Ellen S - Arizona Trail Journal - 2024

Spring has come!

We decided to tackle this section over 3 days (2 half day distances, and 1 longer day). The weather has been warming up with temps expected in the 80s in Tucson. After the couple of rains that occurred, we hoped there would be some flowers in this lower elevation passage.
After a long car shuttle (Freeman Rd drives well, but it is still a dirt road), we headed north from Tiger Mine TH. We headed downhill past the water cache box. The trail goes up and down small hills. Depending on the hill's exposure, it would be speckled with poppies, lupine, angelita daisy, zinnia, globe mallow, and others. A good amount of grasses covered the ground. It wasn't as spectacular as we've seen it in the past, but still pretty. After about 5 miles, we took a detour to a windmill and potential water source that we haven't visited before. The detour went down a major wash then up a smaller tributary. It was fun to see new country. Alas, no water to be found although there was a nice campsite there. We opted to move on. No chance with the late start that we would make water before camp, but a breeze kept the temps nice for hiking. We continued up the drainage and reunited with the AZT.
We saw a jackrabbit. We decided to dry camp near Corner Tank. As we approached, we scared up a couple of ravens...there was a rotting cow carcass in a drainage leading to the tank. Back up on the ridgeline, we found a smell-free flat spot and settled in. The sunset was pretty. It felt good to relax, eat a bite and watch the stars come out. The Poor-Wills were calling to each other. There was about a half-moon lighting up the terrain. Stars were brilliant. There was a healthy coyote population in the area and it sounded like a couple were fighting over the carcass.
The next morning, we started hiking gradually uphill over a series of hills, with more flowers evident. There was one snake warming itself on the trail (not a rattlesnake).The priority was to reach Mountain View Tank, our water refill place. A short detour off the trail brought us to this place of water and shade. We got water from the tank using a scoop that someone had rigged a line to for dipping. Took a long break in the shade and cameled up.
From the water source, the hiking became hotter as the breeze of the day before was mostly gone. We climbed some more ridges, then did a long descent to Camp Grant Wash. The trail was full of cholla pieces. We each picked up some. They are hard to avoid and are barbed to attached to anything that brushes by. The trail was in a neglected state with bits of cholla and lots of rock. Camp Grant Wash is another large drainage with a bit of shade and good camping.
We had our sights on the next water source. We started encountering cows. The trail followed an old road along the ridgeline, then dropped to Beehive Tank. It was full of the nicest water we'd seen on this passage. There were about 30 cows hanging out, taking advantage of the water and salt-licks. We got water and headed away to a campsite. There is a cliff along the edge of the drainage where owls roost. After dark, we heard 2 Great Horned Owls hooting back and forth. The cows dispersed somewhere and we settled in for a quiet night. Lots of rabbits in the area...why no coyotes here?
An early start, as today was to be the hottest day of the hike. We followed the drainage for a short distance, then climbed a series of ridges with beautiful views. We could see the receding Catalinas to the south and Antelope Peak to the north. The early morning light on the desert was lovely. We saw more rabbits and a jackrabbit. More signs of cow, but no water (the tank in the distance looked damp and well-trodden by cattle). We reached the south side of Antelope Peak and began a traverse to its north side, in and out of drainages from its flank. Some healthy cholla forest here but the trail seemed mostly clear of their hazard.
We came out on a road. Always nice to walk a dirt road at times. One can get the chance to look around more. The connection of dirt roads led to Freeman Rd, with the trail coming quickly to the trailhead.
A pleasant hike!

Entry 8 of 8
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