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| Unnamed Tri-Level Waterfall |
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| Foxtail Ridge |
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| Foxtail Spring |
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Does the smile on the face of the burro on the left
have anything to do with the condition of the
burro on the right? Jus' askin'. |
We were met at the Pay Phone Trailhead by two valet burros and that's the last wildlife we saw until the end of the hike. After dropping down to the "Good Morning Hill" to climb up to the forest road on Foxtail Ridge, we followed along the road all the way up to the water tank. The road only had one piece of trash. Quite an improvement from the first several times we hiked through here. Passing the water tank, we climbed up the hill to the Foxtail Ridge summit. The ridge is defined by cliffs on the east side and a steep but less rocky slope on the west. A trail will take you either along the top of the ridge or along a lower traverse on the west. The lower trails are most likely used by the wild horses since they are not well worn nor continuous in some places. We stayed on the top edge where beautiful views of Mummy Mountain rose above the chasm.
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| Pioneer Rock from Foxtail Ridge |
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| Following the Foxtail Ridge Trails |
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| Cliff on east side of Foxtail Ridge |
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| Hiking Cliff Edge |
About midway along the portion of Foxtail Ridge that we hiked, there is a 3rd class climb. We could have circumvented the climb by dipping down on the lower west side trail but we all decided to scramble up the difficult pile of rock faces above the high drop on the east side. From there, a mid-peak that rises higher has to be climbed. Soon after, the wide dip on the ridge invites the hiker to turn left and use the BCL Trail to reach the wash below. After a messy winter, the improved horse trail is still in surprisingly good condition. We took a break then descended to the first wash. We had been eyeing this wash that neighbors the Foxtail Spring wash from above. It still had a good layer of snow and promised a waterfall to add to our "Waterfall Tour."
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| Sun rises over Mummy Mountain |
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| Rough Trail on Foxtail Ridge |
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| The 3rd Class Climb midway along the Ridge |
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| Hiking along the Ridge |
Without plans for this exploratory, we headed up the snow! The snow was in excellent condition for climbing without spikes. It got steeper as we went. When we arrived at the waterfall, we found three levels of flowing water. Wanting to traverse to the left (east) over the ridge to the Foxtail Spring grotto, we decided to save another higher waterfall area for another day. It will be a more difficult climb. So, we climbed out of the wash to the left on very steep terrain. It appeared that we had not been the first here but there are no trails ... just a lot of scree, rock faces and spring water. Finally, we attained dry land but were faced with very steep screeish and wooded terrain. We each chose a trajectory. Since we didn't plan on this exploratory, I had no track to follow. But, I did have the Foxtail Spring track to tell me what direction in which to head. Then, steep stuff, wet spring areas, intermediary rock cliffs, small gulleys, and deceiving flatter terrain below led us every which way! In the end, since I had the track for the spring, I arrived first at the junction just below the spring grotto. Everyone else followed suit.
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| Some fun tough Hikers |
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| Chuck, Ralyn and Kay on ridge with target waterfall Behind |
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| Taking a break at the top of BCL (Brian, Chuck & Larry) Trail |
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| Well-Preserved BCL Trail down to Wash |
We had heard voices below us as we descended the BCL Trail but by the time we arrived at the Foxtail Spring area, those voices were gone. However, we were greeted by two collared dogs. Soon after, a woman came down the rocky road and introduced her dogs. This was the first time since we discovered the Foxtail area that we saw other hikers around that were not known to us. I guess the word got out! We climbed up to the grotto via the trail between the road and the wash. Shooting Stars and columbines covered the upper wash just below the grotto. Water sprinkled down from the cliff above and more water dripped heavily from the ceiling of the alcove. Another short break ensued! It was a beautiful day!
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| Starting up the Snow Covered wash to the Waterfall |
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| Getting steeper with Sister Peaks Behind |
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| Tri-Level Unnamed Waterfall |
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| Side-Hilling on the Kickass Traverse |
Our plans for the remaining of the hike were quashed. They were not needed after the Kickass Traverse! We decided to take the pipeline road all the way down to the old girl scout camp without side trips around or under Pioneer Rock. We climbed up the small hill to the water tank after passing the camp mess hall and hiked back down the forest road. We saw one horse hanging out not far from the road. Then, we saw two people playing ball with two dogs on down. This is a great area for a Saturday outing. Our exploratory needs improvement but many of them do!
Stats: <5 miles; 1700' gain; 4.75 hours
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| Springs along traverse contour with Shooting Stars |
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| Another break at Foxtail Spring |
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| Return along the Pipeline Road |
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