On
28 October 2011 nine Skyliners hiked to the Indian Ruins at Mullican
Canyon. The below group picture was taken at the ruins.
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Left to right: Betty Wolters, Dolly Yapp, George Everman, Ellis Price, Daisy
Williams, Marvin Alt, Miriam Sterling, Lila Wright and Donna Goodman
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We
all met at the Safeway parking lot and drove through Cornville to
interstate 17. We then drove north on I-17 to Exit 306 and
turned off on Stoneman Lake Road. The spot where we parked for
the hike is seventeen miles from I-17 on mostly dirt roads.
From I-17 we followed Stoneman Lake Road east for 6.4 miles until we
came to a T. At the T we turned right on FR 922 and followed it
for about 1.6 miles before making a 90-degree right turn onto FR
644. We followed FR 644 for 9.3 miles, passing Mullican Place
Tank and Three-Jim Tank on the way, before parking just after the
road crosses a shallow wash. The location is at N34043’
35.84” W111039’ 47.58”.
The
topographic map we were using in the GPS showed three weirs, used
long ago to measure stream flow, along the course of our travels.
Two of these are located along FR 644, the first at Three-Jim Tank
and the second just a short distance down stream from the tank.
The third weir is shown by the map to be located along the wash we
followed between FR 644 and Mullican Canyon where the ruins are
located. We never found any sign of the third weir, not even
the remains of a foundation and were left to wonder whether the map
entry might have been an error.
For
those who are curious, a weir can be described as “… a
small overflow dam used to alter the flow characteristics of a river
or stream. In most cases weirs take the form of a barrier across the
river that causes water to pool behind the structure (not unlike a
dam), but allows water to flow over the top. Weirs are commonly used
to alter the flow regime of the river, prevent flooding, measure
discharge and to help render a river navigable.1”
After
parking we followed the wash downstream, first along the bank, then
entering the wash itself when the going become easier there. It
is approximately 0.95 miles from the road to the Indian ruins.
They are located atop an outcropping, separated from the canyon wall
proper by an abandoned meander (rincon). Part of the ruins can
be seen directly ahead as you proceed down the side canyon formed by
the wash you are in toward its junction with Mullican Canyon. As you
approach them look carefully to the north face of the side canyon you
are in. About 100 yards before you reach the ruins look
carefully and you will find distinctive Indian drawings located high
on the north wall of the wash.
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Indian drawing
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Indian Drawing
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These
drawings don’t just jump out at you unless the sun is exactly
right; however, they are visible at any time if you look closely.
As for me, I hiked this way twice before I finally noted them.
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A section of the Indian ruins can be seen atop the outcropping shown here.
Note the man-made rock wall running along the periphery
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At
the foot of the outcropping on which the ruins are located lies a
deep pool of water. The side canyon (or wash) we have been
traveling down is at this point almost perfectly parallel to Mullican
Canyon. At one time the stream apparently flowed to the left of
the outcropping into Mullican Canyon further downstream. It has
since been diverted by some geological event that allowed it to break
through and flow to the right of the outcropping, spilling directly
into Mullican Canyon.
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Deep pool at the foot of the outcropping containing the Indian ruins
– overflow from the pool is directly into Mullican Canyon through the
opening visible to the right
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To
reach the ruins it is necessary to climb along the face of the
canyon, crossing above the pool, and enter the abandoned meander
(rincon). From there it is possible, although difficult, to
climb up to the peak of the outcropping where the ruins are located.
In the photograph below hikers are shown navigating the perilous
route along the canyon wall toward the meander.
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Hikers are shown climbing along the canyon wall above the pool – the
shoulder of the outcropping containing the ruins is visible to the right
– the saddle between the canyon wall and the outcropping is the old
stream course, or “abandoned meander.”
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The
most direct route on up to the ruins is to climb up the steep, rocky
slope as soon as you reach the meander. A somewhat easier climb
is possible a few yards further down the meander; however,
undergrowth makes those few yards almost impassable. Any path
you choose is a steep, perilous climb requiring great care to avoid
slipping. But the reward is great once you reach the ruins.
