Camping at Pioneer Pass in the Pinal Mts

Little did we know that we'd be camping in the snow… we were looking for a camping spot near Globe and heard that the Pinal Mts were not far away and camping was free (always a major bonus)! As we started the ascent up into the mountains the landscape drastically changed from desert and cacti to wooded pine forest. We saw snow towards the top of the mountain, but there was no way we'd be all the way up there, or so we thought. The drive to the camp spot was beautiful, a twisting and turning dirt road where at times only one car could pass. Eventually, we started seeing patches of snow and well-equipped, yet rustic, campsites with picnic tables, grills, and composting toilets. All the sites were spread out and private. We only saw one other group of campers, though the summer months may be busy when the weather is warmer (the campsite is at 6,000 ft). We choose a campsite next to the creek, which was awesome to fall asleep to. There was a ton of wood and we were able to make a nice fire, which we desperately needed as the temperatures dropped incredibly when the sun went down! Pinecones make for great fire-starters and there is no shortage of pine cones here. Spring and summer are probably better times to camp in the Pinal Mountains, as we encountered quite a bit of snow and a 4x4 vehicle is necessary in the winter. Apparently the road is sometimes closed due to snow/ice conditions. There are hiking trails near the campsite(East Mountain trail is 0.8 miles before reaching the campground and is a 5 mile loop trail with views of the desert below)- but we were too cold to try them out… maybe this spring…

A good daytrip while camping here is to the Tonto National Monument, where you can see ruins of cliff dwellings occupied from the 13^th-15^th centuries. Entrance is free with a National Parks pass (see blog post on Tonto National Monument). There are also ruins at Besh-Ba-Gowah Archeological Park, very close to the campground and located near the ranger station in Globe.

Directions from ASDOH:

Turn left out of the ASDOH entrance and follow Baseline to Power Rd. Turn left onto Power Rd and take the on ramp to the US-60 East. Take the 60-E to Globe. This is a beautiful drive with amazing rock formations- look to the left for a waterfall after you leave the town of Superior and pass through a small tunnel. When you reach Globe, you'll see a four way stop (if I remember correctly…) and turn right to cross over the railroad track. You should see signs pointing to the Globe Ranger Station- follow these signs. Continue on this road for 1.6 miles to Ice Canyon Rd (located before the ranger station). Turn right onto Ice Canyon Rd and continue to the stop sign where you will bear left onto Forest Route 112 (the road on the right is Kellner Canyon Rd which will take you to a higher elevation campground in the Pinal Mountains at 7,500 ft. There are about 10 different hikes from this campground, but we've yet to check them out). The road becomes dirt and you will pass a cow ranch on your left. The campsite is only 7 miles away, but it seems to take forever on the dirt road. Relax and enjoy the scenery! On your drive back to Mesa, stop at the Creekside Coffee shop at 115 N. Keystone Ave in Miami, a small gold-mining/artsy town. The woman there runs a coffee shop, used bookstore, and acts as a tax account all in one building! Funky, but super cute… and she made the best blended mocha I've ever tasted. It's supposedly her specialty. ;)

MTM Ranch: Horseback Riding Adventure, Cave Creek

"You haven't seen Arizona until you've seen in on horseback." I've heard this phrase numerous times since moving to Arizona and have envied the horseback riders I've seen climbing the desert terrain in Bulldog Canyon near the Salt River. Well finally it was my turn. MTM Ranch is located in Cave Creek, North of Scottsdale, about an hour from ASDOH. We arrived at a small dirt parking lot and were greeted by one woman sitting on the porch of a small tack room filled with saddles- very low key. She went to get our horses and we loaded up from the porch. I rode Amber, a stubborn 5 year old mare, who was sweet but kept testing me throughout the ride by stopping to swoop up some wildflowers as a snack. Landon rode Bubba, a big gentle guy (very fitting), who he could "parallel park" on a dime. Our guide was a horse masseuse who was passionate about Arizona and riding. She was extremely knowledgeable about the surroundings in the Spur Cross Conservation Area bordering the Tonto National Forest (which we learned is over 3 million acres and is the largest national forest in the US!). We also learned that the Saguaro Cactus is native only to the Sonoran desert of Arizona, Sonora, Mexico and a small section of Baja California. The massive cactus has remained somewhat of a mystery, for humans live about 1/5 the life span of a Saguaro, which are thought to live between 300-500 years. It is believed that the first arm of the Saguaro is not grown until the cactus is 75 years old! We rode through a beautiful ancient forest of Saguaros and were met with some beautiful sunset vistas. The tours are all quite small; our tour was just the 2 of us plus our guide. We saw about 6 mule deer as well as a coyote on the ride and we were told that they often see rattlesnakes in the summer- which keep to themselves around the horses. The trail was rocky with many up and downhill climbs, but the horses were sure-footed, though my Amber liked to hop downhill on the rocks- quite exciting! Landon took Bubba for a little gallop and the horses liked to go a little faster up the hills. All and all it was a very beautiful and leisurely ride. This is a MUST-DO before you leave Arizona!

