As Bushnell Tanks TH is now closed to all vehicular traffic, and there is not even a horse gate to give access to riders, we camped at the trailhead near the Cross F Ranch on the old section of AZ 87 that travels along Sycamore Creek near Sunflower .
This camp area is very near the creek, with big sycamore trees shading it. At night when the breeze and the birds quiet down, the gurgle of the creek is a nice accompaniment to the soft sounds of the campfire .
A big Arizona Trail sign is along the road just above the campsite. Across the road is the spur trail that leads to the AZT.
Initially the trail is easy to follow, to a gate. Beyond the gate there are cattle trails everywhere!! When we were there the Cross F ranch had just finished branding the new calves. Momma cows and their calves were all over this area. The cows were very tame and unafraid of us so Billy had to go right up to them before they would move over and let us pass.
I did put up some cairns but the cows may inadvertently knock them down, so my advice to future travelers in this area is to go west until you come to the creekbed, and then stay on the east side of the creek as you go north until the trail becomes identifiable again.
The creek was pretty, with clear water flowing under the big juniper trees that hung over the banks. There were big hackberry trees too, and some stunted sycamores .
The trail climbs up into red rimrock type of country where it joins the AZT .
An unusual barrel cactus
I turned left, south, and headed toward Sunflower.
The trail in this area is singletrack for a mile or more and then it joins a seldom used 2 track which eventually travels along the western edge of some very nice homes with pastures and horses.
Clear water moving over solid rock
After passing through two gates, and approaching another one, we saw loose horses ahead. Loose horses usually are at least inquisitive, hopefully not aggressive, toward another horse (or mule) that comes into their view.
I dismounted, because I could be more aggressive toward these other horses if need be, while still keeping control of Billy. There was no trouble, but I did have to drive them away several times.
After going through one of the flimsiest (is that a word?) gates I’ve ever seen, we went under the two double lanes of AZ 87 and came out immediately west of the buildings at Sunflower.
Milage markers hung on a burned juniper
. Well up on the hillside, the view is east, down into the extensive riparian area along the creek. There are so many trees down there that I could hear the wind blowing through them from way up on the hillside where I stopped for lunch. There is a constant twinkle of sunlight on water as it is glimpsed through the trees.
The trail works it’s way down with gentle grades to a crossing of the creek; watercress and willows in the creek.
The creek crossing was my turnaround point. I decided to go back to Sunflower by following the old roads along the west side of the creek. It was good! An occasional creek crossing, but mostly shuffling through the old sycamore leaves from last year, and passing under the spreading arms of the huge old trees themselves. I think I’ve mentioned that I like the smell of sycamore leaves!
Backtracking under the highway, dealing with the loose horses again, some confusion at a cattle tank, slowly moving through the momma cows and their babies, building a few more cairns, and we were back. A day of easy terrain, some challenges; altogether good .
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