April 23,'08 Picketpost TH to Rogers Trough TH

X


Billy and I are going solo now . I know the first day of this trip very well because Dick and I are Segment Stewards of the north half of what I will ride today (Reavis Trail Canyon).

Starting at Picketpost TH near the town of Superior, the trail crosses under, the now 4 lane, US Highway 60 and soon crosses Queen Creek .

Crossing over the unused railroad tracks from Superior's mining days, the trail is not far from the old cemetery where Wyatt Earp's wife Matty is buried . (Her grave is prominently marked, IF you can find the cemetery .)

Following a long ridge northward, the town of Superior is slowly revealed below and to the southeast . The trail is rocky but well defined with easy grades .

Still many blooms at these lower elevations

Lots of fruits on the wolfberry shrubs



Picketpost Mountain is fading away to the south as we go on.....



Now it has almost disappeared

This line shack has been the staging point for many trail work events on the Reavis Canyon Trail section of the AZT .

Huge tamarisk trees grow beside the corral at the line shack
Billy is checking to see if he might get lucky and find some feed in the old trough .




The view of the line shack from the trail

I would like to be here at blooming time to see the flowers on the tip of the arm on the ground !



How about this one, with the "crest" in it's center ?



On we go .....

Saguaro cactus and sycamore tree in Reavis Trail Canyon

After the easy, gentle climb up through Reavis Trail Canyon, crossing the stream many times, and riding in the shade of the sycamore trees, it's time to "pay the piper"; Montana Mountain ! After interminable, steep switchbacks the trail tops out at approx. 5500 feet, about 2600 feet higher than Superior . Whew ! Poor Billy!

Poor Billy almost to the top (looking east)

Forest Road 650 looked pretty good after that climb . A couple of miles on the road, walking in the shade of huge juniper trees, and we were in camp .

Billy at the hitch rail at Rogers Trough

Our camp at Rogers Trough

At this camp, in the evening, the dogs got "skunked". They had never seen a skunk and were fascinated by this slow, waddling little creature . We convinced it to move on, with some well targeted rocks . The dogs wanted sympathy from us but got " Don't come over near ME !" . The next day they had to ride in the back of the truck, instead of inside like the little princesses that they are .

April 13, 2008 Battleaxe Rd. to Picketpost TH

We trailered to Battleaxe Road to start our next ride . There is a section between there and the Gila River that is not yet finished, but a big trail building project is scheduled for next fall . It is spectacular country, so I am really looking forward to coming back and riding it !

Battleaxe Rd. goes west off of AZ highway 177, which goes from Superior south to the communities along the Gila River .

On Battleaxe Road there is a set of corrals very near where the road begins to drop down into the canyons . It is not a good campsite for people but the mules loved having a corral, after being tied to the trailer on every other camping night . So we kicked rocks out of the way and set up our camp.

Can you see two mules in this corral?


Morning sun coming into the White Canyon Wilderness, as seen from our camp .

Yes, camp was close to the road .
Again, morning sun on the mountains

Dick in his kitchen; ready to start breakfast

Our beloved cook and camp wrangler !

Diane on Billy and Corrine on Rosie; ready to go

More water here than I've ever seen, clear and flowing; a delight in the desert !



Corinne and Rosie (and cottonwoods and saguaros)



A rest, after negotiating the White Canyon Wilderness




After some road-riding, we decided to head down this wash .

We both "felt" that this was the direction that we needed to go, and we were right . After being in this pretty little wash for a while. we noticed the newly built AZT right above us on the hillside !

We also had lunch in this wash, where there was some flowing water . We let the mules graze while we ate . Billy decided that he would head on back . Some scrambling up through the rocky wash by his rider, and he was captured . Rosie didn't care a bit that he left; she just kept grazing .

We saw four Gila Monsters on this day (and a rattlesnake that Billy stepped on) This guy, or gal. was quite unconcerned with our being near . Corinne got quite a few pictures of this one as it seemed to want to pose at every step . We also saw a collared lizard in it's brilliant, day glow turquoise mating color .

On the newly constructed AZT; good wide tread and easy grades .

