Verde River from Salt Mine Road via Ladder Trail

On 20 November 2010 fifteen hardy souls (Linda Tovar, John McInerney, Anita Jackson, Lila Wright, Kwi Johnson, Virginia Driscoll, Miriam Sterling, Daisy Williams, Betty Wolters, Dolly Yapp, George Everman, the author and three others), acting on faulty memories provided by myself and Lila, set out to hike to the Verde River from Salt Mine Road. We thought that we would reach the river at a point slightly above the Verde River Falls. As it turned out we reached the river almost a mile (about half a mile as the crow flies) below the falls.

As to how we actually reached the river, both Lila and I recognized the turnoff from Salt Mine Road onto the gated road leading toward the river. However, most of what we remembered after that was either wrong or changed. We both remembered having to leave the rough road and clamber down a wash to reach the river. What we actually found this time was that if we turned right when the road forks about one and four-tenths of a mile from the gate and continued for another seventh-tenths of a mile the road would end at the top of a bluff overlooking the river. From there Ladder Trail #16 leads steeply down the bluff to the river, descending 250 feet in a tenth of a mile. I paused to take a picture looking upstream from the trail.

Looking upstream along the Verde River from Trail 16

On reaching the bottom of Trail 16 and still believing ourselves to be upriver from the falls, we turned downstream to see whether we could reach them before lunchtime when we intended to turn back.

Just a few yards downstream from the trailhead we found an old mine tunnel in the face of the cliff. We entered and discovered that it ended just thirty feet in. It would have made a great shelter except that it was a little close to the waterline for comfort. Although I saw no signs of water having entered recently, I thought that it might happen during extreme flooding conditions. Other than some rat droppings and a single bird nest on the ceiling, the tunnel held little of interest to us.

Opening to old mine tunnel

Nest on ceiling of mine tunnel

Continuing on down the bank of the river, we came first to a cable strung across the river high up on the cliff walls to carry a car back and forth (below). The reason for the cable car was unclear as there seemed to be absolutely nowhere to go once the car reached the sheer cliff wall on the other side. A bit farther along we passed a water gage system, installed with a solar panel and an antenna to transmit readings (below).

Aerial Cable Car

Water gage system

Approximately three-tenths of a mile from the trailhead we passed the mouth of the canyon carved by Chasm Creek and continued for about as far again before deciding to give up on finding the falls and stop for lunch. We ate lunch just across the river from Sycamore Canyon.

Although we were disappointed that we hadn’t reached the falls, it was time to turn back after lunch and we started back upriver. Along the way we spotted what appeared to be a large wooden ladder positioned against the canyon wall. As with the cable car, we never determined it’s purpose. We assumed that both structures might have something to do with observing Bald Eagles, as we were in a nesting area. A bit later George spotted a group of River Otters frolicking in the water; unfortunately they were gone before he could unlimber his camera. In the same area, he discovered some tracks that we could not identify. The pad resembles a dog track (photograph by George at right), however, this critter also had long, scary-looking claws.

The trip upriver seemed a lot longer than our trip down the river had been, and after a while we seemed to be struggling through dense undergrowth that we had not encountered on the way down. Finally, we stopped and with reference to a GPS found out why. We had overshot our mark by about four-tenths of a mile. We had all been convinced that we could not possibly fail to see either the mineshaft near the lower end of Trail 16 or the gate that marks the end of the trail. But we did. We promptly turned around and headed back, this time keeping a close check on the GPS. Even though, it marked the beginning of a steep 250-foot climb back to the road at the top of the bluff, we were all very happy to finally see the green gate that marked our trail.

In consideration of the misadventures experienced on this hike, and thinking we might want to do it again in the future, I have taken special care to record our hiking route. Also because even finding the beginning of the hike at Road 9039R presented a bit of a problem, I will provide detailed directions to that point. To reach Road 9039R at Salt Mine Road, take Hwy 260 to Camp Verde and start marking the mileage at I-17. Continue on Hwy 260 for one and seven-tenths miles and turn right onto Oasis. Follow Oasis for one-half of a mile to the bottom of the hill and turn right onto Salt Mine Road. Follow Salt Mine Road for six and three-tenths miles until you come to the end of the pavement. (NOTE: The paved road makes a sharp turn to the left at this point, but that is NOT Salt Mine Road). Continue straight ahead on Salt Mine Road (also marked as FR 574), now a dirt road. One mile ahead, Salt Mine Road, continues straight when FR 574 forks off to the right. Continue for another two and four-tenths miles to arrive at the gate that provides access to Road 9030R. Parking alongside the road is available for several cars. Actually, with a high clearance vehicle, pickup or 4-wheel drive, you could drive all the way to the beginning of Ladder Trail #16.

Somewhere along the way, George talked Dolly into doing a dance to appease the Trail Gods.

Dolly doing the trail dance

I questioned the efficacy of the dance, but someone pointed out that we had all returned safe and sound.