Oxbow Trail #163 • Hike • Arizona • All Triplogs • HikeArizona.COM

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May 16 2019

mgiowa

Photos 1
Triplogs 1

63 male

Joined May 05 2019
Tucson

Oxbow - Cold Springs - Tule Rim Loop, AZ

Hiking		May 16 2019
		mgiowa • Triplogs 1

Hiking

Hiking

no routes

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Oxbow Trail #163

Cold Water Springs Trail #27

Tule Rim Trail #162

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The_Eagle summary is closer to what I experienced then the topohiker summary...without the app, and even with it, many areas are extremely difficult to find/follow. I have map/compass but without the app I would have struggled to make it out without a couple more days of choosing bearings and trying to follow them with all the bushwacking necessary.

At one point I just went down to the creek bed and boulder hopped it since I could not find the trail paralleling it. At the point the trail crossed the creek bed the trail still was not visible!

There had been no recent trail maintenance.

This is not an easygoing, enjoyable, even moderate backpacking trip. It is frustrating, challenging and difficult. Valley views are great....saw no one in my 2nites/3days...makes sense since the_eagle post was 7 years ago.

Water was available in Horse Tank(and other tanks) at the SW Oxbow TH and pools in the creek bed.

A bear went by my campsite night 1.
Saw white tailed deer.

Apr 29 2014

topohiker

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

male

Joined Oct 29 2005
Scottsdale, AZ

Oxbow / Cold Water Loop, AZ

Hiking		Apr 29 2014
		topohiker • Triplogs 3,536

Hiking	29.91 Miles	6,949 AEG

Hiking	29.91 Miles	13 Hrs	2.60 mph
	6,949 ft AEG	1 Hour 30 Mns Break

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Oxbow Trail #163

Cold Water Springs Trail #27

Towel Creek Trail #67

Verde Rim Trail #161

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This was my first time in the Pine / Cedar Bench wilderness(s). The drive in was pretty easy. Dugas road was recently graded. There was one interesting sign stating that it is illegal to drive on the road when it’s wet. That’s one way to keep the road in good condition

My original plan was to a big loop with the Verde Rim trail. When I got to the parking spot and got out, the wind was so fierce that it closed my jeep road for me. The wind was bitter cold. I didn't want to spend the day fighting the wind. I went to a plan B, hike down Pine mountain to the Verde River.

I parked 2 miles from the Oxtail TH. The road starts to get rocky after this point. The wind was brutal along Dugas road. I had to wear a wool hat and gloves under I dropped under 4,500 feet!

The Oxtail trail

The trail starts right off of Dugas road by a tank. You enter a gate and take a hard turn to the left. The trail drops fast down to drainage. I lost the trail for a couple of minutes in the drainage. The trail was well cairned and very easy to follow. There was a cairn almost every 15 feet. Sometimes there were to many cairns. This is a very old trail and there’s been recent trail maintenance done to it. The views on the trail very great. I saw snow on Humphreys. My only gripes is the amount of rocks and drops off. There are a lot of rocks on the trail, sometimes it’s almost like scree. There are sections with drops. Sometimes you would get both. Scree rocks with drop-offs! This made for a very slow moving hike. The trail ended at the Brown Spring TH. I took the Towel trail to the Verde. The Towel trail is an old road that follows and crisscrosses the Towel creek. The Towel trail crosses the Verde and continues to Fossil Creek RD. This was an great place to explore, but I had a big climb ahead of me so I didn’t stay long.

Cold Water trail

The Cold Water trail is an old jeep road that doesn’t believe in switch backs! The trail has some great views of the Verde valley. After the Cedar Bench the road turns into trail. The cold water trail is also very easy to follow. There’s been recent maintenance done to this trail as well. Shortly after the Tule Rim intersection, the Cold Water trail takes a sharp turn to the right and climbs up to Dugas road. This was the monster climb of the day. The trail gained 1,000 feet (5,200 to 6,200) in a little more than a half mile. I felt like I should have had a climbing rope! Half way up, the wind started to blow. The Cold water trail ends about a quarter mile from the Verde Rim trail. Once on top, the wind died down.

I went a little down the Verde Rim trail just to see what I pasted up for the day. Once I got on the trail section, I was not impressed. It started out right as a cairn hunting exercise. I liked the Cedar Bench trails better.
It was a fun hike. The Cedar Bench wilderness is a cool area. The trails are cleaned up and the views are great. The cold wind was a bit much. I’ll return on a warmer day.

This was my first hike with HAZ tracks. It was cool to get hiking stats as you hike. The only down side is that the HAZ lady reminds me how slow I am at climbing

Fauna

Fauna [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] White Tailed Deer

_____________________

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

Jan 04 2013

fotogirl53

Guides 5
Photos 1,229
Triplogs 181

female

Joined Mar 18 2008
Flagstaff, AZ

Gap Creek to Verde River, AZ

Hiking		Jan 04 2013
		fotogirl53 • Triplogs 181

Hiking	2.00 Miles	200 AEG

Hiking	2.00 Miles
	200 ft AEG

no routes

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Oxbow Trail #163

Towel Creek Ruins - West Access

Cold Water Springs Trail #27

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Since I'm spending alot of time in Camp Verde these days, I've been exploring the area along the river. Today I took Salt Mine Road aka FR 574 to its end at what the forest service calls the Brown Springs Cabin. This is where Gap Creek crosses the road and where the Verde can be accessed. The trailheads for Oxbow Trail and Cold Water Trail #27 are here, too.