Note: The guide did not give much instruction before getting on the horses (but we told her we've ridden before)- so if you are unsure of what to do or are uncomfortable in any way, BE SURE TO ASK LOTS OF QUESTIONS! They are very friendly and willing to give you a hand and share their knowledge.

If you're hungry for dinner after, the Mexican cantina down the street (back towards Phoenix) has great chili rellenos with friendly service. Cave Creek is an awesome little "wild west" town to check out. It would be well worth your time to take a drive through and maybe stop at one of the coffee shops before leaving town.

Directions from ASDOH:

Turn right out of the entrance to ASDOH onto Baseline. Head West on the US-60. Exit and merge onto the US-101 N. Take Exit 34 (North Scottsdale Rd) and turn right onto N. Scottsdale Rd. Turn left onto Carefree Hwy after about 9.8 miles. After 2 miles turn right onto N. Cave Creek Rd. A little past a Mexican cantina on your right turn left onto Spur Cross Rd (there is a restaurant sign called the Crusty Crab on the corner). Follow Spur Cross Rd until the pavement ends and MTM Ranch will be on your right.

Desert Botanical Gardens

Josh and I went on Valentines Day and it turned out to be a nice, easy, low-key, little hike totaling 1 and a quarter miles. It was pretty interesting to learn about all the different cacti and desert plants. Now I know what all of our classrooms are named after and I know what an Ironwood looks like!

We went on all 5 trails (Desert Discovery Trail, Plants and People of the Sonoran Desert Trail, Sonoran Desert Nature Trail, Steele Herb Garden, Harriet K. Maxwell Desert Wildflower Trail). A couple of the trails had huts similar to ones built by people of the Sonoran Desert. I had fun going into the huts and enjoying the shade. Consequently, I told Josh I want to build a hut in our backyard. Haha.

The gift shop was fun and I’m happy with the things we bought. One of which was a nice salsa recipe book from which we made delicious Tomatillo Salsa Verde. Yum! We also bought some prickly pear gummy candy. It was fun eating that while walking around and looking at the prickly pear cacti at the same time. I could appreciate where my food came from.

If you're looking for a nice easy walk through the desert with fun facts and a gift shop, this is the place to go.

Joshua Tree National Park

J-Tree is a wonderland of rocks. It is located in southern California about a 4 hour drive from here. This is a good place to go on a long weekend. Hiking trails exist in abundance and the potential for adventure is limitless. Moonlit excursions are recommended. The park was originally a haven for the unique and rare Joshua tree, a tree resembling something out of Dr. Seuss' imagination. The park is in the Mojave desert, which is a bit different from the Sonoran we are familiar with here in the valley. The transition on the drive is interesting. I prefer the northern road. Its much more primitive and therefore scenic. Make sure to bring lots of fire wood as there is none in the park. For an exciting adventure partake in the old J-Tree initiation and pass through "the chasm". You should go with someone who knows the path. Ask around in the campground. Map Quest for driving directions. Enterence free with national parks pass.

