Slide Rock State Park, Arizona, Part Two

In the summer in Arizona we are always trying to find a way to cool off. And that often includes taking a swim in one of the many creeks that come down from the rim country. One of the most visited spots is Slide Rock State Park. I already did a post on this but with temperatures at 107 this week in Cottonwood and over 115 in Phoenix I decided to go back to cool off and here are some more photos of that special spot. 

The thing that makes Slide rock special is not just the water but the many different ways to enjoy it. Of course there are the water slides.

And then even more water slides!

But along with that are the many deep pools where you can jump off rocks.

And if that is not enough and you want some some bigger thrills, you can jump off some pretty tall cliffs into some real deep pools that are under the highway bridge!

Here is one of the brave ones hucking his body off the ledge into the water below.

But for me I like taking a walk up stream away from the crowds to the more secluded spots.  This next photo is looking back downstream as you leave the people behind. 

Upstream you will find some beautiful locations, where it is more quiet, and has a more wild feel. 

Here there are some nice pools and some places where the cliffs close in on the creek reminiscent of Clear Creek but much easier access. 

This is why so many people flock to Slide Rock and Oak Creek Canyon every summer, and why they come back year after year.

Now Slide Rock State Park is $20 per car to enter, but you can park upstream and hike down. There is a "redrock" pass required to park anywhere in the canyon however. There are some other great spots in the canyon where you can enjoy the creek this is just the one with the most to offer.

Here is the link to Slide Rock State Park, Part One, in case you missed it.

http://azjonesoutdoor.blogspot.com/2011/05/slide-rock-state-park-arizona.html

Mountain Biking Mount Elden, Flagstaff AZ

   Well anyone that knows me, "Arizona Jones", knows that I like to mountain bike.  In the summer it can get pretty hot in Cottonwood where I live.  In fact temperatures of well over 100 degrees are nothing unusual.  So when it gets hot I like to travel to higher elevation where it is cooler to ride.  One of those spots is Mount Elden near Flagstaff Arizona.  Mount Elden is part of a series of mountains north of Flagstaff called the San Francisco Peaks volcanic field.

 Mount Elden is one of the  peripheral mountains and it rises up above the already 7000 foot high plateau that Flagstaff is on.  Mount Elden is one of the farthest south of these mountains and is also one of the smaller ones being about 9297 feet in elevation.  Some of the other peaks reach as high as 12,000 feet. 

   Most of the other mountains are in a designated wilderness area but Mount Elden is not and so Mountain Bikes are allowed.  On Mount Elden is a great trail system that gives you opportunity for many different loop or out and back options.  With the bottom of the mountain being a full 2000 feet below the summit there are also great opportunities to get in some fun downhill runs as well as the tough climbs for those who want a serious workout.  And serious climbs at this altitude will really test even the best mountain bike riders. 

  

But for me it is about not just the workout but the enjoyment and the beauty.  Mount Elden is covered with a beautiful forest with a variety of trees including Ponderosa Pine, Douglas Fir, and Aspens. The eastern slopes of Elden were badly burnt by the Schultz Fire in June of 2010 but much of the good stuff is still intact. So here are some trail descriptions, to help plan a ride or hike.

Oldham Trail #1

Mt. Elden's longest trail at 5.5 miles, it begins at the north end of Buffalo Park (elev. 7,000 feet) in Flagstaff and climbs gradually past boulder fields and cliffs on the west side of Mt. Elden. You cross Elden Lookout Road several times as the trail winds higher through forest and meadows to Oldham Park and on to Sunset Trail near the summit. The trail is moderate at the bottom but gets very difficult on the upper part if you are climbing and has an elevation gain of 2,000 feet.

Rocky Ridge Trail #153

Ponderosa pine, Gambel oak, alligator juniper, cliffrose, and yucca line this western approach to Mt. Elden. This trail begins from Schultz Creek Trailhead heads east and connects with the Oldham and Brookbank Trails. Distance is 2.2 or 3 miles depending on which fork you take. Schultz Creek Trailhead lies a short way off Schultz Pass Road 0.8 mile in from US 180. Elevation change is only about 100 feet but there are some rocky technical parts on this trail.