Water was running down Gap Creek, with more pouring out at the parking lot. I think this is Browns Cabin Spring. I went through a gate and followed the trail down the little canyon, crossing the rocky creekbed a couple times keeping with the trail. Three horses were in the little canyon, but they were tame (horse shoe prints) and the bay on the trail let me pet him as I went by.

I came upon another spring near the gate at the bottom of the canyon. Don't know the name of this one, but it was putting out alot of water. Then the canyon ended onto a floodplain and the Verde River.

I explored the area a bit, making note of where Jake had noted access to Towel Creek for a future hike. The river is very high right now and I wouldn't want to try to walk across. It seems unusually high and fast this winter.

After hiking upriver for a ways, looking at some rapids where the river is split around an "island", I made my way back. The horses were now in the corral by the cabin, but there were several other horses at the parking area.

The road out here is in really good shape, with a small dozer and a grader parked by the Chasm Creek trailhead. BTW, that area is closed til June 30 for eagle protection--I think it's called the Ladders. Sometimes F&G opens it earlier if the nesting is unsuccessful.

Fauna

Fauna [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] American Kestrel Cicada Mallard Duck

Named place

Named place [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Gap Creek

_____________________

Allergic to cities.

Sep 22 2012

joebartels

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

55 male

Joined Nov 20 1996

ColdWater 27 / Tule 162 / Oxbow 163 Loop, AZ

Hiking		Sep 22 2012
		joebartels • Triplogs 5,894

Hiking	16.17 Miles	4,314 AEG

Hiking	16.17 Miles	11 Hrs 30 Mns		1.89 mph
	4,314 ft AEG	2 Hrs 56 Mns Break	14 LBS Pack

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Cold Water Springs Trail #27

Tule Rim Trail #162

Oxbow Trail #163

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The_Eagle

Cold Water Trail #27
Steep at the bottom with loose footing. Junipers dominate. Good distant views. Not difficult to follow if you pay attention. We didn't and paid dearly. Foxtails are a hearty nuisance.

Tule Rim Trail #162
Cold Water Spring area is a surprising oasis. Turn around and save your sanity. The rest of the trail is a bushwhack and difficult to follow. Non existent in areas. Excellent views. Pants required.

Oxbow Trail #163
The top has a cool area at a tributary to the origin of Gap Creek. Great views. Majority of "trail" is a cairn hunt through cow pastures.

Chalk Tank Trail #506
"looked" semi promising, may take a few years to forget and forgive this area for a looksee

Synopsis
Cold Water oasis is sweet. Lunch views rocked. Top of Gap Creek is intriguing. The rest is hellish. Understand why it's rarely visited due to lack of use and maintenance. Distant views are good to excellent throughout. I just couldn't recommend to anyone. Nice to see a new area. Happy to have experienced, no desire to return.

Flora

Flora [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Velvet Ash

Named place

Named place [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Coanbru Seep Cold Water Spring

Wildflowers Observation Light

Coanbru Seep

Dripping

	Cold Water Spring	Gallon + per minute	Gallon + per minute
	excellent clean flow

_____________________

- joe

Sep 22 2012

The_Eagle

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

69 male

Joined Jan 20 2009
Far NE Phoenix,

Cold Water-Tule-Oxbow Loop, AZ

Hiking		Sep 22 2012
		The_Eagle • Triplogs 2,760

Hiking	15.89 Miles	4,493 AEG

Hiking	15.89 Miles	11 Hrs 30 Mns		1.81 mph
	4,493 ft AEG	2 Hrs 43 Mns Break	17.5 LBS Pack

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Cold Water Springs Trail #27

Tule Rim Trail #162

Oxbow Trail #163

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joebartels

This hike is not for 98% of you out there.
It's not because of the views, they were expansive.
It's not because of the potential to see wildlife, there was sign of Bear, Deer and Elk everywhere. It was not because there was nothing to discover, the Cold Water Spring Area was sweet as was the Gap Creek water fall area.

It was the torture this jaunt put you through. For you 2% out there that are masochists, highly recommended! The trails are faint at best, non-existent in MANY areas. They are steep , rocky, loose, overgrown, blood robbing, clothes ripping, and patience testing. A copy of the GPS track I published for this loop will keep you from getting lost.

It's sad that although I could rate these trails close to a 4 in spots, for the views, the work you have to put in just does not justify the effort.

Other than wildlife, this area has not seen any traffic in years. All in All, I'm glad I did it, it was my first time back in this area to the end of Salt Mine Road.

Another word to the wise, when you are driving in, and get to the area where you have to go through a gate with a sign that says "No turn around" Park right there. If you don't believe the sign (Like me), you will reach a locked gate for the Brown Springs Ranch. From this point you will have to back down a steep loose gravel road. We parked above the warning sign before the gate to the ranch and had a note on my truck saying I was parked on private property. There were no signs indicating that.

Fauna

Fauna [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Desert Tortoise Teva

Named place

Named place [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Bear Grass Tank Number Two Cedar Bench Wilderness Coanbru Seep Cold Water Spring Gap Creek Verde Rim

Wildflowers Observation Light

	Bear Grass Tank	Dry	Dry
	Dry

	Brown Springs	Gallon + per minute	Gallon + per minute
	Located on Private Property. Since it's a working Ranch and the Ranch's Namesake, I'm guessing it flows pretty well.

	Cedar Spring	Dry	Dry
	If there was a spring in this overgrown area, it was dry.

	Cold Water Spring	Gallon per minute	Gallon per minute
	20' x 20' of cold clear water. Clear off the upper layer algae to get to the water.

	Lower Cedar Bench Tank	Dry	Dry
	Dry

	Oxbow Tank	Dry	Dry
	Dry

_____________________

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

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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