Parker Creek Trail #160 • Hike • Arizona • All Triplogs • HikeArizona.COM

Photos 866
Triplogs 74

73 male

Joined May 17 2022
Scottsdale, Ariz

Globe, AZ

Volunteer		Jul 17 2025
		AnchaGladtrailz • Triplogs 74

Volunteer	4.50 Miles	2,788 AEG

Volunteer	4.50 Miles
	2,788 ft AEG

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We planned on going to Reynolds Creek, but FR 410 was blocked off with firemen running around, so we turned around and drove back down to Parker, which never fails to deliver blown down trees. Sure enough, we found work to do! It was warmer, starting at the lower trailhead (5,050 ft), but as we reached higher elevations, shade and occasional clouds kept the heat at bay. I noticed a wave of heat on an exposed uphill climb before reaching the big rockfall and checked my thermometer to see it was over 90 degrees. Not liking the heat much, I turned around, and we made it back earlier than usual. We made good progress nonetheless.
[ youtube video ]

Feb 18 2025

Photos 866
Triplogs 74

73 male

Joined May 17 2022
Scottsdale, Ariz

Globe, AZ

Volunteer		Feb 18 2025
		AnchaGladtrailz • Triplogs 74

Volunteer	4.50 Miles	2,788 AEG

Volunteer	4.50 Miles
	2,788 ft AEG

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We finished clearing Parker from the Hwy 288 trailhead to the marker post on the saddle yesterday. The weather was perfect for working. This hike is now ready for springtime!
[ youtube video ]
Thanks to our Tonto Basin friends for doing a lot of work on this trail!

1 archive

Dec 26 2024

00blackout

Routes 31
Photos 4,724
Triplogs 187

50 male

Joined Mar 14 2016
Gold Canyon, AZ

Globe, AZ

Hiking		Dec 26 2024
		00blackout • Triplogs 187

Hiking	11.10 Miles	1,698 AEG

Hiking	11.10 Miles	5 Hrs 35 Mns	1.99 mph
	1,698 ft AEG

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Moody Point Trail #140

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With a day off and with the recent clearing I headed up to the Ancha's to hike a nice little loop. Parked at Carr where it was 27 degrees and headed down Parker Creek. Once I got to the Rim Trail junction, I decided to take a side hike up to the top of the ridge of the Parker Creek Trail. The lower section has some grabby locust but nothing too horrible. Made it up to the ridge, took in the views, and headed back down. The trail is in great shape through here, the guys did a terrific job at cleaning, especially at Armor Corral Spring which I had to turn around at previously. After the small climb before Armor Corral, I did a small off-trail section to check out the rock window which was cool to see. Hiked around to the Moody junction and decided to take it east as I still had some time. Right off the bat, it's an overgrown brushy mess. It clears up here and there and gets better for a minute when the manzanitas come in but it goes to complete poop halfway through that and I decided I'd had enough. Took a break to refuel and made the blah climb up Moody as the clouds came in. Hiked 487 down to Carr as a light rain came in. Saw one tent off 487 on the way down, but no one else the entire day. This trail is currently in great shape and the views are excellent, If you have been thinking about hiking this now is the time. Thank you to AnchaGladtrailz for all of the hard work, it looks great!

Named place

Named place [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Hunt Spring Moody Point

	Hunt Spring	Dripping	Dripping
	wet around the spring.

Workman Creek Falls

Pools to trickle

_____________________

Hiking is just walking where it’s okay to pee.

Jun 27 2024

joebartels

Guides 264
Routes 2,797
Photos 14,494
Triplogs 5,894

55 male

Joined Nov 20 1996

Parker - Rim - Moody Loop, AZ

Hiking		Jun 27 2024
		joebartels • Triplogs 5,894

Hiking	14.20 Miles	3,519 AEG

Hiking	14.20 Miles	9 Hrs 4 Mns	1.84 mph
	3,519 ft AEG	1 Hour 20 Mns Break

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[ checklist ] Arizona Blackberry Arizona Grape Mexican Elderberry Streambank wild hollyhock

Moody Point Trail #140

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The_Eagle

Route Recorded on Route Scout | Pop | Map | Popup | MapDEX

I suggested a figure eight loop we've tackled many times in the Ancha. Bruce wasn't keen on the undesirable 0.2-mi segment on that one and sought another option. At first, I was dumbfounded he was suggesting a loop I've come to associate with notable pain. Simply something New / Different holds a strong second for myself so before he came to his senses I agreed.

