Rock Creek Loop, Chiricahuas

Distance: 7.56 miles
Starting elevation: 5900'
Highest elevation (Saulsbury Saddle) 7480'
Loop hike consisting of four trails: Turkey Pen, Rock Creek, Connector, Saulsbury.
Trail head: West Turkey Creek Campground
Hiking time: 6.5 hours

"This is one of the most beautiful trails I've been on in a long time" said Kevin near the end of this little-used and abandoned trail in the western Chiricahuas. This was Rod's hike today and there were only four of us plus Sadie: Rod, Cassie, Kevin and I. Weather was breezy and cool and perfect for this hike.

We hiked this trail loop in reverse. We parked at the eastern edge of the West Turkey Creek Campground. Sadie was beside herself with joy at going hiking, much to the amusement of Rod and Cassie. In fact, she was highly energized all day and would run between Kevin and me.

We started at a nondescript "Forest Trail" sign that led us to Turkey Pen Saddle with views toward Monte Vista Peak. There were many sawed-off tree stumps here; I was to read later that these stumps were from long ago and nearby residents cut down junipers to make fence posts out of them.

It was a gradual incline for the first two miles as we followed oak and fir-studded Rock Creek. We rested briefly at a large alligator juniper tree which once was the largest (in girth) alligator juniper in the Chiricahuas with a 30' girth. When a large branch broke off, however, the tree "shrank" to 22'.

The creek was dry at this end, and many other tributary creeks were also dry. However, in a heavy rain this creek would be a flash flood zone as dry creek beds were coming in all directions as we slowly walked uphill. This part of the forest didn't appear very thick. Many trees lay fallen over the trail, as if we were walking into a wind gap.

Rod had his reference book with him:
Hiking trails and wilderness routes of the Chiricahua Mountains, Coronado National Forest, Arizona by Cachor Taylor.
Published 1977 by Rainbow Expeditions, Tucson, AZ.

He showed me his weathered book, which barely had a front cover on it from excessive use. The old-style font was clearly that of the 1970s. No GPS, no coordinates were given and all photographs were in black and white. But the unique thing about this hike is that back in this 1977 edition the Rock Creek Trail was clearly described, and today we were walking on a trail that at times was hard to find due to creek bed erosion, landslides, felled trees and floodings.

And that is why this was such a pretty hike. There was no evidence of human destruction on this trail: no trash, no white toilet paper, no heavy trail erosion. We didn't even see any bear scat. The only animals we saw besides ants and swallowtails were pesky blue jays. I spotted one very dead fox off the Connector Trail though, badly decomposed. Its empty eye sockets stared right at me. Otherwise we were to ourselves as we climbed slowly uphill along the lush Rock Creek. We only lost the trail twice, but Rod was always able to find our way back to the abandoned trail.

After a heavy rain this trail would be lush with life. Today the trail was dry and thickly covered with pine needles.

The only truly steep part of this hike was the 3/4-mile Connector Trail which connected the Rock Creek Trail (which continues up to Rustler Peak Campground) to the Saulsbury Trail. This steep grade followed a steep gulch up to Saulsbury Saddle with few switchbacks. Some of the Douglas firs here showed signs of burn from the Rattlesnake Fire several years ago.

Kevin and I rested at the saddle, waiting for Rod and Cassie. Cassie, bless her heart, has trouble with steep grades and Rod stayed by her side. We had to wait for her a few times, never minding the breaks, and admired her for her persistence. The wind howled in all directions, making the pines roar rather than whisper as we sat there at the saddle in the shade.

We never saw any sign of the Horseshoe Fire burning on the eastern slopes of this mountain range. All trails east of the Crest Trail are closed now. The fire's containment date has been pushed back a month as the fire burns deeply and slowly. It's now grown to 2850 acres. However, with today's 35mph winds I'm sure the fire will grow substantially this weekend. The heatwave will resume Wednesday.

Once we crested the saddle it was all downhill as the Saulsbury Trail now followed another creek almost straight down with few switchbacks. This trail was better maintained. The lower in elevation we got, the wider the trail became.

The only trailhead sign I saw was at the start of Saulsbury (or "Saulsberry" as one sign wrote it) Trail. The Rock Creek Trail was also mentioned, although there was no sign for it at the saddle where the Connector Trail led hikers to it. Newcomers to this area would never have found the trail.

None of this area looked familiar to me until we came up to cabins and crossed a creek. Here is where we had hiked in the fall of 2005 when I led Kevin, Sara and Sammy and I from this trailhead up to the Crest Trail and Chiricahua Peak. The 12-mile hike turned into a 14+ mile hike because the trail I had chosen to take going back down had gotten washed away in a steep landslide. We arrived at the truck exhausted and dangerously dehydrated; both dogs' tongues were a deep red. Had it been that long since we were in this pretty area?

We got back to the cars at 3:30pm, said our good-byes and went our separate ways. I took off first. Six miles west on Turkey Creek Road we passed a USBP agent on the north side of the road with five very tired and dusty Mexicans. "Looks like they missed their pick-up point" said Kevin. Indeed this road would not be very conducive to a pick-up; there is only one way out and that's driving west toward Highway 191.

A half-mile further we passed a small parked convoy of USBP vehicles behind a large SUV with Missouri plates. Had those Mexicans been pulled over for speeding and got caught with a stolen vehicle, and then took off running? We slowed down, let the agents peak inside our truck, and drove on. A large SUV has room for 15 people! Perhaps the agents were looking for the escapees.

Winds persisted in the valley as we headed back home, stopping in Bisbee at Santiago's for dinner, where I caught a glimpse of the USA-England World Cup game (a tie!) and more horrific news of the deadly flash flood yesterday in Arkansas' Ouachita National Forest. It's a part of the state I've always wanted to explore.

We arrived home by 7pm to two very happy dogs. Sadie went to bed with Kevin shortly thereafter.