Looking
on down Mullican Canyon from the ruins we could see its confluence
with Rarick Canyon 0.8 miles to the west. Later reference to an
online map, disclosed that I-17 at the closest point lies just 1.2
miles to the northwest across Mullican and Rarick Canyons from the
ruins. But, as the saying goes, you can’t get there from
here.
It
was still rather early for lunch and we had stopped for a snack on
the way down the wash, so I wasn’t very hungry. While the
rest of the group looked around the ruins and ate lunch, I seized the
opportunity for a good nap. I was sound asleep when George
awakened me.
Before
starting back we paused for the group photograph shown at the
beginning of this report. George took the shot using my camera
on time delay. Then after carefully climbing back down the
steep, rocky slope to the old meander and making our way along the
canyon wall above the pool, we started rock hopping our way back up
the wash toward our waiting vehicles.
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Climbing back along the canyon wall above the pool on our way up the
wash, shown directly ahead – photograph by George on a previous hike
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Having
noting that FR 644, the road we had driven in on, continued along the
hill above and generally parallel to the wash we were following, we
decided to climb out of the wash at the first good opportunity and
make our way up the slope to the road. It would appear to be a
much easier hike than continuing along the rocky bed of the wash, and
so it was. Using a GPS to find the most direct route we soon
arrived at the road about half a mile from our cars.
Although
we were parked to the east of where we entered the road (FR 644) we
saw some artifacts about 200 yards in the other direction and went
that way to investigate. What we found were the remains of
an old corral and another weir located in a wash at the end of FR
644. The below photograph was taken from just upstream of the
weir looking over it into the chasm the stream had formed on its way
to Mullican Canyon.
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Photograph taken from the bed of the wash located at the end of FR 644.
The walkway runs along the top of the weir. From there the stream
drops sharply into a deep chasm on its way to the canyon below
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Examining the weir: Marvin alt (partial at top), Dolly Yapp, Lila Wright
and George Everman
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The
total hiking distance was only about 1.9 miles. However, that
is somewhat deceptive because the going is rough, except for the part
of the return trip that was along FR 644. The wash is rocky and
requires stepping carefully all the way to avoid sprained ankles and
falls, several places require climbing over or around steep ledges in
the streambed, the climb along the canyon wall above the pool is
quite perilous and the final climb to the ruins is steep and rocky.
This
is a moderately difficult hike overall with a few very difficult
areas; it is not for those with weak ankles or those who do not like
a little rock climbing. Some of the rough hiking in the
streambed can be avoided by parking at the spot where we rejoined FR
644 at N340
43’29.92”; N1110
40’15.07” and hiking north to join the wash closer to the ruins.
An Alternative Hike to the Indian
Ruins
A
good alternative to parking where we did for this hike is to park
instead at 3-Jim Tank. Weir Number 1 is located there in the same
wash that we followed on this hike to reach the ruins at its juncture
with Mullican Canyon. It is just farther upstream and the hike is
thus a bit longer. As compensation for the longer hike you can
investigate the remains of the extensive water measuring system once
installed along the wash. Weir Number 1 is, as noted previously in
this report, only the first of three weirs once in place along the
wash. Number 2 is between 3-Jim Tank and the place where we parked
for today's hike; A Weir Number 3 was apparently once located between
there and Mullican Canyon, but no longer exists. The weir featured
in today's hike report is located in an entirely different wash that
empties into Mullican Canyon at a different point. Some of the
artifacts and sites to be seen along this alternative hike to the
ruins are shown in these four photographs (below).
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Weir Number 1
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A well-constructed hunter's blind located near Weir Number 1
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In the wash below Weir Number 1, approaching Weir Number 2
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Weir Number 2
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As
previously noted, Weir Number 3 no longer exists, and we were left
wondering if it ever did.
The included map
(below) shows the immediate area of
this hike. Interstate 17 is visible running diagonally across the
upper left corner. The dirt road running between I-17 and Rarick
Canyon is Beaver Creek Road. The blue line on the map is the route
we took from our cars down the wash to the ruins at Mullican Canyon.
The yellow line shows our return route including the side trip to the
unnamed weir. The green line shows the last bit of our drive in from
I-17.
To
hike to the ruins by way of weirs 1 and 2, just park at 3-Jim Tank
and follow the blue track shown on the included map down the wash.
1
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Weir
