Sheepshead - Spring Creek Riparian - Oak Creek

On 31 December 2011, we drove north from Cottonwood on Hwy 89A and turned right onto Oak Creek Valley Road at the top of the hill just before the Spring Creek Bridge. We continued on Oak Creek Valley Road for about 1.6 miles and turned right onto N Merritt Ranch Road. We then continued on this road for one mile and parked where a very faint old dirt road leads off to the right. (Position: N 34°44'11.88"; W 111°55'15.11")

Before starting our hike, we paused for a group photograph.

Left to right: Al Westbruck, Tom Mantovani, Colleen Maktenieks, 

George Everman (front) Terry Johnson (rear) Janet Wakefield, 

Robert Wakefield (rear) Jo Benkendorf, Dolly Yapp (front), 

Mary Gavin (rear), Cindy Covin, Karen Reiner (rear), Daisy Williams (front), 

Jan Tomko, Donna Goodman, Miriam Sterling, Betty Wolters 

– photograph by the author

After parking, we followed the old dirt road, heading upstream, along the slope of the hill bordering Sheepshead Canyon. We soon found ourselves walking along an old abandoned canal, not used for some twenty years. This canal continues upstream until it intersects with the creek running down the canyon at an old dam site. However, as our goal was a waterfall located further downstream, we left the canal (at position: N 34°44'17.69"; W 111°55'37.54", about 0.4 miles from where we parked,) and descended to the waterfall at the bottom of the canyon some distance below the old dam site. The two photographs below show a section of the old road and a section of the old canal.

Road to old dam site

Old canal

The waterfall is about 25 feet high and would be rather spectacular if there were enough water flowing. I do understand, however, that the stream never completely dries up. Lila, who grew up in the area told us that the canal supplied water to a pond (I guess that would be a tank since we are in Arizona) only in the winter, but that the water has always flowed year round. No one had an explanation as to why water was not diverted during the summer. Perhaps local swimmers insisted on maintaining the pool formed at the base of the waterfall?

We didn’t linger long at the waterfall, just long enough for me to test my new waterproof socks. They worked quite well, by the way, and are what I plan to use for hiking in Ireland later this spring. I understand the trails get quite wet and muddy and we were advised to bring waterproof shoes. I have waders (hiking boots that drain water quickly) and I wear wool socks under the waterproof socks.

Below is shown shown a picture of the sock test and a picture showing the shoe drainage arrangement.

The waterproof sock test

Showing shoe drains

We had descended into the canyon at the top of the waterfall and we left by climbing back up the same way for a short distance and then turning to continue downstream so as to climb Sheepshead Mountain, where we paused for a snack and to take in the surrounding views. We could look back up the canyon beyond our entry point to where the head of the canyon was visible about a mile in the distance. We also had clear views out over Cornville and along Oak Creek, both upstream and downstream. The round trip distance for this short hike was just 1.4 miles as measured on my GPS. The map below shows the way.

Hike from N Merritt Ranch Road to Sheepshead Mountain past 

Sheepshead Waterfall

After our snack break, we retraced our steps back past the waterfall, back along the old canal, up the dirt road to our parked cars, and headed for the next segment of what would be a three-piece hike. After reaching our cars, we drove about one mile back along N Merritt Ranch Road to N Oak Creek Valley Road, turned right and followed it for another 0.5 miles before parking at a locked gate on the left. We crossed through a pedestrian opening in the fence at the gate and followed an old road for about 0.2 miles to reach the entrance to the Spring Creek Riparian Exclosure. The trail continues for another 0.1 miles to its end at Spring Creek. Thus the round trip distance of this second part of our three-piece hike was only about 0.6 miles. The only caution I have for this part of the hike is that after passing through the gate, walking about 300 feet downhill and crossing a wash, you should be alert to take the left fork in the road where it turns sharply up a small hill. The right fork (straight ahead) will lead to the same place. However it is just a bit longer and there is another fork along the way that could be misleading. The map below shows the way.

How to get to the Spring Creek Riparian Area (Exclosure) from Hwy 89A

A Coconino National Forest sign (right) is posted at the entrance to the riparian area. It calls it the Spring Creek Riparian Exclosure.

The area at the end of the trail into the area, with a patch of grass and trees all about, is such a pleasant place that one is tempted to linger for awhile. But we had other plans and soon tore ourselves away; we wanted to eat lunch at a waterfall on Oak Creek. I did, however, stay long enough to take a photograph.

