Quien Sabe Trail #250 • Hike • Arizona • All Triplogs • HikeArizona.COM

Seven Springs Inner Loop

Phoenix, AZ

Hiking		Apr 05 2025
		ScaredyCat • Triplogs 204

Hiking	14.86 Miles	2,900 AEG

Hiking	14.86 Miles	7 Hrs 4 Mns	2.62 mph
	2,900 ft AEG	1 Hour 24 Mns Break

no photosets

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5 of us met at a friend's house. Took two cars out there.Road in is in better shape than it used to. We were the only cars at the TH. No we were not early. Decided to do this loop CW.

Over 6 miles in before leaving Cottonwood. This is where it becomes more challenging. Quien Sabe gets very steep in places. Lots of lg cairns to help navigate. I was cut in a couple places by catclaw. One of my friends too.

Skull Mesa provides some challenge but less. RF was easier than I expected.

Tank back. Easier yet, still adds some AEG. Didn't see a single hiker the entire time.

Nov 18 2023

chumley

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

52 male

Joined Sep 18 2002
Tempe, AZ

Mattys Cave Creek Loop, AZ

Hiking		Nov 18 2023
		chumley • Triplogs 1,993

Hiking	14.98 Miles	2,295 AEG

Hiking	14.98 Miles	6 Hrs 56 Mns	2.33 mph
	2,295 ft AEG	30 Mns Break

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FOTG

John9L

We decided to get out and appreciate the weather, since you can hike on a dry sunny day any damn time you want here. It was raining so hard on the drive in that Rackensack Creek was unexpectedly flowing at the 24 crossing. Once on trail, steady rain eventually tapered off into occasional showers before stopping and turning into one of those sunny days we have plenty of.

Skunk Tank is a hella boring road walk. I forgot how long it is to get up and around. We decided to skip the side trip to the summit and headed south on QS250 until it crosses Mattys Fork. From here it was off-trail adventure. Occasional signs of an old route appeared on the banks but were overgrown. The rain made everything wet and hopping down the canyon bottom was the better option.

The old cabin lost its legs and will not remain standing much longer. Lee pushed for the western high route which led us far astray and got us into some tricky terrain getting back to the creek bottom. The lower half of Mattys is a bit more open than the upper half and travel was quicker here.

Back on CC4 we made good time heading upstream, enjoying the flowing water, and early fall colors, encountering a couple walking their horses through one of the rougher sections of trail -- the only people we saw all day.

Lee wandered around Ashdale in a figure-8 pattern to make sure he got the extra .02 miles to say he did 15 ;) A handful of deer were the wildlife highlights on the day. It's always a great day when you hike with somebody else who doesn't mind driving!

Autumn Foliage Observation Isolated
Early colors getting started in the drainages with a stretch of pure gold near the ranch.

_____________________

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

2 archives

Jan 30 2022

trekkin_gecko

Guides 10
Routes 673
Photos 7,281
Triplogs 4,660

67 female

Joined Nov 17 2008
phoenix, az

Skull Mesa from Cave Creek TH, AZ

Hiking		Jan 30 2022
		trekkin_gecko • Triplogs 4,660

Hiking	20.04 Miles	4,132 AEG

Hiking	20.04 Miles	10 Hrs 42 Mns	2.04 mph
	4,132 ft AEG	53 Mns Break

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Skull Mesa Highpoint

Skull Mesa Ruins

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LindaAnn

got an invite from linda to hike to skull mesa ruins
i was up on skull mesa in 2015 from spur cross so this route and destination would be new territory
we got started around 0700
a little cool for me, but no wind, a dry creek crossing and some elevation gain took care of that
revisited much of the route to quien sabe peak; i remember very little about that hike

past the turnoff to the peak, the rest of quien sabe trail was new to me, as was the skull mesa trail on the east side
we did actually find the trail for the switchbacks up to the mesa - followed it better on the way down
hit the high point once up top, then set out for the little peninsula to the northwest
there are traces of skull mesa trail, but we couldn't stay on it for long
a drop and a couple of hills to get to the peninsula
we explored some of the lower ruins and found plenty of pot sherds
made our way to the upper set of ruins
great views from up there
pretty amazing location
we had lunch and took photos then headed back
found a use trail that skipped the first hill
tried to stay on skull mesa trail again, but ended up going way north on our return
probably a half mile out of our way, but on such a nice day it didn't really matter
dropped off skull mesa, and got to regain the 700 feet up quien sabe trail

i may have mentioned to linda a few times that i needed the elevation gain for the month
the rest was mostly downhill on the old roadbeds
another successful creek crossing and we finished before sunset
thanks for including me in this one, linda
i loved the ruins, and that little point is a spectacular place
enjoyed the cave creek approach and seeing how the more obscure trails tie together
even got a high point
nice long day in perfect weather
all that and a bag of chips

_____________________

hazhole

Jan 30 2022

LindaAnn

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

45 female

Joined Dec 24 2007
Ahwatukee, AZ

Skull Mesa from Cave Creek TH, AZ

Hiking		Jan 30 2022
		LindaAnn • Triplogs 2,600

Hiking	20.04 Miles	4,132 AEG

Hiking	20.04 Miles	10 Hrs 42 Mns	2.04 mph
	4,132 ft AEG	53 Mns Break

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Skull Mesa Highpoint

Skull Mesa Ruins

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trekkin_gecko

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

I’ve had this hike on my radar since December, but kept getting distracted from actually getting it done, so I invited Kelly along so I couldn’t back out of it on yet another weekend.

