Horse Camp Loop - Trail #383 • Hike • Arizona • All Triplogs • HikeArizona.COM

Peavine National Recreation Trail

Apple Blossom Trail #373

Smith Ravine Trail #297

Homestead Trail #305

Ranch Trail #62

Badger Mountain Trail

Sundog Trail

Lakeshore Trail - Watson Lake

Over The Hill Trail

Northshore Trail - Watson Lake

Willow Lake Loop Trail

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Was signed up for the 100. But due to an injury that prevented me from doing much on Labor Day weekend, I figured I'm probably in no condition to attempt that, so the primary goal was 50.

Started out early in Downtown Prescott, and basically followed 89 2.5 miles to the trail. Pleasant temps in the morning, nothing remarkable as I made my way up to Groom Creek trail 10 miles in. By then it was light out, and it was nice and cool for the climb up Spruce and down Smith Ravine.

On Homestead, it started warming up, and I realized I had basically no energy. I'll chalk that up to a quick turnaround from flying back across the country on Thursday evening... Didn't want to be struggling just 20 miles in, but you can't have it all. At least the breeze tempered the sun a little.

Ranch trail was where the misery really started. I expected the climb, having been on that trail a couple times, but I absolutely hated Badger Mountain Trail. Long, windy, exposed, with the type of switchbacks that were probably designed to ensure mountain bikers don't have to put in any effort at all. 11 miles to do what's probably a 3-4 mile drive... Hopefully I never have to see Badger Mountain Trail ever again.

Things improved a little on Sundog Trail, which I actually liked better than BM. Then Peavine, which is just...flat. By the time I got to the dells, it was 5pm, and I figured the sun would be down before I got to 50. The north side of Watson Lake was actually a lot of fun, and I liked trying to move through there as fast as possible. Probably the only part of the day that was legitimately enjoyable.

One of my friends was waiting for me at the Watson Boat Ramp with a beer, which was a nice surprise.

By the time I got to Willow, it was getting dark, and I had to use a light most of the way through there. There were also thunderstorms moving in, which was fun (they didn't get to Willow, but I heard it got a little crazy closer to Granite Mountain). I really don't recommend going through the dells in the dark, it definitely upped the difficulty a level or two.

After that section, I decided to make it official and not go for what would've probably been a last place finish. I'm starting to come around to one of my friends' views that 50 miles is a superior distance to 100.

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Aug 21 2022

chumley

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

52 male

Joined Sep 18 2002
Tempe, AZ

Hassayampa, AZ

Hiking		Aug 21 2022
		chumley • Triplogs 1,993

Hiking	9.76 Miles	1,416 AEG

Hiking	9.76 Miles	5 Hrs 2 Mns	2.06 mph
	1,416 ft AEG	18 Mns Break

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patrickakabird

After three days of strikeouts in the valley, I followed the rainfall totals and headed to the Bradshaws where over 4" had fallen over the past couple of days and I hoped to take advantage of the cloudiness and rain-cooled air.

Having never been on this side of the road, I pieced together some of the old two-tracks with a bunch of off-trail splashing in the river. The water level was absolutely great. A cloudy morning brought some mid-morning sun, followed by thunder and a threatening storm.

We looped 383 quickly to beat the rain, which mostly moved south as it developed into a severe storm. The north half of the loop is delightful while the south half is much less so.

Flora

Flora [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Arizona Grape Chokecherry

Culture

Culture [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Sluice box

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

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Jun 11 2022

Whiffer

Guides 3
Routes 161
Photos 477
Triplogs 147

70 male

Joined Jan 02 2016
Prescott, AZ

Prescott, AZ

Hiking		Jun 11 2022
		Whiffer • Triplogs 147

Hiking	8.88 Miles	1,263 AEG

Hiking	8.88 Miles	3 Hrs 47 Mns	2.35 mph
	1,263 ft AEG

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

The Wolf Creek - Figure Eight Loop is a combination of Horse Camp Loop Trail #383 and Wolf Creek Loop Trail #384. Horse Camp Loop Trail #383 starts a few feet from Senator Highway at the entrance to Groom Creek Horse Camp. Parking is available across Senator Highway at the Groom Creek Loop Trailhead and along Camp Wamatochick Road at the north head of the parking lot. 100-200 feet of Road 9708G connect the two loop trails at 1.93 miles hiking counterclockwise.

