nancyesan's Triplogs • HikeArizona.COM

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Aug 28 2021

nancyesan

Routes 5
Photos 110
Triplogs 10

76 female

Joined Jul 28 2011
Phoenix, AZ

Bull Basin Trail #40 - Kendrick

Flagstaff, AZ

Bull Basin Trail #40 - Kendrick

Flagstaff, AZ

Hiking		Aug 28 2021
		nancyesan • Triplogs 10

Hiking	4.00 Miles	2,225 AEG

Hiking	4.00 Miles
	2,225 ft AEG

no routes

no photosets

Linked

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no linked trail guides

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We just finished hiking the Bull Basin trail and feel that this guide should be updated to show that the trailhead is now at the end of FR90B. It used to be at the end of 90A but the owners of the property there have fenced it off so the trailhead had to be moved. We reached the trailhead by driving north from Flagstaff on 180, turning left on FR191C north of the Kendrick Park meadow area, then west to a sharp right onto FR767, then west to FR760A which becomes FR90 at the Coconino-Kaibab boundary. The Trailhead is at the end of FR90B which splits off to the south from FR90. It is poorly marked coming from the east, but well marked coming from the west. The drive from 180 to the trailhead was 7.4 miles. It took us 65 minutes from 180 to find the trailhead and 40 minutes to get back to 180.

The trail no longer follows any old roads. It starts at the left of the large sign in the parking area. The narrow trail marked with cairns starts in a wooded area left of the sign with little elevation change until you go through the fence and gate into the Kendrick Wilderness area. Most of the trail is not maintained, with fallen trees to climb over or under, brush and tall grass hiding some of the cairns, and loose, slippery rock in steep sections. The 8.4 mile round trip took us about 8 hours, including a 20 min. lunch break at the cabin and many stops for photos. The cabin is locked and it's former contents are stacked outside of it.

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Sep 17 2020

nancyesan

Routes 5
Photos 110
Triplogs 10

76 female

Joined Jul 28 2011
Phoenix, AZ

Big Bug Mesa Rd 103 and Trail 9434, AZ

Hiking		Sep 17 2020
		nancyesan • Triplogs 10

Hiking	9.00 Miles	370 AEG

Hiking	9.00 Miles	4 Hrs 30 Mns	2.00 mph
	370 ft AEG

no routes

Linked

linked

Little Wolf Creek to Big Bug Mesa

Partners

none

no partners

We needed a new place to escape the Phoenix heat which would likely allow social distancing, so decided to drive our Jeep up Poland Rd from Poland Junction, about 4 miles north of beautiful downtown Mayer off Hwy 69. We hadn't driven Poland Rd since before the fires of 2016 and 2017 and remember it being very rough. Surprisingly, it was smooth gravel all the way through Breezy Pines to the five corners intersection where we turned a sharp left onto 103 which climbs steeply onto Big Bug Mesa, our first exploration of this area. What a shock to find 103 also freshly graded, suitable for any passenger car or camper.

Since our goal was to find a nice place to hike in the cool morning hours, we parked at a wide intersection of a side road and hiked 103 all the way to its end at a point overlooking Little Wolf Creek and surrounding area, a dramatic view even in spite of the smokey air. About half way to the point the road became rougher with exposed boulders, so a car would have to park there and start the hike, but our Jeep could have handled it easily. During our entire 9 mile hike we did not see another person, so it has a special place on our list of beautiful, pandemic avoiding places.

The mesa top has a healthy growth of mature pines, juniper and oak spaced far enough apart to hopefully save them from another wildfire. Most of them have blackened bark and there was very little brush between them, so apparently their fire resistance saved them. Closer to the end of the road the trees were smaller and mostly dead with a heavy growth of bushes on the slopes. We saw no sign of any trail going off the end of the point as shown on trail maps for trails 9434 and 304. We did, however see a marker for 9434 along the road leading to the point and also found an unmarked trail going east from the road and across a cattle guard through a fence, and then heading south along another fence.