Parker Creek Trail #160
Parker TH is at 5k. 1 mi up, temp/humidity was a 7 out of 10 on ugh. The only catclaw is in the lower half mile, easily avoidable for a fit/alert boy scout... I nailed every limb on the return. While you could squeak by in shorts, there is a good stretch of pain-free push-aside vegetation. Poison ivy is an eye-opener, if this is the only trail you hike. 2 downed trees were easy to step over, and a third wasn't much tougher. I lucked out not stepping on a coiled-up rattler, that caught my eye midstep.

Rim Trail #139 - Sierra Ancha
The trail of concern and curiosity arrived. We took a break at the campsite soon after the trail began. There is one bad tenth of a mile overgrown en route to the two nice edge views with towering pines behind.

Juiced up on life-is-good keeps the vibes positive until Armor Corral Spring. It doesn't look bad on satellite and if you follow the Official Route you miss the worst. Continuing, you shake off that blip, enjoy 4G, and ponder what exactly is the trail at times. Cairns reappear, hope is rejuvenated, and if you follow the dashed topo line it might work. We repeated a past mistake, cursed at ourselves for doing so, and carefully moved over the densest blood-sucking vegetation. It is so fn-dense that the ground below is unknown for mini stretches.

Bruce noticed on RS that Moody was nearby above us. Based on the vegetation my initial thought was hell no until I checked the distance back to #139. It wasn't looking good until I took a chance on an offshoot clearing, adrenaline kicked in and we were on Moody soon after.

Moody Point Trail #140
Joy was short-lived. Vegetation was either push-aside the locust or wading 6-8 foot flopped over ferns that hid ground/trail clues. Thick poison ivy for several stretches. After a smidgen up the mile we needed to tackle, we had lunch in a semi-shady area serenaded by a chipper warbler vireo. After playing the role of the bushwhacker nearly all day, Bruce took a stab.

Parker Lewis Can't Lose
The full stretch down Parker offered the best light wind but I was tapped out. A rattler jumped across the trail in front of me going up-slope. It appeared to be tossed sideways, found a nook, and rattled back. A minute later a 5 to 6 ft long slender racer? yellow-stripe darted across and down-slope. Had a bear run by a minute later, it would have seemed par for the course.

Synopsis
It was a great hike

Flora

Flora [ checklist ]

Fauna

Fauna [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Arizona Black Rattlesnake

Wildflowers Observation Light
Large bush flowers opened up late afternoon on Parker.

	Armor Corral Spring	Dry	Dry
	If you find it, you win

_____________________

- joe

Jun 27 2024

The_Eagle

Guides 41
Routes 1,626
Photos 14,983
Triplogs 2,760

69 male

Joined Jan 20 2009
Far NE Phoenix,

Parker - Rim - Moody Loop, AZ

Hiking		Jun 27 2024
		The_Eagle • Triplogs 2,760

Hiking	14.96 Miles	3,221 AEG

Hiking	14.96 Miles	9 Hrs 4 Mns		1.90 mph
	3,221 ft AEG	1 Hour 12 Mns Break	10 LBS Pack

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[ checklist ] New Mexico Raspberry Poison Ivy Streambank wild hollyhock

Moody Point Trail #140

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joebartels

Route Recorded on Route Scout | Pop | Map | Popup | MapDEX

This was a last-minute Plan B. Flag was forecast to have a 50% chance of showers (no problem), with cold temps (a bit more of a problem) and high winds (read: wet + wind = wind-chill). As it turns out, it was probably the better of the two options in the mix.

Parker Creek Trail #160

On the plus side, great views, decent grade, and much shade from the sun. If cleared, this is probably my favorite Ancha trail.

Long pants and a shirt are a must. This trail has had some maintenance, but it is overgrown in many spots. The lower 1/3 to 1/2 is a poison ivy minefield, some of it face-high. All three verified snake sightings for the day were on this trail. Joe jumped at many more that ended up being sticks or shadows. The humidity was brutal on the morning climb.

Rim Trail #139 - Sierra Ancha

I remembered this trail had some recent clearing, but could not remember where. Not on what we did. This trail has so much promise, but it was non-existent in many places. You should have the official HAZ route loaded if you are going to attempt it. Keep an eye out for cairns. An added bonus for this section were foxtails! Towards the Moody Point Trail, we got off trail. We decided to shortcut uphill with more off-trail up to the Moody Point Trail. It worked out, saving us time and distance.