Spring Creek Riparian Exclosure

Leaving the riparian area, we traveled, accompanied by the owner, across private property to a nearby waterfall on Oak Creek for lunch.

Waterfall on Oak Creek

Eating lunch at Oak Creek

The third, and final section of our three piece hike was a 1.2-mile (round trip) trail along the west (actually north at this point) side of Oak Creek, starting at Mormon Crossing and going downstream. See the map below:

Hike along Oak Creek below Mormon Crossing

This three-piece hike, as described, here is suitable for any time of year. The total hiking distance is just over three miles and is almost all along streams. No wading is required and there is very little climbing.

If you are a bit more adventurous and want to explore the entire length of Sheepshead Canyon, the following directions (from a January 2011 hike) will get you there:

How to hike down Sheepshead Canyon to Sheepshead Mountain

“Drive north from Cottonwood on Hwy 89A and turn right on Oak Creek Valley Road at the top of the hill just before you reach the Spring Creek Bridge.

Drive on Oak Creek Valley Road for about 0.8 miles before turning right onto a dirt road at the junction of Oak Creek Valley Road with N Willow Point Road. Continue on the dirt road for approximately 0.5 miles to arrive at the head of Sheepshead Canyon, not much of a canyon at this point. Park, enter the canyon and proceed downstream for about 1.7 miles to arrive at a high waterfall, passing a no longer used dam that once fed an irrigation canal leading along the left canyon wall and two retaining dams, apparently meant to prevent erosion and provide a riparian area. Leave the canyon by the left wall about 50 yards upstream of the waterfall and head for Sheepshead Mountain, clearly visible about 0.3 miles ahead.”

How to do a hike down Sheepshead Canyon to Sheepshead Mountain

NOTE: To make a one-way hike of a trip down Sheepshead, just leave a car on N Merritt Ranch Road where we parked today (31 December 2011) and return to it from Sheepshead Mountain following today’s route.

Quail Springs Ranch to FR 493 via Oxbow Spring

Thirteen Skyliner Hikers hiked from Quail Springs Ranch Road to FR 493 and back on Saturday, 17 December 2011. We met at the Safeway Parking lot and drove north on Hwy 89A, turned right on Camino Real and drove through Verde Village to Quail Springs Ranch Road. We traveled on that road for a bit over 1.5 miles, passing Quail Run on the way. About 0.8 miles from Quail Run, at the bottom of a wash, we turned right onto a rough dirt road leading uphill to the top of a ridge. At least I turned right; others chose to park alongside the paved road and walk in. I parked about 0.07 miles from the paved road and we started the hike from there.

The trail leads generally east at first, following an old road running down crest of the ridge. After about 0.1 miles the road intersects with another old road running generally west and ending at the wash just near Pasture Well. We turned downstream and followed the wash for about 0.5 miles until we came to a rock cairn located on the left where a side wash enters the main wash. We followed this wash for a few yards and then angled up the hill to the right of the side wash. The trail is faintly marked by rocks placed alongside and by an occasional cairn as it leads sharply up the slope toward the crest of the ridge. On reaching the crest the trail continues along it, rising gently, in a generally northwest direction. The goal is to reach old FR 355 (now unused) just before it dips to the left over the sharp shoulder of the ridge we are following. To do this we kept fairly close to the left shoulder of the ridge. When we reached a fence we were just a few yards from the old forest road. A cairn at old FR 355 marks the end of this section of trail. We had hiked about 1.25 miles up the ridge and along the crest from the wash at Pasture Well.

We turned right on old FR 355 and followed it for around 0.17 miles to its end at Chuckwalla Road, passing a large, green metal water tank (now unused) on the way. We stopped here for a snack and a group photograph (see next page) before passing through a wire gate and continuing downhill on Chuckwalla Road.

The group photograph shown below was taken at the intersection of old FR 355 and Chuckwalla Road:

Left to right: Jim Manning, Dolly Yapp (kneeling), Donna Goodman, 

Kwi Johnson (kneeling), Miriam Sterling, Becky Fowsky, 

Betty Wolters (kneeling), Frank Fowsky, Daisy Williams, 

Anita Jackson and Jo Benkendorf – photograph by the author

About 0.5 miles down the road from the wire gate, we came to a fork in the road. Chuckwalla road leads to the right and continues downhill to eventually (after passing through posted private property) connect with Chuckwalla Road in a residential neighborhood above Cottonwood. (NOTE: Chuckwalla is located at the upper end of Fir Street and runs north-south along the very edge of the residential area.)