Got to the Cave Creek TH just after 0700 and got started. Some cloud cover to start, but unfortunately it didn’t last too long. Got to the creek pretty quickly, and the water was low enough to cross easily.

Once on the other side, we headed up to Skunk Tank trail and headed west. Generally easy walking on the old road, although it is rocky in places.

At the junction with Quien Sabe trail, we headed south on Quien Sabe, again on a good trail/old road. After a steady uphill, we started dropping down and the road turned to just an old trail and faded somewhat after a while. It got easy to spot again as we continued heading downhill, but was once again rocky. After crossing a dry wash, the trail immediately headed back uphill, still vague in places.

We reached the junction with Skull Mesa Trail and took the south, then west. Again, a vague trail, but we had an idea of where we wanted to be and headed that direction, eventually finding the trail again and it steeply climbed the east slope up to Skull Mesa. Having at least an old trail bed to follow was a big help. Once atop the mesa, we headed over to the highpoint, then meandered off in the direction of the ruins. We weren’t too concerned with finding a trail, avoiding prickly pear was the main objective and as long as we were heading in generally the right direction, we were good.

As we got onto the peninsula leading to the ruins, we followed the obvious track. One scramble through the rocks, and a steep climb over the last little hill before the ruins. Some catclaw, but most easily avoided. We looked around the lower ruins, then headed up to the ruins at the top, where we had lunch. There were three other hikers up top, the only people we saw all day.

After we looked around and took plenty of pics, we headed back the way we came. At the little steep hill, Kelly spotted a trail leading around the southwest side of the hill. It completely avoided the steep climb up and over, so that is my new favorite detour.

Again a meander across Skull Mesa as we headed back east. We tried to follow cairns at times, but it turned into more of a scenic walk, which was fun to look around as we made our way over to where we drop off the mesa. After that, we retraced our steps all the way back to the trailhead, finishing up around sunset.

Great day, and a fun hike. While heading to the ruins from Spur Cross is certainly easier, this was a nice way to do something a little different. As always, good to hike with Kelly again.

Culture

Culture [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] HAZ Rides

_____________________

Stop crying and just go do the hike.

Jan 23 2022

John10s

Guides 25
Routes 376
Photos 5,897
Triplogs 346

40 male

Joined Mar 01 2018
Chandler, AZ

Phoenix, AZ

Hiking		Jan 23 2022
		John10s • Triplogs 346

Hiking	11.86 Miles	2,331 AEG

Hiking	11.86 Miles	7 Hrs 49 Mns	1.99 mph
	2,331 ft AEG	1 Hour 51 Mns Break

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[ checklist ] Cartwright Ranch Four Peaks Humboldt Mountain North Peak Quien Sabe Mine Quien Sabe Peak

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TboneKathy

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It had been almost five years since I'd hiked from Cave Creek Trailhead, and today the plan was to hike up to Quien Sabe Peak, a new one for both of us. It was a chilly morning, in the mid-30s when we arrived. There were three or four other cars in the parking lot, and two other hikers started out on the trail ahead of us.

We brought water shoes in case we needed to wade through Cave Creek at the first crossing, but the water was low enough that it was easy to walk across on the rocks, which was good news with the frigid temperature. As we made our way toward the Cottonwood/Skunk Tank intersection, the two hikers who'd started before us ended up behind us...they must have gotten turned around and had to backtrack.

It was a steady incline going up Skunk Tank #247, and we noticed the tailings from Quien Sabe Mine on the south side of the trail. There was a large, upside-down steel basin in the drainage below Quien Sabe Spring...looks like that's been there for at least a few years [ photo ] , but it's now in the drainage and not on the trail anymore.

We turned onto Quien Sabe #250 and left the trail ~ four miles in. It was relatively tame off-trail hiking...a little rocky, but the brush is mostly of the non-sharp variety. The first half mile of off-trail was steeper as we made our way along the west side of the ridge before getting up on top, where it flattened out. The final stretch approaching the peak was very similar to hiking across Skull Mesa--flat ground, dry grass, and prickly pear mixed in with the rocks.