At 8.88 miles, the recorded route is longer than Official Guide and I think it's not just due to missing turns. I took both loops counterclockwise which worked out well for me, because the steepest sections were uphill which may be more tiring, but safer. I carry (most of the time horizontally) trekking poles at the request of my doctor to minimize falling on steep downhills with loose gravel underfoot. I only needed them a few times hiking counterclockwise, but probably would have needed them a lot more hiking the loops clockwise. The downside to hiking the loops counterclockwise is that some of the signs are easier to see if you are hiking the loops clockwise.

Both trails are shaded by widely spaced Ponderosa pines with oaks and junipers mixed in and what may have been cottonwoods closer to the Hassayampa River and creeks. After about couple tenths of Wolf Creek Loop Trail #384, the trees became even more open and provided views of mountains to south and west (see photo). At the southernmost point of Wolf Creek Loop Trail #384, along the Hassayampa River, is the loveliest campsite I have seen in the Prescott National Forest with lots of cleared ground, a stone fire ring and logs for seating (see photo).

There are more roads and trails in the area than shown on the topographical map and the recorded route only has a few of the intersections. One of the few trails/roads that is marked is Forest Road 74A to Payoff Spring on Wolf Creek Loop Trail #384.

On the return to Horse Camp Loop Trail #383 from Wolf Creek Loop Trail #384, I turned off on one of the many unmarked roads shortly before reaching Horse Camp Loop Trail #383. Rather than backtrack, after noticing that I was south of Horse Camp Loop Trail #383 according to the Route Scout app, I kept taking the left fork at each intersection, until I hit Horse Camp Loop Trail #383. As noted above, there are many other roads and trails in the area, so it would be easy to create your own loop and hike farther, or possibly reduce the length of the hike.

Although the trails are near campgrounds, I only saw one other person (apparently a camper, dressed only in running shorts and footwear) and heard one motor vehicle that was quieter than usual.

Wildflowers Observation Isolated
Arizona thistles just starting to bloom

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2 archives

Jun 06 2021

nonot

Guides 107
Routes 249
Photos 2,067
Triplogs 514

male

Joined Nov 18 2005
Phoenix, AZ

Prescott, AZ

Hiking		Jun 06 2021
		nonot • Triplogs 514

Hiking	9.50 Miles	700 AEG

Hiking	9.50 Miles
	700 ft AEG

no routes

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Very dry, a bit toasty towards the end. Several groups out including some equestrians.

Spotted a large pool holding out in Hassayampa Creek where the trail is closest.

Wildflowers Observation Isolated

Hassayampa River - Upper

Pools to trickle

Wolf Creek

Dry

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http://hikearizona.com/garmin_maps.php

Hike Arizona it is full of sharp, pointy, ankle-twisting, HAZmaster crushing ROCKS!!
Hike Arizona it is full of sharp, pointy, shin-stabbing, skin-shredding plants!
Hike Arizona it is full of striking, biting, stabbing, venomous wildlife!

Jul 25 2018

DixieFlyer

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

male

Joined Jan 07 2017
Fountain Hills,

Prescott, AZ

Hiking		Jul 25 2018
		DixieFlyer • Triplogs 1,374

Hiking	10.25 Miles	1,600 AEG

Hiking	10.25 Miles	5 Hrs 56 Mns	2.48 mph
	1,600 ft AEG	1 Hour 48 Mns Break

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I had never heard of Wolf Creek Falls until I saw a post on this site from kelly14 a week or so ago, so I decided to check the falls out.

Actually I started at the Groom Creek Trail #307 TH and did the Wolf Creek Figure Eight Loop. I went CCW on the Horse Camp Loop Trail #383 and went clockwise on the Wolf Creek Loop Trail #384. I took a short off trail excursion to Peak 6295, which had a view of the fire towers on both Spruce Mountain and Mount Union. I took a couple of short trips off of Trail #384 to the Hassyampa River, which water flowing through it; however, it looked more like a creek than a river to me.

At the western-most point on Trail #384 I went off trail down to the Wolf Creek Falls. It was interesting to see, and while there was water flowing, it was more of a trickle than a gushing stream. There were a couple of falls, the biggest of which was probably 20'-25'.

I saw a couple of small deer in the morning, near the junction of Trail #383 and Trail 3384.

While on top of the falls I looked to the west and could see a fire tower atop a peak, but I don't know what peak it was.

This was a nice hike, and I'd just as soon do it as the Groom Creek Loop Trail #307, which I have done several times.

