What's Up with Ellis: Pivot Rock Canyon

Although we expect to hike sporadically in the high country during the summer, a 31 May 2014 hike in Pivot Canyon was the last scheduled hike for the season.

We left Cottonwood at 0700, our normal starting time for May hikes, and drove east on Hwy 260 for about 43 miles before turning left onto Forest Road 144. The turnoff is just before you reach milepost 249; in fact, one can actually read the numbers on the mile marker from the turnoff. We traveled 1.8 miles on FR 144, turned left onto FR 149 and traveled 1.1 miles, turned right onto FR 142 and traveled 2.1 miles to the unmarked trailhead at Toms Creek. There is a wide graveled area in the bottom of Pivot Canyon where FR 142 crosses Toms Creek, providing ample parking.

We were greeted by a scattering of bright yellow primroses (right). I have only seen these once before, on the Lower Cedar Bench Trail.

As we continued the easy hike up the gently-sloping canyon, following an ATV trail, I noted a beautiful young oak tree (left) growing in isolation on the canyon floor and a thriving young aspen (right). Later, in the upper reaches of the canyon, I saw other young aspens along with the trunks of old, mature dead ones.

Just 0.2 miles upstream from our stating point, an old road crosses the canyon. This is where Toms Creek flows in from the left (southeast). We didn't investigate the old road; however, it appears passable by 4-wheel drive vehicles. The main canyon at this point turns and continues upstream to the west for about a mile to the mouth of Hicks and Duncan Canyon (sometimes called Corduroy Wash because a wash of that name joins Hicks and Duncan about 1.5 miles above). Pivot Rock Canyon then turns and runs generally south for about 1.6 miles before it turns to the southeast past Pivot Rock and then gently curves to run northeast until it ends at Pivot Rock Spring.

About 1.5 miles from the trailhead at FR 142, there is an old settler's cabin (left). That has, according to Daisy Williams, who came this way several years ago, been partially restored in recent years. We stopped there for a short rest and to take a group photograph

Left to right: Betty Wolters, Chris Jensen, Beverly Sass, Daisy Williams,

David Murrill, Lila Wright, Jim Manning and Joyce Arregui – photograph by

the author

Jim Manning was hiking with a bad leg, having previously damaged a muscle, and didn't intend to hike all the way to Pivot Spring. He had anyway hiked the trail in April when we did a scouting hike. He thus decided to stop off at the cabin, read a book for awhile, and then return to the trailhead to wait for us.

About 0.1 mile upstream from the old cabin, what remains of Forest Road 9370 enters the canyon. This section of the road appears long unused; however, it is still easily discernible as it leads steeply up the canyon wall. As a matter of fact, we left the canyon by way of this road when we did the scouting hike last month. It is still posted as FR 9370 on the upper end.

After another 0.6 miles upstream from FR 9307, we came to a parting of the ways between the hiking trail and the ATV trail. As shown in the below photograph, the ATV trail leaves the canyon bottom at this point while the hiking trail continues up the canyon floor.

ATV trail leads to the right up the canyon wall; the hiking trail is straight ahead

The trail for the rest of the way is still very easy to follow although in at least two instances ATV trails descend from the right canyon wall. I followed one of those on the scouting hike and found that it took me to an old road, still in use, that leads up a draw and back down the other side to rejoin the trail.

From this point the canyon closes in a bit but is still wide enough that one can walk alongside the rocky streambed. The trail is almost level and easy to hike. But about 0.4 miles from where the ATV trail left the canyon floor and approximately where I returned to the trail on the scouting hike after following the ATV trail, the canyon forks and it is not really clear which branch is Pivot Rock Canyon. Just remember that this is where the canyon turns southeast and take the left branch.

Canyon fork – go left – do not take the path leading straight ahead

At this point, go directly up the left fork. The apparently well-trod path leading up the slope between the two forks ends a few yards ahead.

The rock formation which gives the canyon its name lies just 0.1 mile, ahead just above the trail on the left side. For the best view climb the slope from the upstream side of the rock.

Pivot Rock – photographed in April 2014

We took a couple of photographs while at the rock.

The author – photo by Betty Wolters

Joyce Arregui and Betty Wolters

The canyon floor this stretch was carpeted with a blanket of beautiful, bright green ferns.

Upper Pivot Rock Canyon blanketed with ferns

Just upstream from Pivot Rock we found what remains of the rear passenger compartment of an ancient automobile and wondered how in the world it ever wound up at this inaccessible spot. The photograph below was taken in April 2014.

Remains of old automobile

We were now very near to Pivot Rock Spring where we expected to eat lunch before turning back, so we moved right along.

When we arrived at the spring we found another party, a family group with several children, ranging from a couple of teenagers to a three-months old baby, was already there and were preparing to enter the cave from which the spring flows.

Cave from which spring flows

I followed them in along with Chris Lila and Daisy. Although not apparent from outside, the cave opens up after about 12 yards into a chamber large enough to stand and move around in. A hiker is shown below entering the large chamber.

Hiker entering large chamber

In contrast to the outside temperature, it was quite chilly inside the large chamber.

Inner chamber of cave at Pivot Rock Spring

I am told that the cave runs about an eight of a mile into the mountain and that one can leave the inner chamber by one opening and return by another, making a loop in the mountain. These entry and exit openings are pointed out by the red arrows in the above photograph. We chose to defer crawling through the loop to another day and climbed back out to eat lunch.

We had identified a several flowers during the April scouting hike. Now a month later even more were in bloom and these were entirely different than the April flowers. They are all included in the following photographs, those from today's hike first, along with notations as to when photographed.

Claret cup cactus – May 2014

Green gentian – May 2014

Thermopsis – May 2014

Bush pea (?) - May 2014

Wild rose – May 2014

Arizona honeysuckle – May 2014

The columbine (below), was found growing in a naturally-formed flower pot located in a large isolated boulder along the trail in the lower part of Pivot Rock Canyon. Apparently there was just enough moisture to keep it alive. It was photographed in May 2014