Prescott NF road maps for this area show dispersed camping is allowed along 103 and other roads in the area. Areas along the road have been cleared and graded for campers to drive in. The area ranges from 7000 ft when first reaching the top after driving from the bottom, to 6700 ft at the end point. I can't think of a nicer place to escape the heat for a weekend.

Flora

Flora [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Camphorweed Tansyaster

Fauna

Fauna [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Wild Turkey

Wildflowers Observation Moderate
Broom Snakeweed
Buckwheat sp.
Common Mullein
Scarlet Bugler
Slimleaf Plainsmustard (Pink Windmills)
Wild Chrysanthemum
Large-Flower Brickellbush
Wild Geranium
Fleabane sp. - f
Goldenrod sp.
Common Sunflower
Fendler's Ceanothus
Arizona Thistle
Slender Goldenweed - f
White Heath Aster - f
Annual Goldeneye
Western Yarrow
Toadflax Penstemon
Wright's Deervetch
Thistle sp. tbd.
Mountain Parsley
Cudweed
Canadian Horseweed
Camphorweed
Fall Tansyaster
Dandelion

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Oct 31 2019

nancyesan

Routes 5
Photos 110
Triplogs 10

76 female

Joined Jul 28 2011
Phoenix, AZ

Black Canyon City TH to Soap Creek Rd - BCT

Prescott, AZ

Black Canyon City TH to Soap Creek Rd - BCT

Prescott, AZ

Hiking		Oct 31 2019
		nancyesan • Triplogs 10

Hiking	6.10 Miles	1,500 AEG

Hiking	6.10 Miles
	1,500 ft AEG

no routes

Linked

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no linked trail guides

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The guide and route were accurate, but I want to add these instructions on how to find the Soap Creek Trailhead:
To find the Soap Creek Rd. trailhead for the Black Canyon Trail, exit 1-17 and go left on Old Black Canyon Hwy. Take the first right turn onto Maggie Mine Rd. and drive about a mile. Turn left onto Maren Ave. which crosses Black Canyon Creek, then right onto Lisa Dr. Drive to the lowest point on this road where Soap Creek crosses the road. About 30 ft. south of the creek there is a dirt road that goes up steeply to the west. This is Soap Creek road, but there is no sign and it looks like a driveway for a house which is very close to it. This road crosses the Black Canyon Trail, marked by short, brown trail signs, about 0.2 mile from Lisa Dr. and there is plenty of room to park close to the trail crossing. On Oct. 31, 2019, the road was in good enough condition for any car to drive up it and looked like it was maintained. An alternative place to park is in the creek bed about 70 ft. west of Lisa Dr., where it is level and sandy with room to turn around. If you park in the creek bed and plan to hike south on the K-Mine segment from here, you should hike up the road rather than in the creek to get to the trail because the creek walls are very steep and brushy at the trail crossing.

I would also suggest checking at the visitor center in Black Canyon City regarding how much water is flowing in the Agua Fria River before starting. We didn't and were surprised at how much water is still flowing. We were a little hesitant to try jumping the stones laid across the narrowest crossing because they were barely visible and there was a small waterfall to jump across at the end of them. The rocks turned out to be stable and we made it across with dry feet. Once across the water it was very difficult to find the trail on the other side because it was totally overgrown with 8 ft. tall seep willow. It was a struggle getting through them. Look for a sandy, slightly less weedy spot just before a big patch of water in the river. I don't think this river crossing is ready for bicycles.

Wildflowers Observation Moderate
Creosote, Yellow Menodora, Broom Snakeweed, Spiny Daisy, Fairy Duster, Desert Trumpet, Narrowleaf Silverbush, Janusia, Lemon Verbena, Odora, Desert Wishbone, Desert Senna, Desert Lavender, Viguiera, Desert Broom (M & F), Burro Brush, Seep Willow, Tamarisk / Salt Cedar, Sweetbush, Buckwheat sp., Mesquite, Jimmyweed, Rattlesnake Weed, Slimleaf Bursage