Moody Point Trail #140

I had high hopes for this section of trail. I never imagined that hiking through ferns could/would impede travel. Being thicker than the humidity at the beginning of the hike, it was deceptively slow going through the 6-foot-tall ferns. Add downed trees, New Mexican Locust, and patches of poison ivy, and we had all the makings of a whine-fest. The only bonus was a relatively new camo rain poncho found close to the upper third of the trail. If it's yours, I packed it out, let me know.

The gentle downhill road walk to get back to Parker Creek Trail was sheer bliss.

Trail clearing was evident from the last time we were through here. I picked up my cached and needed electrolyte drink at the #139 intersection, and we completed our last climb to the Parker Creek saddle.

It seemed the 3 miles to the car took forever. All the overgrowth is at least friendly and easy to go through, keeping a keen eye out for poison ivy.

Note to self: Stay away from the Rim Trail and Moody Point Trail until they have been cleared. It's nowhere near worth the effort currently.

We lucked out on the ride home. Route 60 is closed Tuesday-Thursday, 9 a.m. - 2 p.m., for blasting related to the bridge replacement in Superior. I read after I got home that they actually had it closed until 5:15 p.m. because of the need to verify safety after blasting. There must have been quite the backup, which was luckily gone by the time we got there.

Flora

Flora [ checklist ]

Wildflowers Observation Light

South Fork Parker Creek

Pools to trickle

Upper South Fork Parker Creek

Pools to trickle

_____________________

There is a very fine line between "hobby" and "mental illness."
Dave Barry

May 26 2024

chumley

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

52 male

Joined Sep 18 2002
Tempe, AZ

Ancha Rim Loop, AZ

Hiking		May 26 2024
		chumley • Triplogs 1,993

Hiking	12.86 Miles	2,566 AEG

Hiking	12.86 Miles	6 Hrs 11 Mns	2.28 mph
	2,566 ft AEG	33 Mns Break

no routes

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9 linked trail guides

Aztec Peak via Abbey's Way 151 Loop

Murphy Mtn Viewpoints/Summit - Sierra Ancha

Reynolds Creek Trail #150

Murphy Ranch Trail #141

Rim TR 139 to Coon Creek Cny Overlooks

[ checklist ] Arizona Black Rattlesnake Western Tent Caterpillar

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BiFrost

@fotg sent me a message asking if I wanted to walk on Sunday. He suggested the Ancha partially to avoid the holiday weekend pooeyshow elsewhere, and partially because he said that all the trails out here have been recently cleared. It seemed like a good plan. After a few hours looking at rocks on Saturday, exhaustion overwhelmed the poor guy and he opted out of this one.

But Karl was up for Lee's plan, so we headed off at the crack of not particularly early.

Abbey's Way 151: Good condition and a nice way to get the heart beating to start the day.

Murphy Mtn: About as easy as off-trail gets. Very nice, and I found Ref#1. Apparently #2 is there too, but I came up empty. The datasheet says the main marker is 14" below the surface. There were a couple of fliver holes up there, but neither was in line with the ref arrow, so seemed odd.

Reynolds 150: The short stretch we were on has not seen recent trailwork, and was the first interaction with locust today.

Murphy 141: This must be where @anchagladtrailz has been. It's as nice as any trail in this range has ever been. Thanks!

Rim 139: 6.5 miles of straight pumpkinery. Brushy areas of overgrown locust. Open areas of undefined tread. Oh, and just for fun, thigh-high poison ivy.

Parker 160: Back to some level of trail maintenance. A nice change of pace for the final mile back up to the road.

Flora

Flora [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Mint New Mexico Locust Poison Ivy

Fauna

Fauna [ checklist ]

Culture

Culture [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Fire Lookout Structures Reference Mark

Named place

Named place [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Aztec Peak Murphy - Aztec Peak Quad Murphy Ranch Peterson Ranch

