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| | | Cornucopia West Fork Thicket Spring, AZ | | | |
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Cornucopia West Fork Thicket Spring, AZ
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| Hiking | 8.70 Miles |
1,946 AEG |
| | Hiking | 8.70 Miles | 4 Hrs 55 Mns | | 1.90 mph |
| 1,946 ft AEG | 20 Mns Break | 15 LBS Pack | | |
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| partners | | With temps warming up yet not wishing for a long drive to cooler climes, we fell back on a favorite of Tracey 's which would be our second time this year.
The first, in March, was to be a quick out-and-back to the "blue van" along FR 25A as a birthday hike for Tracey's daughter, so technically we never reached Cornucopia Trail #86. Due to the large amount of water flow in the West Fork of Sycamore Creek at the time, it was not a 'quick' hike by any means, with each and every water crossing presenting a challenge. Only near the end did we dispense with attempting to stay dry and simply walking through the creek.
This trip, as usual we started the hike from a small pullout on FR 25A about a half-mile North of the FR 25/25A intersection. While it was a breeze with the Cherokee, with the previous and the current 4Runner it's a reasonable challenge to get that short distance without any damage due mostly to a deep, yet VERY narrow drainage crossing. It is a given that at least one part of the vehicle WILL scrape, so damage limitation relies on the correct approach. On this trip, the receiver hitch scraped going out, the chrome exhaust tip barely scratched on the return.
(I keep thinking some day I'll bring my pick-axe to chop out the 2' drop of the approach and be done with it.)
One might ask why we don't just hike the extra .5 mile each way and my response is always hits on these points... even on foot it's a rough and rocky up-hill half-mile, so not only do we begin on a smooth downhill part of FR 25A, but we use that extra mile to extend hike on the other end.
Enough about our chosen trailhead, let's get started!
Thankfully the water flow was much lower so we had no trouble making better time without the wet-shoe trade-off. It wasn't long before we reached what's left of the blue van and the South end of Cornucopia Trail #86.
Even though I had driven on many pretty rugged so-called roads with the Cherokee, it still amazes me how vehicles get around/over the large boulders along FR 25A (concurrent with the West Fork of Sycamore Creek) and continue on up FR 3721 and over to FR 201/201A. Sure it can be done, but at a high wear-and-tear cost... exactly why I sold the Cherokee.
Finally, we're on Cornucopia Trail #86 and it's obvious we will be dealing with overgrowth along the way. While it wasn't bad on Cornucopia, once on West Fork Trail #260 the vegetation has fully enclosed the trail. Not wishing to constantly push brush out of the way, Tracey asked for my brush trimmers. Sorry, I didn't expect to be doing trail maintenance today, so I only had my usual hand clippers. With two trekking poles I continued by using them to keep the brush off my face, while she began trimming the worst offenders it wasn't long before she gave up. But it was soon moot as the trail opened up as we climbed.
At the Thicket Spring Trail #95 junction we had a decision to make, head North or South? Just over a year ago we did the Cornucopia/Thicket Spring loop so that direction has been covered. So, not having been on Thicket Spring Trail as far South as Sheep Creek Trail in a full dozen years, it became the default choice.
While it followed the bottom of the drainage the trail was easy-going but once it rose up to follow the contour it wasn't long before I knew reaching Sheep Creek Trail was not going to happen today. With the constant angle of the tread (higher on the right than left) my right hip was soon protesting loudly. I've been able to tough it out with the burning from the right hip in the past (Reynolds 10 days ago) but when the electric-shock nerve pain joined in and I realized I was losing focus on the trail it was time to head back.
With the tread angle in the other direction the nerve pain was soon gone and while the hip protest had eased, it would hang around in the background until our lunch break.
The return trip along Thicket Spring, West Fork and Cornucopia trails went by so quickly we were almost back to the intersection of FR 25A/FR 3722 before realizing it was time to look for a spot to stop for lunch. There it is... a rock for each of us to sit on, adjacent to a babbling brook, in the shade with a light breeze, limiting the annoying insects.
During our 20 minute break, I couldn't help but look up across the creek to the vicinity of the Cornucopia Mine. Of all the trips out here over a dozen years, being up above the creek I had never actually attempted to visit the mine itself, so will this be the day? Now refreshed and energized I'm feeling like checking it out. Tracey seemed in agreement when I voiced the idea, so let's do it!
It was easy enough to climb 20' through light brush to reach the old track to the mine, which we followed through thicker brush until dead-ending at a narrow box-canyon. Was this the mine? We were within a few hundred feet of the adit marked on the map, so I was sure it was part of the Cornucopia complex. Heading back toward the creek, I couldn't help but think of attempting to reach the actual marked adit to put this idea to bed once-and-for-all.
The only problem was instead of back-tracking to the more level part of the old mine track, I went for the straight line. Big mistake? ALMOST! It felt like I wasted 10 minutes to climb barely 25' up to the track, with an avalanche of dirt bringing me back down at every step. It was too steep for my trekking poles to do any good so it was down to grabbing onto whatever was close at hand...
A rock? Nope, it just pulled out of the ground while I slid back down 5 feet.
A small bush? Nope, it's cat's-claw.
Around a tree? I wanted to but could not wrap an arm far enough around to get a grip.
Back to the cat's-claw it is, and by CAREFULLY grabbing it at the base I was able to pull myself up.
)I wouldn't realize it until hours later but I chewed up my right shin enough that I was surprised I hadn't torn through my pant leg.)
Ok, i'm finally back up to the old track, now what? I pushed through plenty of thorny brush in the direction of the adit until another dead end. Nothing much to see... is that all there is? Whatever, I've burned every bit of energy I gained from my lunch so I'm done here. Instead of dropping down the loose slope I had crawled up, I went back to the box canyon before taking the easy (less hard) way back down.
While I was making the rough climb, Tracey was waiting patiently for me to fall, simply give up or encounter something worthy of the effort. It wasn't the first or last so I guess I just gave up.
Once back home, after taking a closer look at various maps it appears I was still 100' feet away from the marked adit. Comparing the map topo lines with the terrain at the spot I reached, as well as taking a look on Satellite view I'm not so sure if I reached to end of the complex or not.
So... was I CLOSE, but no cigar? Or is that all there is?
Either way, will I attempt to reach the 'exact marked spot' wherever it is? Or just let-it-go?
I guess we'll just have to see if/when I'm back out here again.
After my find the mine fiasco the hike back along the creek/FR 25A was a breeze.
While I felt fine while biking yesterday, now feeling the results of my flailing a few days later I'm taking this as a recovery day. But no worries, the abrasions and aching joints were worth the effort, a failure as it may have been. As they say, but did you die? Nope, so it's all good. |
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Route Editor
Route Scout
Route 
This was a section I had completed before so it was good to experience the rerouted trail sections ( nice!) and interestingly this segment has the 1/2 way point for the AZT -- so while not half done with the trail, I had the opportunity to cross the half-way point! GuRa dropping us of at the Peeley TH was great -- save us a long shuttle at the end of the hike - time was put to use on Mexican Food!
West Fork)