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1 archive

Oct 10 2019

nancyesan

Routes 5
Photos 110
Triplogs 10

76 female

Joined Jul 28 2011
Phoenix, AZ

Bumble Bee to Government Spring - BCT

Prescott, AZ

Bumble Bee to Government Spring - BCT

Prescott, AZ

Hiking		Oct 10 2019
		nancyesan • Triplogs 10

Hiking	11.20 Miles	690 AEG

Hiking	11.20 Miles
	690 ft AEG

no routes

no photosets

Linked

linked

Crown King Rd to Bumble Bee on BCT

Partners

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no partners

We hiked the alternative route posted by Mudhole, titled "Gloriana Mine to Hidden Treasure," in Feb 2018 using the parking at the large tank rather than Government Spring, which is where the BC trail now crosses Crown King Rd. We hiked it in reverse with more downhill than uphill, starting at Hidden Treasure and ending at Gloriana where we left a second car. Thanks to the excellent route and triplog provided by Mudhole, we had no problems. It is very hard to find info on hiking the Black Canyon Trail since it was designed for bicycles, which can handle a 20 to 30 mile segment between official trailheads. Learning about the Hidden Treasure parking lot was the key to making this hike possible for us. We will probably do the route from the Big Bug trailhead on Hwy 69 to Hidden Treasure next.
Another reason we chose this segment of the BCT for Oct. 10, 2019, was the recent heavy rain and that there are no river crossings on this route. Several of the other segments require crossing the Agua Fria River. Early in 2019 with a very wet winter we started hiking the Little Pan Loop segment, only to find a raging river like we had never seen before. Now we know how the large trees are uprooted and thrown about. It was an awesome sight but spoiled our hike.
Mudhole hiked this route during a long, hot drought, so conditions were disappointing for him. We were delighted to find cool, breezy conditions to start in the morning, with a continuous array of wildflowers and greenery along the way, with no signs of trash or ATV damage. We enjoyed seeing the old cattle trail sign on the left side of the trail and the nearby Bland Mine on the right. Since there is little to no shade on the trail, it did get warm in the sunny afternoon, so we took Mudhole's advice and had lunch under the Bumble Bee Creek bridge where the trail crosses Crown King Rd. About 2 miles before the Gloriana trailhead, we were surprised to find scattered on the steep hillside on the east side of the trail the largest number of Desert Rose Mallow flowers, probably about 3 dozen, we had ever seen in one place. After many years of exploring this area we had never seen any here before this hike.
One advantage of hiking a bicycle trail is that most of it is relatively smooth compared to most hiking trails in Arizona. This allows us to hike faster without constantly looking at our feet. There were a few mildly washed out areas, but nothing I would complain about. Due to recent rains there were many catclaw bushes reaching out into the trail, but most were easy to get by without getting snagged. Volunteers seem to do a pretty good job of maintaining this trail, so it is likely they will be working on it soon. We enjoyed it.

Wildflowers Observation Substantial
Species seen: Prickly Poppy,Desert Senna, Jimmyweed, Trailing Four O’clock, Broom Snakeweed, Rattlesnake Weed, Blackfoot Daisy, Fairy Duster, Wright’s Buckwheat, Desert Trumpet,Dogweed, Scrub Oak, Lemonweed, Viguiera, Ratany sp., Desert Broom, Desert Wishbone, Shrubby Deervetch, Desert Straw, Scarlet Gaura, Thick-leaved Groundcherry, Janusia, Fleabane, Arizona Blue Eyes, Desert Lavender, Spiny Daisy, Herissantia, Sweetbush, Twining Snapdragon, Hop Bush, Mesa Tansy-Aster,Camphorweed, Odora, Desert Rose-mallow, Desert Marigold, Pretty Dodder, Red Spiderling, Blue Palo Verde