_____________________

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

1 archive

May 26 2024

BiFrost

Guides 4
Routes 491
Photos 10,890
Triplogs 1,257

55 male

Joined Nov 20 2012
Phoenix, AZ

Ancha Rim Loop, AZ

Hiking		May 26 2024
		BiFrost • Triplogs 1,257

Hiking	12.86 Miles	2,566 AEG

Hiking	12.86 Miles	6 Hrs 11 Mns	2.28 mph
	2,566 ft AEG	33 Mns Break

no routes

Linked

9 linked trail guides

Aztec Peak via Abbey's Way 151 Loop

Murphy Mtn Viewpoints/Summit - Sierra Ancha

Reynolds Creek Trail #150

Murphy Ranch Trail #141

Rim TR 139 to Coon Creek Cny Overlooks

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chumley

Good loop in the Sierra Ancha and have not been on some sections up there in many years. Specifically the rim trail was part I had not seen since before the fire. I remember it as a Ponderosa park on the rim but unfortunately the fire really did a number on the area. That said there has been some recent trail work on parts of the loop that made for some enjoyable tread thanks to @AnchaGladtrailz for the tough work.

Of course did a drive by to the Aztec Peak and the tower before doing a bit of off trail getting back to the rim and eventually liking up with the Rim Trail. Followed the Rim Trail until we were able to circle back to the Abbey Way Trail and complete the loop.

Fauna

Fauna [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Arizona Black Rattlesnake

_____________________

1 archive

Dec 17 2023

Photos 866
Triplogs 74

73 male

Joined May 17 2022
Scottsdale, Ariz

Globe, AZ

Volunteer		Dec 17 2023
		AnchaGladtrailz • Triplogs 74

Volunteer	4.50 Miles	2,788 AEG

Volunteer	4.50 Miles
	2,788 ft AEG

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We cleared the rest of the Parker Creek Trail from the fr #487 trailhead to across the saddle. That trailhead may be snowed in this week, hence the Sunday trip. There is still the section from the other side of the saddle down to the scree slope to be looked at soon.
[ youtube video ]

12/30 UPDATE: I heard back from the TB group on the 22nd. They hiked from the SR 288 trailhead to Dixon Saddle and reported that it's clear all the way. This means that aside from any new blowdowns, Parker Creek #160 is now clear from the SR 288 trailhead to the FR 487 trailhead.

Give it a try when you can and let us know!

Culture

Culture [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] HAZ - Hike HAZard Trail Maintenance

1 archive

Dec 14 2023

Photos 866
Triplogs 74

73 male

Joined May 17 2022
Scottsdale, Ariz

Globe, AZ

Volunteer		Dec 14 2023
		AnchaGladtrailz • Triplogs 74

Volunteer	4.50 Miles	2,788 AEG

Volunteer	4.50 Miles
	2,788 ft AEG

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With a little (alot) help from our friends, we worked Parker Creek from both the top and bottom trailheads. A couple of us cleared from the 487 trailhead to Dixon Saddle, leaving two large trees just before the saddle to get next time. The other group worked from the 288 trailhead to the scree slope clearing out 10 trees from the burn area.
[ youtube video ]

Culture

Culture [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Trail Maintenance

1 archive

Nov 30 2023

Photos 866
Triplogs 74

73 male

Joined May 17 2022
Scottsdale, Ariz

Globe, AZ

Walk / Tour		Nov 30 2023
		AnchaGladtrailz • Triplogs 74

Walk / Tour	4.50 Miles	2,788 AEG

Walk / Tour	4.50 Miles
	2,788 ft AEG

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We drove to the upper Parker Creek trailhead off Forest Road #487 just past Abbey's Way and started working down this upper portion of the trail. There were signs of some work done fairly recently, and with that and some extra help, it wasn't hard to clear the trail down to the Rim Trail #139 junction. It looks like one more trip will get us to the lower portion of the Parker Creek trail below Dixon Saddle where we worked to last spring. The cool weather was perfect for doing some hard trail clearing.

[ youtube video ]

7 archives

May 24 2023

Photos 866
Triplogs 74

73 male

Joined May 17 2022
Scottsdale, Ariz

Globe, AZ

Hiking		May 24 2023
		AnchaGladtrailz • Triplogs 74

Hiking	2.00 Miles	2,788 AEG

Hiking	2.00 Miles
	2,788 ft AEG

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I took dog Zoe up for a test hike on the Parker Creek Trail #160. We got off to a late start, so that first half mile was pretty warm. Once we passed that first little switchback it cooled right off. We checked out the waterfall past the gaging station that was roaring last month. It was now down to a trickle. We did spot this beautiful Arizona Mountain Kingsnake.
[ youtube video ]
These are beautiful creatures!

