Martin Canyon-Woodchute Loop

This report on what I call the Martin Canyon-Woodchute Loop Trail contains material from two separate hikes, one on 30 May 2009 and one on 11 May 2013. The most recent of these hikes was the third in a row to start at the south Woodchute Trailhead.

The Skyliners had started at the same trailhead two weeks ago to hike on Hickey Mountain and one week ago for a hike on Woodchute Trail itself. The Martin Canyon-Woodchute Loop hike is also partly on Woodchute Trail. The 11 May 2013 hikers would follow Martin Canyon Trail 103 down into Martin Canyon. They would then climb Woodchute Mountain on Trail 104 to join Woodchute Trail 102.

From there, it is just a matter of following Woodchute back to the trailhead. To get to Martin Canyon Trail from the parking lot just follow west along Forest Road 106D, through a gate about 0.2 miles ahead and to a fork in the road after another 0.8 miles. Here FR 106D turns left and the right fork becomes FR 106E (toward Martin Canyon Trail). About 0.2 miles from the junction of FR 106D/106E, a road leads off to the left to end about 0.1 miles ahead at the beginning of Coyote Springs Trail. In 2009 a sign (right) was posted here that also indicated that the Martin Canyon Trail was still 0.2 miles ahead along FR 106E.

The hikers continued straight on FR 106E toward Turkey Tank (2009 Photograph at left). They were still traveling along an easy-to-hike road, much used by 4-wheelers.

Turkey Tank is on the right of the trail (FR 106E) about 2 miles from the Woodchute Trailhead. The trail actually comes down the mountain on the west side of the tank and then turns back east to pass on the north side, continuing on down into Martin Canyon. The tank is far enough away from the trail and well enough hidden by trees that one could possibly miss it if not alert.

Judging by the sign we saw (above) giving the distance as 0.2 miles to Trail 103, posted where the side road forks off to Coyote Springs Trail, I think that Martin Canyon Trail must actually leave the road before it turns to the east, cutting across the corner of the curve and reentering the road at or below the tank. But, in any case, it is much easier to just follow the road around the tank.

The 11 May 2013 hikers are shown below at Turkey Tank.

Left to right: Betty Wolters, Daisy Williams, Anita Jackson, Miriam Sterling and 

Colleen Maktenieks – Photograph by unnamed using the author's camera

The following flowers were photographed by the author, along Martin Canyon Trail between the FR106D/Fr 106E junction and the junction with Trail 104, on the 30 May 2009 hike.

Primrose

Sego Lily

Cliffrose

Rockrose

Groundsel (yellow) & Narrowleaf Four Four O'clock

Four O'clock

The photographs shown below were taken on the 11 May 2013 between Turkey Tank and the start of Trail 104 by the unnamed hiker using the authors camera.

Indian paintbrush

Kings lupine

Western thimbleflower

Sharing the trail with a 4-wheeler

Claret cup hedgehog cactus

 Heading up Woodchute Mountain on Trail 104

This section of trail between Turkey Tank and the Trails 103/104 junction is part of a well-used road for 4-wheelers. It dips in and out of the rocky bottom of the wash at the bottom of the canyon. The section on which the green vehicle is traveling (previous page) is, relatively smooth, and not at all like most of the track farther up the canyon which, to me, looked questionable for 4-wheel driving. I certainly wouldn't want to take my 4-wheel drive pickup on the road; however, it is relatively easy to hike.

Trail 104 actually begins at the barely-visible sign seen just to the right of the green vehicle shown on the previous page. It then rises 1000 feet in about 1.4 miles to join Woodchute Trail at Woodchute Tank. On the 30 May 2009 hike we experienced a light, quick rain shower as we approached the top of the ridge But the rain was over almost before we could don our raingear and we found that we had a spectacular view looking back over Chino Valley, now speckled with sun, clouds and the retreating rainstorm.

Looking out over Chino Valley from Woodchute – photograph by Ed Krish - 2009

Then, when we arrived at Woodchute Tank, we were welcomed by a veritable sea of irises surrounding the tank, followed by a wide variety of other flowers along Woodchute Trail as we followed it along the spine of the ridge.

Iris field at Woodchute Tank - 2009

Irises at Woodchute Tank - 2009

Groundsel near Woodchute Tank - 2009

Lupine - raindrops on leaves – 2009

Yucca - 2009

Heading south on Woodchute from the tank, the trail follows closely along the top of a narrow ridge, sometimes on the east side, sometimes tending to the west, from which one has great views across Verde Valley to the east and Chino Valley to the west. The following photograph looking over Verde Valley to the Mogollon Rim beyond was taken by Ed Krish in 2009.

Looking east across Verde Valley – photograph by Ed Krish -2009

Additional flowers seen along the ridge during the 30 May 2009 hike are shown below.

Palmer's penstemon – 2009

Green antelope horn - 2009

The hike as measured by my GPS (map below) during the 2009 hike was 9.2 miles. This included a side trip along an old road to the Coyote Springs Trailhead. The elevation change was a little over 1000 feet.