Sipe White Mountain Wildlife Area • Hike • Arizona • All Triplogs • HikeArizona.COM

Alpine, AZ

Hiking		May 27 2023
		FOTG • Triplogs 1,052

Hiking	5.90 Miles	1,021 AEG

Hiking	5.90 Miles	3 Hrs 32 Mns	1.82 mph
	1,021 ft AEG	17 Mns Break

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I have driven by the sign for this area more times than I can remember and have never checked it out. However, recently some prehistoric sites in the area piqued my interest in the wildlife preserve.

We began our hike by hiking towards the Rudd Creek Pueblo. We saw a lone pronghorn along the way. The pueblo was an interesting stop and intriguing site to tour. After touring the pueblo, we continued on the trail to the boundary of the national forest and did some additional exploring of the area to include a pretty stunning glyph site, which took a little trial and error to locate and leaving the pups tied under a few shade trees while I walked the craggy bases of several cliff bands in the area. Nevertheless, the extra walking proved worth it and the site represented perhaps one of the more thought provoking and intriguing sites I have ever toured. I kept my visitation short to be more considerate of my patient pups, but I would like to visit the area again and spend even more time looking for signs of prehistoric life in the area. After reuniting with the pups, we finished the pleasant hike back to the trailhead and visitor center.

The visitor center has a nice museum set up and it proved to be a great way to end my little prehistoric tour of the area. There are some great artifacts on display in the visitor center and some archaeological context of the area is provided.

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Sep 05 2020

jochal

Guides 2
Routes 25
Photos 1,890
Triplogs 604

41 male

Joined Sep 13 2009
Mesa, AZ

Alpine, AZ

Hiking		Sep 05 2020
		jochal • Triplogs 604

Hiking	1.00 Miles	200 AEG

Hiking	1.00 Miles
	200 ft AEG

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Got a good briefing from one of the hosts, then we were off on the High Point Trail. Wandered a bit around the bird watching area, then watched hummingbirds on the porch. Definitely a cool place, and will try to go back.

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Jul 27 2020

mt98dew

Guides 69
Routes 37
Photos 3,010
Triplogs 2,387

55 male

Joined Oct 24 2010
Phoenix,Az

Alpine, AZ

Hiking		Jul 27 2020
		mt98dew • Triplogs 2,387

Hiking	5.75 Miles	250 AEG

Hiking	5.75 Miles	2 Hrs	2.88 mph
	250 ft AEG

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This ended up being my third hike for the day....post Husley Lake and Rudd Creek. This hike, in the Sipe White Mountain Wildlife area, couldn’t have been more different from the Rudd hike if I wanted it to be. Rudd was off trail and this, for the most part was all flat, dual track. Pulled in to the visitor center and was met by a very pleasant hostess - Sue. She informed me that the visitor center was closed but that trails were open for use. Sue provided me with a map of the area and the trails. I did the the Rudd Creek Loop Trail (kind of) and the Homestead Trails. The trails have info boards posted along the way and there are occasional markers to help guide you. For a walk in “the park” it is embarrassingly easy to lose the trail. I ended up doing exactly what WilliamnWendi did in 2012. As the Rudd Creek loop trail crosses a bridge and turns north, the trail should transition from a dual track to a single track. I missed the signs the first time around and ended up following the dual track to the enclosure for the pueblo ruins and then taking the Homestead trail to the McKay Reservoir and then out to the old ranch of Joseph Nelson. The reservoir has some potential with nice viewing stations. There is evidence that it sees quite a bit of activity (from the prints in the mud around the water), but I didn’t see anything this time around. The Nelson homestead was ok. Surprised by the stone walls...I was expecting a log cabin. Impressed by the well, the layering of rocks as it went down into the earth is a testament to frontier ingenuity. On the way past the reservoir I followed what I thought was another trail, which ended up being the back end of Rudd Creek Loop. This was the best part of all the “trails”...a single track that gained some elevation. Gave a nice view of the surrounding area. Ended up repeating the dual track to the pueblo ruins.

Definitely more of a family area, than a destination hiking area. The hummingbird area at the visitor center was impressive. Their July hummingbird festival was cancelled due to the virus, but the hummingbirds didn’t know that and were putting on quite the show.. I didn’t see anything on the walk except vultures and a squirrel, but on the drive I could see deer in the distance and got a nice look at a couple of antelope. Side note: as I was driving out to my hiking spots early in the morning, I came across close to 30 deer on the side of the road...and some in the middle. Long story short, when you are in the high country, you don’t need to go to a wildlife area to see the wildlife.