The views from the peak were very nice...the Superstition ridgeline and Weaver's Needle, Four Peaks, Skull Mesa, and downtown Phoenix visible to the SW through the haze. The summit register jar had two notebooks inside...looking back at comments on old triplogs, the now rodent-chewed notebook that @KingSnake placed a few years ago was one of them [ photoset ] [ image ]

. There was a second, newer notebook, and both had quite a few familiar HAZ names, with the most recent signature from almost a year ago, in February 2021. It sounds like the register and a summit cairn used to be located on the slightly lower peak just east of Quien Sabe, but the register is now on the actual peak, and there's no cairn on the other one.

[ youtube video ]

We ate lunch at the top and started back down. Instead of following the same route, we ended up descending straight down the steep hillside off the ridge to intercept Quien Sabe Trail a little earlier and avoid some of the off-trail. By late morning/early afternoon, the weather had warmed up and become very pleasant, and aside from those two hikers earlier in the day, we didn't see anyone again until we were within a quarter mile of the trailhead. After finishing up the hike, we stopped at Sears-Kay Ruins on the drive back--a nice bonus to finish the day.

Culture

Culture [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Summit Register Log

Named place

Named place [ checklist ]

Meteorology

Meteorology [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Moon

	Bronco Creek	Dry	Dry

	Seven Springs Wash	Light flow	Light flow

Dec 11 2021

DarthStiller

Guides 27
Routes 669
Photos 12,096
Triplogs 856

56 male

Joined Jul 05 2006
Mesa, AZ

Phoenix, AZ

Hiking		Dec 11 2021
		DarthStiller • Triplogs 856

Hiking	12.99 Miles	2,912 AEG

Hiking	12.99 Miles	6 Hrs 25 Mns	2.06 mph
	2,912 ft AEG	6 Mns Break

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I can't remember exactly the last time I hiked the Quien Sabe Trail. I'm pretty sure it was before any of my kids were born, so probably 2003, maybe 2004. I started from the Seven Springs area and hiked the Cave Creek Trail to the Skunk Tank to the Quien Sabe. For the first 5 miles in, it was easy going on old mining roads. Then a quarter mile down from the high point on the Quien Sabe Trail, the trail fades significantly and is covered with grass and the potato sized lava rocks for a little stretch. It becomes more of a conventional single track as it cuts down the hill to the wash and then up the other side of that valley, but it's still pretty rough and slow going through the last mile and a half and then back.

The views at the high points are really nice. Nice to see the valleys below and glimpes up north to the mountains and south into Phoenix. Weather stayed cool the entire time. I figured I might start to sweat on the way up, but the higher you get the cooler it is, and the winds picked up a bit helping keep me cool as well. With all the mileage and AEG on this hike, I didn't even finish my 100 oz Camelbak bladder. Had lunch at the trailhead afterwards sitting at the concrete picnic table and it even felt almost chilly there after sitting for 10 minutes.

Didn't see one other hiker the entire time. No complaints, but I was surprised since the weather this time of year is perfect for this area.

_____________________

Nov 07 2021

Zort

Guides 1
Routes 24
Photos 94
Triplogs 19

56 male

Joined Aug 12 2004
Phoenix, AZ

Skunk Creek-Quien Sabe-Skull Mesa-Cottonwood, AZ

Mtn Biking		Nov 07 2021
		Zort • Triplogs 19

Mtn Biking	23.01 Miles	4,536 AEG

Mtn Biking	23.01 Miles	11 Hrs 32 Mns		2.11 mph
	4,536 ft AEG	39 Mns Break	5 LBS Pack

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Skull Mesa from Spur Cross TH

Bronco Trail #245

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Oh man, I just saw that this triplog was Hidden. There - now it's not. I'm sure the dry conditions haven't changed over the past week or so since I put myself through this, so be careful out there. And do a little rain dance while you're at it.

I wanted to throw out a quick trip report about this fairly mental mountain bike ride mostly to point out to folks that the creeks, seeps and springs in the Cottonwood area are VERY DRY right now. I made the really stupid mistake of thinking I'd find water in at least some of them, but found it in nearly none of them. It made for a very long, hard day.

Also, Skull Mesa is a disaster of knee-high grass gone to straw. I ended up throwing my socks away rather than try to clean out all the burrs, etc.

Water sources:
- Cave Creek, but I left that immediately to get onto Skunk Creek Trail
- Matty's Fork - There is a small muddy pool in the creek the cattle use some ways down from the trail crossing. This water settled out clear.
- Cottonwood - I couldn't find anything more than wet soil and maybe a trickle - didn't attempt to collect it.
- East Fork Bronco Creek - I've never wanted to pull water from the earthen cattle tank mud hole at the head of the East Fork of Bronco Creek, but I was sure glad find that rank bog still had some juice in it. Filtered through a beanie and then treated with Aqua Mira this cow pee and silt solution was bright green, but it saved my bacon. Any port in a storm...

