Crook Trail to Gray Wolf Ruins and Hecla

We had hiked on General Crook Trail from Hwy 169 and Little Hackberry Wash (6.9 miles west of I-17) to the junction of Forest road 9604F and Hwy 169 (1.8 miles west of I-17) last March. During that hike we had noted what appeared to be Indian ruins located among igneous outcroppings on top of a small round hill east of Gray Wolf Landfill. We could not be entirely sure that what we had seen were really ruins. Today, 28 December 2013, on our last hike of the year, we were returning to climb the hill and investigate.

We drove to Camp Verde on Hwy 260, took I-17 south to Hwy 169, turned west on that road and traveled about 1.8 miles to Forest Road 9604F. Turning south on the forest road, we drove about 0.3 miles to the point where it intersects General Crook Trail. We actually turned on a faint track just about 0.1 mile before reaching the trail and parked a little over 100 yards from the trail. General Crook Trail #64 is marked at this point by a standard upright trail sign displaying the trail number.

The trail is relatively easy to follow. The track of the original General Crook Trail is still visible and cairns, although often obscured by grass, have been erected along the way. The original trail, a wagon road, was scouted in 1871 by General Crook, construction began in 1872, supplies could be moved over it by pack trail in 1873, and in 1874 the first wagon train left Fort Whipple for Fort Apache.¹

When we started our hike, we were on the crest of the east slope of Johnson Wash. We followed Crook Trail down the slope of the wash, crossed over and continued for a short distance up the west slope, before turning to climb up to the ruins which could barely be discerned from our location. At the point where we turned off the trail we noted a single square, weathered post with no markings placed on the beside the old wagon trail. The climb to the top of the hill was along a gentle slope that rose some 275 feet in 0.3 miles.

We were not absolutely sure that the ruins even existed until we were close enough to see the man-made walls, with view-ports placed in strategic locations. Lila Wright is shown below ascending the wall.

Lila Wright ascending the north wall of Gray Wolf Ruins

I did not find an official name for these ruins, so I have chosen to refer to them as Gray Wolf Ruins, the name given to General Crook by the Indians and also the name of the nearby landfill.

The photograph shown here (right) shows a section of the north wall looking east from where we ascended.

From our perch among the ruins, we had a commanding view in every direction across the surrounding low-lying hills to the far mountains beyond.

Looking to the east from the ruins

The entire top of the hill had been fortified by strategically building walls to connect already existing igneous outcroppings. Since the connecting rock walls were were of the same composition as the outcropping rocks, the fortifications could easily go unnoticed from below.

Fortifications enclosing the entire top of the hill

We found a suitable spot at the very top of the hill and posed for a group photograph.

Left to right: The author (front), Betty Wolters, Collene Maktenieks, 

Daisy Williams (standing), 

Connie Woolard, Lila Wright (standing), 

Kwi Johnson and Gary Jacobson 

– photograph by Name Withheld

Leaving the ruins, we retraced our steps down the hill, rejoined Crook Trail at the bottom and climbed back up the eastern slope of Johnson Wash to our parked vehicles.

Hiking back up the east slope of Johnson Wash. The trace of the old Crook 

Wagon Trail runs just to 

the right of the hikers, topping out just above the 

leftmost hiker.

The red track in the below map shows our path to the Gray Wolf Indian Ruins. The green track shows a short section of the Crook Trail as it detours around private property, the Gray Wolf Landfill.

Map showing the trail to Gray Wolf Ruins and the Crook Trail detour around 

Gray Wolf Landfill

The short distance to and from the ruins was never going to be an adequate hike, so we climbed back into our vehicles and drove another 5.1 miles west on Hwy 169 to the point where Crook Trail crosses the highway and heads to Hecla (perhaps more commonly referred to as Ash Creek Station). The station was originally built by John Stemmer, a cavalryman stationed at Camp Verde, who mustered out in 1870. The station had an inn with seven rooms. In the early 1890, according to a July 23, 2008 article published in the Camp Verde Bugle, “the neighborhood became an official community with a real post office, named Hecla after a nearby gold mine.” The article goes on to say that the post office only operated for about a year.²

The start of the trail to Hecla was clearly marked (left) and there is plenty of parking alongside the highway.

As can be seen in the photograph at left, the trail was wide and had a smooth surface. Although the gravel surface seen here only lasted a few yards where it ended at a corral, the entire trail was still easy hiking. About 0.7 miles from Hwy 169, Crook Trail makes a turn and heads in a more westerly direction. Because the path straight ahead is wider and more distinct at this point it would be easy to miss the turn.