Brookbank Trail #2

This moderate to steep 2.5-mile trail climbs north through a forested drainage to the edge of Brookbank Meadow, owned by the Navajo Tribe, then curves east to eventually meet Sunset Trail at a low saddle. The part of the trail between Brookbank Meadow and the Sunset Trail goes through some very nice forests and meadows.  Elevation gain is 1,000 feet. The trailhead (elev. 7,900 feet) can be reached by hiking or biking the Rocky Ridge or Oldham Trails or by driving a half mile in on Schultz Pass Road from US 180, then turning 2.5 miles up Elden Lookout Road.

When at Brookbank Meadows in the Dry Lake Hills area I often take an unnamed trail out southwest across the meadows to a view point that over looks parts of Flagstaff. There is a rock outcrop that I often take a break at and enjoy the view.

Schultz Creek Trail #152

This gentle 3.5-mile trail parallels an intermittent creek and also paralles Schultz Pass Road. The top is at Shultz Pass at the Sunset Trail Head (elev. 8,000 feet) and the bottom at Schultz Creek Trailhead (elev. 7,200 feet). Sunset Trailhead is at Schultz Pass, 5.6 miles up Schultz Pass Road from US 180, and Schultz Creek Trailhead is a short way off Schultz Pass Road 0.8 mile in from US 180. This is a very fun and fast downhill!

Sunset Trail #23

The alpine meadows and forests on the north side of Mount Elden offer some of the most pleasant hiking and bikling in Arizona. The four-mile Sunset Trail climbs gradually from Schultz Pass through pine, fir, and aspen to Sunset Park and on to the summit; elevation gain is 1,300 feet.  as you climb away from Schultz Pass you have some nice views back towards the San Francisco Peaks.  Latter as your head south you will traverse along the eastern edge of Mount Elden and will see below the visible scars left by the Radio Fire of 1977, and more recently the damage left from the Schultz Fire.  from different points on the Sunset trail you can view the San Francisco Peaks, Sunset Crater, and Painted Desert.

Begin from the Sunset Trailhead (elev. 8,000 feet), just west of Schultz Tank at Schultz Pass. To reach the trailhead, follow US 180 northwest three miles from downtown Flagstaff to Schultz Pass Road, then turn right 5.6 miles.

Little Bear Trail #112

This trail is steep in places with some switchbacks is 3.5 miles long with a 1,000-foot elevation change between Little Elden Trail and Sunset Trail. This may be still closed due to the big Shultz Fire in June of 2010.  This area being burned is a sad loss.  It was a real fun and beautiful trail to ride. 

Little Elden Trail #69

This trail descends down to the east side of Shultz Pass from Schultz Tank and links to trails that wind around the base of Mount Elden. From Schultz Tank to the bottom of Heart Trail in 4.7 miles. I have not tried this area since the Shultz Fire but I'm pretty sure this area has significant damaged.

Here is a trail map I came up with to help navigate.  There are also many trails that are not named that are north of Schultz Pass Road that can be explored.  As well as several on Elden itself. 

My earlier post about the Shultz Fire  http://azjonesoutdoor.blogspot.com/2010/07/fire-on-mountain.html  

Here is the best map I have found for the Mt. Elden trails by Dale Wiggins. It has many on it I have not been on. Very detailed!
http://singletrack.us/gallery/displayimage.php?album=58&pos=0

Fossil Creek, Part Two

I can't get enough of this place.  Fossil Creek is just so beautiful and the water is so perfect that you just want to keep going back.  So yesterday I had a day off so I took my child and her friend back for another great day in paradise. 

Since I could not get enough I thought maybe you might not of had enough yet as well.  So i took a few more pictures to share of this amazing place. 

This one is at the falls that I posted the other day but from above.  As you can see you can climb around to the top of the falls and many people jump into the deep pool from the cliff 30 or so feet above the water.  The fall is at least 20 feet in height, so I'm guessing the cliff is at least 30 feet or more. 

The stream has great waterfalls but also nice lazy and deep pools to relax in.  There is also some "white water" or rapids type areas.  I guess some people have gone down this river in kayaks, and even gone down the falls. 

Anyway I feel pretty blessed to have this fantastic place within driving distance, so I can take a day trip over there and enjoy the water. 

Oh The Water. . Ooohhh The Water. . And It Stoned Me To My Soul

Here is the link to the other Fossil Creek Post in case you missed it  

http://azjonesoutdoor.blogspot.com/2011/06/fossil-creek-arizona.html
And here are a few maps that might be of value. 