On a positive note, Skunk Creek "Trail" was in very good shape. There were tracks from a side-by-side most of the way out to Quien Sabe trail. Quien Sabe is the same as it's been since that area was left to recover after the fire some 20 years ago. I did a bit of work to cut back prickly pear and (my arch-nemesis) catclaw from Quien Sabe, but there's PLENTY of work to be done out there. Plenty! The "trails" up and down Skull Mesa are the perfect trails to avoid, unless you insist on getting up on top of the Mesa. Using GPS to find the Skull Mesa trail would have been smart, but instead I carried my bike randomly across the mesa hopping over prickly pear every other step. Good times up there. No one else in sight!

Even Cottonwood is overrun with catclaw. Lots of work to do this winter to return the Maricopa Trail to an enjoyable state in that area. I was out of time, water and energy by the time I got there, so I just pushed my way through getting raked and scratched all the way.

Nearly 12 hours in the wilds, and I finally clawed my way out to the Bronco Trailhead. It was awful. It was awesome. I'd do it again! I'd bring a lot more water.

Apologies for not being able to add the two water sources I used, but I couldn't figure out how to do it - using Firefox 94.0.1 (64-bit).

Autumn Foliage Observation Isolated
The cottonwoods were yellowing

	Cottonwood Spring	Dry	Dry
	I found only trickles

_____________________

Zort
http://instagram.com/zort_the_beholder

4 archives

Feb 13 2021

The_Eagle

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

69 male

Joined Jan 20 2009
Far NE Phoenix,

Skull Mesa - Mattys Fork Loop, AZ

Hiking		Feb 13 2021
		The_Eagle • Triplogs 2,760

Hiking	19.53 Miles	3,133 AEG

Hiking	19.53 Miles	10 Hrs 2 Mns		2.17 mph
	3,133 ft AEG	1 Hour 1 Min Break	14 LBS Pack

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Metate Trail - Spur Cross

Towhee Trail - Spur Cross

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joebartels

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

There was a smattering of vehicles at the Spur Cross TH when we started at 7:40. It was cool and breezy which was good, because the first 7 miles trends upward. 1.5 miles of it, steeply.

I enjoy the non-official #247A and #247B over hiking Spur Cross/FR 48 to #247. It's a bit shorter and more scenic IMO.

Once on Skull Mesa #248, the track becomes steeper. Good views to the south start to open up. Up top, #248 becomes thinner the farther east you go. Just keep an eye out for cairns. Bovine trails make it easy to get off the actual trail. Heading down the east side Joe spotted a bear in the distance. I told him that just because recreational cannabis was legal, he didn't need to be mixing this with the assortment of other toxins he puts in his system. (ie. Diet Sprite). The cow didn't seem to care we were in the area.

Mattys was easier to get into than our previous trip. The "Bears" in the area had beat down some of the heavier brush. Water was trickling in quite a few areas and the geology does not disappoint.

The cabin is on it's last legs and will not be standing much longer. For more info, @Oregon_Hiker did his normal excellent historical sleuthing to determine the background back in 2015. [ photoset ] .

Leaving the area, heading north we followed the obvious old path they used to get here, until it was no longer... obvious.

After some head scratching and more importantly leg scratching, we dumped back into Mattys for the remainder of the trek to Cave Creek #4. This is not my most favorite of trails out here, but it got us to the unmarked/named spur to get us down to the running Cave Creek.

3 miles from the Spur Cross TH, we saw our first people since the start of the hike.
Perfect temps and good times.

Flora

Flora [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Saguaro

Culture

Culture [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Gila Petroglyph Style (Zoomorphic) Wooden Dwelling

Meteorology

Meteorology [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Crepuscular rays

_____________________

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

Nov 12 2020

LJW

Routes 154
Photos 1,505
Triplogs 266

31 male

Joined Jun 02 2019
Phoenix, AZ

Phoenix, AZ

Hiking		Nov 12 2020
		LJW • Triplogs 266

Hiking	21.18 Miles	3,920 AEG

Hiking	21.18 Miles	8 Hrs 44 Mns	2.57 mph
	3,920 ft AEG	30 Mns Break

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Skull Mesa Ruins

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Last year I did a loop with Skull Mesa and Quien Sabe from Spur Cross, and this year I tried to come up with a truer loop. Ended up with this route from Seven Springs to the Skull Mesa Ruins and Quien Sabe Peak that is shorter and has less elevation gain.

Started at sunrise, which was probably too early. Freezing cold and the sun wasn't high enough to light the yellow trees of Cave Creek or the canyon below Cramm Mountain. Water running the whole way down CC4. Too many cows have made waste of the middle stretch of the trail north of Skull Mesa.

Climbed up the side of the mesa to the higher ruins first then down to the lower. Mostly enjoy the ruins area for the views. Spent the next leg of the trip walking the entire length of the Mesa. Didn't bother to look for the trail. Tall cairns are around, but there's more or less no trail from the top of the Mesa to Quien Sabe Trail. There's a short switchback portion descending into the Matty's Fork drainage, but it's in rough shape and doesn't last long.

