AZT-Mules: May 6,'08 2 Bar Ridge TH to Frazier TH

We started this ride near Black Brush Ranch . Black Brush Ranch, 2 Bar Ridge TH, and Frazier TH are all on the south side of Roosevelt Lake, between the lake and the Superstition Mountains .

Corral at the gate to Black Brush Ranch

Across from the corrals is the road leading to 2 Bar Ridge TH

Looking down at the east end of Roosevelt Lake

This day's ride would be down-stream through Cottonwood Canyon (I wonder how many Cottonwood Canyons there are in the Southwest. ) which had sustained significant flood damage last year . There was a sign stating that the trail was not recommended for horses . We knew about this warning, so Dick waited for me to call him before he moved camp, in case Billy and I couldn't get through . Billy and I were solo again .

Upper part of Cottonwood Canyon

Yes, there were some difficult places, but a barefoot mule can do difficult things . I did get off a number of times to be safe, and to make it easier for Billy .

Water was flowing and gurgling into small pools . The cottonwoods and the sycamores are tall in this little canyon . And there are grapevines . A cool and quiet place .

middle Cottonwood Canyon

It is a small canyon; the walls are nearly always visable

I love sycamore trees . Have you ever taken one of the leaves and inhaled it's smell? Very distinctive aroma .

I had been in this canyon before, so I knew when we were getting toward the end of the riparian

section . The canyon held one last challenge .

We came to a point on the trail where it dropped straight down off of an undercut bank; about a 3 1/2 to 4 foot dropoff with flood debris at the bottom . No way around it . We had come so far, mastered so many challenges, I didn't want to go back . The stream bed was choked with dead trees, brush, small boulders; no way to get through it .

Pushing and crashing through live and dead brush to the other bank, I scouted that bank for a possible way out, and around this impassable section of creek . It looked like maybe we could do it, if Billy would follow me . I broke down as much brush as I could, and on my hands and knees, got part way up the hillside . The dirt was dry and loose; 2 steps up and 1 back . "Let's try it; Come on Billy !" He came on; sliding sideways downhill; scrambling ..... trying so hard for me !

We got up to a little crest that then went down into the next sidewash . I found a game trail leading back down into the creek . It was very brushy, but do-able . But now we were again faced with a dropoff of 4 feet with flood debris at the base of it . I could see the nice sandy trail about 10 feet out from the base of this bank.

I thought that maybe I could break down the bank enough for Billy to get down if I sat down and slid off the bank , taking as much of it with me as possible . So I did that, and asked Billy to "Come on down!" And he did . Part way down he seemed to realize that his best option was to jump . He sailed past my face and landed in the trail ! And calmly started eating the grass there . I love this mule .

Shortly after that, we were out of the canyon and onto the little Forest Service road leading to the junction with the trail to Frazier TH .