Crook Trail – 13-Mile Rock to County Line

We left Cottonwood at 0700 on 12 April 2014 to hike on the section of General Crook Trail from near the Yavapai/Coconino County line to 13-Mile Rock. In order to hike downhill, we drove east on Hwy 260 to just past the county line and hiked back to 13-Mile Rock. At the point where we parked, we found a sturdy barbed-wire fence to cross and several of our hikers chose to drive back about a mile and wait for us where the trail crosses a dirt road near the highway.

Those of us who chose to cross the fence found that the bottom strand did not have barbs and it was thus easy to slither under. But when we were on the other side, we found no sign of the trail and just followed the track I had loaded onto my GPS. From hiking other sections of the trail we knew that it was marked sometimes by cairns, sometimes by chevrons (V's) nailed onto trees and sometimes just by the faint track of the old Crook Wagon Road. The GPS track I was using was supposed to follow the trail; however, past experience had indicated that the track would serve only as a general guide, at times spot on, at other times deviating by a tenth of a mile or more. The best practice for hiking this trail is to follow it as shown on the best map you can find and keep looking for the aforementioned trail markers.

We found a few interesting flowers along the way, mostly microseris  (below left) and phlox (below right).

Microseris  

Phlox

I also noticed a few claret cup cactuses just about ready to bloom, but there was nothing to compare with the myriad of blossoms we enjoyed last week on the Lower Cedar Bench Trail.

Much of the way along this section, the trail follows the old Strawberry Road, a road that predated the present Hwy 260. One must assume that in those areas the Strawberry Road followed the course of the original Crook Wagon Road.

At a place called Tin Can Draw, about 0.8 miles from where we started our hike, we passed just below a tank. At that point, we should have turned downstream and then followed closely along the highway to Apron Tank. Instead we continued straight across the draw and wound up on top of a bluff above from which we had to search for a descent. Once we had descended, however, we found a pedestrian gate in the fence at the tank, indicating where our trail crossed. A few yards away was a sign nailed onto a tree showing where we should have emerged at the tank.

The sign says: “General Crook National Recreation Trail”

Our trail followed along old Strawberry Road for about 2.8 miles from Apron Tank before leaving it to head northwest. We had paused to get our bearings and make sure we really needed to turn off the old road, it was after all easy hiking, when someone yelled, “elk!” We had disturbed a large herd of the animals, causing them to leap up and run away. I managed to get my camera out in time to snap a shot of a few of the stragglers. We estimated that the herd was well over fifty strong.

Stragglers from a large herd of elk seen on Crook Trail

After leaving old Strawberry Road we hiked along the remnants of the original Crook Trail, seeing the occasional chevron, a few cairns and some traces of the original road, for around 0.8 miles before coming to a jeep road that was easy hiking. We followed the trail signs along this road for about 1.5 miles before we once again connected with old Strawberry Road. Somewhere along the way we noted an interesting memorial (right). I have no idea what it commemorates, but it appears to be well maintained.

After reconnecting with old Strawberry Road we followed it for a little over one mile. At that point we were on a ridge between a small canyon to the north called Devils Windpipe, which feeds into Black Mountain Canyon and a larger canyon to the south which feeds into Sycamore Canyon. The ridge we were now on would eventually end at 13-Mile Rock Butte. Old Strawberry Road continues left, descending into the canyon to the south and ends at the base of 13-Mile Rock. However, the original Crook Trail continues along the crest of the ridge for a distance before descending.

We continued along the ridge on the original trail which, although now becoming quite rocky, was easy to follow. However, a little over half a mile ahead we came to another fork in the road marked by the sign shown here (left). Some of us had previously hiked on the upper trail, so we chose the lower route this time.

The trail now became considerably less rocky and we even had grass to walk on. There were a few places where trees had fallen across the trail and one or two spots where cactus had pretty much taken over. But all in all it was an easy trip down the hill until we came to the sign (right) marking the lower junction of the two trails.

Below the junction of the original rougher route and the later easier route, the trail became somewhat rougher and the last 100 yards was obstructed by brush and rocks. At this point, the present trail leaves the old road to travel along the slope of 13-Mile Rock above Hwy 260. However we were parked here and had to scramble through the brush, around the rocks and across a fence to reach one vehicle.

When we had all arrived at the parking area we paused for a group photograph before the driver of the vehicle parked here ferried the other drivers to the starting point of our hike to retrieve their vehicles.

Left to right: Beverly Sass, Lila Wright, Daisy Williams, Ruth Frazier,
 Kwi Johnson, Betty Wolters and Jim Manning – author not shown

My GPS track disclosed that this one-way hike was 8.7 miles, the trailhead elevation was 6143 feet, the elevation difference was 1208 feet and the total descent was 1672 feet.