1 archive

May 10 2023

Photos 866
Triplogs 74

73 male

Joined May 17 2022
Scottsdale, Ariz

[ checklist ] Arizona Valerian False Solomon's Seal Nelson's Larkspur Western Wallflower

Globe, AZ

Hiking		May 10 2023
		AnchaGladtrailz • Triplogs 74

Hiking	4.50 Miles	2,788 AEG

Hiking	4.50 Miles
	2,788 ft AEG

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On Wednesday we finished clearing deadfall from the Parker Creek Trail #160 all the way up to the memorial at Dixon Saddle. The weather was perfect for trail clearing, with light rains in the morning and cool temperatures at the higher elevations in the afternoon. We took advantage of the longer, cooler day to get it all done. Many thanks to the other volunteer group we leapfrogged trips with over the past few months. It was a great experience, and this beautiful trail is now ready for hiking!
[ youtube video ]
Regarding the memorial at the saddle, here is some information I found on Joe Schallan's flickr page:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/thelostdu ... otostream/

Memorial to Norwin L. Dixon, 1925-1999
After topping out, Trail 160 enters a level area that forms a saddle between the Parker South Fork drainage and the Coon Creek drainage. The 1986 Aztec Peak Quadrangle marks this small, flat area as having an elevation of 6896 feet, and in the middle of it one finds this cross made of strap steel and rebar. It has been placed here as a memorial to Mr. Norwin L. Dixon, who became separated from his group and disappeared while hiking along the South Fork of Parker Creek on April 24, 1999. An extensive ground and air search failed to locate him.
Mr. Dixon was a longtime resident of Coolidge, Arizona, where he had been an accountant and businessman, a city councilman and vice-mayor, and a member of various civic and church groups. My thanks to Mr. Bill Pitterle, of Tonto Rim Search and Rescue, Strawberry, Arizona, for identifying Mr. Dixon for me. An obituary for Mr. Dixon appeared in the May 18, 2000 edition of the Coolidge Examiner.

The cross is no longer there, just the post shown in my photoset. Thank you for the information, Joe.
[ photo ]

Flora

Flora [ checklist ]

Geology

Geology [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Talus

Culture

Culture [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Trail Maintenance

Wildflowers Observation Moderate

5 archives

Apr 21 2023

rayhuston

Guides 1
Routes 447
Photos 4,407
Triplogs 938

68 male

Joined Mar 09 2012
Gilbert, AZ

Upper South Fork Parker Creek

Globe, AZ

Hiking		Apr 21 2023
		rayhuston • Triplogs 938

Hiking	11.81 Miles	3,418 AEG

Hiking	11.81 Miles	6 Hrs	2.22 mph
	3,418 ft AEG	41 Mns Break

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I saw a few triplogs from @AnchaGladtrailz describing the efforts being made by Forest Service volunteers to restore this wonderful trail. A big thank you for your efforts!!!

I decided to give it a test drive to see how things are shaping up. The first two plus miles up the trail are absolutely dreamy. The creek has a nice flow and sounds wonderful as you make your way up the trail. As you start up the second set of switch backs, the trail is not as dreamy - some deadfall interrupts your momentum here and there - but it didn't slow my enthusiasm any. If nothing else, hiking up to where the trail leaves the creek would be worth the drive out here. Shorts and a T-shirt are all you need up to this point.

Once the trail levels off at about 3.2 miles, I took a short break in the shade to rest up for the next segment. The plan was to continue on to the Rim Trail #139 and give that a look as well. As I continued on the Parker trail, however, the enthusiasm I had in the lower part of the trail turned to ugh. It wasn't too terrible until the trail began its ascent towards the junction with the Rim trail. Make sure you have long sleeves and long pants through here. It's an uphill bushwhack that was no fun at all.

With all of the water running in Parker Creek, along with uncertainty about my prospects on the Rim Trail, I decided instead to follow the Parker Creek trail to the junction with FR487 and take a road walk out to Workman Creek Falls. Once there, I had lunch and enjoyed the waterfall before returning the way I came.

If you exclude the mile or so of bushwhacking at the end of the Parker Creek Trail, this would have been a phenomenal hike. As it was, I still left with a smile on my face. What's a little bushwhacking when the rest of the hike was awesome.

Great day in the Sierra Anchas!

Flora

Flora [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Arizona Valerian

Named place

Named place [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Workman Creek Falls

Wildflowers Observation Isolated
Nothing to speak of on the trail. The drive in along 288 was quite beautiful. Wildflowers line both sides of the road until about mile post 273.

