was 2200 feet above the trailhead, I started to wonder if I might be unprepared. But I figured if JJ can do an R3 on a single apple and 6 tablespoons of water, then I could deal with a couple of hours on a winter day in the desert.

We each had different opinions on the best route to conquer the peak, and had I seen it on a map, I would have taken Richard's route too. Ultimately, I went straight for it, only to learn that there was a hidden canyon impeding my direct path plan. Nonetheless, it was navigable, and the climb didn't involve anything more than very light class-3 scrambling to the summit.

It took us 3 hours to get to the top, about 5.5 miles from the TH. After a lengthy break, including a bald eagle that curiously checked us out for a while, the others decided to descend the way Bob and I had gone up, before cutting north and dropping into Davenport Wash upon Kyle's recommendation. The wash is a bit overgrown and there's a lot of rock-hopping. I was tired and hungry and started to get grumpy. Eventually I just followed my motivation to be back at the truck, and plowed ahead, arriving a few minutes before the others.

Thanks Richard for putting this together. It was nice to actually hike with you finally! Thanks Kyle for driving and supplying the liquid nourishment for the day

. Good to "meet" Taylor, who I work with, but didn't previously know was friends with Richard!

Culture

Culture [ checklist ]

Wildflowers Observation Isolated

	Andrea Spring	Gallon per minute	Gallon per minute
	Couldn't find the source of the spring, but the creek was flowing nicely the whole way.

	Chalk Spring	Dry	Dry
	I don't know that this spring exists. No signs of growth anywhere near where it is marked on the map.

	Sears TH Spring	Quart per minute	Quart per minute
	Can't say I actually measured (or saw) a flow, but there was a nice pool of water that looked clean and fresh. No problem filtering water from this source.

_____________________

I'm not sure what my spirit animal is, but I'm confident it has rabies.

Feb 09 2014

Routes 36
Photos 2,658
Triplogs 1,347

67 male

Joined Jul 28 2004
Scottsdale, AZ

Davenport Peak and Wash loop, AZ

Hiking		Feb 09 2014
		mazatzal • Triplogs 1,347

Hiking	12.60 Miles	2,936 AEG

Hiking	12.60 Miles
	2,936 ft AEG

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	ASUAviator	BobP
	chumley	guitar

Kyle saw my photo of Davenport Peak from a few weeks ago and a plan came together

Apparently I was supposed to inform the group about the hike/plan but I lost the memo.

A great group of five set off on Sears trail to bag Davenport Peak. Just before the old corral Bob and Todd took the direct way while the rest of us looped around through the springs area which was surprisingly dry. I thought I had plotted the "easiest" route up but I'm pretty sure it was the worst one with more loose scree and crumbly rock than the other routes :roll:

Lunch at the top was perfect with great views and a bald eagle soaring above

On the return we took a ridge down and into Davenport Wash. I'd been up part of it from the bottom and from Andrea spring but not quite this far. It was a bit slow going but fun with water, alcoves, pinnacles, massive boulders and near the end a red tailed hawk.

It was great to meet Kyle, finally got to hike with chums and hike again with Bob and Taylor. Nice to hangout and have some refreshments at the end. Thanks everyone.

Fauna

Fauna [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Bald Eagle

Davenport Wash

Light flow

_____________________

Feb 09 2014

BobP

Guides 2
Routes 251
Photos 4,593
Triplogs 3,212

63 male

Joined Feb 26 2008
Scottsdale, AZ

Phoenix, AZ

Hiking		Feb 09 2014
		BobP • Triplogs 3,212

Hiking	11.53 Miles	2,816 AEG

Hiking	11.53 Miles
	2,816 ft AEG

no routes

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	ASUAviator	chumley
	mazatzal

I haven't been out this way in a long time. Richard setup a great hike which I didn't know how long it was or how much aeg. The hike started out on road and then we headed into the wash and then back on road. The group would split up eventually with Chums and I taking a direct route and the others taking a more sweeping curve but we all ended up at the same place for lunch and smokes. Even though it wasn't very hot out, the sun was pretty intense and I put my shirt in the dryer on top of Davenport. It was nice to hike down with a fresh shirt albeit it didn't stay dry very long. The views were topnotch. It was cool to see all the peaks I've been on from this angle. Sheep,Katherine,Peeley,7kers,ridgelines and sub peaks, and Mazzy.

Kyle lies a lot. He told us about the express route thru Davenport on the way back. It was tough going in parts but the water made it enjoyable. Kyle also setup his trail cam hoping to catch Richard and Taylor doing their Electric Root Beer Float routine.

