Clell Lee Trail #24 • Hike • Arizona • All Triplogs • HikeArizona.COM

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Jun 15 2024

ShatteredArm

Guides 12
Routes 192
Photos 863
Triplogs 356

42 male

Joined Nov 30 2015
Phoenix, AZ

Upper Grant Creek Trail #65 - Blue Range

Alpine, AZ

Upper Grant Creek Trail #65 - Blue Range

Alpine, AZ

Hiking		Jun 15 2024
		ShatteredArm • Triplogs 356

Hiking	14.70 Miles	2,887 AEG

Hiking	14.70 Miles	6 Hrs 58 Mns	2.27 mph
	2,887 ft AEG	30 Mns Break

no photosets

Linked

linked

Foote Creek Trail #76

Clell Lee Trail #24

P-Bar Lake Trail #326

Grant Creek Trail #75 - Blue Range

Grant Cabin Shortcut Trail #306

Partners

none

no partners

After finishing the lower part of Foote Creek trail a few weeks ago, I decided it might be a good time to see if I can "finish" the trail. I was thinking an out-and-back from P-Bar Lake TH down to the Horse Ridge junction would be the goal, although I wasn't expecting trail conditions to be very good. P-Bar Lake trail is a walk in the park, and once on Foote Creek trail, the lack of maintenance quickly becomes apparent after the Grant Creek trail splits off. Still, it was pretty easy to follow into the upper Foote Creek drainage; deadfall was really the biggest issue.

Once into Foote Creek, the trail pretty much disappeared, and it was basically side-hilling while climbing over logs. Did this for maybe a mile and decided at that point that Foote Creek would be best left unfinished, at least until someone decides to rebuild the trail. Also, the canyon was a little smoky, although not enough that I could smell it. At one point I could see smoke billowing up ahead; I didn't realize until after the hike that the fire was actually in Foote Creek, apparently around the Horse Ridge junction. Glad I avoided stumbling into an active fire... Really hoping that area doesn't get charred too badly.

After I decided to turn around, I figured I may as well go check out the Upper Grant Creek trail, which I attempted from the top a couple years ago, but quickly lost the trail. Headed down Grant Creek trail, which seems to see regular maintenance at least to Paradise Park - locust are starting to encroach, but not enough to really slow you down. Then down the Grant Cabin Shortcut. A little upstream from the cabin, found a nice spot to take a short break, then proceeded up canyon.

For the most part, route finding in Upper Grant Creek was not too difficult, and the trail exists in most places. But the locust are getting really bad, and if it's not trimmed soon, getting through this canyon is going to be very difficult. I was barely moving at 1mph through there. It was also getting pretty warm, even at 9000 feet.

Eventually I got to Hannagan TH, where I would've loved my car to have been at that point in time, but I had to get back to P-Bar TH. I opted to take Clell Lee Trail, since it would be a little shorter, all downhill, and I hadn't seen it all the way down to 191. It's a pleasant little valley. The mile or so along 191 was OK; as far as highways are concerned it's not bad, I only saw four vehicles total in the 15 minutes or so it took.

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2 archives

Jul 12 2023

chumley

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

52 male

Joined Sep 18 2002
Tempe, AZ

Foote Clell Loop, AZ

Hiking		Jul 12 2023
		chumley • Triplogs 1,993

Hiking	7.08 Miles	737 AEG

Hiking	7.08 Miles	2 Hrs 27 Mns	3.03 mph
	737 ft AEG	7 Mns Break

Linked

linked

Foote Creek Trail #76

P-Bar Lake Trail #326

Clell Lee Trail #24

Partners

none

no partners

I abandoned my plans for a 15 mile loop starting at dawn to try and beat the storms and instead stayed in camp and spread everything out to dry in the early morning breeze. By the time I got going it was almost 10, and I estimated my plan would be about a 5 mile loop starting with the Foote Creek trail, hoping that I could find the Clell trail or just wander up the draw where the topo trace indicated it would be.

Foote was nice enough, well maintained and cleared for the most part, though it did push through one severely burned stretch that hasn't seen much recovery except some ferns and locust. No biggie though, as all the deadfall had been cut. One short section had also recently been hit by a microburst, downing a dozen or more old-growth ponderosa in a span of a couple hundred yards. Glad I wasn't there for that.

Just to keep you honest, P— drops 300 feet to the highway, where I had to hoof it for 3/4 mile along Hannagan Creek to get back up to the draw that Clell Springs is in. The short stretch of highway walk featured zero vehicles, which is always nice when walking on a federal highway, and allowed me to spy the original road cut. If you think the 191 is a windy road now, you should pay attention to what it used to look like!