_____________________

Civilization is a nice place to visit but I wouldn't want to live there

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Apr 09 2017

clem5123

Triplogs 40

56 male

Joined Jul 29 2016
Dewey

Prescott, AZ

Hiking		Apr 09 2017
		clem5123 • Triplogs 40

Hiking	2.70 Miles

Hiking	2.70 Miles

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_____________________

Sep 15 2016

mazatzal

Routes 36
Photos 2,658
Triplogs 1,347

67 male

Joined Jul 28 2004
Scottsdale, AZ

Prescott, AZ

Hiking		Sep 15 2016
		mazatzal • Triplogs 1,347

Hiking	9.70 Miles	1,286 AEG

Hiking	9.70 Miles	4 Hrs 25 Mns	2.53 mph
	1,286 ft AEG	35 Mns Break

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Hadn't done either of the Wolf Creek loops or the falls but I have now :lol:

Also added in the side trip to peak 6296. Great weather, 64 at start and 73 at end.

Nice trails and forest but the falls are definitely the highlight. Didn't see anyone on the trails. Wildlife: 11 deer, lots of lizards and a few squirrels and woodpeckers.

Fauna

Fauna [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Acorn Woodpecker

Named place

Named place [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Hassayampa River - Upper Wolf Creek

Wildflowers Observation Moderate

Hassayampa River - Upper

Pools to trickle

Wolf Creek

Pools to trickle

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1 archive

Jun 18 2014

kingsnake

Guides 116
Routes 337
Photos 11,399
Triplogs 894

63 male

Joined Dec 20 2010
Sunnyslope, PHX

Prescott, AZ

Hiking		Jun 18 2014
		kingsnake • Triplogs 894

Hiking	9.08 Miles	1,286 AEG

Hiking	9.08 Miles	3 Hrs 28 Mns	2.62 mph
	1,286 ft AEG

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[ checklist ] Cadastral Survey Marker HAZ - Hike HAZard Informational/Interpretive Sign

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After my trip to Maverick and (not quite) Tritle 10 days prior with trekkin gecko, I thought it might be wise to do some altitude acclimitization hikes before tackling another peak. The Groom Creek Loop #383 / Wolf Creek Loop #384 figure-8 offered some decent distance, at 6000+ feet, without any really steep bits. As usual, a topo / sat map recon revealed some bits for exploring.

Groom Creek Loop #383 is sandy-surfaced single track. Except for some deep spots, it would make a nice quick MTB loop. Wolf Creek Loop #384, on the other hand is jeep-trail wide (and sometimes on actual FR trails), and mostly hard pack.

First variation was a short trip up Hill 6296, which despite not being a prominent terrain feature has great views of the Bradshaw Mountains and surrounding valleys. Recommended. While the trip up 6296's northeast slope was mild in slope, and had no obstacles, the trip down the southeast slope was steep and brushy -- which is why I quickly diverted into a slight wash (which you would expect to be brushier, but was in fact clear sailing).

Second variation was crossing the (dry) Hassayampa River to what MyTopo said was an old jeep trail between FR 79 and FR 9403. Saw an interesting boulder formation at the crossing, including one delicately-balanced specimen. The connector trail was blocked off from vehicle access, had obviously not been used in years, and was likely in recovery. When I got to FR 9403 -- not sure which letter -- there was a NAU Ecological Restoration Institute pickup there. No tree doctor though. I then dropped back into the Hassayampa River, following the dry creek bed until I found a crossing, then heading back up to Trail #384.

Given the complete lack of water in Wolf Creek and the Hassayampa River, I decided to skip the "falls". From there it was a slow, mostly shade-less, walk back up to the #307 trailhead.

Video (3:29): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-zIg91N10Yk?mo ... autoplay=1

Flora

Flora [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Butterfly Weed Common Mullein Yellow Columbine

Fauna

Fauna [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Desert Stink Beetle Mule Deer

Culture

Culture [ checklist ]

Named place

Named place [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Mount Union Wolf Creek

Meteorology

Meteorology [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Moon

Wildflowers Observation Isolated
Not many, but what flowers there were were pretty and profuse.

	Wolf Creek	Dry	Dry
	Bone dry.

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http://prestonm.com : Everyone's enjoyment of the outdoors is different and should be equally honored.