Anyway if you want to go here DON'T. . . . because I want it ALL to myself!  Like that could ever happen. Anyway for more information contact:

Mogollon Rim Ranger District, 8738 Ranger Road, Happy Jack AZ 86024, (928) 477-2255 FAX 527-8282

or

Verde Ranger District, 928-567-4121 or

Red Rock Ranger District, P.O. Box 20249, Sedona AZ 86341, (928) 282-4119

Fossil Creek, Arizona

When things start to heat up in Central Arizona there is a special place I like to visit to cool off. It is an amazing place just east of Camp Verde called Fossil Creek. Fossil Creek is a spring fed stream that runs southwest from its source for about fifteen miles and empties into the Verde River.

Fossil Creek is fed by a spring that produces close to a million gallons of crystal clear water an hour. This water comes out of the ground at a perfect 72 degrees and is full of minerals that give the creek an amazing aqua blue color. The surrounding area is a high desert environment in an entrenched canyon with mesquite, pinion pine and Juniper, along with some cactus and yucca. The canyon bottom is about 4300 feet in elevation while the canyon rim is above 6000 feet. While the canyon environment is typical of the high desert the environment along the creek is unique and special due to all the water. Along the creek is one of the most diverse riparian areas in Arizona, with over thirty species of trees and shrubs and over a hundred species of birds that have been observed in this unique habitat.
Visiting Fossil Creek is easy because a road runs parallel to it for a few miles and crosses it on a bridge in one location. The great swimming holes and easy access can make some of the spots very crowded. The places right below the bridge while nice are often very crowded.

Farther up the road from the bridge is a trail access that leads to a beautiful waterfall. The trail is only about a mile or so long and winds along the creek and on the way you pass several small falls and pools that are quite spectacular.

The falls at the end of this trail while often crowded are amazing and well worth the short mile hike. The falls are about 20 feet high with a deep pool of crystal clear water.

Many people come here to dive off the rocks and the falls into the deep water below. And it can be very crowded and busy on the week ends.

 If you want more solitude there are several other spots you can stop between the bridge and the falls trails that all have great swimming opportunities that offer more peace and quiet. 

If you want even more solitude there is a three mile long trail that leads to the spring at the source of the creek. This trail starts farther up the road toward strawberry and drops 1300 feet down to the spring. This will tend to have a little less traffic than the easy to reach spots that are close to the car. Hiking up stream past the falls or downstream from the springs will offer you more solitude as well, where you might find that perfect place to have all to yourself.

The Creek was not always this nice. For a long time much of the water flow was diverted by a dam and traveled by flume to a power plant. The work on the dam and power plant started in 1916 and in the 1920 and 30s this helped supply power to Phoenix. The power plant was decommissioned in 1999 and now the full flow of the creek has been restored, and the results are amazing. 

To get to this desert oasis called Fossil Creek you take Interstate 17 north from Phoenix or south from Flagstaff. You exit on State Route 260 heading east and pass through Camp Verde. You then turn right on Forest Road 708 (sign says Fossil Creek) less than 10 miles from I-17. The forest road is very winding and also very bumpy but it's passable by standard vehicles if you take it slow. It is about 15 miles of dirt road to the Fossil Creek Bridge. You can also come down this same road from Strawberry. At Strawberry from Highway 87 you take Fossil Creek Road (Forest Road 708) for about 5 miles to get the Fossil Springs trail head. The first 2 miles or so is paved; the next 3 miles will be on a rough but maintained dirt road that any car can drive on. After about 5 miles on Fossil Creek Road you'll see a turnoff that leads to a parking lot on the right side. If you continue down the main road for a few more miles you will reach the Fossil Creek Bridge. Haven't had enough? Or need more informations? Here is another post for this fantastic Paradise in the desert!
http://azjonesoutdoor.blogspot.com/2011/06/fossil-creek-part-two.html

Slide Rock State Park, Arizona

The weather is warming up here in Central Arizona. Warm weather in Central Arizona means time to go to to one of the many creeks for a swim to cool off. The most well known of these swimming destinations is Slide Rock State Park in Oak Creek Canyon.

Slide Rock State Park is located along beautiful Oak Creek in beautiful Oak Creek Canyon.  Slide rock for me brings back great memories because my parents took me to this place several times when I was a kid, and now I take my child there.  The most notable feature of Slide Rock is of course the natural water slides that are created by the creek as it flows over carved out and smooth flat sandstone.

