House Mountain via Turkey Creek Trail

We had House Mountain on the schedule for today, intending originally to hike in from the south to the house-like formation on one of the peaks. However, after some discussion, we decided to hike in from the north on Turkey Creek Trail. We would go as far as the crater and leave the peak with the house-like formation for another day. Ten hikers left the Cottonwood Safeway parking lot, drove to The Village of Oak Creek and turned off Hwy 179 onto Verde Valley School Road. We continued on Verde Valley School Road (and Red Rock Crossing Road - unpaved) for 4.0 miles to a rough dirt road leading off to the left. Another hiker, Mary Gavan, met us at this location and we drove on the rough 4-wheel drive road for about 0.6 miles to reach the parking area at Trail 92 (Turkey Creek Trail).

We didn’t linger long at the trailhead, but quickly donned our packs and headed out toward House Mountain. We paused for a few minutes at Turkey Tank and then continued along the trail. After crossing two distinct washes, the trail starts switch backing up House Mountain and the going becomes moderately difficult. About 1.25 miles along from Turkey Creek Tank, the trail makes a sharp turn to the right. A cairn is located alongside the trail just before the turn, followed by another just after the turn. What appears to be a trail leads east from the turn along the contour of the mountain. However, I can say from experience that it does not go very far.

After a short rest at the turn, we continued on up House Mountain on Turkey Creek Trail, coming out on top in a saddle atop the ridge about 260 yards and one more switchback ahead.

We stopped at the saddle for our midmorning snack and to take in the view looking out over the crater. To our left, southeast (about 112 degrees) from our position, the rim of the crater formed a peak that rises to almost 5100 feet. Across the crater to the southwest (about 225 degrees) we could see the house-like formation sitting atop the highest (at a bit over 5100 feet) of the peaks surrounding the crater.

After some discussion as to the possibility of continuing on to the “house on “House Mountain” we chose instead to climb the peak located to the southeast. We soon found that a lot of other hikers have made the same decision; a well-trodden path, with cairns helpfully placed along the way, leads almost to the top. It is a little rocky, fairly steep and one must dodge cactus along the way. However, all in all, it could be considered only a moderately difficult 450-foot climb from the saddle to the peak and we were soon enough at the top.

The time was just a few minutes past 1100, close enough to noon for lunch and we settled in to admire the views all around. From our perch we a panoramic view – the Black Hills to the west, Black Mountain and Casner Mountain to the northwest, the Red Rock Country northwest, north and northeast and Munds Mountain to the northeast. The Village of Oak Creek was directly to the east of our location. Dolly borrowed my camera and took a whole series of photographs that she intends to stitch into a panorama.

Looking across the Red Rocks at Sedona from atop House Mountain

After lunch we headed back the way we came, pausing briefly for a time-delay group photograph by Dolly, again using my camera.

Left to right: Dolly Yapp (not yet in position after pressing the camera 

button), Jim Manning, the author, Anita Jackson, Daisy Williams 

(kneeling in front), Mary Gavan, Lila Wright, Becky Fowski, 

Miriam Sterling, Name Withheld and Colleen Maktenieks 

– NOTE: We took the shot again in an attempt to get Dolly; 

however, she was hidden by a rock in that one and all I could see 

was her hat

The return trip went rapidly, with one casualty: Anita fell and damaged her finger. I didn’t see it before it was bandaged, but was told that it was ripped open and possibly broken. We called her son and had someone meet her on arrival back in cottonwood to take her to the doctor. This was the first time we have used Lila’s Hiker Emergency List to locate a next of kin. (NOTE: In case that sounds a bit dire, let me hasten to say that Anita was in good spirits and doing well when we reached the parking lot. She even refused to take an aspirin.)

My GPS read 8.39 miles when we arrived back at the parking lot; however, when I downloaded the track and measured it in MapSource, it measured only 7.4 miles. I don’t know the reason for the discrepancy, but I am voting for 8.39 miles.

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