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| Skull Rock & Sign |
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| Bridgepoint & Bridge Mountain from Arnight Trail |
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| Oversized Cairn on Wilson Road |
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| Morning Light on Escarpment |
The winds from the day before had subsided. The skies were beautiful blue with abstract wind blown clouds. The air was clear, crisp and fresh. Temperatures started around 40 degrees; later they would rise with the sun to around 60. And, for some odd reason, Red Rock Canyon NCA was very very quiet! Nine hikers gathered at the Red Rock Scenic Loop Exit parking lot ready for a 6 mile loop in the desert. We crossed the paved loop road and chose the trail to the right to start heading over to the Oak Creek Trailhead. We found ourselves twisting and turning through the sagebrush until we reached the trailhead and its restroom.
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| Hiking the Arnight Trail |
There was an amazing amount of coyote scat along the trail! What do they do at night?? Maybe it was a Coyote Ugly party! Get together and do the dirty deed.
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| Juniper Canyon Drainage |
Almost everyone took advantage of the Oak Creek restroom facility. There were several cars parked at the trailhead. Most likely, these were the cars of rock climbers.
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| Green Desert |
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| Arnight Trail Steps |
After the break, we started up the Arnight Trail. Usually, this trail is extremely rocky. However, the first quarter mile appeared to have been de-rocked. Very nice. After this, the rocks started becoming an issue and it was necessary to watch our step at all times. Once in a while I would stop just to take a look around at the amazing scenery. The desert was so so green! (See photo above.) We crossed the dry Juniper Canyon wash then passed the Knoll and Juniper Canyon Trail junctions. The Knoll Trail junction still has the old metal sign. The large trailside boulder with lines of lichen has recently been used for rock climbing training. We saw the chalk.
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| Hiking Arnight Trail |
The trail leads up near the base of the escarpment peaks and the trees were taller here. We stopped several times to search for deer. But, they are very difficult to spot in the desert brush.
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| Pine Creek Canyon |
Not too far after the lichen boulder, we turned a corner to the left at a tall tree. I believe (with a little imagination) that the trail here led down from the "parking area" of the Wilson Road which ended not too far from this corner. The old trail starts diagonally down the berm into Pine Creek Canyon here. Very rocky. Watch your step!
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| Points of Interest |
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| Crossing Pine Creek |
The views of Pine Creek Canyon over our right shoulder showed the greenness of the Pine Creek drainage. At the bottom of the hill, we turned sharply to the right passing the Pine Creek Trail junction coming in from up canyon. The brush reached in on us here and we noticed an unfamiliar plant that was producing a nasty thorned fruit. I consulted our favorite plant IDer and he said it was a Cocklebur! YIKES! He suggested to let the Red Rock people know about it so that they can eradicate it. They need to cut back the brush here anyway! From here, we continued up to the old Wilson Homestead for a 3 minute break.
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| Visiting the Wilsons |
Pushing on, we started up the trail toward the trailhead and soon, we passed the old Wilson Oven set inside a large boulder next to the trail.
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| New Burro Fence and Gate on Dale's Trail |
Further up, we came to the Dale's Trail junction where there is an old metal trail sign and the remains of a larger sign. On the other side of Pine Creek Trail, there is a tall gate post made of small boulders assumably also a Wilson Homestead remnant.
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| Nearing Skull Rock |
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| Side View of Skull Rock |
We turned left up Dale's Trail and, immediately, we were confronted with a brand spanking new barbed wire fence with a bright yellow pedestrian gate. We decided it must be for burro control. We believe that the BLM has been quietly moving the burros this summer. We really like them but it is true that they can get out of control sometimes as far as numbers go. And, it is difficult to stop people from feeding them as well. We miss the burros but I suppose it is for their own good. (See cute burro photos within the blog entry
http://aroundthebendfriends2.blogspot.com/2017/11/blue-diamond-bike-trails-11417.html).
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| Taking a Break near Skull Rock |
So, we hiked through the easily opened gate that is spring loaded and on up the trail to Skull Rock. Here, we ... again ... tried to see the "skull" and sat on a protruding nearby sandstone slab for our break.
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| Hiking Pine Creek Trail to Fire Ecology Trail |
One hiker, with burros on her mind said she saw a burro disappear down into the wash! We all took a look-see and preferred not to go down to the wash to look. After our relaxed break, we started back to Pine Creek Trail and, there it was, a deer!
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| Crossing Pine Creek Canyon on the Fire Ecology Trail |
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| Deer Assessing Us at a Waterhole |
It is a little unusual to see a single deer in the desert but this doe was traveling with a mission toward Pine Creek. We took photos of her moving and saw her again when she crossed Pine Creek Trail in front of us. We had turned left back onto the main trail and then, turned right onto the first entrance to the Fire Ecology Trail. Instead of looping back, we crossed Pine Creek and mid-crossing, we saw the doe not far upstream. She saw us and assessed the situation. Ignoring us over her thirst, she dropped her head to lap from a waterhole. Beautiful! We quietly left her to her slaking and finished crossing the widened canyon over to the far side berm.
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| Leaving Pine Creek |
At the berm, we opted not to climb the hill there but to turn left and hike along the base a short distance and climb an old, more gentle but rockier, trail up to the top of the berm ridge.
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| Climbing Out of Pine Creek Canyon |
The ridge isn't very wide but you have to cross it all the way over to the far side to spot a, difficult to see until you are right on it, old 2-track road. We called this the Wilson Road.
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| The Wilson Road - Old 2-Track |
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| Today's Group at Large Cairn |
We turned onto the Wilson Road and hiked past a very large cairn built by ... whom? We followed the road all the way down the ridge to the Scenic Loop. A hike up through the sandy wash area on the right led us to the crossing of the Oak Creek TH road. Here, there is a trail that parallels the Scenic Loop all the way back to the cars. Yes, cars are driving by but we are far enough away from the pavement to not be in danger and the trail is well worn. It was perfect weather for a hike in the desert today. All smiles!
6 miles; 600 feet elevation gain; 3.75 hours; average moving speed 1.6 mph
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| Hiking the Wilson Road |
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| Hiking Trail along Scenic Loop |
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| Arriving at the Scenic Loop Exit Parking Lot |
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