Chiricahua National Monument

Affectionately called Chiricahua, is a diverse mountain ecosystem located in southeastern Arizona. Chiricahua is considered a sky island. Because it is isolated topographically and ecologically from the alluvial planes below. The mixure of grassland, desert scrub, riparian, and pine woodlands combine to exhibit a complex ecosystem rich in wildlife, 71 species of mammals, etc.... And there are rocks! Lots of them, of volcanic origin, from turkey creek volcanic eruption 27 million years ago. Hiking trails are plentiful in the monument and camping is available as well. Just look it up on the web and drive there. Its south of interstate 10 about 30 miles south of Wilcox. At the pay booth ask for a free map and go to the visitor center for some more info on the hiking trails. Enterance is free with a parks pass.

Cochise Stronghold

The geography of Southeastern Arizona is unique and beautiful! Island mountains (sky islands) erupt thousands of feet from the alluvial planes below. In the higher elevations the environment resembles Tanzanian Savannah. Golden grasslands, studded with umbrella shaped acacias undulate with the topography of the terrain. At any moment, it seems there could be a pride of lions lazing in the sunshine, watch out.

One of the best mountain ranges in southern Arizona is the dragoon mountains, located just northeast of Tombstone. This mountain range was renamed "Sierra Penascosa" rugged mountains, by Spanish soldiers when they passed through in 1695. The range was later named the Dragoon mountains and the central part of the range is known as Cochise Stronghold. Cochise was a chief of the chiricawa band of the Apache tribe. Upon continuous pressure from European settlers chief Cochise divided his band in the central part of the dragoon mountains to evade and fight off the army, while continuing with successful raids against the settlers. Hence, the name Cochise Stronghold. When chief Cochise died the other members of the band slaughtered 17 of the best horses in his honor. "The stronghold", its colloquial name, is full of gigantic granite towers, some of which are up to 900 feet tall, creating a natural fortress. It is one of the best rock climbing sites in Arizona and has over 500 routes, some of which are more than 700 feet. Notice the climbers above on the first picture in the close-up of Cochise dome. There are two accesses into the stronghold. One from the West and one from the East, and a pseudo-rough road that links the east and west winding over a small mountain pass named middlemarch pass. The westside is accessed by middlemarch road and contains some of the largest granite domes (ex. sheepshead, moby dick). Camping is free, wherever you like, however, local ethics apply, this is a sacred site for the Apaches, be respectful. The other access is from the east on Ironwood road, also south of interstate 10. Eastside accesses cochise dome and rockfellow dome, among many others, for the trailhead park next to the huge boulder dividing the road. There is also a paying campsite and free camping if you take a right on the small dirt road after the cattlegard. For a good good map I suggest you print out a map from google maps, or better yet purchase a Coronado national forest map from an outdoor store or a national forest office in safford or Tucson. By the way all the roads in or around the stronghold are dirt. You don't have to rock climb to enjoy the stronghold. There are plenty of hiking/game trails to hike and most of the granite domes can be scaled easily, awesome campsites. From higher elevations you can look south to the mountains of Mexico and the stars are marvelous.

Tonto National Forest- Dutchman Trail #104

This is an easy and scenic hike near the Superstition Mountains. Not your traditional hike through the desert like you find at the Salt River portion of Tonto National Forest, this trail offers a variety of flora, not just cactus. There are riverbeds, which after a rain will create refreshing wading pools and small rock-framed waterfalls. Great mountain views and rock formations. The hike starts at First Water Trailhead and keeps to the right at a fork (don't worry there's a sign). It continues on and is a one-way trip to the Peralta Trailhead, total of about 17.6 miles one way. Don't worry, you don't have to do the whole trail! If you go far enough you'll get great views of the 1,000 ft rock formation Weaver's Needle, a landmark to the Superstitions that legends claim will show its shadow in the direction of the long-lost Dutchman's gold. Do be careful, for there are many side trails so make sure you know which way you came from!

Directions from ASDOH:
Head east on Baseline and turn left on Power Rd. Get on the 60 East and continue to Idaho Rd exit. Turn left onto Idaho Rd and continue until you see the sign to Canyon Lake, turn right. Stay on this road until you see the Tonto National Forest sign for First Water Trailhead (this is a dirt road directly AFTER Dutchman State Park), turn right onto this road. The road is a bit bumpy and it's best if you have a truck or SUV, however a car can easily make it going slow. Follow this road to the very end, about 2.5 miles. There is a large parking lot but on weekends it gets quite crowded. There is a sign for overflow parking.


















Pictures compliments of Viet.