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Sep 19 2019

nancyesan

Routes 5
Photos 110
Triplogs 10

76 female

Joined Jul 28 2011
Phoenix, AZ

Brown's, Amethyst & Four Peaks Loop

Phoenix, AZ

Brown's, Amethyst & Four Peaks Loop

Phoenix, AZ

Hiking		Sep 19 2019
		nancyesan • Triplogs 10

Hiking	4.10 Miles	1,260 AEG

Hiking	4.10 Miles
	1,260 ft AEG

no routes

Linked

linked

Brown's Trail #133

Partners

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no partners

Thanks to Joe for posting this Route and Guide in 2004. We have been hiking the Brown's Peak trail since the early 90's when we were young enough to climb Brown's Peak with our college age sons. Now in our 70s, Brown's Saddle is as far as we go. Every time we pass the "TR 133" sign near the saddle, we look down and wonder if the trail down is passable. Last Thursday, we decided to give it a try. It's always more interesting to hike a loop and it was still early in the day. My Garmin map on my GPS clearly marks a trail there, so we decided to follow it down to the Four Peaks trail which we had hiked before and found easy and beautiful.
Down the Amethyst, the going was slow due to all the obstacles blocking anything resembling a clear trail. Early on we found occasional cairns marking switchbacks which deviated from the GPS track, but were frequently confronted with a wall of thick manzanita bushes and had to decide whether to push through or detour around. As we did our best to get back to the GPS track, we did find some clear stretches of obvious trail marked with cairns. As we approached the 4 Peaks trail we had to probe several areas of the thick manzanita growth to finally find a zig zag route through. At least there was no cats claw! Our average speed on this 0.9 mile segment with a 900 ft descent was 0.5 mph.
We did not find Joe's track until we got back, but after downloading it and superimposing it on ours, it was pretty close. With some long handled pruners, maybe someone can make this section of the Amethyst trail more enjoyable. As always, we enjoyed our entire day, including the challenges, in this beautiful wilderness.
09/19/2019

Flora

Flora [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Hummingbird Trumpet Mexican Silene Missouri Goldenrod Tansyleaf Spine Aster

Named place

Named place [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Browns Peak Lone Pine Saddle Theodore Roosevelt Lake

Wildflowers Observation Moderate
Lots of Goldenrod in scattered areas, red Hummingbird Trumpet in moist areas along the 4 Peaks trail, Autumn False Tansy-Aster, Abert’s Buckwheat,Paintbrush, Arizona Thistle, Cudweed sp., WildGeranium, Wild Chrysanthemum,Pineland Figwort, Ageratina, Mock Pennyroyal, Beardlip Penstemon, Mexican Pink, Hummingbird Trumpet, Camphorweed, Shrubby Deervetch, Chaparral Fleabane