South Fork Parker Creek

Medium flow

Medium flow

	Workman Creek Falls	Medium flow	Medium flow
	Beautiful!

_____________________

1 archive

Apr 05 2023

Photos 866
Triplogs 74

73 male

Joined May 17 2022
Scottsdale, Ariz

Globe, AZ

Volunteer		Apr 05 2023
		AnchaGladtrailz • Triplogs 74

Volunteer	4.50 Miles	2,788 AEG

Volunteer	4.50 Miles
	2,788 ft AEG

no routes

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As of Wednesday, we now have the Parker Creek Trail #160 clear of big trees up to the rockslide. We also cleared some brush along the way. On the drive in the wildflowers are in full bloom, and we saw two deer and a cardinal. Roosevelt Lake is full and Parker Creek is flowing strong. Right now, this is paradise!
[ youtube video ]

Wildflowers Observation Extreme
On the drive in we saw roadside carpets of penstemon, owls clover, poppies, sunflowers, globe mallow, brittle bush, etc.

3 archives

Mar 29 2023

Photos 866
Triplogs 74

73 male

Joined May 17 2022
Scottsdale, Ariz

Globe, AZ

Volunteer		Mar 29 2023
		AnchaGladtrailz • Triplogs 74

Volunteer	4.50 Miles	2,788 AEG

Volunteer	4.50 Miles
	2,788 ft AEG

no routes

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We had a great day on the Parker Creek Trail #160 on Wednesday. We cleared the trail through quite a few large fallen trees well up into the switchbacks. Along the way, we saw evidence of fresh work that had been done since Jim's last trip up there. We then had a big surprise when a group came strolling down from above with tools and Forest Service Volunteer caps. These were our mysterious friends that we've been leapfrogging trail maintenance trips with over the course of the past few months. We discussed coordinating trips, but the leapfrog approach has been working out pretty well regardless. We're making great progress, and I think we'll be up to the talus slope before long. In the meantime, Parker Creek is flowing well, Roosevelt Lake is full, and the wildflowers are out. It's well worth a day hike now.
[ youtube video ]

3 archives

Feb 08 2023

Photos 866
Triplogs 74

73 male

Joined May 17 2022
Scottsdale, Ariz

Globe, AZ

Volunteer		Feb 08 2023
		AnchaGladtrailz • Triplogs 74

Volunteer	4.50 Miles	2,788 AEG

Volunteer	4.50 Miles
	2,788 ft AEG

no routes

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none

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Last week on the Feb. 8, we drove up to the Parker Creek Trailhead to try to lop our way through the overgrown section near the trailhead. Jim had done some work up there recently and said it would probably take us all day just to do that first half mile or so.

We were pleasantly surprised and lucky to see that someone beat us to that! This allowed us to work the full first mile and clear a big mess where a large tree fell.

Since then Jim went up with Marty on Sunday and they cleared more large trees beyond that.

Parker Creek is coming along nicely!
[ youtube video ]

1 archive

Sep 17 2022

joebartels

Guides 264
Routes 2,797
Photos 14,494
Triplogs 5,894

55 male

Joined Nov 20 1996

Parker Abby Lasso loop, AZ

Hiking		Sep 17 2022
		joebartels • Triplogs 5,894

Hiking	15.48 Miles	3,782 AEG

Hiking	15.48 Miles	8 Hrs 48 Mns	1.97 mph
	3,782 ft AEG	57 Mns Break

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The_Eagle

Route Recorded on Route Scout | Pop | Map | Popup | MapDEX

Parker Creek Trail #160
Parker starts out a little difficult to find from the trailhead. You’re gonna want a long sleeve shirt and full-length pants right away. There is some catclaw in the first half mile but it isn’t too bad.

There was a gallon per minute flow in Parker creek near the gauge/dam thingy but it was dry for the most part with minimal pools. Poison ivy is abundant in areas and nose high in a couple of places. If you've built up a resistance to urushiol oil, come check it out in a week or two. It ought to be really pretty as it turns colors.

There is a little bit of raspberry and Live Oak in the mix but tall grass is the most annoying part in the canyon. Notably descending because you step on one area and then almost trip on it with the other foot.

Near 6896 on topo, sleuth_eagle noticed an old signpost and tread heading up towards Carr Peak. There is a dashed trail on topo that peters out in the saddle between Carr Mountain and Carr Peak. Just our local backpacking admirer @azlaurie with a track over to Rock Spring.

