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| Hiking | 5.17 Miles |
2,851 AEG |
| | Hiking | 5.17 Miles | 7 Hrs 6 Mns | | 1.76 mph |
| 2,851 ft AEG | 4 Hrs 10 Mns Break | | | |
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| no partners | | This loop hike begins and ends on Seven Springs Rd, north of Carefree, with the destination being the high point of Kentuck Mountain. Four survey disks were placed on the high point, three in 1924 and one in 1946.
Kentuck Mountain is the prominent mountain, and highest point you see on your right (east), as you drive up Cave Creek Rd, prior to the road going into a valley and turning into Seven Springs Rd. Kentuck Mountain has a long and majestic, rising ridgeline, which also is visible from Cave Creek Rd.
This visible ridgeline starts at Seven Springs Rd, and is the ridgeline I used for my return portion of this loop hike. I used an adjacent ridgeline, to the north, for my journey to the high point. That adjacent ‘out’ ridgeline does not start at the road, and was not visible until I was well into my hike east. A very deep drainage must be crossed just prior to the ‘out’ ridgeline. The entire hike is a bushwhack.
Years ago (1924) this mountain was known by three different names.
General Land Office maps called it ‘Mount Buford’ and the NGS benchmark atop the high point is named BUFORD.
At the nearby Sears Ranch, it was known as ‘Buck Basin Mountain’.
Lastly, the Forest Service called it by a third name, ‘Kentuck Mountain’. The Forest Service placed a disk up there in 1924, and called it KENTUCK 5-17. It was stamped “FIRE CONTROL VISIBLE AREA MAP POINT”.
It appears the Forest Service name for the mountain won the ‘name-game’.
Hiking out, once past the very deep drainage, I gained the ridgeline and felt like I was ‘on-top-of-the-world’. The higher up the ridgeline, the better the distant views. This ridgeline is quite rocky, with rather thin vegetation, as opposed to the return ridgeline which is just the opposite. Both ridgelines are easy to hike, however - they’re just different.
Of the four survey disks placed atop Kentuck Mountain, only two remain. (I knew two were missing prior to the hike). It appears vandals did alot of work in ripping the two missing disks out of their well cemented positions.
I found the two remaining disks (both reference marks for Buford), and also found exactly ‘where’ the other two were monumented. I brought along the datasheets for both main benchmarks and after some measuring, I found cement remnants, and actually found the metal rod (stub) that Buford benchmark was attached. The rod-stub is still permanently affixed in place. The top of the protruding end of this 1/2 inch stub showed signs that surveyors had used the benchmark location for surveying, even after the disk was taken.
I stayed atop the peak for over 2 hours, measuring, taking photos, having lunch and just wandering around. It’s a great place to view well known places, but from a unique angle and elevation.
My hike back, on the other ridgeline, was uneventful. I did find a bunch of rocks that gave me the idea they might be ruins. I have no expertise at all on such things, so I default to you experts out there. I have two photos that show the rocks. They’re probably just rocks, but let me know what you think.
This entire hike was a pleasure. I found all the ‘stuff’ I wanted to find, and explored new territory. All very excellent.  |
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Not All Those Who Wander Are Lost
J.R.R.TOLKIEN |
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The wildflowers were moderate but not as abundant as what I'd seen 2 days earlier on a hike only 2-3 miles away off of Horseshoe Dam Road. The lush spring-time green hillsides were a treat for someone who still misses the green of Oregon after living here for 8 years. The 0.6 mile off-trail to the mountain top has some steep sections leaving me a little short on energy when I reached the top. So after enjoying the views I decided to take a short nap. But just as I started clearing a space to lay down for a few Z's a military jet came streaking out of nowhere just above the top of the mountain with a very loud roar. I only had about 2 seconds warning before it was directly overhead. It must have been flying at close to the speed of sound. I was so startled that I dropped to the ground and took cover in the tall grass. But I quickly recovered and took a 40 minute nap. Nothing keeps an old geezer from his naps.
No sign of spring or water. A quarter mile back there was a light flow, small pools.
So with a little bit of work and some patience I found a decent crossing point to get to the north side and then it was just a matter of zigzagging my way up the slope to get to the ridgeline. The recent rains made for some soil and wobbly rocks so there were some 
moments. The second reward with taking this approach was when I finally did hit the ridgeline the views were very rewarding! I had been enclosed in the valley for the entire hike and so to get those panoramic views was very rewarding. There was still a little bit of work to get to the peak but after negotiating the slope, I wasn't complaining. Views form the peak were awesome! 
Stumbled across one of the survey markers. Biggest surprise was that I was able to see part of the San Francisco Peaks to the north. Probably would not have picked up on it if it wasn't for their snowy slopes that stood in stark contrast to the blue skies and the more mundane brown mountains in the foreground. 
