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| Hiking | 6.10 Miles |
975 AEG |
| | Hiking | 6.10 Miles | 6 Hrs | | 1.02 mph |
| 975 ft AEG | | | | |
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| partners | | It was Tuesday, August 16th, another day that promised to be hot and humid in the valley. So it was fortunate that Tibber (Angela), Grasshopper (Hank) and I(Jack) had made plans to head up to hike, map and explore the Merritt Draw Loop above the Mogollon Rim. As we drove up Hwy. 87, the air became a bit clearer, fresher and cooler and once out of Payson, the refreshing odor of the pine forests filled the air.
The gravel roads leading to Camp Grasshopper had mud puddles scattered along the route and at one place we came across a really big dead pine tree that had fallen, completely blocking the trail. Angela was able to coax Tonto (her Mazda SUV) to negotiate a route around the tree. Then a short distance further, we came to the clearing where we crossed a runoff stream and parked the car at a beautiful campsite in the wilderness.
We bailed out of Tonto and it didn't take long to get into our hiking gear, reset the GPS's and check the photo gear that promised to get a workout today. The first part of the hike was down a series of scenic logging trails meandering through the tall pines, oaks and a group of four really big white aspen. Occasionally we had to climb over or go around fallen trees along the trails, but travel was easy and we didn't have to worry about catsclaw or cactus spines which was a real treat.
At a bend in the trail, we left the logging trails and began our descent to the creek far below. The descent was easy and well marked by wildlife trails leading across exposed rocks and over fallen trees. Once at the creek we found that it was damp but no running water could be found. Continuing downstream, we encountered occasional pools filled with cold and surprising clear water. We were looking for any signs of springs where water could be accessed. We managed to find a couple of springs where water was flowing and Hank made note of them on his GPS for future mapping of the area.
I had hopes of scaring up a Bull Elk down along the canyon but they probably heard us coming from a long way off and were well out of our trails. But there were butterflies everywhere, the damp creek bed was home to numerous flowers and assorted water plants that attracted the little beauty's from all around. Because my main stomping grounds is Minnesota, I was just happy to be out in the wilderness without fighting off the mosquitoes.
We finally got to a spot where we made a 180 and re-traced our trail back to the hill and began our ascent back to the logging road. About half way up the slope we took a lunch break and rested for a bit, then continued back to the turn-off point. This part of the hike went pretty quick as the trail was in good condition and we wanted to get to the riparian area where Hank would be looking for more springs to mark on the GPS.
We arrived at a long meadow neatly sandwiched between large stands of pine trees and filled with thousands of yellow sunflowers. As we approached the meadows we could see two large fenced in enclosures, the first protected with electric fencing. Closer examination showed that the fencing was in disrepair and the electric had long since been dismantled. It was evident that wildlife was able to gain entrance to the acreage that had been enclosed. There were signs of elk bedding areas and several pools of water were available for drinking or bathing and grazing must have been high on their list of demands.
We found another spring, and although water was not flowing at this time, it had been maintained and included a rock enclosure where a pool of clear water could be used to refill ones canteen. After logging the coordinates of this final spring, we headed back to the parking area and got our hiking gear stripped from our backs and packed into Tonto's rear storage area. The clouds were building up and there were signs that the Monsoon was still in effect, so we had a short break, ate some snacks, drank some cold water and began heading back to the highway.
The route out of the Rim area was different than the one we came in on and we traveled along the top of the Rim where views of the cliffs and valleys were incredible. The dark clouds in the distance showed areas of rain while holes in the clouds allowed the sun to shine through to the forest below creating a patchwork of alternate light and dark patterns. Once in Payson, we gassed up Tonto, filled our own bellies and completed our trip back to the baking hot valley. 
A tip of my straw hat to Angela and Hank for allowing me to tag along and participate in this great hiking adventure. I look forward to having another outing when I return in October and perhaps we can find another remote and overlooked piece of wilderness.  |
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Wildflowers Observation Substantial
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| On every trip into the Superstitions, I find another Gold Mine. Today the mine was filled with Memories. I can not wait for the next trip. |
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