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Willow Mountain Fire Lookout - Former - 2 members in 2 triplogs have rated this an average 4 ( 1 to 5 best )
2 triplogs
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Nov 22 2021
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 Guides 99
 Routes 1,484
 Photos 16,072
 Triplogs 1,374

male
 Joined Jan 07 2017
 Fountain Hills,
San Carlos Fire Lookouts, AZ 
San Carlos Fire Lookouts, AZ
 
Hiking avatar Nov 22 2021
DixieFlyer • Triplogs 1,374
Hiking7.90 Miles 1,517 AEG
Hiking7.90 Miles
1,517 ft AEG
 
1st trip
Linked   linked  
Willow Mountain Fire Lookout - Former
Partners none no partners
I bought a permit for the day and headed out to the San Carlos Apache Reservation to go to Willow Mountain and see the Willow Mountain Lookout. While I was out there I figured that I may as well go to 2 other lookouts: Dry Lake and Edwards.

Dry Lake LO
After driving 50 miles off of US 70 on CR 8, I followed google maps directions to get to this lookout. High clearance 4WD was needed for much of the last 3 miles to the LO.

I parked 150-200 feet from the LO, and mustered the energy to walk the rest of the way. It was a nice tower, and I climbed up to the catwalk and checked out the nice views.

Willow Mountain
I wanted to make a bit of a hike out of this one, so I parked at Willow Mountain Tank and hiked the remaining 7 miles. I could have driven all the way to the tower had I wanted to, but I enjoyed hiking on the road and checking out the scenery. The tower is delapidated, but it is still standing, sort of. The views are nice up there, so I stopped for a lunch break.

I saw the benchmark, but did not locate any reference marks.

Edwards LO
I parked at the turnoff to the tower and hiked the short distance to the LO site. An SUV could make the drive to where I parked.

The only thing left at this lookout are some concrete footings and a concrete slab. It was getting late in the afternoon so I did not stay long.

On the way back down I saw a flock of turkeys and 2 black bears.

Synopsis
This was an enjoyable day hiking and driving(mostly driving) in Arizona's last frontier!

Distance and elevation gain for the 3 hikes is below. Stats above are the sum of the 3.

Dry Lake: 0.1 miles with 115 feet of AEG
Willow: 7.1 miles with 1,394 feet of AEG
Edwards: 0.7 miles with 108 feet of AEG
 Fauna
 Fauna [ checklist ]
[ checklist ]  Black Bear
 Culture
 Culture [ checklist ]
[ checklist ]  Benchmark  Fire Lookout Structures
 Named place
 Named place [ checklist ]
[ checklist ]  Bee Mesa  Black Mountain  Dry Lake Fire Lookout  Edwards Lookout Tower  Maple Peak  Mitchell Peak  Painted Bluffs  Rose Peak  Willow Mountain  Willow Mountain Tank

water 1 out of 5water 2 out of 5water less than maxwater less than max Willow Mountain Tank 26-50% full 26-50% full
_____________________
Civilization is a nice place to visit but I wouldn't want to live there
  1 archive
May 07 2011
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 Guides 20
 Routes 12
 Photos 2,343
 Triplogs 298

51 male
 Joined Mar 31 2008
 Gilbert, AZ
Willow Mountain Fire Lookout - FormerAlpine, AZ
Willow Mountain Fire Lookout - Former
Alpine, AZ
Walk / Tour avatar May 07 2011
ssk44 • Triplogs 298
Walk / Tour
Walk / Tour
 no routes
1st trip
Linked   none no linked trail guides
Partners none no partners
Willow Mountain Fire Lookout (May 7th 2011)

This outing was a day trip with my dad. My appetite for exploration within the San Carlos Reservation is far from satisfied and the decommissioned Willow Mountain Lookout seemed like a no-brainer. It's the highest point on the res and it towers 2,000 feet above the surrounding area. This place is truly in the middle of nowhere and it feels like it. Nobody is going to help you out here. We spent about an hour exploring the summit and then headed down below the saddle for a nice shady lunch under some ponderosa pine. Ha! We just parked right in the road and pulled out the chairs. You don't have to worry about moving the vehicle for others. The odds of more then one group per day heading up here is about as likely as a Sasquatch sighting. On second thought... This is the res. A Sasquatch sighting is probably not completely out of the question. Wink.

I was blessed to visit some incredible backcountry destinations across the central San Carlos Reservation in 2011. Willow Mountain was a nice addition to the list and being able to share it with my dad was special. We had a great day!


Eric (ssk44)


 Culture
 Culture [ checklist ]
[ checklist ]  Fire Lookout Structures
 Named place
 Named place [ checklist ]
[ checklist ]  Ash Flat  Big Prairie  Nantac Rim
_____________________
MATTHEW 11:28-30 / PSALM 84:1-2
  2 archives

WARNING! Hiking and outdoor related sports can be dangerous. Be responsible and prepare for the trip. Study the area you are entering and plan accordingly. Dress for the current and unexpected weather changes. Take plenty of water. Never go alone. Make an itinerary with your plan(s), route(s), destination(s) and expected return time. Give your itinerary to trusted family and/or friends.

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