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1 archive

Aug 29 2019

nancyesan

Routes 5
Photos 110
Triplogs 10

76 female

Joined Jul 28 2011
Phoenix, AZ

Woodchute Trail #102

Prescott, AZ

Woodchute Trail #102

Prescott, AZ

Hiking		Aug 29 2019
		nancyesan • Triplogs 10

Hiking	7.15 Miles	1,131 AEG

Hiking	7.15 Miles	5 Hrs 50 Mns	1.35 mph
	1,131 ft AEG	33 Mns Break

Linked

none

no linked trail guides

Partners

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no partners

We have been hiking the Woodchute trail about once a year for many years. I was surprised to find that no one has posted the route that we usually take, so here it is. It's a fairly easy 7.2 mile out and back hike on a well-worn trail with great views and a variety of habitats. I forgot to re-calibrate my GPS altimeter so it doesn't accurately show the total AEG, which I think is more like 700 ft. The only negative I can think of is that one year in August we picked up a few chigger bites. These tiny mites feed on plants most of the year, but in late summer they cling to tall grass and wait for mammals, including us, to brush against the grass and pick them up. They crawl up to where they find a tender spot of skin, draw some blood, and then drop to the ground. The itchy welt appears the next day and lasts about 2 weeks. Bottom line: avoid all tall grass in this area, including on Mingus Mtn., in August.
To reach the trailhead take SR89A to FR104 and turn left. After 0.3 mile go left at a sign pointing to Woodchute trailhead, then continue into a circular area with a vault toilet. Look for the sign for trail 102 and continue driving down this dirt road another mile to the actual trailhead with ample parking.
See pictures for the trailhead and various views along the trail. It starts in a shady wooded area, then a sunny recovering burn area with a steep drop on the right side with bushes and young trees. Occasionally breaks in the trees provide great views of Mingus Mtn. and beyond to the east. Further on you occasionally see great views to the west. After 1.8 miles you reach the Woodchute Wilderness boundary. Here the forest is dense and shady with a creek and sometimes a little water. After another 0.2 mile you reach a sign for trails 103 and 104. Rick's Tank is at the bottom of one of these trails which declines steeply. Woodchute Tank can be seen by following a narrow path northwest about 0.1 mi. from the sign. Continuing on 102, the trail becomes steeper as you climb up to the top of the mountain. Once on top it is relatively flat and you only have an easy mile to go to reach the overlook, but when you reach the Y in the trail at about 0.8 mi., take the path to the right. The one to the left continues steeply down the north side of the mountain. Even before reaching the overlook you see the fantastic view to the east. Enjoy your lunch sitting at the overlook while viewing the towns and mine works below and San Francisco Peaks in the distance northeast. Coming back down the mountain there are more great views to the west, including one of Woodchute Tank and many miles beyond. This trip we stopped at the tank to check out the plants and wildlife there.
If you have time after returning to the trailhead, you might want to check out the campground on the way out, or the many backroads in the area. Continuing on FR104 on the other side of SR89A you will find immediately on the left a paved area with vault toilet, picnic tables and grill, plus many other recreational facilities further down the road on Mingus Mtn.

Wildflowers Observation Light

Threadleaf Ragwort - f
Wavyleaf Thistle
Toadflax Beardtongue
Redroot Buckwheat - f
Aspen Fleabane
Fendler’s Globemallow
Beardlip Penstemon
Sparse-flowered Goldenrod
Wild Geranium
Cliff Rose
Chaparral Fleabane
Tansyleaf Aster
Wild Geranium
Scarlett Gaura
Paintbrush
Common Sunflower
Field Bindweed
Common Mullein
Broom Snakeweed
Fendler’s Ceanothus
Mesa Tansy Aster
Buckwheat sp.
Camphorweed
White Sweet Clover - TR536
St John’s Wort
Western Yarrow
Wild Chrysanthemum
Large-flowered Brickellbush
Pink Windmills
Autumn False Tansy-Aster

Woodchute Tank

1-25% full

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Aug 15 2019

nancyesan

Routes 5
Photos 110
Triplogs 10

76 female

Joined Jul 28 2011
Phoenix, AZ

Abineau - Bear Jaw Loop

Flagstaff, AZ

Abineau - Bear Jaw Loop

Flagstaff, AZ

Hiking		Aug 15 2019
		nancyesan • Triplogs 10

Hiking	7.65 Miles	1,843 AEG

Hiking	7.65 Miles	6 Hrs 48 Mns	1.23 mph
	1,843 ft AEG	34 Mns Break

Linked

none

no linked trail guides

Partners

none

no partners

First step to enjoying this hike is finding the trailhead: turn right off northbound Hwy 180 (Fort Valley Rd} onto FR151. We discovered that FR151 runs mostly north-south and crosses 180 in two places. The one you want is the north end which is a little north of mile marker 235. After 1.7 miles bear left onto FR418, continue for 3 miles and watch for a wooden sign on the right indicating the turn to the Abineau Bear Jaw trailhead. Shortly after turning there will be a sign that the road is 9123J. Take it all the way to the end to find the trailhead. The dirt roads from 180 are generally pretty good for regular cars, but those with low clearance will have to navigate through some rough spots which have either potholes or rocks.