There are a series of slides and pools with some deeper places with channels cut through the rock where people can jump off the small rock cliffs along the creek.

The rock when wet is very slippery and you will often see people take a fall as their feet go out from under them. Sometimes resulting in an unexpected trip down a water slide, in some cases with camera equipment along for the ride.

Downstream from the water slides and below the highway bridge are deep pools with large cliffs that the brave ones do some cliff diving into the creek below. Upstream from the water slides are some beautiful sections of the creek that that pass between some moderate cliffs, that can be more secluded and a nice break from the crowds found at the water slides below.

This place is like a natural water park all in an amazing setting below towering redrock canyon walls. Summer at slide rock can be very crowded an often the parking area gets full so getting there early is advised to be sure to get in.

 The park opens at 8:00 AM and closes at 7:00 PM during the summer. The water can be pretty cold but in hot weather reaching 100 degrees it can be just what is needed.
Another feature of the park is the old homestead structures. The area that the park is in was homesteaded by Frank Pendley in 1907. His family owned the land until 1985 when it was sold to the Arizona State Parks. You can still see apple trees that were part of the orchard that Pendley planted in 1912, and small cottages that were built in the 30s and 40s. Along with this are some interesting equipment used to make the homestead work including a water wheel that was used to generate electricity before power lines were available in the canyon.

This is a great destination that has something for everyone to enjoy and is one of the most visited locations in Central Arizona.  For me it brings back childhood memories because it has not changed much since I was a little kid when my parents would bring me here on summer adventures.  Sure there is a parking lot now, and they make you pay, but the creek and the water slides are pretty much the same.
  Here is more on this great place.  http://azjonesoutdoor.blogspot.com/2011/06/slide-rock-state-park-arizona-part-two.html

Fare you well, fare you well, I love you more than words can tell

My father was born in New York. He joined the Navy in World War Two as an electricians mate. He got a degree in electrical engineering and after the war moved to Arizona. He married my mother shortly after that. Dad's first job after the war was surveying for power lines for Arizona Public Service. He surveyed for the first power into Phantom Ranch in the Grand Canyon, and the first power in to Crown King as well as power coming off the rim into Sedona, and power lines across Mingus Mountain running from Prescott to Jerome. He saw every corner of this state, before much development happened.  He was on the first planing and zoning commission for Scottsdale Arizona. During this time in Scottsdale my mom and him were blessed with three children. My father latter got a job with General Electric where he got in on the ground floor of the computer industry and after a while was involved with projects including computer systems for the French government, Saudi Arabian government, as well as the IRS. Latter on we moved to New York and then to California where he worked for Xerox. This was how a kid who was born in Arizona went to high school in California.  Finally he cut ties with big cooperate work and bought a Delicatessen on the beach in Ventura California, and followed his passion for cooking and fine food and developed his business into two stores and a large catering business. Finally Dad sold the business and his house and bought a motor home and my mom and him traveled for several years. It was during this time he got involved in the tour guide business, working for Caravans De Mexico out of El Paso Texas, giving RV tours down to Mexico. He soon was also working for other tour companies doing western states National Park tours. during this time my mom was perfecting her skills doing fine art oil paintings. Eventually they decided to stop traveling and let my mother pursue her dream of being and artist. They picked Cottonwood Arizona as the place to settle. My mom and dad started an art supply store and studio and my mom sold paintings, did framing and matting, and taught painting, while my father ran the art supply store.  During this time my father got a job with an over seas tour company and got paid to give tours to Australia, New Zealand, Tahiti and Fiji, he also gave 36 day tours to South America. About 16 years ago my father's earlier smoking habit caught up with him and he was diagnosed with emphysema.  It was around this time I moved here to Cottonwood with my wife to help out my parents.  From there on he had a slow decline until finally he was completely house bound and wheel chair bound about seven years ago. 20 months ago he was no longer even able to get out of bed, where he has been since.  My mom has been lovenly caring for him this whole time.  Finally at around 10:00 on May 21st 2011 dad passed away in his sleep at home. He was a great husband to my mom, and was a great father to me and my sisters giving us a jump start in life so we had great opportunities. He taught me a lot about many things, including cooking, working with my hands, but most of all how to love living. He love good food, drink, and music, but most of all he loved my mother.

