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| Hiking | 14.98 Miles |
3,501 AEG |
| | Hiking | 14.98 Miles | 10 Hrs 15 Mns | | 1.59 mph |
| 3,501 ft AEG | 50 Mns Break | | | |
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| partners | | This was the third weekend out of the last four that I hiked in the Mazatzals...didn't plan it that way, but it's hard to beat great views and a relatively short drive. This was the first time either of us had started from Deer Creek Trailhead, and both trails on the South Fork-Gold Ridge loop were also new ones for us. There were a few vehicles and a hunter in the parking lot when we arrived ~7AM, and it was in the mid/upper-40s and pretty comfortable as we set out.
We hiked the loop clockwise, turning left off Deer Creek Trail to start up Gold Ridge Trail. As advertised, it was wide and well maintained and gained a lot of elevation, with some steep/loose sections on the way up...but it was efficient and didn't waste time with switchbacks  . A little over 3.5 miles in, I left the trail to go up to the "GOLD" benchmark on peak/hill 5776. It's only a quarter mile off the trail but pretty brushy getting up there. I pulled out the gloves and clippers again and picked up another round of Mazatzal scratches to add to the collection.
But it was a worthwhile detour--it's a unique "double gold" benchmark, both gold in color, which I'd never seen, and also stamped with the "GOLD" name. Plus it's set on a beautiful multi-colored rock outcropping. I found it hidden under a rock as FLYING FLIVER described in an old triplog, and I noticed it doesn't have a triangle symbol like most benchmarks...not sure if the triangle appears only on newer benchmarks, because this one was placed in 1926. Peak/hill 5776 isn't the highest point in the general vicinity, but the views are nice.
[ youtube video ]
I headed back down to the trail, and we continued along Gold Ridge to FR 3348 and crossed paths with a tarantula along the way. We followed 3348/201 past some nice campsites and started down South Fork Trail. Pigeon Spring had a pool of stagnant, algae-covered water near it, and the trail was hard to follow as we climbed over a lot of deadfall through the fire-damaged area around there. We eventually got down to the creek bed and picked up some cairns...it was slow going, but there was a lot of nice fall color along the creek. We saw occasional pools of water, but nothing too substantial after the dry year.
The loop is a tale of two halves...where Gold Ridge was wide, well-maintained, and extremely easy to follow, South Fork was the opposite--often hard to find, narrow, and overgrown. We climbed over and under a lot of deadfall along the way, and cairns made it easier to spot the trail further along, but the GPS often came in handy as well. The next few miles were a blur, following the trail as it alternated between following the rocky creek bed and climbing up onto one of the banks to bypass cliffs or large obstacles. There were a number of spots where the sloping, loose trail was very narrow as we passed some sheer drops--places where a slip would be very bad. After a few more years of erosion, some of those spots could get really interesting as the trail continues to wash out...
The cairn frequency increased as we got closer to the trailhead, and the canyon started to open up with ~2.5 miles remaining as the trail flattened out a little and became easier to follow, eventually crossing the wide wash and then leveling off to close the loop. We kept an eye out out for the old stone cabin mentioned in the guide but didn't see it...the guide is 20+ years old, so I'm guessing the cabin's not there anymore. Other than the hunter in the morning and a trail runner near the trailhead at the end of the day, we didn't see anyone all day. It was another fun one in the Mazatzals...lot of variety in the scenery, nice fall color and geology, and a double gold benchmark along the way. |
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Autumn Foliage Observation Substantial
Lots of bright color along South Fork |
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Pigeon Spring |
Dripping |
Dripping |
| | | Stagnant, algae-covered pool near the wooden sign for the spring | | | |
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Route Editor
Route Scout
Route 
, but I found it really braced me up and I felt much better and ready to take on the rest of the hike. 