Parker is worst heading over from the top of the canyon to FR 487. Higher density bushwacking and the trail has an annoying cross slope in areas. In addition to the 2016 Juniper Fire, this area was hit by the 2000 Coon Creek Fire.

FR 487
We had five vehicles pass us on our walk up and saw one parked. Planned on lunch up at the Flintstone pad but there were two large families with a lot of kids. It looked like they were having a lot of fun so we just moved on a little further.

Abbey’s Way
The tread is no joy but the new tunnel through the vegetation is super nice! We got shade for large stretches down.

We checked out the apple orchard but it appears the blossoms must’ve frozen this year because there were no apples. Almost back on the trail, I tripped on some barbed wire hidden in the grass and saved the fall with my face... lol

Return
Minus another but less severe fall, the hike down Parker was better than up. Gravity and a righteous breeze made it easier.

Synopsis
Despite a sprained finger and a busted lip, it was great to get back out to the Sierra Ancha!

76-second [ youtube video ] #160
Short [ youtube video ] #151

Flora

Flora [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Mexican Elderberry

Fauna

Fauna [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Fungus Beetle

Named place

Named place [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Aztec Peak Aztec Peak Fire Lookout

Wildflowers Observation Light
Small fields of yellow daisies, bushy Indian paintbrush and a few various isolated varieties

	South Fork Parker Creek	Pools to trickle	Pools to trickle
	Overall appeared dry from above with occasional pools. There was a gallon+ per minute flow near the water gauge station thingy, where there is a concrete walled canal and a small wooden structure.

	Upper South Fork Parker Creek	Dry	Dry
	Saw (very)occasional pools from above.

_____________________

- joe

Sep 17 2022

The_Eagle

Guides 41
Routes 1,626
Photos 14,983
Triplogs 2,760

69 male

Joined Jan 20 2009
Far NE Phoenix,

Parker Abby Lasso loop, AZ

Hiking		Sep 17 2022
		The_Eagle • Triplogs 2,760

Hiking	15.40 Miles	3,828 AEG

Hiking	15.40 Miles	8 Hrs 48 Mns		2.01 mph
	3,828 ft AEG	1 Hour 9 Mns Break	14 LBS Pack

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Aztec Peak via Abbey's Way 151 Loop

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joebartels

Route Recorded on Route Scout | Pop | Map | Popup | MapDEX

Good to get back to the Ancha

Parker Creek Trail #160
58 degrees to start at the Parker Creek TH. It's not often you need a GPS track to start a hike, but the start of this hike is no longer obvious. This trail is tight and overgrown in many spots. The first mile seem the worst including some catclaw and the highest concentration of poison ivy. Some as tall as head high. Just needed the GPS for one other time on the way up after bypassing an overgrown switchback. The geology and views make up for any negatives on the climb to the saddle.

To make your way over to the top of the trail, you need to drop down, pass the Rim Trail #139 and then back up. This is the tightest part of the trail. With long pants and long sleves it's not a problem, but will be totally overgrown in a year or two.

A road walk up to Bedrock, but Fred, Barney, Wilma, Betty and their kids were busy with the furniture. We opted for a decent lunch spot at the beginning of the drop on Abby's way.

Abbeys Way #151
This trail left a bad taste in my mouth the last time I was on it. The raspberry bush just chewed the hell out of you. Thanks to all the hard work by @AnchaGladtrailz, this is no longer the case. Thanks!

We stopped to check out the appleless orchard at the Peterson Ranch site. Leaving the area, Joe tripped on the remnants of a fence that was hidden. He cut his lip on the fall. I told him that everytime he tried to talk the cut opened up and that he should not talk for a couple of hours. The next two hours was a very pleasant hike.

The trip back down Parker Creek was a lot less annoying than the trip up. Great to spend a day in the Ancha

_____________________

There is a very fine line between "hobby" and "mental illness."
Dave Barry

Jan 13 2022

eru

Guides 8
Routes 10
Photos 1,028
Triplogs 40

44 male

Joined Jun 14 2019
nomadic

Tour de Anca (version), AZ

Backpack		Jan 13 2022
		eru • Triplogs 40

Backpack	16.00 Miles

Backpack	16.00 Miles

no routes

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Murphy Ranch Trail #141

[ checklist ] Aztec Peak Aztec Peak Fire Lookout Coon Creek Devils Chasm - North Fork Fort Apache Indian Reservation Peterson Ranch Sierra Ancha Wilderness Workman Creek Falls

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Directly inspired by [ triplog ]

2022-01-13 to 2022-01-14 - a bit rushed, bit locust thorny, the post-holing at the end wasn't great - but a really neat shoulder season feeling trip. The mix of AZ vegitation & vistas while crunching up snow was an interesting visual mix.