There is a trail marker (right); however, it is one of those whose directional arrows can be interpreted incorrectly. For guidance, just look for the two rock cairns beside the shrub just to the right of the sign. They are aligned to take you in the right direction.

From the turn described above, the trail becomes a little narrower and in places follows along washes. But it is still easy hiking with a relatively smooth dirt and sand surface and well-placed cairns to show the way. The distance from the turn to Hecla is only another 0.7 miles and we were soon there. On arrival, after crossing the creek, we were greeted by a beautiful, gnarled old hackberry tree standing sentinel on the west side of the creek.

Beautiful old hackberry tree at Hecla

We continued past the remains of the old stone corral and stopped alongside the creek to eat lunch.

Still standing wall of old stone corral at Hecla

We had now completed all of Trail # 64 except the 0.6 mile section that continues on past Hecla to end at FR 323, so we decided to continue on and complete that section. The red track in the below map shows Trail 64 from Hwy 169 to its end (or start) at FR 323. The blue track shows an alternate route we took on the return trip

Map showing Crook Trail #64 from Hwy 169 to Hecla and on to Forest Road 323

We hiked 6.3 miles (2 miles to the Indian Ruins and 4.3 miles to Hecla and on to FR 323). All distances are round trip. Our highest elevation was 4736 feet and the elevation difference was 416 feet.

1General Crook National Historic Trail Study Report, USFS, 1986 (Draft), p. 384

2 http://campverdebugleonline.com/print.asp?ArticleID=20599&SectionID=74&SubSectionID=702  

Crook Trail from FR 9604 to Copper Canyon

Eight Skyliners hiked the section of General Crook Trail starting at Hwy 169/FR 9604F and ending near the top of Copper Canyon. The date was 14 December 2013; the hikers were Lila Wright, Kwi Johnson, Daisy Williams, Ruth Frazier, Connie Woolard, Collene Maktenieks, the author and one unnamed hiker.

Our original intent had been to position one vehicle at the old stage stop in Copper Canyon and hike one-way to there. To do that we would need two 4-wheel drive vehicles and, unfortunately, I had not made that fact clear, so we did not have two such vehicles. After some discussion, we decided to hike part way on the trail and then return to where we started.

The sun was shining brightly, but a chill wind was blowing and we all wore jackets. From a previous hike on the trail from Little Hackberry Wash to the starting point for today's hike, we knew that the trace of the old wagon trail would be quite visible at the start of our hike. We followed that still-visible old road down a gentle slope and across a wash that drains C F Canyon and feeds into Cienega Creek.

Where General Crook Wagon Road crossed the wash draining C F Canyon

Shortly after crossing that first wash, we crossed another, less distinct one and then joined a dirt road. There we found a Prescott NF sign (right). Such signs are posted all along this section of Crook Trail, beginning at the FR 136 Trailhead at the bottom of Copper Canyon near Salt Mine road at Camp Verde. The small sign visible in the lower left quadrant identifies this section of General Crook Trail, in Prescott National Forest, as Trail 64. Other sections of the trail are given different numbers as it crosses other National Forests. The large sign, dominating the above photograph, notes that this is a “non-motorized” trail. Some other, similar signs, along the way specify “multimodal,” indicating that motorized vehicles are permissible.

We continued to follow the remnant of the old wagon road, eventually arriving at the fence shown below. We could see the old wagon road ahead, but there was no easy way to cross the fence.

Old General Crook Wagon Road blocked by a fence

 We didn't know it at the time, but we had gone about 0.3 miles beyond the point where Trail 64 leaves the original wagon road in a diversion to avoid private property. The diversion starts at N34 30.739 W112 00.382 as shown on the map below. The turnoff is far from obvious as the old wagon road is clearly visible continuing directly east at this point and nothing indicates one should turn north.

Trail detail at Hwy 169/I-17 Junction

As shown by the green track (map above), one can avoid the private property by following along the fenceline to Hwy 169 and then continuing along FR 9603F which starts at Hwy 169 and skirts the western and northern boundaries of the private holding. However, following the official trail (red track) is the easier, and shorter, route.

The following sign (left), posted alongside FR 9603F near the northeast corner of the private property boundary, is the only indication that it is time to leave the road and cross under I-17. There is absolutely no other indication that a trail ever existed here. One can, however, see signage along the interstate highway. The sign, located just to the left of the tree visible at the top of the photograph, is very near the underpass which the trail utilizes to pass under I-17 and rejoin the original General Crook Trail on the other side.