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Jul 18 2015

Guides 31
Routes 135
Photos 2,699
Triplogs 615

52 female

Joined Apr 02 2007
Scottsdale, AZ

Alpine, AZ

Hiking		Jul 18 2015
		Crzy4AZ • Triplogs 615

Hiking	7.40 Miles	250 AEG

Hiking	7.40 Miles
	250 ft AEG

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	Baby4AZ	GI Jones
	LilGuy4AZ

Drove up to Sipe - took picnic up on High Point Loop trail. George was the "line leader". Took our annual family photo on the swing back porch of the visitor center. Played frisbee in the grass. Had a big time.

Fauna

Fauna [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Horned Lizard

Named place

Named place [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Escudilla Mountain

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Aug 12 2014

Oregon_Hiker

Guides 9
Routes 473
Photos 8,433
Triplogs 626

79 male

Joined Dec 07 2010
Phoenix, AZ

Alpine, AZ

Hiking		Aug 12 2014
		Oregon_Hiker • Triplogs 626

Hiking	2.00 Miles	250 AEG

Hiking	2.00 Miles
	250 ft AEG

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Took the family on a day trip from Show Low to the Sipe White Mountain Wildlife area. It's a worthwhile venture. The volunteer attendant at the visitor's center gave a detailed and interesting (to me, maybe not so much to the grand kids) history of the ranch from the first settlers to current day. I was surprised to learn that in the mid 1900s the ranch raised high quality Hereford bulls sold as breeding stock all over the US. Seemed odd that such a remote location would be used for this purpose.

After taking the required family picture on the front porch of the visitor center, we hiked the High Point Trail to take in the views. Unfortunately we were chased off by a thunderstorm that was rolling across the valley before the grand kids got much time on the spotting scope - great views of the ranch and Escudilla Mtn to the south. Then it was a picnic lunch on the front porch of the visitor's center while rain threatened. In the afternoon we hiked out to the archeological site on the Rudd Creek Trail. I was interested in seeing the pueblo wall construction which was different than I've seen at other ruins. The site is getting a bit overgrown but worth the short walk to the site. The visitor's center has an interesting display of pottery and other artifacts retrieved from the site. A pile of pottery sherds at the site showed a much greater variation in pottery types than I've seen at sites in the Sierra Ancha and Cave Creek.

It was a day well spent and the drive from Show Low on HW 60 went by quickly with great views of the wide open high country in this part of the state. Thanks to Crzy4AZ for providing the excellent description of this family friendly place.

Fauna

Fauna [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Greater Short-Horned Lizard

Named place

Named place [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Escudilla Mountain

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Jul 26 2014

trailzrus

Routes 69
Photos 3,135
Triplogs 1,853

72 male

Joined Jul 24 2009
Mesa, AZ

Alpine, AZ

Hiking		Jul 26 2014
		trailzrus • Triplogs 1,853

Hiking	1.10 Miles	250 AEG

Hiking	1.10 Miles
	250 ft AEG

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Jul 17 2014

Guides 31
Routes 135
Photos 2,699
Triplogs 615

52 female

Joined Apr 02 2007
Scottsdale, AZ

[ checklist ] Anna's Hummingbird Broad-tailed Hummingbird Costa's Hummingbird Rufous Hummingbird

Alpine, AZ

Hiking		Jul 17 2014
		Crzy4AZ • Triplogs 615

Hiking	1.00 Miles	250 AEG

Hiking	1.00 Miles
	250 ft AEG

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	Baby4AZ	GI Jones
	LilGuy4AZ

From our cabin in Greer we road tripped to Springerville to spend the day at Sipe. The kids have been coming enough that Caroline remembered it from previous trips. "Where's the dead wolf?" she asked right away (referring to the taxidermy collection). We watched hummingbirds at the feeders, threw balls in the grass, played on the porch and the swings, took our traditional family picture in the swing, and then did the High Point Trail.

We packed a picnic as we always do - and Caroline and George hiked on their own to the top but then George asked for a ride on the way down (Brad carried him in the Kelty). Caroline changed up our picnic spot, but for the better with shade and views. This is our second visit post-Wallow Fire and regrowth is good.

My favorite part of the morning was watching Caroline sign us into the Visitor register all on her own!

