Grapevine Trail

Thirteen Skyliners hiked the Grapevine Trail on 23 April 2011. We drove from Cottonwood on Hwy 260 to Camp Verde, took I-17 south to the junction of Hwy 169, turned right onto Hwy 169, drove to Dewey-Humboldt and turned left (south) on Hwy 69. We drove through Poland Junction on Hwy 69 and turned right onto FR 87A at about mile marker 273.9. Following FR 87A, a dirt road, we crossed Big Bug Creek and then headed up a hill. Along the way we passed turnoffs to a couple of less well-traveled roads and one well-traveled road before coming to a fork in the road beyond which FR 87A becomes very rough, definitely calling for a high clearance vehicle, preferably one with four-wheel drive. At this fork FR 87A bears slightly to the left, heading down the slope to a stand of trees visible along Grapevine Creek ahead. The other fork of the road leads on up the hillside, probably to a mine. A good-sized parking area is located at the fork, and that is where we parked. We were about 2.0 miles from Hwy 69. My truck is shown below in the parking area. The trees along Grapevine Creek are visible to the left of the truck. A small section of the rough road leading from here to the creek is shown just to the right of the truck.

Truck parked in paring area alongside FR 87A two miles from Hwy 69

Jan, having done the hike before, agreed to lead and I would bring up the rear so as to make sure we didn’t lose anyone. Hikers are shown below on the road from the parking area to the trees along Grapevine Creek.

Hikers strung out along the road. The trees along Grapevine Creek are 

visible ahead

About 0.7 miles from the parking area, just as the road entered the stand of trees along the creek, we came to a green gate – open at the time of this hike. This is where we parked the time we hiked Grapevine. However, it is not recommended unless one is comfortable driving on a very rough road for the last seven tenths of a mile.

The green gate where FR 87A enters the grove of trees along Grapevine 

Creek

Meanwhile, from my position bringing up the rear, it soon became apparent that we were becoming so widely dispersed that we might lose some of our party. Leaving my post, I ran to catch up with the leaders and we paused to let the rest of the group reach us. We then agreed that we would each keep the hiker immediately behind us in view at all times. Of course, being a rather loose group, we then soon modified that to allow John and Linda to go on ahead; they were, after all, used to hiking by themselves and could find their way back without assistance if necessary.

While we were stopped to regroup, we all gathered for a photograph.

Left to right (standing): John McInerney, Collene Maktenieks, Gordon Bice, 

Miriam Sterling, Name Withheld, Betty Wolters, Linda Tovar, Daisy Williams

(front), Marvin Alt, Jim Manning; George Everman; Sitting: Jan 

PreFontaine; Ellis Price and dolly Yapp not shown

About 0.4 miles from the green gate we came to a fork in the road, with the less well-defined branch (little more than a footpath, really) leading off to the left toward the creek and FR 87A continuing straight ahead. Choosing the left fork, we discovered that it soon devolved into a well-worn path that followed closely along the (dry at this point) creek.

Where we turned off FR 87A to follow the trail along the creek

The trail we were following was well worn by cattle and gaps had been cut in fallen tree trunks to permit easy passage. I wondered whether the work had been performed for the benefit of hikers or for the cattle … the cattle I suspect.

After following the cattle trail for about 0.35 miles, we rejoined FR 87A. (Actually, it would be more accurate to say we crossed it, as we joined it from one side and left it on the other side after only a few yards.) The forest road leads up the hill veering away from the creek at this point while we crossed the creek and continued upstream.

As we continued our way upstream we encountered our first rattlesnake of the season. He was a nice specimen apparently crossing he trail on his way back to his lair from the creek. I would guess that he was between four and five feet long.

Rattlesnake on his way back from a visit to the creek

Continuing on upstream we soon found that we could hear water running in the creek and about 1.75 miles from the green gate part of the group decided to leave the marked rail and follow the creek in search of a nice waterfall at which to stop for lunch. John and Linda had gone ahead on the marked trail and Gordon and I decided to follow them. We thus effectively broke into two separate groups.

The trail Gordon and I followed lead up the hillside to avoid the tangle of fallen trees in the creek. For part of the way, we could hear the group following the creek and at first they actually seemed to be keeping pace with us. The official trail left the trees and climbed into the scrub along the hillside. It then descended toward the creek again and soon after it reentered the trees we encountered a fenced area marked off by the Forest Service as a research plot (right).

Passing through the gate we followed the trail through the research plot, reaching the other side after only a short distance and leaving by another gate. We now found ourselves once again alongside the creek, and John and Linda were waiting for us there.

John took the following photograph as Gordon and I were leaving the research area.

Ellis and Gordon leaving the Forest Service research plot 

– Photograph by John McInerney

Believing that the rest of the group would soon arrive, Gordon and I settled in to nap while we waited. John and Linda, meanwhile were anxious to see the end of the trail with its sheer rock cliff and (sometimes) waterfall, and after asking a few questions about the distance, continued on to wait for us there. After we awakened from our nap and found that the rest of the group had not arrived, we contacted them by cellphone and found that they had stopped at a nice waterfall for lunch. At least one member of the group needed to be back in Cottonwood by 4 PM, so after lunch, they would head back to the cars. After some discussion it was agreed that Gordon and I would continue on to join John and Linda at the end of the trail and that rather than all meet at the parking area, the rest of the group would return to Cottonwood without us. That would allow us to take our time and do any explorations we chose.

Gordon and I then headed on to join John and Linda for lunch. The trail ends at a high rock cliff where a trickle of water falls from above, forming a damp area as it seeps into the rocks below and then emerging again from the rocks at the bottom of the debris pile below the cliff face to feed he stream. The flow is then augmented by two additional seeps that we crossed along the trail downstream from the high cliff.

Stream running over cliff face at the end of Grapevine Trail 4
- Photograph by John McInerney

John and Linda eating at the end of the trail

Gordon standing behind the damp spot caused by the trickle of water 

falling from the cliff above

After finishing our lunch, the four of us left to return to our cars. Gordon and I lingered along the way to take photographs and stopped for a nap while John and Linda continued on to the parking area. John checked in with us by cellphone before leaving and by the time they left the parking area we were in sight.

As it turned out even Gordon and I were back in Cottonwood by 4 PM.

According to my GPS, the hike was about 7.4 miles round trip. It would have been about somewhat less for those who turned back early. I recorded the lowest elevation as 5010 feet and the highest as 6447 feet, making the elevation gain over 1430 feet.

The GPS track for this hike is displayed on the included map (below). Note that the track shown is the way I hiked, the official trail, and not along the creek bed.