There is no restroom or water at the trailhead, which is at about 8530 ft. elev. There was only one other hiker there with her dog, hiking the Abineau trail only. On a day when Phoenix hit a high of 114 degrees, the temperature here probably didn't exceed 80. We picked a day with no chance of rain for the area because we have experienced thunder and lightning on these mountains and never want to again. The round trip distance of the loop is supposed to be 6.8 miles according to the Coconino NF description, but that must be from the sign-in box which is where the trails split. Our GPS said 7.7 miles from the parking lot with an accumulated gain of about 1850 ft.
We decided to go up the steeper Abineau and down the Bear Jaw because we feel it is easier going up a steep slope than down it. Both trails are mostly in the wilderness which means they are generally not maintained. We were surprised to find the first 2/3 of the Abineau relatively wide, shady, and easy to hike, and it looked like someone had improved it. The last 1/3 was steeper and narrower with some pretty big steps, but well constructed. While there were wildflowers all along the trail, the upper 1/3 had an amazingly dense display of beautiful, dazzling colors, especially where many trees had fallen and opened up the area to sunshine. These clearings also provided views of Humphreys Peak and adjacent ridge line. With all these photo ops we had a good excuse to stop and catch our breath in the thin air and strenuous climb.
The high point of the hike is where the Abineau ends and you find yourself on the broad, open, high end of Pipeline Rd. We spent some time taking in the gorgeous views in all directions, and wondering how hard it would be to climb Humphreys from there. We had a pretty clear view north where you are supposed to see the Grand Canyon, but some haze made it hard to distinguish. The Pipeline Rd has an easy downward slope with steep forested hillsides on both sides. Fallen rocks and downed trees provide minor obstacles. In many places you can see the steel pipe in the road.

The road continues down to the Inner Basin, so watch on the left for the trail sign for the Bear Jaw which is narrow, steep and with loose rock at the start. We could now see why the other hiker preferred to go back down on the Abineau. As we descended it got less steep and the footing improved some, but there were several large trees to climb over and spots with somewhat difficult footing. Most of it was in shady forest but some of the lowest area was sunny and grassy. The last stretch near the loop juncture is uphill.

This loop is a great way to spend a summer day. Going up the Abineau was the best part. The Bear Jaw is a good trail also but not as scenic as the Abineau. We didn't see any bear or elk, but we did see a deer driving in and another on the way out. My husband is an amateur botanist and found a few plant species he hasn't seen before. Take a look at some of his excellent pictures.

Flora

Flora [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Bitterweed Deers Ears Fireweed Flagstaff beardtongue Richardsons Geranium Twinberry honeysuckle Wild Bergamot

Wildflowers Observation Substantial
"f" indicates frequent

Yellow Salsify
Lupine
Cudweed
Common Dandelion
Groundsel - f
Chaparral Fleabane
Western Yarrow
Wheeler Thistle
Wild Geranium
Dalmation Toadflax
Paintbrush - f
Aspen Fleabane - f
Blue tbd.?
Wild Chrysanthemum - f
Blue Flax
Parry’s Thistle
Flagstaff Beardtongue
Common Mullein
Purple Locoweed
Mountain Parsley
Richardson’s Geranium - very f
Beardlip Penstemon
Yellow Columbine - f
Little Yellow tbd.?
Slender rays orange discs tbd?
Fireweed
Western Sneezeweed - f
Narrow Y Petals big leaves tbd.?
Small Y Flower tbd.?
Wild Bergamot - f - higher up
Large Flower Bricklebush
Dark Beardtongue
Franciscan Bluebells
Small DYC tbd.1601
Bearberry Honeysuckle
Cinquefoil - f
Strawberry
Blue tbd.?
Sandwort
Deer’s Ears - f - higher up
Arizona Pea
Yellow Sneezeweed
American Vetch
Wright’s Deervetch