Quien Sabe Trail to east of Skunk Ridge. Up to Quien Sabe Peak where I saw the only people on the day. They had binoculars looking south, but we just exchanged waves, and I never got to ask what they were looking for. Descended south from Quien Sabe toward Skull Mesa Trail. Again didn't trouble with the trail that isn't there and climbed down to where it reappears on the ridge toward Cottonwood.

Took Cottonwood east from Skull Mesa. That half of the trail is much less scenic than the western half. Lots of cows. If I were to do this again I would skip this corner of Cottonwood and come down the ridge that leads away from Sabe to the northeast. Makes for an easier, shorter, more scenic hike.

Autumn Foliage Observation Isolated
Cave and Bronco Creeks within a mile of Seven Springs

Wildflowers Observation Isolated

5 archives

Feb 16 2020

ShatteredArm

Guides 12
Routes 192
Photos 863
Triplogs 356

42 male

Joined Nov 30 2015
Phoenix, AZ

Matty's Fork loop, AZ

Hiking		Feb 16 2020
		ShatteredArm • Triplogs 356

Hiking	14.86 Miles	2,337 AEG

Hiking	14.86 Miles	6 Hrs 12 Mns	2.42 mph
	2,337 ft AEG	4 Mns Break

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A couple years ago, while bushwhacking down from the Skull Mesa ruins, one of my adventure buddies and I decided it would be fun to try bushwhacking all the way up Matty's Fork from Trail 4 to Quien Sabe trail. We finally decided to make it happen.

To get to where Matty's Fork crosses Trail 4, it's about 5.5 miles from Seven Springs, or about 6.5 from Spur Cross. We decided to start from Seven Springs, since it's more scenic up there anyways. Saw some cattle down in the narrow part of Cave Creek, which is a shame. More on that later.

Heading up Matty's Fork, the flow in the creek was light at first, with algae. Saw some nice ponds in some areas. Some areas were dry, but there was flow in most of it. Farther up, the water started to get colder (and clearer).

Things got interesting about half way up, where there is a narrow section with some small waterfalls, and one very refreshing-looking pool that you have to do some very light scrambling to bypass. It was really a nice little stretch of creek, and a little unexpected considering I had never heard anything about this place.

Upstream from the narrows, some faint paths appear, some of which seemed like trail that was at one point actually built. Shortly after that, we ran into what seems like an old homestead (or grow op) with a picnic table and a shack that is about to fall over. It has been around since before the early 90s, based on dates carved into the wood. Really interesting, but slightly eerie, place.

Past the cabin the creekbed starts to narrow, resulting in more plants to navigate, but still nothing terrible. Eventually we hit Quien Sabe trail, and took a break before the grunt up the hill.

Half way up the climb on Quien Sabe, we hit a section of the old Jeep road that has been cleared very recently. From there all the way down to the Cartwright Ranch, you can now drive a car on it. It's also cleared down towards Skunk Tank, and there's a cleared road down to a tank higher up the canyon from Skunk Tank, where there was heavy equipment. Someone is obviously doing something out there - my guess is it's cattle-related, and the fact that I saw cattle for the first time down in Cave Creek is not a coincidence. What a shame.

Aside from learning about the recent pillaging of a beautiful area, it was a pretty fun day, and I'll definitely visit Matty's Fork again. It was very pleasant as far as off-trail desert hiking is concerned.

	Mattys Fork	Medium flow	Medium flow
	Good flow in most of the creek. A few dry stretches.

	Quien Sabe Spring	Gallon per minute	Gallon per minute
	Plenty of water at trail crossing.

Skunk Tank Canyon

Medium flow

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Dec 28 2019

Tortoise_Hiker

Guides 1
Routes 148
Photos 9,924
Triplogs 3,652

63 male

Joined Apr 02 2005
Mesa, AZ

Phoenix, AZ

Hiking		Dec 28 2019
		Tortoise_Hiker • Triplogs 3,652

Hiking	12.65 Miles	2,642 AEG

Hiking	12.65 Miles	5 Hrs 49 Mns	2.26 mph
	2,642 ft AEG	13 Mns Break

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	Dave1	joebartels
	johnlp	LindaAnn
	The_Eagle	trekkin_gecko

Another end of the year/

New year hike with my buddy Bruce and some other top notch Hazers

. All the rain this week made this one a little muddy. A lot more energy spent trying to stay upright. Views on the way up were limited. We did see a whitetail and a couple cottontail. We made it to the summit and were greeted by a Sabe blizzard

. It got cold but was kinda cool. Took our New Year pic and headed down. We still had to slip and slide on the way down but the skies opened up a little and we got some nice views. We had some cold feet but the temps were bearable. Fun group! Thanks to Bruce for planning this one and along with Linda doing the driving. Thanks to The whole group. Like HAZ you rock! Happy New Year to you and the whole HAZ community!

_____________________

Tortoise Hiking. Stop and smell the Petrichor.