Corinne and Rosie on a hillside of brittlebush





Diane and Billy and Picketpost Mountain



Picketpost Mountain; SW of Superior

April 12, 2008 Rest day in small wash near Kelvin

This was our rest day . The mules didn't seem to need it , but we humans did !

We needed another bale of hay, so Dick and I went into Kearny to get some and to get some people supplies too . Corinne volunteered to stay in camp to babysit the mules and dogs .

That job turned out to be more than anyone would have thought it would be ! After a few hours the mules seemed to get bored, and like little kids, began looking for trouble to get into .... Corinne said that they not only pawed big holes in the sand but also pawed the trailer tongue and bit the spare tire; all while looking at her as if to say "So what are you going to do about it ?" Billy was the worst brat . It was not a restful day for her !

It was not a restful day for Dick and I either . We ended up having to drive back to Catalina to find hay ! Dick says that we drove over 60 miles, one way, on that search .

When we got back to camp it was still quite warm . Corinne had been chasing the shade all day . But as the sun went down, the little canyon got nice . We could see the lights of the Ray Mine far across the Gila River . Built a fire in the road later and it was nice; watching the evening come on and the stars softly appear .

Dick is cooking, Corinne is relaxing with Jane beside her .

The mules are behaving themselves

Jane

April 11, 2008 Ripsey Wash to Kelvin

Last night was another "campfire in the road" kind of windy evening; but a nice campsite otherwise . We watched the light of the sinking sun move up the cliffs beside the camp . Vultures were circling low, heading in to their roost for the night . The mules had had a long day with only one place for water; they were quiet and seemed glad to be "home" at the trailer .
Dick had set up camp where the trail crosses Ripsey Wash .
The next day a work crew was coming into this section to do some trail work . Two members of the crew (John Rendall & Dave Babcock) had been a big help to me regarding maps of the area, and scouting . I wrote a note to them and the work crew . We left the note in a side wash that we thought they would be using for their camp . Don't know if they got the note .



If you look closely in this photo, in the lower right quadrant you can just make out the truck and trailer . This was our camp in Ripsey Wash as Corinne and I saw it as we were riding down the final ridge into the main wash . In the background is what is called The Big Hill . The trail switchbacking up it is a real marvel in engineering and construction; easy grades and well stabilized tread . Great views looking back west into the many side canyons of Ripsey Wash .

The following photos were taken from the ridge going north from the Big Hill.

Looking east to the Galiuro Mountains

Superstitions on the horizon (See Billy's ear?)

Hillside of brittlebush


Looking east, down into Kearny


Diane and Billy admiring the view

buckwheat, and claret cup cactus


brittle bush and globe mallow

On the way down off the ridges and toward camp, we came to a small wash that had a little pool of water . It was about 6 or 8 inches below the level of the wash . Rosie was thirsty . She got down on her knees to drink from that little pool ! They had had water a couple hours before but she wanted some of this water too . Billy was not that THAT thirsty I guess . It had not been hot weather .

On the switchbacks coming down, I got off to take a flower picture . As I was remounting, from the uphill side, the bank gave way and I slid under Billy . He didn't even flick an ear .


Camp at last . Dick had the hor d'oerves out and the cold drinks ready . Jane and Jesse were always excited to see us coming into camp . Dick was too !

Mules LOVE to roll . At one point they were both rolling at the same time but we were not fast enough with the camera to get it on film .


Billy and Diane What a good mule !

Jane and Diane

April 10, 2008 Freeman Rd to Ripsey Wash

Corinne and Rosie looking good !

Last night Corinne's husband Jeff came out to our camp, a 2 hour drive for him, and he brought PIZZA ! It tasted so good ! He stayed to have dinner with us . By this time we had learned that a leafy salad just didn't work in the wind; it blew off of the plate . Also, the wind caught the pizza box, flipping some of the pizza into the dirt . We didn't let that stop us from eating it !

We camped very near the trailhead on FreemanRd. An okay place to camp; being up on a slight ridge would ordinarily be a good thing but it was very windy when we were there so; no campfire, and early to bed to keep warm .