Our hike path, with a few modifications where we deviated too far from the trail, is shown in red on the attached map (below)

Oxbow Trail

It was 1052 when we finally arrived at the Oxbow Trailhead at Horse Pasture Tank on Tule Mesa to start our 10 April 2014 hike back to Brown Springs. We had left Cottonwood at 0700 and driven to Brown Springs to position one vehicle at the lower trailhead. We then drove back to Camp Verde and took Interstate 17 south across the Black Hills to Dugas Road which we followed 17.5 miles to the trailhead. About two miles of Dugas Road is paved. After that it is a well-maintained dirt road for several miles, gradually deteriorating beyond the Dugas community and becoming very rough about three miles short of the Oxbow Trailhead. By way of contrast only eight of the 17.4 miles from I-17 to Brown Springs are dirt road and that is well maintained.

The two signs shown below are posted at the trailhead.

Taken looking back toward Dugas

Trail orientation sign

The trail follows a jeep road about 100 yards to a wire gate, passes through and circles around the tank before dipping into Gap Creek Canyon below, dropping about 300 feet in 0.5 miles. The jeep road ended, of course, at the tank, but we found the way to be well-marked by rock cairns and by some recent trimming. We also noted that the path appeared to be fairly well worn, indicating heavier than expected usage in such a remote area.

Although the steepness of the slope required that we watch our step carefully to avoid falling, we still found time to admire the flowers we found growing on the trailside along the sunny slope. Included were flax, shining in different shades of blue, and under the trees near the bottom of the canyon, several western wallflower plants.

Flax

Western wallflower

Immediately after crossing Gap Creek (dry at this time) in the bottom of the canyon, we passed a sign announcing that we were entering the Cedar Bench Wilderness and then immediately started to climb back to the rim on the opposite side.

We continued to find flowers in bloom as we made our way up the canyon wall and across the rim, the highest elevation of our hike.

Mock Vervain

Wirelettuce or Desert straw

After reaching the rim on the other side of the canyon, we could look back and view our vehicle parked at Horse Pasture Tank. We were now some 150 feet higher in elevation than at the trailhead and were ready to start our 3167-foot descent to Brown Springs at the Verde River.

At 1.9 miles from the trailhead we came to a sad, old wire gate, in such dire condition that one must lift to open it. We conscientiously re-closed it after passing through and found ourselves at the Tule Rim Trailhead (right).

From our position high on the rim above Oxbow Tank, we could look out through the mouth of Gap Creek Canyon across Verde Valley and a slice of Wingfield Mesa (center) to the Mogollon Rim and the San Francisco Peaks (left of canyon mouth) in the distance.

Looking out the mouth of Gap Creek Canyon

As we continued our descent toward Oxbow Tank we saw several very attractive Cliff Fendlerbush shrubs in full bloom. I paused to photograph one of the most striking of these (left).

Shortly after passing the Cliff Fendlerbush shrubs by, we came upon another very distinctive shrub that, at first, I passed off as more of the same. However, a closer look revealed it to be a Cliffrose.

Cliffrose growing along Oxbow Trail

After passing Oxbow Tank, the trail leads down a wash that drains into Gap Creek Canyon. Just before dumping into the canyon, however, the floor of the wash suddenly drops away creating a sheer cliff wall around three sides. The trail crosses just before this dropoff and follows downstream along the steep wall of Gap Creek Canyon to the Chalk Tank Trailhead (right), located three miles from the upper trailhead.

It was now well past lunchtime and it was hot, walking along a sunny slope as we were, so we paused to rest in a bit of shade while we ate lunch. However, we didn't stop for long as we were still more than five miles from our destination. We had already decided that we would leave the vehicle we had parked at Horse Pasture until tomorrow so as not to have to drive out after dark.

We continued to look for flowers as we trudged along and were rewarded by such finds as a bank of phlox and a claret cup cactus.

A bank of phlox blooms

Claret cup cactus

Until this point the trail had been very easy to follow, marked all the way by cairns and relatively fresh evidence of trimming. Now, however, we found a few areas where we had to stop and look around a bit to make sure we were still on the correct path. There was never really any danger of becoming lost. But stopping to make sure of the trail did slow us down somewhat.

About 1.5 miles or so below Chalk Tank Trailhead, while we were still on the rim of Gap Creek Canyon, but just as we were dropping down to the east to put the ridge between us and the canyon, I took a photograph looking across the Verde River to 13-Mile Rock, Hackberry Mountain and the Towel Mountains.

