|
| | | Glen Oaks #118 / FR 9402 / Orofino #107, AZ | | | |
|
|
Glen Oaks #118 / FR 9402 / Orofino #107, AZ
| | |
| |
|
| Hiking | 7.04 Miles |
1,093 AEG |
| | Hiking | 7.04 Miles | 2 Hrs 37 Mns | | 2.69 mph |
| 1,093 ft AEG | | | | |
|
|
| |
| Partners |
|
none
[ show ]
| no partners | | Six weeks ago I was looking around for hikes to do in cooler climes, and this was one of them. I hiked nearby Hill 6276 on June 21, and had planned to do this the next week, but nature cruelly intervened.  A month after the Yarnell Fire, I figured enough time had passed that most of the chaos was over, and I could drive up from Phoenix without getting in anyone's way. (I refuse to drive up I-17 and through Prescott: Too much traffic.) 
Just past the Hwy 89 switchback crossover, as you drive into Yarnell, the damage begins. That is where the fire crossed the road. No damage, other than a few acres of burnt brush, on the east side of the road. The west side of the road is a different story.  There's trailers, maybe a hundred yards from Hwy 89, which were levelled. The center and north end of the town, on both sides of the road were spared. One southbound lane, in front of the community center, is blocked off in favor of a relief distribution point. As you drive north out of town, despite all the recent rain, you can see still the red band of fire retardant that was dropped on the nearby hills.
Since I entered the first descriptions for both Glen Oaks #118 and Orofino #107, you can read most of what I did there. In short, neither is individually worth driving from Phoenix for, but combined, with FR 9402 as a connector, it is a different story. One way is a shade under seven miles (assuming no exploring).
The highlights are the horizontal mine shaft near the north end of the hike, the windmill / corral complex at Telegraph Springs and negotiating the wash north of Orofino Windmill. You might want to avoid doing the hike in the rain, as often times you will be the tallest object on the trail. (Other than maybe the Smiley Tree on FR 9402.) I saw several different kinds of animal tracks, including a set of large bob cat / small lion prints on FR 9402.
One thing I found curious was the concrete square just west of the mine shaft. It had a metal covering, with a metal hatch in the covering. It did not merely sit on the ground, but penetrated some way beneath the surface. It was hard to tell how deep, as it was had a good amount of water in the bottom. (The only tank-like object on the whole route which does.) As it is so close to the mine shaft, I was wondering whether it was an actual tank, or perhaps a vertical access to some point within the mine?  Wish I had ground penetrating radar.
Lunch was a delicious meatball sub & salad combo at the Thunderbird Cafe in Peeples Valley. I should learn the waitress's name -- I think her and the chef own the place -- as she is a really nice lady.  |
| _____________________
| http://prestonm.com : Everyone's enjoyment of the outdoors is different and should be equally honored. |
| | |
|
|
|
Route Editor
Route Scout