Dec 28 2019

trekkin_gecko

Guides 10
Routes 673
Photos 7,281
Triplogs 4,660

67 female

Joined Nov 17 2008
phoenix, az

Phoenix, AZ

Hiking		Dec 28 2019
		trekkin_gecko • Triplogs 4,660

Hiking	12.20 Miles	2,400 AEG

Hiking	12.20 Miles	5 Hrs 49 Mns	2.22 mph
	2,400 ft AEG	19 Mns Break

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	Dave1	joebartels
	johnlp	LindaAnn
	The_Eagle	Tortoise_Hiker

got to tag along on bruce & denny's new year's hike
plan a was lime creek cabin, but weather dictated a change to plan b
hadn't done either hike, and always like to get a new peak - this one had been on my wish list
met up at 0600, piling in with linda and bruce for the drive up to seven springs
plenty of rain had fallen, and all washes had running water
got going around 0700, just barely light enough to see without a headlamp
37 degrees and it didn't warm up much from there
temps were best experienced crossing cave creek only 3/4 mile into the 12 mile hike

feet and hands were cold most of the day after that, but enough of an ascent to keep the core temp warm
skunk tank and quien sabe trails were new to me
muddy trail, low clouds and fog
started seeing snow on the ground at the turn off for the peak
easy enough off trail, except for actual snowfall as we reached the summit
unique conditions made up for missing views, but we didn't hang around beyond the 2020 photo shoot
a little slow dropping down off the peak
back on trail, the sun almost came out
uneventful return, and the creek crossing didn't seem as cold
fun hike with a good crew in spite of conditions
thanks for the invite, guys, and thanks to linda for driving us from north scottsdale - we owe you a car wash

_____________________

hazhole

Dec 28 2019

LindaAnn

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

45 female

Joined Dec 24 2007
Ahwatukee, AZ

Phoenix, AZ

Hiking		Dec 28 2019
		LindaAnn • Triplogs 2,600

Hiking	12.12 Miles	2,562 AEG

Hiking	12.12 Miles	5 Hrs 49 Mns	2.22 mph
	2,562 ft AEG	22 Mns Break

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	Dave1	joebartels
	johnlp	The_Eagle
	Tortoise_Hiker	trekkin_gecko

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I think today’s weather may have been custom ordered just for me—cloudy, foggy, and snowy—I loved it. Nobody else seemed to be quite as thrilled with the cold and soggy conditions, but then again, I may have been the only one with dry feet. Thank you to everyone who piggybacked me across the creek...

Got started from the trailhead just before light. Water in various forms was the theme of the day right from the start. Got across the creek without incident. Muddy trail beyond that. The low clouds and fog obscured most landmarks, so much of the trail was kind of a blur.

The off trail portion to the summit was much easier than I had anticipated, which was a welcome surprise. We started seeing snow on the ground through here, which steadily as we climbed. Thanks to the fog, having a preloaded track was a huge help. As we stood around the summit, snow began to fall. Since we were all cold, we didn’t spend much time up there. The snow trailed off as we descended.

Easy hike down once we were back on trail, mostly just a matter of staying upright in the mud. There were a few short uphill portions on the return, and I made sure to whine about every one of them. There were a few flurries of snow just before we finished.

Temps at the trailhead were 36 at the start and 41 at the finish, and felt at least 5 degrees colder at the summit. Fun hike with a great group of hikers!

_____________________

Stop crying and just go do the hike.

1 archive

Dec 28 2019

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		Dec 28 2019
		The_Eagle • Triplogs 2,760

Hiking	12.65 Miles	2,642 AEG

Hiking	12.65 Miles	5 Hrs 49 Mns		2.26 mph
	2,642 ft AEG	13 Mns Break	12 LBS Pack

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	Dave1	joebartels
	johnlp	LindaAnn
	Tortoise_Hiker	trekkin_gecko

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This was the 10th installment
of the Turtle and Eagle New Years-ish hike.

Weather this week forced us into Plan-B mode.

A cool pre-dawn start and an early cold wet Cave Creek crossing set the mood.

The steady climb up Skunk Tank and then Quien Sabe trails got us into thicker and thicker fog.
This made the off trail to the peak a bit more challenging than usual. We could not actually see the peak, until we were about 30' away. We took our usual group photo at the peak, as the light snow, turned into large flakes, coming down quite heavy. A quick snack, in lieu of lunch and we retreated off the peak.

Partway down, the snow stopped, the fog began to subside and we were treated to some incredible views.
[ youtube video ]

Back at the saddle and trail, we enjoyed the warmth of a bit-o-sun.

The rest of the return was uneventful. Even the creek crossing seemed warmer.

Good hiking with John, Kelly, Dave, Denny again and with Linda for the first time.

Happy New Year All!