Fauna

Fauna [ checklist ]

Named place

Named place [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Escudilla Mountain Escudilla Wilderness

Wildflowers Observation Isolated

Rudd Creek

Medium flow

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Aug 17 2012

Guides 31
Routes 135
Photos 2,699
Triplogs 615

52 female

Joined Apr 02 2007
Scottsdale, AZ

Alpine, AZ

Hiking		Aug 17 2012
		Crzy4AZ • Triplogs 615

Hiking	1.00 Miles	250 AEG

Hiking	1.00 Miles
	250 ft AEG		23 LBS Pack

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Baby4AZ

GI Jones

Drove to Springerville for a day at Sipe. Missed going last year b/c roads were closed from fire. You can see fire line on mountain ridge on property, but basically otherwise it looks exactly the same as before the fire. Weather just wonderful in the high 60's - threatened to rain later in afternoon. We started off in the museum looking at the "dead animals" as the very graphic and morbid 3 year old Caroline likes to say. How did they die Mommy? Why did they die? Who killed them? Can they be alive again? Can they bite me while they are dead? All very good questions - some tough to answer without laughing or just making things up. George is big into animal sounds and we did the best we could with some of the animals - like what sound does a javalina make. We did meow for anything resembling a cat and stretched it with a moo sound for an elk. It is kind of like a weird escalating moo sound. His favorite was the room full of ducks.

Then hiked the High Point Trail one mile round trip - brought a picnic lunch like we always do. Very lush and green all around - tons of wildflowers. Wish there was a HAZ photo section for kick-@ss nursing in public while on a hike photos. Know this crowd is probably totally grossed out by it - but I'm always proud to feed my kids out on the trail whenever they need it.

Played in the grass for a while after the hike and then headed back to Greer. Kids totally passed out exhausted for two hour nap. :zzz:

Named place

Named place [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Rudd Creek

Wildflowers Observation Moderate

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Jul 18 2012

WilliamnWendi

Guides 2
Routes 58
Photos 1,254
Triplogs 221

52 male

Joined Dec 26 2009
Phoenix, Az

Alpine, AZ

Hiking		Jul 18 2012
		WilliamnWendi • Triplogs 221

Hiking	7.40 Miles	250 AEG

Hiking	7.40 Miles	3 Hrs 20 Mns	2.47 mph
	250 ft AEG	20 Mns Break

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Got up early and drove from lyman down to Sipe Wildlife Area. We weren't expecting what we found, which was two great hosts, Kenny and Peggy, and Game and Fish has a nice little visitor's center there. Hiking the "Hill Trail" or "High Point" first which Peggy recommended taking right fork first as that was least steep ascent but Wendi and I, being out of shape, found ourselves breathless by the top. From the top are some excellent views of Escudilla and if you find it lacking there's a telescope installed that allows even greater viewing. Peggy let us know about some of the Petroglyphs at the top, some of them are visible by looking over the edge but if your willing to do a little extra scrambling you can get below the cliffs and get some really nice viewing. The grade on the return trail was marginally steeper than the suggested ascent but I'll admit that ascending from the right fork is a pleasant for the juniper, and the descent then gives excellent views of the Rudd Creek area.

The Rudd Creek Loop came next. Peggy said it was recommended to check out the barn but we just stuck to the trail. Rudd Creek, inside wilderness area, itself was sectioned off by electrical fencing. I imagine if we got here earlier we might have seen more wildlife but for us just a nice hike across a grassy meadowland. Things got a little confusing once the trail gets to it's most western loop. After a short walk along the fence line the trail crosses a dirt road. The catch is the section on the other side is hardly noticeable, camouflaged by dry grass, then climbs the adjacent hillside. Sans any other alternative we unknowingly continued our hike off trail. Luckily the road heads east towards the Rudd Creek Pueblo. After exploring ruin's enclosure. We headed south towards the lake, starting to get a little curious about the discrepancies between our route and the park map. Once we got to the lake we found what turned out to be the unfinished section of the Rudd Creek Loop. Still not knowing the game that was afoot we just assumed it was a trail not on the map. Though a little hot in the day to be ascending hills we enjoyed the juniper and the occasional breezes that blew through. Once we finally came to the spot we overlooked we once again took the dirt road back to the ruins area, back to the lake and then finished off with Homestead trail. Sadly the homestead was burnt down in the recent fires but there is still enough there to make it worth the effort.

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The Tree of Understanding, dazzling, straight, and simple, sprouts by the spring called Now I Get It. - Wislawa Szymborska, "Utopia"

Oct 15 2010

Tortoise_Hiker

Guides 1
Routes 148
Photos 9,924
Triplogs 3,652

63 male

Joined Apr 02 2005
Mesa, AZ

Alpine, AZ

Hiking		Oct 15 2010
		Tortoise_Hiker • Triplogs 3,652

Hiking	4.40 Miles	250 AEG

Hiking	4.40 Miles	2 Hrs	2.20 mph
	250 ft AEG

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amazgrac

Went up to visit friends in the White Mountains and had a few hours to check out Sipe for the first time.Visitor center was closed so I have to go back and check it out. You can still hike though, and we had the place all to our selves. Great temps and company!! We finished the afternoon with dinner in Alpine. MmMm. Thanks for driving Tom!