This was meant to be a two night trip, but mechanical issues Wednesday made a short 1 night trip.

FR487

The gate was open - we parked below it. A couple of muddy tire ruts through snow patches on the way up, with the road getting properly snowed over on the sinuous curves near workman creek falls. We met a snowbird on an ATV making his way down (we had a midday start), and then two guys in an OHV that bailed a bit before the Peterson TH due to things being too slushy. No issues hiking up in boots, the tracks had nicely compressed snow like a groomed nordic ski track.

Parker Creek Trail #160

Lightly snowed in from the junction to the pass, saw either some bobcat or coyote tracks (claw tips or tufty hair?). Trail pretty clear (of snow and obstacles) from the pass down to the 139/160 junction - I tested out my new Silky folding saw on some new mexico locust trunks that were getting too close to the trail and it worked admirably.

Rim Trail #139

No significant snow here - springs were dead as far as we could tell, but plenty of little snowmelt in gulleys that we could use. We carried 2.5-3L of water each and always had a solid reserve.

We were able to stay on trail for the bit that eagle lost it (we were uncertain at his back on trail point but quickly were back on it as evidenced by cairns and cut logs). There's a large cairn on a slickrock drainage shortly before the trail was marked lost that we went up to meet, and we found ourselves below his route. Other than that his track was spot on, and far more accurate than USGS & OSM. We lost the trail ourselves a few times after that in snarls of new mexico locust trees. Some great viewpoints, but there was one section I called "barbed hellcsape" and my partner named "hellsnarl". For the most part it's faint single track / game trail with cairns and some nice views through grassy areas. I cleared a few limbs blocking the trail at one point.

Devil's Chasm and the "Coon Creek Canyoon Overlooks" were great. It would have been nice to see this area with some more tree cover, as the areas that still had canopies kept the locust thorns away.

Murphy Ranch Trail #141

The first part of this was pretty straightforward, and in better shape than 139. Once it widens up the locusts begin to close in a bit, but it wasn't anything as near as bad as 139 and 151. Once in the shadow of Aztec Peak we encountered enough snow that I was postholing up it a bit. Not too terrible, but we were looking forward to being on an "easy" fire road after all the bushbashing. Heh.

FR487a

Slooow going. Was postholing up to my midcalves most steps up to the junction (step, wait, fall, lift, repeat) where the road was mostly melted out. After a turn or two it was snow covered but consolidated and with some previous footprints to follow in. Made it up to the peak shortly after sunset.

Abbey's Way 151

The upper part would be great with more light, nice views. The switches going down were pretty clear - no significant downed trees but the locust was creeping in a bit in places. Jogging down the snow was kind of fun, and it was a warm evening so we hopped off of the path we were on to wander peterson meadow by moonlight (headlamps off) and then dropped back onto the main trail shortly before the Peterson TH. We wandered over to the ruins marked on eagle's route and found a functional looking weather monitoring station.

FR487

A few more OHV/ATV users had tried to get up the road during our trip and failed - I saw a few spots where people had turned around on the way up. Tracks had frozen over, which made for treacherous footing, but we avoided them and enjoyed the moonlight on snow before putting on our microspikes as we got near workman falls. Once past that it was an easy walk down and the snow below that on the road was almost completely melted out.

Flora

Flora [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] New Mexico Locust

Culture

Culture [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] HAZ - Hike HAZard Trail Maintenance

Named place

Named place [ checklist ]

Meteorology

Meteorology [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Halo Sunrise Sunset

	Armor Corral Spring	Dry	Dry
	No sign of water from the trail - didn't venture off of it.

	Hunt Spring	Dry	Dry
	No sign of water from the trail - didn't venture off of it due to a hellscape of thorns. Plenty of snowmelt creeks nearby.

	Mud Spring	Dry	Dry
	No sign of water from the trail - didn't venture off of it due to vegetation.

	Workman Creek Falls	Medium flow	Medium flow
	Flowing well, presumably radioactive. :p

2 archives

Dec 14 2021

survivordude

Routes 61
Photos 1,008
Triplogs 224

44 male

Joined Aug 19 2009
The Basin