The after hike chill was pretty chill in more ways than one. Thanks for setting this one up Richard. Thanks for the beer Kyle. Good to see Taylor again after a few years. Always fun hiking with Norge. I hope everyone smells better.

_____________________

https://www.seeitourway.org
Always pronounce Egeszsegedre properly......
If you like this triplog you must be a friend of BrunoP

Jan 11 2014

The_Eagle

Guides 41
Routes 1,626
Photos 14,983
Triplogs 2,760

69 male

Joined Jan 20 2009
Far NE Phoenix,

Davenport-Sears Interesting Loop, AZ

Hiking		Jan 11 2014
		The_Eagle • Triplogs 2,760

Hiking	23.01 Miles	3,900 AEG

Hiking	23.01 Miles	13 Hrs 7 Mns		1.90 mph
	3,900 ft AEG	1 Hour Break	16 LBS Pack

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[ checklist ] Davenport Peak Davenport Wash Horseshoe Dam Horseshoe Reservoir Humboldt Mountain

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joebartels

I gave Joesepi a slew of choices this week. Since I had the final say in this one, I picked his third choice.

I've been wanting to hit up this area for ages, but most loops up in this area are long distance runarounds. I'm not as keen on 30 mile plus slogs anymore. So I through together this tiny little 23 miler.

I settled for a dawn start to the hike since I'd never been across the Horseshoe Dam before. I'd hoped that we would at least be back to the road section by dark.

We were doing this at a CW Loop. Horseshoe Dam to Davenport Wash Trail #89, off Trail at the Corral, down to Davenport Wash, take an unnamed wash to the "Interesting" area, up to "Ridge", to the Sears Trail #90 and back.

We crossed under the Dam at first light and started the 2.5 mile warm up traverse to the Davenport Wash Trail #89. This trail is an old road for the portion we were on with a gentle grade increase. A Little more than 3 miles later we were at the Corral and saw the interesting Rock formations to the south that just needed our attention. Quite a lot-o-fun.

Playing with the GoPro Head mount :next:

https://www.youtube.com/embed/OQQXAxx6js0

I expected the Wash to be mostly dry based on the GE views. Oops... The 3.5 miles of hiking we did down there was absolutely beautiful, but was 2.5 miles too much.

Now the part of the hike that gave me to most concern and excitement. I saw this area on GE and it looked like a deep canyon carved out of a mountain. I plotted a track through it, and it appeared like a gentle assent. A mile and a half out of the Davenport Wash, we spotted the area.

A fun little 10 footer then 12 footer that exposed a 30 footer. We were not going up it, so we went high and to the right to check it out from the top. When we were able to see what was going on, right after this on was an 80 footer.

I thought I actually heard Joe cry and stomp his feet when I told him we needed to bypass all this and make our way back. It was 2:30 and we still had 12 miles to go on off trail and Mazatzal trails that are seldom used.

We scrambled over to "Ridge" to look for the Peak marker, but instead found a Frustrom marking the Maricopa / Yavapai Border.
Views from up top of Ridge :next:

http://youtu.be/OK4YHb4lNfo

The walk back on Sears #90 was better than expected for the most part. It was thin, but cairns kept us on trail 95% of the time, until we got down within 1 mile of the TH. In the dark we missed somethin' some place, and lost all sign of the trail. NBD... we just followed the wash.

The road walk back in the dark was easy with a 3/4 moon in the sky to guide us.

A good time in the Mazies for sure!

Fauna

Fauna [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Javelina

Culture

Culture [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Cadastral Survey Marker Height of Light

Named place

Named place [ checklist ]

Meteorology

Meteorology [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Moon

	Andrea Spring	Gallon per minute	Gallon per minute
	Not quite sure where the spring was located. Davenport Wash was running for the entire time we were in it.

Horseshoe Reservoir

1-25% full

_____________________

There is a very fine line between "hobby" and "mental illness."
Dave Barry

Jan 11 2014

joebartels

Guides 264
Routes 2,797
Photos 14,494
Triplogs 5,894

55 male

Joined Nov 20 1996

Davenport Wash - 3 Waterfalls - Sears #90 Loop, AZ

Hiking		Jan 11 2014
		joebartels • Triplogs 5,894

Hiking	22.37 Miles	3,685 AEG

Hiking	22.37 Miles	13 Hrs 10 Mns		1.84 mph
	3,685 ft AEG	1 Hour Break	12 LBS Pack

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The_Eagle

West Mazzie trails are difficult to attain. Their luster is hidden between rippled ridges.

Seventy percent of the earths surface is covered in water. A fraction of nearly nothing can inspire and catapult your surrounding environment.

Heading in, little did I know a plutonium vortex wilderness experience was underway. Catclaw lined trails and dust right?

