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| | | Rudd Creek - Sipe to Milligan, AZ | | | |
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Rudd Creek - Sipe to Milligan, AZ
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| Hiking | 8.00 Miles |
421 AEG |
| | Hiking | 8.00 Miles | 4 Hrs | | 2.00 mph |
| 421 ft AEG | | | | |
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| no partners | | A continuation of our exploration of Rudd Creek. Mileage given is round trip. It's a beautiful hike, first through a ranch belonging to Game and Fish Dept., and then following an overgrown dirt road along a creek in the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest. We had done the lower section from the highway to Sipe earlier this spring. We saw no one, saw no human or ATV tracks, only those of elk, deer and raccoon. I don't think many people at all go there. We did spook up one cow elk who had been drinking from the creek. Lots of trees: narrowleaf cottonwood, ponderosa pine, etc. I wish my camera was of higher quality, but you can at least get the idea of the area from the photos.
This middle section is reached by going to Sipe White Mountain Wildlife Area (Game and Fish Department property, open to the public). Directions: From Eagar, take U.S. Highway 180/191 south towards Alpine; you'll see the turnoff signs on top of a mesa two miles from Eagar. (From Springerville, follow US 60 through town, watching for signs for US 180/191 Alpine. Turn right at this Y intersection. Follow this road until it connects with 180/191, turn left. Go about 2 miles to the top of the really big hill, where you will see the signs for Sipe, which will be a right turn onto a dirt road.) Follow the improved dirt road five miles to the property, turning right at a Y. Go all the way in to the dead end where there is the ranch house/tourist area and park there. Walk past the barn, the ranch buildings and several houses and out the other side to a huge open field. Walk generally along the creek, which is partially fenced with electric fencing, across the big field, heading generally southwest to a notch in the mountains. (About 1 mile.) You'll get to the Rudd Creek Cabin first. From there, you hop the fence into the National Forest and keep following the creek. An easy place to hop the fence is where PVC pipe has been placed on the top wire to help the elk jump it. There is an old dirt road you can follow, which crosses and recrosses the creek, plus there is a path along the old irrigation ditch.
Once you have hopped that fence you will most likely leave all tourists, volunteer docents, other hikers, and birders behind! When we arrived there yesterday the ranch area was also overrun with orange-jumpsuited state prisoners, doing some weedeating. But you'll leave all that behind you when you hike Rudd Creek.
Maps: You'd best have them. You'll need the Nelson Reservoir 7.5' quad to start with and then the Eagar 7.5' quad. If you continue on to the south, (further than we did,) you will also need the Rudd Knoll quad. These are usually available in Springerville at Western Drug, in the gun department. |
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There is a point of no return unremarked at the time in most lives. Graham Greene The Comedians
A clean house is a sign of a misspent life. |
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