Corinne had some sleeping arrangement challenges . She did not want to deal with the big tent that she had used on our last trip, so she borrowed a 2 person backpacker tent from me . What I didn't know was that she wanted to put a cot in it . That just did not work ! So she ended up using the saddle pads and a very thin foam pad for cushioning in her bed . It couldn't have been comfortable but she never complained; a good camping companion .

The next morning Dick fixed us our usual breakfast of a fried egg, a piece of buttered bread, oatmeal with raisins and walnuts, and small orange . He also always made a rolled up quesadilla, with jalepenos for me, for our trail lunch . That and a large orange was always plenty .

Dick packs up the camp; Corinne and I saddle the mules; and off we go .

The trail was very easy, good footing, basically level, and winding through junipers and open grass areas . The huge boulders scattered throughout the area give it it's name; the Boulder Segment .

Diane and Billy "near" Tecolote Ranch

Bull and calf at a cottonwood shaded corral

Diane and Billy under a huge cottonwood tree

A cairn marking the trail down into a side canyon of Ripsey Wash

April 9, 2008 Yellowjacket Well to Freeman Rd.

These next few days are difficult to describe as to their location, except to say that the Trail goes north from Oracle and on to the Gila River where it crosses at the tiny town of Kelvin . Kelvin is a few miles downstream from Kearney .



Our camp at Yellowjacket Well in Bloodsucker Wash .

This gate (so much character !) is downwash from Yellowjacket Well

After about 2 miles,down the wash, we were looking along the left side of the wash for the trail out of the wash and found it just past a rocky outcropping covered with sahuaro cacti . Large cairns made the trail easy to see .

Following 2 track roads and single track trail the route meanders over nice desert country; and then suddenly you are looking down on the quintessential western windmill scene: Beehive Well .
Picture a canyon about a quarter of a mile wide with walls 150 feet high . In this little canyon is a windmill and a huge, 60' diameter, open topped water storage tank . And corrals, and a small shed . And it is all old . Mature mesquite trees and palo verde trees line the canyon floor .

Up canyon a short way and the trail climbs out onto a ridge . Gently switchbacking and following the grades, the trail winds it's way north toward the dominant landmark in this area; Antelope Peak .

Antelope Tank; the only water we saw on this section .

Monday, April 7: North from Tiger Mine Rd. with Corinne

On this part of my journey on the Arizona Trail, I was joined by my long time friend C0rinne Geertsen . She rode Ron Silverthorn's mule Rosie .

After a VERY windy camp on a ridge northeast of Oracle, Dick drove us to the trailhead on Tiger Mine Rd. Tiger Mine Rd. goes N off AZ highway 77 which is the highway between Oracle and Mammoth on the San Pedro river . Not much room for a horse trailer rig but enough to be safe .



The trail starts on a ridge and, looking North, it seems as if the whole state of Arizona is laid out in front of you . The panorama goes on forever with ridges fading lighter and lighter into the distance .



There were still many wildflowers still in bloom but I had never seen 7 blooms from a seemingly single stem of Mariposa Lily .





With good grades, the trail leads up over the ridges and down into the sandy drainages between them . A cottonwood tree or dense grass shows the occasional presence of water . The wind got to be quite strong on the ridge tops .






We rode as far as the Pipeline Rd. before we stopped for lunch . ( Having spent some time last year on the Pipeline Rd., I did not want to ride any more of it .)



Things do look different on the return trip, now we were mostly looking up as we climbed back toward the TH where Dick was waiting . We again passed a huge bull that we had named Blondie . He was still laying under the same tree as when we passed him going out .

Billy sets a good pace .

While we had been riding, Dick had gone into Oracle to replenish our ice supply and get some cold drinks for us . A&W is really good after a windy day in the saddle !


Our next camp would be at the inviting sounding place of Yellowjacket Well in Bloodsucker Wash .

Actually it was a rather nice campsite with a huge, ancient mesquite tree for shade and clean sand for our camp . The wind died down at sunset . This was the second night we built the campfire in the road so as to have safe weed free place for it . ( It became a tradition to have it in the road .) A large, vocal bull strolled through camp at 1 AM .