As we approached the freeway crossing, we came to a gate with a chain and latch that defied our best efforts to unfasten it. Finally, one of the hikers walked a short distance along the fence and found that it ended just a few yards from the gate. All we had to do was walk around it. The photograph below shows the gate looking back from the other side along with the open passage to the right.

Carefully locked gate on left; wide open fence at right

A look at the map showed that we crossed I-17 in Oxtail Draw. The highway follows this draw all the way to the top of the mountain before heading down the other side into Verde Valley. On the east side of the highway we once again began to notice signs of the old wagon road and followed these, along with an occasional cairn, up the draw toward Bates Windmill. We were now sheltered from the wind by a hill that lay between us and Oxtail Draw and were becoming uncomfortably warm. We stopped for a snack just short of FR 136 where the section of old Crook Trail designated as Trail 64 in Prescott National Forest ends and most of our group took advantage of the stop to remove their jackets.

After our snack, we followed FR 136 (Copper Canyon Road) up the gentle slope past Bates Windmill toward the head of the canyon. We were no longer sheltered from the stiff, chill breeze and were soon stopping to don jackets again. Near the top, the slope became a little steeper, but it was never a very difficult climb. We had planned to turn back once we could see down the other side into Copper Canyon. However, when we reached the top, it was still a little early for lunch and the wind was now striking us full on, so we continued down into the canyon for approximately a quarter of a mile before stopping in a sunny, sheltered spot for lunch.

Hikers stopped for lunch

We all wanted to hike the entire trail down Copper Canyon to Salt Mine Road at Camp Verde, just not today. After a bit of discussion, it was decided that we would do that in March. We will park a vehicle at Salt Mine Road, take the interstate up the mountain and then drive back on FR 136 to the top of Copper Canyon to start our hike. That way it will be just a bit over 6 miles and downhill all the way.

After a short lunch break we headed back to where we were parked. Cozy as the spot was, I didn't even linger to take my traditional noontime nap because I wanted to get back in time to sort out the trail around the Hwy 169/I-17 Junction. We made good time and soon found ourselves crossing back under I-17. This time we followed FR 9302F along the north perimeter of the private property and cut back south toward the Old Crook Road as soon as we reached the western perimeter. This brought us out at the junction of FR 9603F and Hwy 169. We then crossed the highway and continued a short distance to rejoin our previous track where we had found the old road blocked by a fence. It wasn't a very difficult route, but it did not appear to be part of Trail 64. Nevertheless we continued on our way. Lila had noted a sign at another location along the highway that might indicate a trail crossing; we would look for that on the way back home after we finished the hike.

We became a little strung out on the final leg of the hike and one of our hikers managed to become separated and cross the last wash at the wrong place. Meanwhile, I had stopped at the wash to count heads and came up one short. Finally, one of the hikers told me that she had seen the missing one cross the wash at a different spot. There was really no serious danger of anyone getting lost on this section of trail, but a lone hiker could fall and be rendered unconscious. It was a bit frustrating, but we did all make it back in good condition.

When we left the parking area and headed east on Hwy 169 toward I-17, we were traveling parallel to our hike route and we knew that the trail had to cross the highway somewhere, so we were all alert to locate that crossing. It turned out to be well-marked and rather obvious. It was marked on each side of the highway with the now familiar Public Trail signs (right) along with a Trail number sign.

That answered the question of where the trail crossed the highway; still unresolved, was exactly where it left the old wagon road, and the route it followed before rejoining it on the other side of the parcel of private property. To answer the first of these questions two of us parked our vehicle alongside the highway and followed the trail south until, after 0.2 miles, it connected with our previous hike path.

My fellow hiker then drove to the corner where FR 9603F makes a 90 degree turn to follow along the north side of the parcel of private property and looked for signs of the trail there, while I tried my luck starting at Hwy 169. I found several cairns to guide me for a while but, at first, no other sign of a trail. Eventually I did come to a section that appeared to show a worn track. Unfortunately, that turned out to be nothing more than a cow path that led me directly east toward Mistake Tank instead of northeast, the direction in which the trail should be heading. By now, though, my fellow hiker had located a couple of cairns near where he was parked and we then managed to locate others, completing the GPS track for the last section of the trail.

The GPS track for the entire 4.3 mile section of Crook Trail completed on this hike is shown in red on the included map (below).

We hiked 8.6 miles (plus an additional 1.2 miles mapping out the deviation around private property). Our highest elevation was 4837 feet and the elevation difference was about 431 feet.