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| Hiking | 12.42 Miles |
1,671 AEG |
| | Hiking | 12.42 Miles | 6 Hrs 40 Mns | | 1.98 mph |
| 1,671 ft AEG | 23 Mns Break | | | |
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| no partners | | Well it's getting hot and I noticed the forecast high in Payson was 67°. And I liked some recent posts about the mesas west of town so I plotted a track and headed up there.
First let me say directions I found to Twin Buttes Trailhead were not very good. This works: take the Fossil Creek Road west out of Strawberry. After 2-3mi FR428 branches left down the hill. A bit further FR194 is a right turn, Twin Buttes TH is signposted that way. After another few miles you cross the AZ Trail...no signs or markings at the moment!...when you reach the stock tank you've gone 100yds too far.
I actually drove half a mile too far before pulling out my GPS. I decided to park there and changed plans: do my planned loop counterclockwise.
It's cow country and I cut through pastures, under a fence, and bushwacked a ways before coming back to the road (doesn't that always happen?) right about where it ends, between the Twin Buttes. I headed south cross-country staying on the ridge which is (initially) the east edge of Bull Tank Mesa. It's pretty nice travelling through the pinyons and junipers though a little bit rocky - and cow country turns into elk country. Cane Springs Mountain is a high point along the ridge, though lower than the starting point...presumably it looks like a mountain from the other side.
From there I bushwacked across the drainage to Saddle Ridge. This stretch I hoped to find some interesting Indian stuff (a la BobP Brasky) but alas I only passed by a few areas of scattered pottery pieces, a probable (but not certain) small ruin, and a single faded petroglyph. I imagine that a different cut through or some extensive searching would find much more.
I had a little trouble finding the trail on Saddle Ridge (this is AZT #25) but this proved a nice way back to the car. It's a rocky area with occasional cairns, but the trail itself (when found) has bigger, more frequent cairns. I'm guessing some locals are not appreciative of the trail - I noticed at the end that a fence restricting motorized access had been cut and that trail signs had been knocked down.
It was nice and cool and good walking but I'd have liked it more if I had found more stuff. |
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