13-Mile Rock Butte, Hackberry Mountains and the Towel Mountains

When we saw the Cold Water Trailhead sign (left) at Bear Grass Tank, we knew that we were just 1.2 miles from the Oxbow Trailhead at Brown Springs and we all felt some sense of relief. We would at least get home before dark. This was also the point at which we left the Lower Cedar Bench Wilderness.

The trail from Bear Grass Tank to the Lower Cedar Bench Trailhead was along an old road, much of which was covered with gravel. It was a perfect place for a rattlesnake to blend in and avoid notice, and one did just that (right). I had already passed it by and Lila was passing about eight feet away when the snake became alarmed enough to give us a warning rattle. We gave it a wide respectful berth and it never really coiled itself up for a strike.

We had soon passed the Lower Cedar Bench Trailhead and arrived at the fenced-in area around Brown Springs. I snapped a photograph to show the continual improvements being made to the area by what I assume to be new owners.

Private property around Brown Springs

It was 1654 when we arrived back at our vehicle waiting at the lower trailhead. We doffed our packs, loaded our gear and were quickly on our way.

But one more adventure awaited us; just as after crossing Gap Creek we saw something scurrying to get out of the road ahead of us. When we slowed for a better look we found that it was a gila monster (left), the only one I have ever seen in the wild. We stopped and watched as it scrambled across the ditch, up the bank and scurried away in the brush above.

Because it was Lila's truck that we left overnight at the trailhead, we returned by way of Cornville to let her off at home and I took that opportunity to take a group photograph of fellow hikers.

Kwi Johnson (left) and Lila Wright (right) made this hike with me.

This one-way hike was 8.2 miles in length, the trailhead elevation was 5920 feet, the highest elevation was 6088 feet, the total ascent was 834 feet and the total descent was 3813 feet.

Our path is shown in red on the included map (see map below).

Lower Cedar Bench Trail

The weather forecast for 5 April 2014 called for a slight chance of rain, so we set out for our destination, Lower Cedar Bench Trail, along the Verde River below Camp Verde, with one eye on the gently threatening, partly-cloudy sky. However, the rain gods smiled on us and it turned out to be a near perfect day for hiking. The slight cloud cover kept the temperature down and rendered the many flowers we found along the trail in a soft, filtered light that brought out all the glory of their various colors.

The flowers were a major reason that we had scheduled a hike on this trail. Having scouted the trail in December of 2012 and determined that it would be an excellent trail for flower viewing, we scheduled it for last spring. That hike, however, was canceled because of adverse weather. That actually turned out to be a lucky break for me as I was scheduled to be on a four-day trip across the Navajo Reservation to Rainbow Bridge at the same time.

We left the Cottonwood Safeway parking lot, our normal gathering spot at 0700 and drove south on Hwy 260 to Camp Verde. There we exited onto Oasis Road, just past the exit to General Crook Trail, and proceeded to its end at Salt Mine Road. We turned south on Salt Mine Road and continued for 15.1 miles to park at Brown Springs. The pavement ended 7.2 miles from Oasis Road and the last 7.9 miles were on a well-maintained dirt road. For those who have traveled this way before, the road is tremendously improved from its condition a few years ago.

This improvement is probably due to increased activity at the ranch located at Brown Springs, now called the D-Tail Ranch (right). New outbuildings have been erected and much work has been done to beautify the area around the springs.

The gate shown above now marks the end of Forest Road 574 (Salt Mine Road). Previously, the road continued a short distance up the hill to end at Brown Springs. Perhaps it still does technically continue on but, for all practical purposes, this is the end of the road for public vehicular access.

The end of FR 574 at D-Tail Ranch

A spacious parking area is provided alongside Gap Creek just behind the photographer as he stood to take the above photograph. An old road, FR 517, runs alongside Gage Creek for the short distance to the Verde River, permitting river assess.

Showing the old road, now FR 517, running alongside Gap Creek to the Verde

River. This photograph was taken in December 2012.

The sign seen faintly behind the tree branches in the above photograph provides river access information.

River access information sign

Although we will start our hike here, the Lower Cedar Bench Trailhead is still about 0.7 miles ahead. A trail sign shown here indicates that this is the way to Oxbow Trail and Cold Water Trail but does not mention Lower Cedar Bench Trail. In fact, only Oxbow Trail actually begins here and the hiker follows it to the Lower Cedar Bench Trailhead and then beyond that to Cold Water Trailhead. Knowing this, we set off on Trail 163 (Oxbow), at first following the road on toward Brown Springs. But after about 0.1 mile, we turned right, leaving the road to bypass the springs. The trail here has been graded since December 2012 and can now accommodate 4-wheel drive vehicles and general ranch equipment. This section of trail, bypassing the springs and the improvements made there, is now apparently being used by the ranch to service the pastures above.

