Tuesday, May 1, 2012
Granite Spring Still Dry
Granite Spring, located just south of Buckhorn Mtn., used to be a fairly reliable source of water but hasn't seeped a drop in the last few years.
Thursday, April 19, 2012
Spring Showers
The mountainsides are flush with Spring flows. This means there are at least 5 great places to get water within the first 3 miles from Pigeon Springs TH. This also means new growth and plenty of it, be sure to consider pants and long sleeve shirts as overgrown trail conditions are present (and not uncommon) for this time of year on the upper end of this section.
Wednesday, November 30, 2011
Tis The Season!
The trails are all open, and the corridor is too!
We've recently come back from a hike starting at Pigeon Springs and finishing at Mills Ridge and can happily report that the corridor is largely clear and entirely passable along the entire route. The springs are only dripping so plan for water accordingly; pack what you need and then some, just don't expect to find much along the trail.
The campsite at the beach near Granite Springs is as comfy as ever but there is definately no water at the seep. The campsite at Shake Spring still has a fire-pit and grate but once again, definately no water in the spring. Pigeon Spring has abundant water (Thanks to Bob for rehabing the trough). The campsite just up the trail from the spring is clean and clear. There are two tent pads and an improved fire ring for campers (the site is about 40 yards from the TH). If you're through hiking please plan on camping here rather than at the spring.
We've recently come back from a hike starting at Pigeon Springs and finishing at Mills Ridge and can happily report that the corridor is largely clear and entirely passable along the entire route. The springs are only dripping so plan for water accordingly; pack what you need and then some, just don't expect to find much along the trail.
The campsite at the beach near Granite Springs is as comfy as ever but there is definately no water at the seep. The campsite at Shake Spring still has a fire-pit and grate but once again, definately no water in the spring. Pigeon Spring has abundant water (Thanks to Bob for rehabing the trough). The campsite just up the trail from the spring is clean and clear. There are two tent pads and an improved fire ring for campers (the site is about 40 yards from the TH). If you're through hiking please plan on camping here rather than at the spring.
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
Temporary Trail Closure
Due to extremely dry conditions, high winds, and scarce resources due to other large fires burning in the state, the Forest Service has closed parts of Tonto National Forest. These closures affect several portions of the Arizona Trail including the Four Peaks Passage. The closures went into effect on June 17th and will remain in effect as late as August 31st. The other sections of the Trail that have been closed are Pine Mountain, Hardscrabble, and Highline Trails.
For more information you can visit Tonto National Forest's alerts and closures site or the Arizona Trail Associations website.
For more information you can visit Tonto National Forest's alerts and closures site or the Arizona Trail Associations website.
Sunday, March 6, 2011
Let the Treadwork Begin!
As anyone who hiked this section of trail in 2009 or before can attest; there was significant overgrowth along all stretches of the trail. As stewards, our goal for 2010 was to see the entire length of the trail passable by the end of the year. With the help of the land manager (John McNeil - Tonto Basin Ranger District), the AZT Regional Steward (John Rendall), several CREC crews, and countless volunteers we saw that goal realized by 2011. Now it's time to get the treadwork in order and begin polishing the last of the neglected pieces of trail.
Late last month Bob led a group of REI employees in an employee service project just off the Mills Ridge Trailhead in the center of the trail. The focus of the project was to repair the worst sections of the washed out trail leading east towards Granite Springs. If you hiked any of this in the last few years you already know that the trail was less of a trail and more of a drainage ditch. The project was two days long and saw the completion of about 1/8 mile of tread laid and drainage re-routed out of the trail way. Given the massive scope of fixing this length of trail the project was a wild success.
Thank you to the volunteers who came out for this project!
Late last month Bob led a group of REI employees in an employee service project just off the Mills Ridge Trailhead in the center of the trail. The focus of the project was to repair the worst sections of the washed out trail leading east towards Granite Springs. If you hiked any of this in the last few years you already know that the trail was less of a trail and more of a drainage ditch. The project was two days long and saw the completion of about 1/8 mile of tread laid and drainage re-routed out of the trail way. Given the massive scope of fixing this length of trail the project was a wild success.
Thank you to the volunteers who came out for this project!
Recognition
It's hard to mention it here without feeling like I'm bragging a little, but this year the ATA recognized Bob and I as the Trail Stewards of the Year for 2010. Thank you ATA for this piece of recognition; everything we do on the trail is born of love for the trail.
Hopefully we can continue to live up to the standard that we set in 2010. If we can do that this trail will be polished by the end of 2011. Naturally though, part of our award must be shared with all the volunteers who come out and help us clear brush and fix tread, without them there's no way we could have gotten as much done as we did.
Thank you everyone!
Hopefully we can continue to live up to the standard that we set in 2010. If we can do that this trail will be polished by the end of 2011. Naturally though, part of our award must be shared with all the volunteers who come out and help us clear brush and fix tread, without them there's no way we could have gotten as much done as we did.
Thank you everyone!
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
Updates! Updates! Updates!
Over the past couple months Bob and I have (collectively and individually) been out on the trail quite a bit. In December we were glad to host an Eagle Scout project on the upper section of trail near Pigeon Springs. As a result of that project we saw improvements in the treadwork over the first mile of trail. In addition to tread work, we also have several new water-shedding features (drain dips and water bars) along the same stretch of trail.
Bob has been up by himself over several weekends clearing out the brushiest sections. And after his efforts, we're proud to report that the trail is in passable condition. There are still two sections that need some additional effort; between Granite Springs and Mills Ridge, and a half mile or so east of Bear Saddle. The brush here is still a little thick but you can squeeze through without crawling.
Once these last sections are clear (hopefully within the next few months), we'll begin the second phase of trail rehab; tread-work. There are many sections of trail where the tread amounts to little more than a track, much of it cupped, sliding downslope, or very narrow. Now that you can get through the brush, make sure to watch your ankles!
Bob has been up by himself over several weekends clearing out the brushiest sections. And after his efforts, we're proud to report that the trail is in passable condition. There are still two sections that need some additional effort; between Granite Springs and Mills Ridge, and a half mile or so east of Bear Saddle. The brush here is still a little thick but you can squeeze through without crawling.
Once these last sections are clear (hopefully within the next few months), we'll begin the second phase of trail rehab; tread-work. There are many sections of trail where the tread amounts to little more than a track, much of it cupped, sliding downslope, or very narrow. Now that you can get through the brush, make sure to watch your ankles!
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