Bruce was inspired by Outlander, Topohiker & kindled by a recent Hansenaz trip. Thank god for the kind sharing souls.

This was my first visit to Horseshoe. The drive to reward ratio is excellent for quarter mile pondering. Hiking opportunities are bleak for casual hikers. It's a gold mine for Outlander & Topohiker types.

Bruce entered the stubborn club for men right off the bat. Despite obvious clues higher or lower would be faster, painless and less of a mind boggle we conquered 99 inlaid ridges to get the party started. The joy factor pegged on empty looking right into the sun the entire way zapping us into wtf land.

2.35mi - agony gave way to a nice 3.65mi road walk. Fabulous views can be enjoyed as you won't be staring at your feet for loose rocks or battling catclaw.

6.00mi - Bruce had us turn off and head down to Davenport Wash. Up to this point I was enjoying the hike. The geology immediately changed and it had my attention. It looked like a mini Papago playground. Luckily Bruce was interested in checking it out. Next up was the wash he assured me was dry, wide and easy to follow.

6.75mi - Bruce lied and hikers died. Just kidding. He did mention lush spots. In turn our 3.25mi through the creek was all lush. It was awesome and Bruce dubbed it "mini Aravaipa". While I enjoy the awesomeness, miles upon miles through it does wear you down. The gestapo found a heart allowing multiple pre-lunch breaks to enjoy the environment, release anguish and stabilize nutrition.

10.00mi - Due to our slug pace we opted for the shortest of three options for this hike. Bruce dubbed the crossover to Sears Trail #90 as "interesting". What started off as dry and easy started to show signs of life. Then whammy, an inviting short waterfall. Scramble. Cascade. Another waterfall, this one approx 30ft. Scrambling to check out the top I laid my eyes on an 80 footer dwarfing the present interest.

I'm hooting, hollering, enjoying the moment and looking forward to looking down from that beast. Out of the blue the world beneath me was yanked out like an old dirty rug. Bruce wasn't into it and directed me away from the promise land. It was difficult walking away. Luckily the surrounding scenery was so impressive the singeing sting eased up.

We ascended to the 3963 Ridge frustum to pay homage to our favorite DISC gangster the FLIVER.

12.60mi - Headed down Sears Trail #90. It is a cairn hunt. Not much vegetation in the mid range made travel easy. The further down we got the easier it was to follow. Until... well until it got dark and we dropped into Davenport Wash. It was kind of a mess. Not much in the cairn department either.

19.00mi - we coasted home on the nice road

great hike!

Fauna

Fauna [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Javelina

Culture

Culture [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Cadastral Survey Marker

Named place

Named place [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Davenport Peak

Autumn Foliage Observation Light
part of what makes Arizona incredible

_____________________

- joe

Jan 05 2014

Routes 36
Photos 2,658
Triplogs 1,347

67 male

Joined Jul 28 2004
Scottsdale, AZ

Phoenix, AZ

Hiking		Jan 05 2014
		mazatzal • Triplogs 1,347

Hiking	12.00 Miles	1,920 AEG

Hiking	12.00 Miles	6 Hrs 30 Mns	1.97 mph
	1,920 ft AEG	25 Mns Break

no routes

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A tad chilly to start, 34 degs at ~2000' with some white frosty patches in the shade

Did a loop using on old jeep trail, Davenport wash and Davenport trail. The wash narrows down to almost a slot but not quite. A few pools could be tricky to get around in wetter conditions. On the return I cut across the wash and returned using the Sears trail. Saw 3 jackrabbits and a tarantula.

Named place

Named place [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Table Mountain

_____________________

Jan 19 2013

topohiker

Guides 14
Routes 115
Photos 4,830
Triplogs 3,536

male

Joined Oct 29 2005
Scottsdale, AZ

Fig Trail #92 - Tonto NF

Fig Trail #92 - Tonto NF

Phoenix, AZ

Hiking		Jan 19 2013
		topohiker • Triplogs 3,536

Hiking	27.48 Miles	4,945 AEG

Hiking	27.48 Miles	13 Hrs 50 Mns	2.73 mph
	4,945 ft AEG	3 Hrs 45 Mns Break

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Copper Camp Trail #87

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fan3992

What a day! This was our second attempt to reach the Fig Spring cabin. We started at Horseshoe dam and hiked to the KA Ranch. We went about a half mile past the ranch on FR479 and crossed the Davenport wash. Then we climbed up an unnamed mountain and bushwhacked over where FR477 meets the gauging station by the Verde River. We saw that a vehicle recently forded the Verde by the gauging station. I roamed for a little bit looking for the Cable Crossing, but didn't find it. We took a break by the Verde.