As expected, after climbing about 400 feet in the first 0.7 miles after the parking lot, we arrived at the Lower Cedar Bench Trailhead. We paused at the trailhead, actually on the way back, for a group photograph.

Hikers are, left to right: Betty Wolters, Daisy Williams, Kwi Johnson,

 Ellis Price and Ruth Frazier – photograph by Name withheld.

We encountered flowers all along the trail, starting with evening scented stock, growing in profusion along our path, and horehound, which although not blooming was nevertheless quite beautiful and continuing with numerous others.

Evening scented stock

Horehound

Scarlett gauara

  

Yellow primrose

Our flower viewing was interrupted often by pauses to take in the scenery around us. Below is seen the view back up the Verde River.

Looking back up the Verde River from Lower Cedar Bench Trail

About 1.47 miles, per my GPS track, and some 800 feet higher in elevation we were on a ridge and at the highest point of our hike. From here we could look across the river to 13-Mile Rock Butte, Hackberry Mountain and the Towel Mountains.

Left to right: 13-Mile Rock Butte, Hackberry Mountain and the Towel Mountains

We stopped here for a short rest and a snack break. As noted, we had climbed some 800 feet in a bit less than 1.5 miles, mostly along an old rock-strewn roadbed, and we were ready for a breather.

But the flower-bedecked trail descending into a large gorge just over the ridge called us on and we were soon on our way.

Desert Marigolds and firecracker
penstemons

Firecracker penstemons

Showy penstemon  

Blackfoot daisy

Verbena  

Feather Dalia

Finally, on the way back, just as we were approaching the end of the hike, we came upon a patch of lupine (right) we had missed on the way in.

The trail follows along an old wagon road that has recently seen some minor improvements that permit it use by ranching equipment for part of the way. However, about two miles from the parking area, the improvements end and the rest of the way is only traversed by cattle and horses. The entire length of this trail, from its beginning at the junction with Oxbow Trail, is quite rocky and is very steep in places as it makes its way up and down the ridges and gorges along the western bank of the Verde River. However, the views and the many flowers to be seen made the hike well worth the effort. In our case, we go plenty of rest just by stopping to admire the flowers and plants.

According to my GPS track, measured after I downloaded it to my computer, the round trip hike was 7.3 miles, the trailhead elevation was 2926 feet, the elevation difference was 918 feet and the total ascent was 1985 feet.

Our track is shown in red on the included map (below). The trail itself continues for about another 2.8 miles to end near Cold Water Creek. This unhiked section of trail is shown in blue.

Ash Canyon Trail

Seven Skyliners hiked in Ash Canyon on 29 March 2014. We drove south on Hwy 89A to Forest road 104 at the top of Mingus Mountain and followed it for 1.5 miles before turning right onto FR 413. We then followed FR 413 for 2.3 miles before taking a right fork onto FR 132 which we followed for 1.6 miles to the trailhead.

No sign is posted at the trailhead. It is rather marked by two sturdy upright posts (right) and a couple of wire-bound rock bundles to prevent erosion.

We lingered at the trailhead long enough to pose for a group photograph.

Left to right: Collene Maktenieks, Ruth Frazier, Betty Wolters, Daisy Williams,

 George Everman and Lila Wright

The trail leads down into the canyon following what appears to have been on old wagon road. The slope is fairly steep, but the descent to the bottom of the canyon is short, only about 0.2 miles, and the trail is wide and clear with a firm surface and few loose rocks.

The first flowers appeared along this stretch, especially prominent was this (Left) Easter, AKA stemless, daisy, growing right in the trail. The photograph was actually taken on the way back, the plant having bloomed during the day.

When we reached the bottom of the canyon, a descent of less than 100 feet, we found cairns marking the trail as it turned left and led down the canyon. The start of the cairns is easy to miss as the old road bed leads straight ahead, at least for a short distance. We were approximately 0.5 miles due east of Kendall Peak when we turned to follow the trail down the canyon.

Ash Canyon is, as canyons in Arizona go, is rather shallow. Nowhere did we find ourselves in an area where we could not climb out without too much effort. Although there are some places in which the trail climbs fairly steeply to avoid short narrow sections where the stream has cut deeply into the rock.