Culture

Culture [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Water Well

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Tortoise Hiking. Stop and smell the Petrichor.

1 archive

Jul 27 2010

azbackpackr

Guides 27
Routes 518
Photos 5,861
Triplogs 883

72 female

Joined Jan 21 2006
Eagar AZ

Milligan Loop, AZ

Mtn Biking		Jul 27 2010
		azbackpackr • Triplogs 883

Mtn Biking	28.24 Miles	1,783 AEG

Mtn Biking	28.24 Miles	5 Hrs	5.65 mph
	1,783 ft AEG

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I enjoy this ride. There are usually no cars at all after turning off Water Canyon Rd. It is all dirt road, nothing technical, although Water Canyon Rd. is fairly steep. Very pretty.

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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.

Jul 22 2010

PaleoRob

Guides 171
Routes 253
Photos 6,100
Triplogs 1,135

44 male

Joined Apr 03 2006
Pocatello, ID

[ checklist ] Anasazi Projectile Point Palavayu Style (Abstract) Palavayu Style (Anthropomorphic) Palavayu Style (Zoomorphic) San Francisco Red St. John's Polychrome Tularosa Black-on-White Windmill Wooden Dwelling

Alpine, AZ

Hiking		Jul 22 2010
		PaleoRob • Triplogs 1,135

Hiking	7.40 Miles	300 AEG

Hiking	7.40 Miles	3 Hrs	2.47 mph
	300 ft AEG

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AAI - Group

azbackpackr

So after a detour that took me through Tuba City, Hopi, Jeddito, Ganado, Klagetoh, Chambers, Sanders, and Witch Well, I finally rolled into Springerville's Safeway parking lot to meet Liz (azbackpackr) for a trip that has been in the planning stage for several years now, but only finally got off the ground at the last minute.
Liz showed up just a few minutes later in her venerable 1970's vintage Blazer. I loaded my gear up and we were off, heading south up into the White Mountains and the Sipe Wildlife Area. After trucking down the decent dirt road to the ranch house and chatting with the caretaker, we hit the Rudd Creek trail. The going was easy, if somewhat muddy, until we came to the diverence point and went off trail. At that point it was less muddy, so the going was even better. We climbed up a ridge and began paralleling a basalt cliff face. It was not long until the Flower Power 'glyph appeared, marking the start of an amazing series of rock art images overlooking Rudd Creek. In my opinion (admittedly a professionally-untrained opinion) this is a super significant site. The Katsina religion that forms the basis of modern pueblo life didn't develop its current form until sometime around the turn of the 14th century. Archaeologists have long debated the origins of the religion, with two main loci being proposed: the Rio Grande basin in central New Mexico and the Little Colorado River drainage in eastern Arizona. This site, along Rudd Creek, is very early; a nearby pueblo has a latest date of 1300, and the rock art on the bluff shows no sign of PIII art. It also shows stuff I have never seen before - Maya-esque panels and a scene that seems to depict a supernatural figure or Katsina mask floating above (descending onto?) a human figure - the coming of the Katsinam? The whole place is astonishing. I think that some parts might still be "active", or at least have been in the recent past. In all honesty, I was slightly hesitant to post photos from some of the parts of the panel because I thought they might be too sacred. Having no real guide from anyone who has a cultural association with these images, I posted them anyway. Probably one of the "best", most amazing rock art sites I've ever been to!

Flora

Flora [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Claret Cup Cactus

Culture

Culture [ checklist ]

Wildflowers Observation Moderate

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"The only thing we did was wrong was staying in the wilderness to long...the only thing we did was right was the day we started to fight..."
-Old Spiritual
My book, The Marauders on Lulu and Amazon

Jul 22 2010

azbackpackr

Guides 27
Routes 518
Photos 5,861
Triplogs 883

72 female

Joined Jan 21 2006
Eagar AZ

[ checklist ] Mogollon Structure - Unknown Function Palavayu Style (Abstract) Palavayu Style (Anthropomorphic) Palavayu Style (Zoomorphic) Wooden Dwelling

Alpine, AZ

Hiking		Jul 22 2010
		azbackpackr • Triplogs 883

Hiking	3.00 Miles	250 AEG

Hiking	3.00 Miles	4 Hrs	0.75 mph
	250 ft AEG

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PaleoRob

I finally got to meet PageRob, and our long-planned hike to see the great petroglyph bluff and the ruins at Sipe was realized! We also went to Wenima Wildlife area the same day, to see more petroglyphs and ruins.

