HikeArizona.COM

The Forest Service is looking for help in preserving the areas damaged by the recent Sunflower Wildfire. June 16th and 17th. Most of us have hiked there for enjoyment and searching for adventure in the closed mines. Here's the info:


SUNFLOWER ADMINISTRATIVE SITE FLOOD PROTECTION VOLUNTEER PROJECT
Date: June 16 and 17, 2012
Time: 7AM Start (9AM for those who arrive late)
Location: Sunflower Administrative Site. The Sunflower area is 21 miles south of Payson and 34 miles north of Phoenix metropolitan. The project site is accessible by passenger vehicle.
What: There is unprecedented flooding potential in the area because of the recent Sunflower fire which burned almost 20,000 acres. The forest is seeking hundreds of volunteers to fill and place up to 25,000 sand bags in and around the Forest Service Sunflower Administrative Site, which has cultural and historic significance, and is a treasured memory for many forest visitors. The Sunflower Administrative Site is a collection of historic buildings and structures that once served as the Forest Ranger District office and work center back in the early 1900’s.
Number of volunteers needed: 100+ volunteers each day
Who: Anyone that would like to help that is 16 years or older
What to Bring: Wear gloves, closed-toe shoes, wear sun protection (hat, long sleeve, sun screen), bring water and snacks. Lunch will be provided.
Directions: From Phoenix, take the Beeline highway (87) north toward Payson. Just past mile marker 222 is a sign for the Sycamore exit to the left and Mt. Ord exit to the right. Take the turn to the left
Sign-up at: http://www.voaz.org click calendar
Contact: Mesa Ranger District, Amy, 480-610-3300

Can someone reference for us pictures on HAZ of these historic needed to be preserved buildings and structures?
:thanx:

Just signed up for the Sunday shift. I can't wait to help out!

Gotta shuffle some things around and pick a day (or days) but this is definitely on my plate of things to do now =)

I heard about what is expected to come down Sycamore Creek should we have anything like a normal rainy season, not looking good. I hope they get the buildings protected. Of the 17,000 acres burned, only 650 are less than 40% slope, so when it rains, it's coming down.

Anyone from flag planning on doing this? Id prefer to carpool if possible..

I'm signed up for both days, and bringing about four others, maybe more!

Any one helping out from the tempe area? l would love to but dont have wheels...(rural and baseline) I will pay all gas and buy yah a pint afterwards.

@Espi we can give you a ride. I'll shoot you a message next week when we get the carpool details worked out.

juliachaos wrote:@Espi we can give you a ride. I'll shoot you a message next week when we get the carpool details worked out.

Awesome! Thanks

Scott

@Espi
I am most likely going too on Sunday, and I'm in south Scottsdale, so am willing to drive as well.

Is there a different Sunflower site as the only one I've seen is on the old paved Hwy87... none of the buildings look very old and appear to be used by special USFS folk who have gate/house keys?

Again I ask.

SuperstitionGuy wrote:Can someone reference for us pictures on HAZ of these historic needed to be preserved buildings and structures?
:thanx:

@ SuperstitionGuy I haven't seen any pictures but found this reference. Not 100% sure it is the same.

Sunflower Ranger Station
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
Nearest city: Punkin Center, Arizona
Built: 1935
Architect: USDA Forest Service
Architectural style: Bungalow/Craftsman
MPS: Depression-Era USDA Forest Service Administrative Complexes in Arizona MPS
NRHP Reference#: 93000528[1]
Added to NRHP: June 10, 1993


The Sunflower Ranger Station, also known as Sunflower Administrative Site and as Sycamore Ranger Station, in Coronado National Forest near Punkin Center, Arizona was built in 1935 by the Civilian Conservation Corps. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1993 for its architecture, which is Bungalow/Craftsman in style. It served historically as institutional housing and as government office space. The listing included two contributing buildings.[1]

I can't find any on-the-ground photos, but you can easily see them from the satellite view. The work center is marked on the Topo maps.
http://hikearizona.com/map.php?QX=1908

@SuperstitionGuy
struck up some random conversation with a couple people at Boulders last night, and found that they had not only been out to the Sunflower mercury mine, but had pictures of the structures out there.. a quick Google search brings up this site, with photos of the same structures they were showing me last night:

http://www.ghosttowns.com/states/az/sunflower.html

They said there were several "ghost towns" or mining areas out there with structures, and that so far the Forest Service has been extremely tight-lipped about whether any of the structures have been damaged by the fire. Guess we may find out this weekend..

@juliachaos
its not the old Sunflower processing facility at the mercury mines that we're sandbagging-- its the old ranger station that is right off the old b-line.

I've been out to that old mine area at least half a dozen times and there's plenty of pictures on HAZ of that area. If that structure was damaged at all, they're gonna have to send in a crew and knock it all down. It was already pretty sketchy. My assumption is that area is charred.