Upon reaching the pretty draw, the weather took a turn, and before long I was dodging the flash-bangs I had so hoped to avoid. It wasn't raining, and it was a minute or two between lightning strikes, but thunder was inside of 4 seconds so I did not particularly enjoy the last mile or so as I pushed my pace up toward 4mph.

Spent the next couple hours on the patio at the lodge enjoying the weather from a better spot.

Named place

Named place [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Clell Spring

	Clell Spring	Dry	Dry
	No sign of surface water here

	Spruce Tank	Dry	Dry
	Most of this entire draw was dry. Only one day of monsoon rain so far.

Triple Tank

1-25% full

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

Aug 22 2021

ShatteredArm

Guides 12
Routes 192
Photos 863
Triplogs 356

42 male

Joined Nov 30 2015
Phoenix, AZ

Hannagan meandering, AZ

Run/Jog		Aug 22 2021
		ShatteredArm • Triplogs 356

Run/Jog	13.59 Miles	1,431 AEG

Run/Jog	13.59 Miles	4 Hrs 22 Mns	3.62 mph
	1,431 ft AEG	37 Mns Break

no photosets

Linked

linked

Upper Grant Creek Trail #65 - Blue Range

Partners

none

no partners

Bit of an ill-fated day, didn't get a whole lot of sleep after I saw a wolf jog by in the middle of the night. The plan was to go down Fish Creek trail. Got to Hannagan TH in time for a 7am start, and immediately got lost in the campground. Wandered around a bit looking for the trail, then went back, when I found a "Fish Creek Tr" sign about 15 feet off the main trail, with no visible route. I followed blazes, with a few stretches of what seemed to be tread, to a fire road west of the campground. Wandered down the road a bit looking for the continuation, but decided it must have been right on the other side. Indeed, I found the tread, which quickly disappeared into thick locust. The upper part of this trail is pretty much a no-go at this point, unless you like climbing over deadfall while being scraped to death.

Headed back up to the TH, debating on whether to just go to a different TH, but decided to check out the Aker Lake trail (spelled "Achre" on the trail signs). This was a nice meandering trail, with only a few slightly overgrown patches. The lake itself had one of those ambiguous shorelines where there's tall grass and you're not really sure whether you're in or out of the lake. Probably easier to go around the south side.

Decided to take the dirt road back to 191 and cross over the highway to make a loop. Headed down KP Rim trail, which is all through burn scar, but well-trimmed. Took the Steeple connector north, which I had done previous day. Not much changed over a period of 20 or so hours, but I was surprised to find I had left plenty of raspberries unpicked.

Intended to explore down Upper Grant Creek a bit, but the trail quickly disappeared into raspberry vines. Didn't really want to deal with that, so I decided to check out Clell Lee Spring trail instead. This trail was A-OK, a nice gentle grade down a pretty valley, ending up at the spring, where there's the remains of what could be an old building. After this it was just a jog back up to Hannagan Meadow.

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Jul 03 2017

nonot

Guides 107
Routes 249
Photos 2,067
Triplogs 514

male

Joined Nov 18 2005
Phoenix, AZ

Foote Creek Trail #76

Alpine, AZ

Foote Creek Trail #76

Alpine, AZ

Hiking		Jul 03 2017
		nonot • Triplogs 514

Hiking	8.00 Miles	800 AEG

Hiking	8.00 Miles
	800 ft AEG

no routes

no photosets

Linked

linked

P-Bar Lake Trail #326

Clell Lee Trail #24

Partners

none

no partners

76 north to P-bar, then back on 24. 24 is not on HAZ yet so I'll have to find time to add it. In general, 76 and 326 have way too many downed trees. However, 24 is very nice, even though most of it is a dirt road, it winds through a meadow and doesn't suffer from much in terms of treefall to spoil it.

Wildflowers Observation Light

	Clell Spring	Gallon per minute	Gallon per minute
	Stream was running slowly in area, didn't look for actual spring.

	Spruce Tank	Dry	Dry
	I couldn't find a tank per se here

	Triple Tank	76-100% full	76-100% full
	Where you first cross the highway a stream was flowing nicely.

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1 archive

WARNING! Hiking and outdoor related sports can be dangerous. Be responsible and prepare for the trip. Study the area you are entering and plan accordingly. Dress for the current and unexpected weather changes. Take plenty of water. Never go alone. Make an itinerary with your plan(s), route(s), destination(s) and expected return time. Give your itinerary to trusted family and/or friends.

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