Jun 07 2014

joebartels

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

55 male

Joined Nov 20 1996

Spruce Davis Union Tritle Maverick Loop, AZ

Hiking		Jun 07 2014
		joebartels • Triplogs 5,894

Hiking	20.20 Miles	5,626 AEG

Hiking	20.20 Miles	11 Hrs 9 Mns		2.02 mph
	5,626 ft AEG	1 Hour 9 Mns Break	12 LBS Pack

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11 linked trail guides

Groom Creek Loop Trail #307

Isabella Trail #377

Dandrea Trail #285

Yankee Doodle Trail #284

Mount Davis

Mount Union - Bradshaw Mountains

Maverick Mountain - Bradshaw Mountains

Groom Creek Loop Trail #307

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The_Eagle

Spruce Mountain 7696
Up the groomed trail to Spruce. The lookout gal we saw 4 years ago arrived just as we were leaving. Unfortunately her dog "Space" has passed away. Nice views. Surprising we didn't see anyone on this popular trail in such nice weather.

Mt Davis
Took Isabella Trail #377 down from Spruce and Dandrea Trail #285 up then off-trail to Mt Davis. This was my first trip up Davis. Nicest views of the day in my opinion. Knoll just NW is definitely worth the extra few minutes, incredible views.

Mt Union 7979
Been here a few times. John the tower guy for 18 years gave us the grand view. We quizzed each other on peaks near and far. It was a nice chat.

Mt Tritle 7782
Heed the property boundary clues. Funky stuff going on out in the woods reminded me of the movie Wrong Turn ( not the happy fun first half hour ).

If you are in the area tick it off. Easy access to great views. With a road slapped over it this is more suited for 4WD beer cooler enthusiast. Shrub peak. No cool pines or lichen rock obstacles.

Maverick Mountain 7443
A scathing bundle of joy.

It is an increasingly steep climb up the east. Pants may make the brush tolerable. There are more rewarding places to bleed.

Wolf Creek Falls
Creeks, rivers and waterfalls in the vicinity are typically dry. Many of the trails are "V" grooves from mountain bikers and horses. Nearby pines and easy access make this a local winner.

Synopsis
Took and consumed 4 quarts. 5-6 would have been more ideal, especially cold! Gnats were not an issue just near face level around Tritle. Thankfully no biting black flies either. Temps were cooler than anticipated. Very cool in the shade. The sunny stretches are like being on the beach in Cali. The sun bakes you but the cool air keeps you happy. Bruce put together a fine loop and I learned a lot about the terrain. Maverick was pure hell, now we know.

Flora

Flora [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Arizona Honeysuckle Horehound Parry's Agave

Culture

Culture [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Slash Pile

Named place

Named place [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Mount Davis Mount Union Fire Lookout

Wildflowers Observation Light
Mainly claret cup. Cactus blooms are pretty, just not exciting.

	Payoff Spring	Dry	Dry
	no evidence of a spring anywhere

	Wolf Creek	Pools to trickle	Pools to trickle
	Small pools looked nice enough to filter

_____________________

- joe

Jun 07 2014

The_Eagle

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

69 male

Joined Jan 20 2009
Far NE Phoenix,

Spruce-Davis-Union-Tritle-Maverick Loop, AZ

Hiking		Jun 07 2014
		The_Eagle • Triplogs 2,760

Hiking	21.33 Miles	5,692 AEG

Hiking	21.33 Miles	11 Hrs 11 Mns		2.15 mph
	5,692 ft AEG	1 Hour 15 Mns Break	16 LBS Pack

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12 linked trail guides

Isabella Trail #377

Dandrea Trail #285

Yankee Doodle Trail #284

Mount Davis

Mount Union - Bradshaw Mountains

Maverick Mountain - Bradshaw Mountains

[ checklist ] Maverick Mountain Mount Union Mount Union Fire Lookout Wolf Creek

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joebartels

Needed to get out of the heat, hadn't been to Prescott in awhile so it was time to come up with some options. I chose the one with the best chance of being under the conifer canopy. There was a few off trail sections in the route, but I was sure by looking on the Sat. views and from my memory of being in the area 3 years ago that those sections would be under the pines also. I even wore my good HAZ shirt knowing it would come back unscathed.

Started at the Groom Creek TH with 2 other cars in the lot when we arrived. We quickly passed a couple that were just finishing their hike on our way clockwise on the Groom Creek #307. We made it to the top to check out the tower and were leaving as the tower attendant (Suzie?) was starting her day. Her dog Space is no longer on earth.

We continued on the #307 2 miles to the Isabella #377 trail. It was on this trail that we would see the last of our hikers for the day. I really like the feel of this trail. Not as wide as the Groom Creek loop and winds through some vanilla smelling ponderosas.

Next it's short road walk past the Potato Patch area, to the Dandrea #285. I don't care much for this trail which is also used in part by ATV's. Loose and Rocky, it is the probably the easiest route to access both Mt Davis and Mt Union.