The road to our left is unnamed so far as I can determine, although on some maps it may be incorrectly called Chuckwalla. I refer to it as Oxbow Road because, after crossing Oak Wash, it runs just below Oxbow Spring. After passing the spring it turns sharply right, crosses a wash just below a group of ranch buildings, and then climbs gently in an easterly direction along the shoulder of a ridge until it reaches the top. It then crosses over and leads for a short distance in a generally westerly direction before crossing a wash and heading north to connect with FR 493 just ahead.

Upon reaching FR 493, we followed it downhill toward Cottonwood for about 0.2 miles before turning off to follow a four-wheel drive road leading to the southeast. When we turned off we were about 2 miles up FR 493 from the Animal Shelter in Cottonwood. We followed the track we were now on across a wash and stopped in a sunny spot for lunch – and a short nap for me. We then continued on, crossing Oak Wash again and reconnected with the road I have called Oxbow. From there, we retraced our steps back to where we were parked.

The total hike distance, according to my cleaned-up GPS reading, was 6.6 miles. Someone else measured it as 7.2 on another GPS.

The most difficult part of the hike was the climb up to the crest of the ridge from the wash at Pasture Well. Overall, I would call this a moderate hike; if the trail were a bit better marked, it could be classified as “easy.”

The GPS track of this hike is shown on the included map (below).

Girdner-Rupp-Cockscomb-Dawa-AZ Cypress

Fourteen strong, we left the Cottonwood Safeway parking lot at 0800 on Saturday, 10 December 2011 to hike on Girdner and other connecting trails near Sedona. We drove to Sedona on Hwy 89A, turned left onto Cultural Park Place just across Hwy 89A from Red Rock High School and drove about 0.2 miles to the parking lot. Girdner trailhead is located near the Ramada in the parking area.

Following Girdner Trail we headed down the slope of a wash and then followed along the bank high above the wash until it reached Dry Creek about a mile from the trailhead. We stopped along the way for a group photograph with the red rocks for a background:

Left to right: Jim Manning, Bob McDonald (Donna’s Cousin), Lila Wright, 

Dolly Yapp (front), Jan Tomko (rear), Marvin Alt, Daisy Williams, 

Mary Gavan (rear), Becky Fowsky, Kwi Johnson, David Nelson, 

Collene Maktenieks, Donna Goodman – photograph by the author

On reaching Dry Creek we continued on Girdner Trail heading upstream until we came to Rupp Trail, which is 2.8 miles along Girdner from the trailhead. Leaving Girdner for now, we made a sharp left turn onto Rupp and followed it for 0.9 miles until it ended at Cockscomb Trail. We turned right on Cockscomb and followed it for 0.9 miles to the intersection with Dawa Trail, stopping just a short distance short of Dawa to eat lunch on a nice sunny slope. At the Cockscomb/Dawa intersection, we turned right onto Dawa and followed it for 0.6 miles to its end at AZ Cypress Trail, stopping along the way to take another photograph; someone insisted on taking another so as to include the photographer who took the group photograph near the Girdner Trailhead.

The author checking his GPS with other hikers in the background 

– photograph by Lila using the author's camera

When Dawa ended, we turned right onto AZ Cypress and followed it for 0.6 miles until it ended at Girdner Trail just 0.6 miles further upstream along Dry Creek than the intersection where we had turned off onto Rupp Trail.

Note: AZ Cypress crosses Dry Creek twice between the intersection with Dawa and Girdner. Just after we crossed for the second time, about 0.2 miles downstream from the Dawa/AZ Cypress intersection, Lila and several of the group broke off to follow an unmarked trail leading downstream parallel to Dry Creek. The rest of the party following the trail on the GPS map continued on AZ Cypress until it ended at Girdner. The trail that Lila and her group were on was shorter and also ended at Girdner. We found them waiting at the Rupp/Girdner intersection.

When the main party reached Girdner Trail, we headed downstream and arrived at the Girdner/Rupp intersection just 0.6 miles from the AZ Cypress/Girdner intersection. From there we repeated the 2.8 miles back along Girdner to the parking lot.

For clarity on the included map (below), I have color-coded the different trails we hiked on. Girdner is cyan, Rupp is green, Cockscomb is yellow, Dawa is blue and AZ Cypress is magenta.

Our total hiking distance was 9.5 miles; the highest elevation was 4597 feet and the total ascent was a bit more than 1000 feet. The trail was good all the way and there was not very much climbing. The most strenuous section was the mile between Dry Creek and the parking lot, especially climbing back on our return. I would call this hike moderately difficult.