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1 archive

Jul 18 2019

nancyesan

Routes 5
Photos 110
Triplogs 10

76 female

Joined Jul 28 2011
Phoenix, AZ

Kachina Trail #150

Flagstaff, AZ

Kachina Trail #150

Flagstaff, AZ

Hiking		Jul 18 2019
		nancyesan • Triplogs 10

Hiking	12.04 Miles	1,995 AEG

Hiking	12.04 Miles	9 Hrs 41 Mns	1.29 mph
	1,995 ft AEG	20 Mns Break

Linked

none

no linked trail guides

Partners

none

no partners

This route is an alternate way to hike the beautiful Kachina trail which is so popular on hot summer days. We chose it because we wanted to do most of the uphill climb during the cooler, morning hours. The official trailhead is at the lowest Snowbowl parking lot, but we chose to start our hike at the lower end of the trail. We found no other hikers at the east end where we started, but heavy traffic at the upper end. We are senior citizens who enjoy solitude, observing and engaging with nature, and taking our time, so this approach was ideal for us.
Take Snowbowl Rd. north from Hwy 180 and drive 2.4 miles to the marked right turn onto FR522, Friedlein Prairie Rd. Our posted route has a marker at this turning point. The road offers free dispersed camping spots, some with fire pits and flat tent sites, but no restrooms or water. At the end of the road about 4 miles in, there is a circular parking area and a trailhead marker. It was once a road that went all the way to the Weatherford trail, but motor vehicle access is now prohibited past this parking area. Hike 0.4 mi. east to the marker on the left for the Kachina trail, or an additional 0.3 mile to get to the Weatherford trail.
The entire length of the Kachina trail is in the Kachina Wilderness. Wilderness trails are not maintained, so expect some narrow, rough, rocky, footing as well as some steep ups and downs over boulder fields. There are a few large logs across the trail to step over or around. The meadows offer beautiful wildflowers and tall ferns up to 6 ft. You also pass through some heavily wooded areas with welcome shade. The best and most distant views to the south and west are just before the steep, rocky ascent up to the Snowbowl parking lot. The trail in the boulder areas is marked with cairns or logs, but in most places the heavy traffic has worn a distinct path that is easy to follow.
Before you plan a hike anywhere in this area it's best to check the Coconino Forest web site for area closures. For the month before our hike the Friedlein Prairie area was closed for timber cutting, and shortly after the Museum Fire closed a large area to the east. If there is a distant active fire, check the wind direction to make sure you are not breathing smoke all day.

Flora

Flora [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Arizona Honeysuckle Bristly Hiddenflower Curlyhead goldenweed Doubting Mariposa Lily Golden-Beard Penstemon Greenflowered wintergreen New Mexico Vervain Purple locoweed Quaking Aspen

Wildflowers Observation Substantial
Golden-Beard Penstemon - f
Dalmatian Toadflax - f
Paintbrush - f
Yellow Sweet Clover
Silverstem Lupine - f
Richardson Geranium - f
Mountain Parsley (Mostly yellow, occasionally red) - f
Purple Locoweed
Deervetch
Doubting Mariposa - f (in spots)
Fleabane
Western Yarrow
Silver Puffs
Yellow Salsify
Narrowleaf Penstemon
Mountain Spray
Wild Geranium
Woodland Pinedrops
American Vetch - f
Shortleaf Wintergreen
Princely Daisy
Common Dandelion
Clubleaf Cinquefoil
Fendler’s Ceanothus
Blue Flax
Meadow Arnica
Arizona Rose
Arizona Honeysuckle
New Mexico Vervain
Bristly Hiddenflower
Wavyleaf Thistle
New Mexican Vervain
Curly Dock
Rocky Mountain Iris
Green-Flowered Macromeria
Groundsel
Starwort
Gumhead