Fare you well my honey
Fare you well my only true one
All the birds that were singing
Have flown except you alone

Goin to leave this Broke-down Palace
On my hands and my knees I will roll roll roll
Make myself a bed by the waterside
In my time - in my time - I will roll roll roll

In a bed, in a bed
by the waterside I will lay my head
Listen to the river sing sweet songs
to rock my soul

River gonna take me
Sing me sweet and sleepy
Sing me sweet and sleepy
all the way back back home
It's a far gone lullaby
sung many years ago
Mama, Mama, many worlds I've come
since I first left home

Goin home, goin home
by the waterside I will rest my bones
Listen to the river sing sweet songs
to rock my soul

Goin to plant a weeping willow
On the banks green edge it will grow grow grow
Sing a lullaby beside the water
Lovers come and go - the river roll roll roll

Fare you well, fare you well
I love you more than words can tell
Listen to the river sing sweet songs
to rock my soul

Brokedown Palace

Thanks to all those who have prayed and shown compasion. It means so much!

Exploring the Mogollon Rim Country of Arizona

I just got back from three days in an area of Arizona called the Rim Country.  This area is called that due to the predominant geological feature called the Mogollon Rim.  This "rim"is a long cliff like uplift running east to west for close to 200 miles.  It is essentially the southwest edge of the Colorado Plateau.  The south edge of the rim rises to heights over 7000 feet in elevation with some points reaching as much as 8000.  Below the rim are areas of around 5000 to 6000 foot elevation sloping away south gradually.  This area, both above and below the rim, is part of a huge forest of pine trees that comprises the largest stand of Ponderosa pines in the world. 

This stand of pine forest covers tens of thousands of acres from west of Flagstaff in the west all the way into New Mexico in the east. 
Most people when thinking of Arizona think of desert, but much of Arizona is covered with this vast pine forest.  This high area, due to it's altitude has significant snow fall in winter and because of this is a source of many streams that run south and north away from the rim.  This along with the cooler temperatures due to altitude make this a favorite area to escape the heat of the deserts in the summer months. 
   When I went there I stayed in a small town below the rim called Christopher Creek.  Christopher Creek is at about 6000 foot elevation surrounded by dense forest with a year round stream running through the small town. 

There are many hiking and mountain biking opportunities there in every direction with campgrounds as well as undeveloped camping opportunities.  The stream called Christopher Creek starts at the base of the rim at a place called See Canyon where there is a nice trail that runs along the creek through the forest.  Downstream from the small town the creek enters an entrenched canyon called The Box. .

The Box is hard to navigate and has small falls and pour offs with deep pools and requires getting wet and some climbing skills to navigate up and down the canyon. 

The canyon rock is comprised of block shaped basalt rock. 
   Up on the rim north and east of Christopher Creek are five small lakes nestled among the pine forests,  called the Rim Lakes. 

The rim lakes are in depressions on the rim and collect snow melt during the winter. These lakes are stocked with trout and are packed with fishermen during the summer months. 

Along the rim is a dirt and gravel road called the Rim Road or The General Cook Trail that follows the edge of the rim for close to 40 miles.  Along this road are great views of the vast forested areas below the rim.

The rim area has many wonderful places to camp, both developed campsites and just dispersion camping with no facilities.  The forest on the rim being higher is more lush and diversified having some spruce and aspen trees as well as the ponderosa pine. Elk, deer, and wild turkey are often seen in these forests.  Below the rim as I said are a series of streams and creeks that flow south,  Some big and some small. 

We explored Haigler Creek, Christopher Creek, Tonto Creek and the East Fork of The Verde River.  The East Fork of the Verde appeared to have the largest amount of water flow, and some great places but also appeared to have some of the most development.  Yet even with this there were plenty of opportunities to get away from the crowds, this early in the year.

 There are many hiking and mountain biking trails in this vast area with the most notable trail being the Highline Trail. 

The Highline trail runs for more than 50 miles along the base of the rim through dense forest and rolls up and down as it descends and climbs out of the many stream drainages it crosses.  In many places it can be mountain biked as well as hiked.  I have ridden the east end and some of the connecting trails and found it to be some real nice riding.
   This time, when we went, instead of camping we stayed at the Christopher Creek Lodge.  This lodge, founded in 1950 is a group of small rustic cabins along the creek.  http://christophercreeklodge.com/

I found it to be a great base camp for exploring and loved the creek side location and the feel of the place.  No frills but all you need with wood stoves, and a kitchen and a great location with the sounds of the creek to put you to sleep at night.