East on the Yankee Doodle #284 for a short while and we followed the orange flags that someone had left, leading all the way to the top of Mt Davis. This would become a theme on this day. We took the extra little side trip over to the Rocky Perch to the North of the advertised high point of Mt Davis and found the Summit Can. We had a "Discussion" as to whether or not this was the high point of Mt Davis, or was it to the south. My GPS showed the same elevation on both areas. This rocky perch yielded the best natural views of the day.

We scrambled back down to the Yankee D. and made are way over to Mt Union. The last time we were here, it was suggested to us that the best views were at the Heli Pad, so we didn't make it in the tower. This time John invited us up. John's been in the tower for 18 years. We had a nice extended conversation with him about the surrounding areas features, the longevity of the Tower Lookouts jobs, and some of the recent fires. John mentioned that it takes $10k to put a plane in the air to fight fires and $5k for a chopper.

Next it's a 2.3 mile road walk to start our 2nd off trail adventure of the day. We left the Senator highway and started our climb up the east face of Mt Tritle. We had to adjust our planned track up to keep out of the posted No trespassing signs. It was steeper than it looked on TOPO and the thick Duff made it slippery. At the top we made a half hearted attempt to find the Summit Register with no luck. We found a shady spot a bit farther down the road to take some lunch.

I was shocked to see that they'd removed this truck
http://hikearizona.com/photo=204317
from the last time I was here 3 years ago.

Now we're off to hit Maverick Mountain. Once again the orange flags that we saw back on Mt Davis were on FR 9403C. When we reached the Ridge line that we planned to climb to gain Maverick, those orange ribbons followed the same path... It's got to be a good path going up. All I heard was Maverick this and Maverick that... I told Goose to take it easy. We made the peak and thought we'd lose the Orange Ribbons... nope, they kept goings and were following the same track that I'd drawn up. We descended to check out Payoff spring and hit a FR. With a name like that the spring had to be running.... no sign of a spring was found. 2 miles of off trail completed in 2 hours, put us a bit behind.

A short walk over to check out the unimpressive flow of Wolf Creek over the falls. I'll bet an impressive area with a flow through here.

A fun day of exploring some new ground..
Thanks for joining me Ice Man.

Spruce Cicada's, Pano at Mt Davis and in the Mt Union Tower with John and Merlin
http://youtu.be/NrIEZlxQRMo
--

Fauna

Fauna [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Abert's Squirrel

Culture

Culture [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Benchmark

Named place

Named place [ checklist ]

Wildflowers Observation Isolated

	Payoff Spring	Dry	Dry
	We looked and found no sign of a spring

	Wolf Creek	Pools to trickle	Pools to trickle
	Some filterable pools and a very light flow (Trickle)

_____________________

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

Aug 06 2011

The_Eagle

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

69 male

Joined Jan 20 2009
Far NE Phoenix,

Prescott, AZ

Hiking		Aug 06 2011
		The_Eagle • Triplogs 2,760

Hiking	17.40 Miles	3,374 AEG

Hiking	17.40 Miles	8 Hrs 38 Mns		2.21 mph
	3,374 ft AEG	45 Mns Break	18 LBS Pack

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Kendall Camp Trail #65

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Escaped the Valley hoping to find cooled Temps. Started at 68 degrees...mmmm...
The TH at Groom Creek had about 10 cars in it when I got there, and evidently they were all hiking the Groom Creek Loop. I had this track all to myself, short of two groups of horseback riders.

I really enjoyed this area. I used the Wolf Creek loops and a short bushwhack, to make my way over to the Mount Tritle trail. The Mount Tritle trail #65 is a bit steep and rocky, but the views are top notch! Temps at the top around noon were mid 70's at 7,700 ft. After some lunch and a bit of a nap, I started making my way back. I stopped at the Hassayampa River and dipped my shirt and hat in the river to cool off. Next stop was the Wolf Creek Falls trail to do the same.

The Water at the "Falls" was not conducive to dipping. It looks like during wet times this would be a fun area, but now there was just some pooled water, probably from recent rains.

By the time I got back to the truck, the temps were hitting the low 90's so I was glad to get in the air conditioned truck.

Culture

Culture [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Automobile Remains/Wreckage

Wildflowers Observation Light

_____________________

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

Oct 03 2008

TwoWeims

Routes 35
Photos 136
Triplogs 70

61 male

Joined Aug 28 2008
Prescott, AZ