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| | | Water Ranch Nostalgia -White Mtn Grasslands, AZ | | | |
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Water Ranch Nostalgia -White Mtn Grasslands, AZ
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| Hiking | 1.68 Miles |
180 AEG |
| | Hiking | 1.68 Miles | 1 Hour 1 Min | | 1.98 mph |
| 180 ft AEG | 10 Mns Break | | | |
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| no partners | | The last time I had hiked into the old Water Ranch, (now called "White Mountain Grasslands Area" by the Game and Fish Department) was in June 2013, not long before I moved away for the second time. (Right now I'm living in Eagar for the THIRD time.)
In my photoset I am posting two pictures from a Jan. 2007 triplog, as a "before and after." After looking at the current photoset, I'd like you to check out the photoset and triplog from June 2013: [ photoset ]
The lovely log cabins are ALL GONE. Not a trace of them remaining. I had heard that a fire swept through and burned them. I'll ask around and report back. There is a metal building where Game and Fish stores their equipment.
I opted to walk in on the road, because this was to be a "nostalgia hike." Originally there was no loop trail, and we walked in on the road, and bushwhacked around to various points of interest. I parked by the gate, not in the official parking lot. I wanted to remember it as I originally saw it.
Boy, was I in for a real gut punch. Dead cottonwood trees, no log cabins, dying junipers, barren areas where grass should be growing, and almost no water in the tanks (aka ponds). There is enough water for birds and animals to drink, however. I wanted to rail against the AZG&FD for mismanaging the land, but the more I looked around the more I saw that they could not keep up with years of drought. I also saw in the 2013 triplog that G&F was restoring the cabins.
The property does have water rights for the annual spring irrigation, which comes down from Carnero Lake. However, I am told that the lake is extremely low. Last year in Eagar the irrigation delivery was drastically cut. The town has a system of ditches that run down from the Greer Lakes. If you own (or rent) irrigation rights, you can water your corn patch with it. I used to do this when I owned a house in Eagar. You would get two allotments per week for over a month, and then (hopefully) the monsoon would start.
I opted to return via the east side of the loop trail, a pleasant little hike over the hill and back to the car. Next time I'll hike the loop.
I left the area reminiscing about "the last best place." This is how we thought of Springerville-Eagar (known locally as Round Valley) when we first moved here, in 1999. A full-service town, very remotely located in a mountain valley. 85 degrees for a high in summer, lots of rain, plus snow in winter. (When I say "remote" I mean it's 90 miles from the nearest freeway onramp. Closest city is Albuquerque, 3 hours.) Round Valley had a hospital (still does), fully staffed community college (now all online), year-round indoor swimming pool (torn down) bookstore (owner moved away), two grocery stores (still hanging on), and numerous interesting community events and organizations, a few of which still exist. The hospital has seen a lot of improvement, but there are no specialists, which we now need in our old age, so we have to drive to Show Low for second-rate care and few choices. We'll be moving on in May, in the RV, but I won't be surprised if we end up here again. We have friends here, and this winter we are encamped in a nice little cottage, rent-free. It's been great, but I don't foresee it as a forever home. |
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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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