Next we located the Fig Trail #92. The only indication of a junction is a burnt out piece of wood sticking out of the ground. Once you're on the trail you can almost make out an old road. The road gets a little better. We were following horse prints down the road. About 3/4 a mile down the road, the trail hits drainage.

:scared:

*DISCLAIMER* Past this point you need a GPS track (or a very detailed map) of the trail and be very comfortable with route finding and bushwhacking. There is NO TRAIL past this point. If there was one, it hasn't been used in years or decades. *DISCLAIMER* :scared:

We lost the horse prints in the drainage. This time we used the GPS track as a guideline for where to go. Last time we tried to stay on the track and that go us no-where fast. I would see what direction the track was going, then look for a nice open path in the desert and go for it. I would check the GPS every 10 minutes to make sure we were still on-track. I tried to stay with 100~200 feet of the GPS track. This made the bushwhacking easier, because we zigzagged around vegetation. Every so often we would 'see' trail, but who knows if it was just a game path.

We had to cross numerous drainages. This was time and energy consuming. Sometimes we had to go a 1/4 mile out of the way to find a viable crossing. When we were about 1 mile from the cabin, we entered a wash and saw a cairn! Then we saw a second cairn when we turned down a second wash! We both agreed that if you got this far, you didn't need cairns. Then we climbed to a ridgeline and saw a path clear of rocks going the opposite of the GPS track. The GPS track made a semi-circle to the Sheep Creek, but the clear rock path went straight for it. We gambled and took the ridgeline path. The path got us about 1/3 mile from the cabin and it ended in a drainage. It was 1:10 now. There was butte blocking our way to the sheep creek ](*,)

. We veered towards the GPS track and had to go through a couple of scree fields with drop offs into the drainage.

We hit the track/trail and dropped into a nice wash. Soon after I could see trees! The Sheep Creek was close! Then we hit a fence line going across the wash. I didn't see any openings in the fence, so crawled army style under the fence. There was heavy vegetation and shade by the creek :FG:

.
Finding the cabin was a challenge. We found another fence line on higher ground and tried to follow that. Then I remembered that Outlander mentioned the cabin was next to the Fig Spring. We found the spring and another fence line closer to the creek. We followed this fence line for about 300 feet to the cabin! :y:

Mission accomplished! :y:

The Cabin has seen better days. My GPS showed the cabin at N 33 55.6310, W111 37.8709. It was 2:00. It took us 50 minutes to travel that last 1/3 mile! We took a much needed break and lunch.

On the way back we followed the GPS track back to the ridgeline. This avoided the scree fields. Then we deviated from the GPS track when it showed the trail going down a steep ravine and climbing out the other side. We detoured by going around on a ridgeline to the other side.
The hike back seamed harder because we tried to stay close the hike in. Crossing the drainages seemed harder on the way back. We got to the Fig Trail / FR477 junction at 5PM. The GPS track is 3.5 miles long, but both Fan's and my GPS showed we hiked 5 miles one way!

We decided to take FR477 back instead of bushwhacking across to the ranch. We knew it was longer, but with darkness coming, it was the safer option. As we got closer to the Davenport wash, it got colder and colder yet by the Verde River. I was concerned about crossing the Davenport wash at night, but we followed some Jeep tracks across without issue.

It was a fun but a tiring hike. I don't recommend doing this in a single day, unless you start very early or ford the Verde to reduce the mileage. I don't think you can do this hike twice the same way! Even on the way back, we took a slightly different way back.

It was great being back in the Mazzies!

Culture

Culture [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Stream Gauging Station

Named place

Named place [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Fig Spring Cabin

_____________________

"Everywhere is walking distance...If you have the time"
-Stephen Wright

Jan 06 2013

Routes 36
Photos 2,658
Triplogs 1,347

67 male

Joined Jul 28 2004
Scottsdale, AZ

Phoenix, AZ

Hiking		Jan 06 2013
		mazatzal • Triplogs 1,347

Hiking	11.20 Miles	1,015 AEG

Hiking	11.20 Miles	6 Hrs 5 Mns	2.07 mph
	1,015 ft AEG	40 Mns Break

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We went from the dam to Sears trail and then off trail up Davenport wash. We went north out of the canyon and came back on Davenport trail.

_____________________

1 archive

Apr 15 2012

Routes 36
Photos 2,658
Triplogs 1,347

67 male

Joined Jul 28 2004
Scottsdale, AZ

Phoenix, AZ

Hiking		Apr 15 2012
		mazatzal • Triplogs 1,347

Hiking	11.20 Miles	1,010 AEG

Hiking	11.20 Miles	5 Hrs 55 Mns	2.32 mph
	1,010 ft AEG	1 Hour 5 Mns Break

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