	Seven Springs Wash	Medium flow	Medium flow
	Flowing well after recent rains

_____________________

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

1 archive

Nov 02 2019

ShatteredArm

Guides 12
Routes 192
Photos 863
Triplogs 356

42 male

Joined Nov 30 2015
Phoenix, AZ

Phoenix, AZ

Run/Jog		Nov 02 2019
		ShatteredArm • Triplogs 356

Run/Jog	14.46 Miles	2,697 AEG

Run/Jog	14.46 Miles	5 Hrs 23 Mns	2.89 mph
	2,697 ft AEG	23 Mns Break

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Cave Creek / Skunk Tank Loop

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I've jogged and hiked around the Cave Creek trail system quite a bit (my favorite in the general Phx vicinity), and when one of my friends suggested we summit Quien Sabe Peak, I did not oppose. One member of our group had the GPX route that has you going all the way up the ridge as soon as Quien Sabe trail crosses (the route on the guide). I suggested we take Quien Sabe all the way to the saddle before where it drops down to Mattys Fork.

Started at the gate on the road leading out to the old ranger station, and headed for Skunk Tank trail. I've done the Skunk Tank loop before, so knew what to expect... It was in the mid 40s at the start, but quickly heated up on the exposed trail. Headed south on Quien Sabe all the way to the saddle. It looked like the best way up would be up the draw, in a grassy area, instead of on the ridge. Turned out to be a pretty easy bushwhack to the summit. I think this route is probably far superior to the one that follows the ridge the whole way up; you can make much better time on the old Jeep road.

On the way down, we decided to take a detour and complete the Skunk Tank loop, with Cave Creek flowing. Stopped at the swimming hole for a bit (turns out the water is really cold, even in the desert), and then proceeded back to the car. Trail 4 is one of my favorites, and the leaves were popping a mile or so from the TH.

Autumn Foliage Observation Moderate
Still green a couple miles from the ranch, and a lot of fallen leaves in the Seven Springs area. Some good yellow foliage in between.

_____________________

2 archives

Oct 23 2019

LJW

Routes 154
Photos 1,505
Triplogs 266

31 male

Joined Jun 02 2019
Phoenix, AZ

Phoenix, AZ

Hiking		Oct 23 2019
		LJW • Triplogs 266

Hiking	25.02 Miles	5,005 AEG

Hiking	25.02 Miles	9 Hrs 39 Mns	2.98 mph
	5,005 ft AEG	1 Hour 15 Mns Break

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Spur Cross Trail

Skull Mesa - Cottonwood Creek Loop

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Seems most people add Quien Sabe from the CC4/Skunk Tank loop. That seems like the more enjoyable option compared to adding it to the Skull Mesa/Cottonwood Loop. I had thought it would only add a little mileage and elevation, but that was wrong. This one turned into an ordeal.

Decided that fall colors could wait, and that I would rather hike in the last of summer's residual heat down around Phoenix. Started around 6:15am. Was in the dark or shade until the Skull Mesa turn off. Trail to the top is good, but once on top the trail is harder to follow the closer to Quien Sabe it goes. Plenty of cairns but still easy to get off route. The eastern side of Skull Mesa was alive with wildflowers. The route down on the east side is lost the lower it goes. Pretty well eroded the whole time it's there.

Headed to the pass between Skunk Ridge and Quien Sabe because it looked like the least steep approach. Took off up hill and it was very easy going. Wildflowers were pretty extreme. Stained my boots a bright yellow. Impressive views on the peak, especially of the Mazatzals to the east.

Once off of the Quien Sabe Trail and back onto Skull Mesa, after a while the trail more or less disappeared. Much of the stretch between the Quien Sabe junction and Cottonwood is overgrown, very faint, or gone. Ended up spending a lot of time walking cross country in search of the route. Would not be comfortable doing this part without GPS. Once on the descent to Cottonwood the trail is pretty solid.

The more I do of the Cottonwood Trail the more I like it. Really enjoyable stretches in the creek with a lot of shade in the hottest part of the day. Ran out of water at Cottonwood Spring around the Skull Mesa junction. Last six miles were pretty arduous. Saw a baby rattlesnake in the last thirty yards of the Cottonwood Trail. Only people I saw all day were in the last mile.

Wildflowers Observation Substantial
Heavy on Skull Mesa, pretty extreme on Quien Sabe Peak

Cottonwood Creek

Dry

	Cottonwood Spring	Dripping	Dripping
	Small pools

	Dirt Trough Creek	Pools to trickle	Pools to trickle
	Puddles

1 archive

Oct 19 2019

DarthStiller

Guides 27
Routes 669
Photos 12,096
Triplogs 856

56 male

Joined Jul 05 2006
Mesa, AZ

Cave Creek / Skunk Tank Loop

Cave Creek / Skunk Tank Loop

Phoenix, AZ

Hiking		Oct 19 2019
		DarthStiller • Triplogs 856

Hiking	11.10 Miles	1,944 AEG

Hiking	11.10 Miles	5 Hrs 43 Mns	1.94 mph
	1,944 ft AEG

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The first time I did this hike, it was June 2002. It was the first time I hiked in this area, so I didn't realize how long the drive was to get out there. I saw the hike in the 100 Classic Hikes in AZ book and it said 8 miles. It's more like 11. I mistakenly thought it would be a casual Sunday afternoon hike. I remember driving home in the dark and having to get up early for work the next day.