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1 archive

Sep 20 2018

nancyesan

Routes 5
Photos 110
Triplogs 10

76 female

Joined Jul 28 2011
Phoenix, AZ

Salida Gulch Loop 2018, AZ

Hiking		Sep 20 2018
		nancyesan • Triplogs 10

Hiking	4.54 Miles	752 AEG

Hiking	4.54 Miles	4 Hrs 48 Mns	1.07 mph
	752 ft AEG	34 Mns Break

Linked

linked

Lynx Creek - Salida Gulch - John's Tank Loop

Highlands Trail #442

Gold Pan Trail #444

Salida Gulch Trail #95

Partners

none

no partners

We started this hike following a track posted years ago and found that things have changed up at the north end of the trail where development is encroaching, so decided to post our route. The trails are confusing enough so that having a track to follow is very helpful.
We paid our $5 per car area access fee and parked at the paved parking lot at the north end of Lynx Lake. Take Hwy. 69 from Prescott or Prescott Valley, go south about 2.5 miles on Walker Rd. and turn left. This area includes a store and cafe, lake access, picnic area, restrooms and drinking water. The fee covers access to all recreation sites in the area, including a nearby ruins site and gold panning area on Lynx Creek.
Hiking clockwise, the northbound section follows along Lynx Creek much of the way. Start on trail 445 on the east side of the parking loop, then briefly on 442, and then 444 which ends at the Gold Panning area. Continue north on the dirt road to where it ends at a parking area with a large sign. Cross the creek and look for Trail 9263. The trail is confusing in this area and there are several gates that must be opened and closed, but you should end up on trail 95 which meanders generally southbound. As it curves west, find trail 94 which goes steeply uphill and then gradually down towards the lake and the trailhead.
There are many young trees and bushes along the trails but not much shade, so an early start is best to avoid the afternoon sun. The trails have lots of ups and downs with many beautiful views from the high points. We also found many species of wildflowers, especially near the creek.

Flora

Flora [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Mountain Parsley Sweet Four O'Clock

Named place

Named place [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Lynx Lake

Wildflowers Observation Moderate
Woolly Morning Glory (Salina Gulch Loop)
Chaparral Fleabane - f
Ageratina
Narrowleaf Penstemon
Buckwheat sp.
Scruffy Prairie Clover - f
Wild Chrysanthemum
Deervetch sp.
Fendler Globemallow
Fringed Rock Daisy
Cosmos
Alligator Juniper Cones
Ribbon Four O’clock - f
Slimleaf Lima Bean
Arizona Cudweed
DYC - tbd
Large-Flowered Brickelbush - f
Brickellia sp. - f
Spurge sp.
Western Yarrow
Sweet Four O’clock
Wild Purple Geranium
Mountain Parsley
Dalmatian Toadflax
Abert’s Creeping Zinnia
Scarlet Creeper
Paintbrush sp.
White Sweet Clover
Careless Weed
Rattlesnake Weed
Common Muilein
Buffalo Bur
Broom Snakeweed
Skyrocket - f
Arizona Thistle
Cliff Rose
Goodding’s Verbena - f
Cosmos
Blackfoot Daisy
Hooker’s Evening Primrose
Beardlip Penstemon (Lynx Creek Ruin Trail)
Golden Crownbeard

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Sep 03 2013

nancyesan

Routes 5
Photos 110
Triplogs 10

76 female

Joined Jul 28 2011
Phoenix, AZ

East Fort Trail #31 - Prescott NF

Prescott, AZ

East Fort Trail #31 - Prescott NF

Prescott, AZ

Hiking		Sep 03 2013
		nancyesan • Triplogs 10

Hiking	2.10 Miles	388 AEG

Hiking	2.10 Miles
	388 ft AEG

no routes

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linked

East Fort Trail #31 - Prescott NF

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partners

PhotogHiker

East Fort trail is the only hike in the Horse Thief Basin area that we've tried that isn't choked with thorny bushes. It is wide and steep downhill for the first half mile to the wilderness gate, then much narrower and easy up hill the rest of the way. While the narrow trail is somewhat overgrown with manzanita bushes, which don't have thorns, there are cairns placed frequently on the boulders marking the way. The trail across the boulders near the top is also well marked with cairns. To reach the 360 degree view you have to step up through the ruin wall to the flat area above it.

It took us nearly an hour and a half to drive our Jeep 9.3 miles from Crown King to the well marked trailhead sign. The road is so rough there were very few places where we could go faster than 5 mph. Since the trail is only 2.2 miles round trip, after the hike we drove further south on the road and took FS696 to the Jim Creek trailhead to check it out. 696 has a steep hill that does require 4WD to get back up it. Jim Creek trail starts out as a road up to the wilderness fence, then a narrow path after going through the gate, and quickly becomes choked with thick bushes so we decided it wasn't worth continuing. Back in the Jeep, we started driving further south on 696 to check out the Willow Creek trail but quickly came to a steep, badly washed out hill and decided it wasn't worth the risk, especially not knowing what lay ahead. A short visit to the lake in the center of Horse Thief Basin was a nice respite during the grueling ride back toward Crown King.
September 12, 2019

Wildflowers Observation Light

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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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