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| | | Goldfield Ovens Loop with Salt River addition, AZ | | | |
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Goldfield Ovens Loop with Salt River addition, AZ
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| Hiking | 9.11 Miles |
995 AEG |
| | Hiking | 9.11 Miles | 6 Hrs 48 Mns | | 1.94 mph |
| 995 ft AEG | 2 Hrs 6 Mns Break | 10 LBS Pack | | |
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| no partners | | My wife and I took a long weekend vacation from Alaska (got a great deal on our flight). We left the kids at home and picked out a few hikes, this was one.
After spending 2 nights at El Dorado Hot Springs in Tonopah with a great dayhike (see Ben Avery Trail log/route) we headed back through Phoenix and found ourselves on the edge of the Tonto NF. We went polar opposite and got a great deal on a room at the last minute at the WeKoPa hotel outside Fountain Hills for two nights.
Before we left home, we had decided to do the Ben Avery Trail and this one. However, after reading some of the triplogs I was having serious second thoughts because we wanted to avoid developed areas and we had a less than ideal experience walking in the wash on our previous trip. We considered bailing and heading up to Payson or elsewhere up the highway, but in the end decided to stick with our first idea and do the Goldfield Ovens.
I had heard about the Tonto Pass, but didn't realize that you couldn't buy the pass anywhere near here. We noticed that there were a few cars parked on the highway near what looked like trailheads and where there was a conspicuous lack of 'no parking' signs. After a quick stop at the 'lodge' by the dam, we learned that the passes were only required to use the developed sites for parking (where there was asphalt - not something we were planning on). We again decided to risk our rental car and parked at one of these turnoffs about halfway between the picnic area and the dam - right next to a trail access. It turned out to be a good decision - we didn't have any problems and we didn't have to drive all the way back to town for a pass.
Once we left the car, we headed northeast on a series of informal trails until we found the main trail that took us to the picnic area. At this point, I was getting pretty disillusioned since we saw a ton of trash around - primarily beer bottles (mostly broken) It also looked like every cactus had bullet scars. We were starting to regret our decision to not head up the highway, when we encountered our first person. Just east of the picnic area, we came across a younger woman taking her housecat for a walk. Of course, the housecat was black, which my wife saw as another bad omen. This area is very brushy and it would not be possible to walk off-trail. We passed the edge of the parking lot and quickly found that the trail became sandwiched between the river and a steep slope. We followed a huge grey squirrel for a while, and watched some folks on the edge of the river, but they were far enough from the trail that I didn't even feel the need to nod or wave. Once we got 1/4 mile away from the parking area, we noticed a great decrease in trash and signs of use. We didn't see anyone else on foot until we got under the highway at the other end of the trip.
Once we left the road and the river, the temperature warmed up a bit and we found ourselves back in the wash in somewhat of a narrow canyon. We did what we could to stay on the edges or above the wash, but the triplogs from others are largely correct - the stuff is hard to walk in - even without a substantial pack. There is a point around here where the wash is choked off by large rocks on either side, and it almost feels like you are walking into a theme park entrance.
After exiting the canyon, we were easily able to stay out of the wash and go overland. The area is fairly heavily vegetated, but was easy to roam around on informal trails. My wife and I have both done some desert hiking, and we knew to beware of Cholla cactus - but we both 'got bit'. I only got it once, but she had unfortunate experiences twice on this trip...This area was neat because we could see the Fountain in Fountain hills, despite the fact it was so far away by road - we were still fairly close as the crow flies. There were a bunch of great rock formations to climb on and we took a few breaks.
Around here we found a cool white lavender-smelling bush. After wandering we found a few more - it was unexpected to find sweet smelling brush at this time in the year.
From there the trail climbed a bit to a high point before getting a good view of Saguaro lake and starting to head down hill. As the trail got closer to the road, it became more of a canyon and more of an interesting walk. This is also where the large sheer faces along the lake and river come into view and they looked awesome. Coming down through this area was truly spectacular.
At the bottom of the hill the trail goes under the highway in two enormous culverts - I can only imagine what this area looks like at flood stage! The road was a bit loud, but on the other side of the culvert, the trail takes a hard right turn on an old roadbed until it disappears into the area between the road and the river.
We had planned on taking a walk along the river after the hike, so once we were so close, decided to just follow the riverbank from where we were until we got lateral to our rental car. We stayed on a series of informal trails - frequently walking right at the water's edge. We ran into a few folks fishing, one kayaker, and some others walking, but this area was still very empty - especially for a Sunday evening. We had to come up from the river bank a few times at cut banks - but were able to stay far from the road the entire time. Only once did we have to walk along a parking lot - but for just 100 yards or so. We did find a few cool secluded beaches (that were only secluded likely because it was 4:45 in the afternoon and it was only in the high 50's - not swimming weather). We took off our shoes and soaked our feet in the cool water while we had our final snacks and watched the huge spires along the river change color in the evening sun. Once we got across from the place we parked our car, we headed in a bee line for the highway and walked right to the spot. Getting through the barbed wire fences wasn't too hard, although I certainly felt old crawling on the ground under it just before a 20-something duck hunter appeared out of the area by the river and hopped the fence in a single jump to a post. (he was a neat kid, friendly, and we had a nice chat)
The car was fine (no ticket) and we wound up staying there for 25 minutes or so watching the alpenglow as the sunset finished.
Since we had come to the area from the North, we decided to head back the opposite way and we drove through Mesa - getting to the Blue Adobe Grill around 6:30. Highly recommended - their Chorizo stuffed Chicken was sublime and went great with the carafe of margaritas we shared!
One funny anecdote - I thought it was strange another log mentioned the heavy police presence in this area. They weren't kidding. Once we got to the area around the dam we saw at least a dozen sherriff vehicles - most in the process of pulling people over. We drove pretty slow, and I wasn't concerned, but I would recommend everyone drive the speed limit around here.
Overall this hike was great. My wife and I think it got a bum rap from other triplogs. I especially liked the area along the river at the beginning of the hike and the part from the peak down to the road at the end. We had great weather - mid to high 70s and the trail was great. Again, I especially appreciated your app (which I used on the Ben Avery Trip, although this time I 'cached' the map before the trip so it was more useful). Because this area isn't a designated wilderness, I have no qualms about encouraging use. I was a bit disillusioned about the broken glass and beer bottles near the picnic area, but this is almost to be expected and something that can be cleaned up in a few volunteer excursions. The trail doesn't have much elevation gain, and it is nice to walk along the river - even in the winter.
Wildlife seen
Grey squirrel
Several lizards
No wild horses  |
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