Soon after we started down the canyon we found a small amount of water, sometimes flowing but often just collected in pools along the way. Looking at the map, it appears that the water must have been from East Ash Spring which is located upstream from where we entered the canyon. Ash Canyon Spring is located about 0.5 miles from where we turned down the canyon and after that we found the stream flow to be a bit stronger. However, it still was sporadic with stretches of dry streambed interspersed by pools and flowing water. This photograph (right) taken by Lila Wright on 6 March 2014 while on a scouting hike, shows a section of the stream at Ash Canyon Spring. The open, essentially grass-free, terrain with thinly-scattered trees seen here was typical of the upper portion of the canyon. Apparently, the pines drop just enough needles, coupled with grazing by cattle during the summer months, to suppress the grass.

The following photograph shows a section of the streambed just below Ash Canyon Spring. The weak streamflow shown here will probably essentially disappear in the summer months, leaving perhaps a few widely scattered pools.

Section of streambed below Ash Canyon Spring

During the 6 March scouting hike, the hikers noted a rather large pool, probably containing water year round, that had a camera mounted nearby and focused on the pool. This camera, labeled Yavapai College #4, was probably part of a wildlife study. In any event, it has since been removed. Lila is shown below looking for the missing camera.

Lila looking for missing Yavapai College camera

About one mile down the canyon we came to Hog Spring and the water flow once again increased.

Hog Spring

Alpine pennycress  

Scrambled eggs

This was a most leisurely hike; we were continually distracted by the spring flowers and numerous colorful rocks, primarily jasper, that we found along the way. The photographs below show alpine pennycress (left) and scrambled eggs (right).

In addition to the above flowers, I found a nice patch of filaree (left) growing near the stream bank.

We noted several areas where the trail was littered with small tips of branches, or twigs, from the pine trees above. I had seen this phenomenon before and had often wondered what caused it. Lila informed me that it is the work of porcupines. A little further research revealed that the porcupine has a specialized pouch in its large intestine that contains bacteria which can break down down the cellulose in wood, enabling it to be digested. Enabled by this adaptation, and armed with four incisors, two above and two below, specially adapted for gnawing, the porcupine consumes as much as a pound of edible cambium, or inner bark, per day. This activity leads to the small twigs we saw littering the ground under coniferous trees. I had previously thought that the twigs might have been broken off by squirrels, or perhaps by some sort of bird.

Eventually, the pines, especially on the east canyon wall, gave way to a mixture of scrub oak and manzanita as shown in the photograph below. Someone told me that it should be called “shrub” oak. However, I looked it up later and found that scrub oak is correctly used to refer to “several species of small, scrubby oaks¹.

Looking at the east canyon wall in Ash Canyon at one point in our hike

Starting at the very beginning of the trail we had noted small jasper rocks. As we continued down

the canyon, we continued to see more of them along with larger specimens. Finally, about 1.7 miles from the trailhead, we came to a large jasper rock (right) embedded in the stream. I heard one hiker refer to it as the “grandmother of jasper.'

Just beyond this point the stream makes a sharp turn, looping back to the north for a short distance before continuing in the south by southeast direction. Because the stream ahead flowed between steep rock walls on both sides and was virtually impassable, we climbed the ridge formed by the loop and descended back into the canyon on the other side. It was a fairly steep climb and descent but it was only a short distance. We were aware that we had been traveling parallel to FR 132 as it made its way to Cherry. Now, from the top of the ridge, we could see the road as it ran along the side of the mountain above us.

Looking at FR 132 from the rim of Ash Canyon at the loop 

(photo by Lila Wright)

The photograph below shows a particularly picturesque spot, located below the loop, at the lower end of a narrow section that we had climbed the canyon wall to bypass.

Picturesque spot below the loop in Ash Canyon

We did not go all the way to the end of Ash Canyon Trail, turning back about 0.2 miles from where the stream in Ash Canyon joins Ash Creek.

At some future date, we plan to park a vehicle near Bottle Ranch then return to the Ash Canyon Trailhead and hike all the way down to Ask Creek Trail and follow it to the Ash Creek/Medlar Spring Trailhead. The total distance is estimated to be 8.5 miles.

On the way back up Ash Canyon, as we were stopped to rest, Lila suddenly cried out “deer” and then, as the rest of the group scanned the hillside looking for a deer, she scrambled up the side of the canyon and picked up the unblemished set of antlers shown below.

Lila holding her antlers – photograph by George Everman

According to my GPS track, measured after I downloaded it to my computer, the round trip hike was 4.7 miles, the trailhead elevation was 6778 feet and the elevation difference was 649 feet.

Our track is shown in red on the included map (below)

1 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scrub_oak