This time I got a much earlier start, and decided to hike it in October, when the weather is cooler and the 7 Springs area has a lot of fall color. It was pretty cool in the morning, but it warmed up quickly once the sun hit, as usual. The Cave Creek Trail is nice in the level spot, and then as it climbs and descends, the rockiness starts to wear a bit. Nice pools of water to be seen below.

Quien Sabe gives the best vista views on this hike. Got a glimpse of the Skull Mesa ruins just at the bottom of the trail. It's a big climb, but it doesn't seem too bad since it's not really steep at all.

Skunk Tank Trail is a pain. Loose potato sized rocks everywhere. For a trail that loses all that elevation from the high point of this hike (going counter clockwise), there sure are a lot of uphill sections. At Quien Sabe spring I got sidetracked off the main trail, which added about a total 0.4 miles to the hike.

On my 8th mile, Route Scout glitched out on me and didn't record for nearly a mile. It suddenly started again on its own and gave a much longer reading of 44 minutes for that mile, which was really 1.5 miles. After that it was fine. the route is posted so I could measure my sidetracked portion to get my total mileage.

Packed a lunch but ate at the car when I was done, then had to manage my way through detours on the way home since the 101 south was closed until about 2 pm.

_____________________

Feb 10 2019

John9L

Guides 6
Routes 183
Photos 5,612
Triplogs 1,647

male

Joined Mar 12 2004
Scottsdale, AZ

Quien sabe peak loop, AZ

Hiking		Feb 10 2019
		John9L • Triplogs 1,647

Hiking	9.48 Miles	2,298 AEG

Hiking	9.48 Miles
	2,298 ft AEG

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chumley

We were interested in a moderate hike within an hour of town and this one was a good choice. We left Scottsdale around 10:30am and headed for the trailhead. It was a beautiful day out and the road was busy. We arrived at the trailhead and started in by crossing the creek and headed up. It was a consistent climb as we made a steady pace. With some effort we connected on the Quien Sabe Trail. We would parallel the ridge leading to the peak and this worked well. After a mile we headed off trail and climbed for the summit. The going through here went well but careful footing was important. The rock is loose and the area is loaded with lots of unforgiving cacti. We topped out and enjoyed the views. Chumley relocated the summit cairn while I ate lunch.

After we had our fill on the summit, we opted for an off trail route leading to the NE. This turned out to be a good option. It was a shorter route and mostly straightforward. We had to dodge a lot more cacti and dealt with annoying desert scrub bushes. The ground was saturated and this helped with footing. We eventually connected onto the Cottonwood Trail and were back to the car soon after. This was a nice hike and didn't take a all day. Good to get out.

_____________________

1 archive

Feb 10 2019

chumley

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

52 male

Joined Sep 18 2002
Tempe, AZ

Quien sabe peak loop, AZ

Hiking		Feb 10 2019
		chumley • Triplogs 1,993

Hiking	9.48 Miles	2,298 AEG

Hiking	9.48 Miles	4 Hrs 3 Mns	2.46 mph
	2,298 ft AEG	12 Mns Break

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John9L

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

Needed a quick fix of outside, and having never mountaineered in this area, I decided that today would be a good day for it. Late start, on purpose. Early done. On purpose. A chilly wind made me get the long sleeves out up top.

There was a cairn and a register over on the "wrong" peak just east of the high point. Well, either that or contour lines on topo maps are drawn incorrectly. I generally bet on contour lines over the guy who says "that one looks higher" -- who is usually also the guy who builds the cairns.

In any case, I lobbied for an off-trail route down the northeast ridge toward Bluebird spring and the Cottonwood Trail. Once we passed the spot marked "USLM 318" with no sign of a survey marker of any kind, we opted to skip the steep-looking drop to Bluebird and just made a beeline down for Cottonwood. Some pinball with catclaw, but not much blood was shed and it was quick back to the truck.

Plenty of water in the drainages, (and some icy spots in sheltered areas), soft, muddy trail conditions, and some patches of flowers on the sun facing slopes. Good day!

_____________________

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

Nov 28 2018

DixieFlyer

Guides 99
Routes 1,484
Photos 16,072
Triplogs 1,374

male

Joined Jan 07 2017
Fountain Hills,

Phoenix, AZ

Hiking		Nov 28 2018
		DixieFlyer • Triplogs 1,374

Hiking	15.50 Miles	3,150 AEG

Hiking	15.50 Miles	8 Hrs 22 Mns	2.46 mph
	3,150 ft AEG	2 Hrs 4 Mns Break

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