I am very sure Rob's photos with his nice SLR are going to be awesome! He will post them, he says, when he gets back home.

I have done this hike many times, but there is no trail to it.

It was a perfect day in many ways, because the cloud cover made for better petroglyph photos. Very little rain, just a sprinkle now and then, so we really never did get wet, although there was thunder in the distance. We saw a skunk! Didn't get a photo of it, though.

Flora

Flora [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Alligator Juniper

Culture

Culture [ checklist ]

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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.

Jul 20 2010

Guides 31
Routes 135
Photos 2,699
Triplogs 615

52 female

Joined Apr 02 2007
Scottsdale, AZ

Alpine, AZ

Hiking		Jul 20 2010
		Crzy4AZ • Triplogs 615

Hiking	1.00 Miles	250 AEG

Hiking	1.00 Miles
	250 ft AEG

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Baby4AZ

GI Jones

Took a blanket and lunch picnic to the top of the High Point trail. We sat under the same tree as last year. Then we sat in the big swing on the porch of the visitor's center and Caroline ran around and obsessed on the stuffed mexican grey wolf.

Wildflowers Observation Isolated

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Aug 08 2009

Guides 31
Routes 135
Photos 2,699
Triplogs 615

52 female

Joined Apr 02 2007
Scottsdale, AZ

Alpine, AZ

Hiking		Aug 08 2009
		Crzy4AZ • Triplogs 615

Hiking	2.00 Miles	250 AEG

Hiking	2.00 Miles
	250 ft AEG

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Baby4AZ

GI Jones

I can't emphasize enough how great the views are from the top of High Point Loop trail - wow!

We lugged a little tent and blanket up the short trail to sit for a while with Caroline and have lunch. She usually naps in the blue tent, but today was a no-go. So we visited the ruins again on Rudd Creek trail and checked out the new (since '05) bird watching stands along the McKay reservoir. We lingered on the visitor center's porch on the swing watching the hummingbirds and listening to the aspen blowing in the wind. Just divine - wonderful to share this place with Caroline and see her eyes light up as she is exposed to new sights and sounds.

Wildflowers Observation Isolated

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Mar 15 2009

azbackpackr

Guides 27
Routes 518
Photos 5,861
Triplogs 883

72 female

Joined Jan 21 2006
Eagar AZ

Rudd Creek

Rudd Creek

Alpine, AZ

Hiking		Mar 15 2009
		azbackpackr • Triplogs 883

Hiking		200 AEG

Hiking		2 Mns	0.00 mph
	200 ft AEG

no routes

no photosets

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Overland Trail

Escudilla Trail

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To get to this canyon, take 180/191 south from Springerville/Eagar. Just before you get to Nelson Reservoir, and past milepost 408, you will cross the bridge over Nutrioso Creek. There is a parking area for the trail on the right, just past the bridge. Nelson Reservoir 7.5 map. It's a nice one to catch on your way to or from Escudilla. That's Escudilla, covered in snow, in the highway photo.

We hike this one in spring when the snow is melting. Hike up about 2 miles, you are going to be almost to the Game and Fish Department's Sipe White Mountain Wildlife Area. That's as far as we went, but you CAN follow Rudd Creek upstream on through Sipe's and out the other side, past a locked gate, keep going upstream, crossing FR 85 (Milligan Valley Road) and on up to St. Mary's Lake and Water Canyon Rd. Incidentally I did try to climb to the top of that knob you see in the photo, from the other side of it. Later I saw there is a small break in the rimrock on the north side of it. I'll try that way next time--I got cliffed-out on the south side.

Theoretically you could follow Rudd Creek to its source, then hike the Overland trail back to Eagar, or hike it to the south and catch the Black River, and make a big loop, via Fish Creek, Grant Creek, Lanphier Creek, etc., to New Mexico and the Gila Wilderness. That might seem like a long hike. It would be at least two or three weeks, if you took your time. Ah, but I'm daydreaming again!

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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.

Aug 18 2008

Guides 31
Routes 135
Photos 2,699
Triplogs 615

52 female

Joined Apr 02 2007
Scottsdale, AZ

Alpine, AZ

Hiking		Aug 18 2008
		Crzy4AZ • Triplogs 615

Hiking	0.50 Miles	10 AEG

Hiking	0.50 Miles
	10 ft AEG

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GI Jones

Stopped into the Visitors Center and took a tour then walked around a bit. Didn't have much time to hike this visit. Enjoyed the artifacts and displays about the ranching and prehistoric inhabitants of this property.

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May 01 2005

Guides 31
Routes 135
Photos 2,699
Triplogs 615

52 female

Joined Apr 02 2007
Scottsdale, AZ