Distance: 7.8 miles
Elevation: 3870'-3933'
Signifance: Historic ranch site, water
https://www.mapmyrun.com/workout/5024707780
It was my second time to this old ranch area. My first time was seven years ago with a photoshoot group. I've been wanting to explore the trail more for a potential hike with a group.
This was a last-minute hike on my drive back home from Phoenix. Instead of a second hike in South Mountain Park as originally planned, I walked here instead with the dogs, where my seclusion allowed me to let them walk off leash with no one else around. This is so much easier on the dogs than being kept onleash and around other dogs. With no working phone, I wouldn't have been able to find my way back to South Mountain Park for another early hike.
It was still a cool 54F when I began my walk at 8:30am. I was the only one in the parking area as I began on the dirt road (Old Fairbank Road), but then took the old railroad bed that parallels the road going south. The old bed is well-used by the USBP and mostly easy to walk on. I stayed on this old bed for two miles before getting to the dried river bed via a gulch for more shade for the dogs. We spooked an owl that flew away. Gretel took off after it. Was she really hoping to catch it?
This is my first time walking the river bed going south from Fairbank. The riverbed is mostly firm, but gets soft where horses have walked through. It's definitely one of the more remote sections of the trail. I never came across any trash.
The Little Boquillas Ranch is 2.5 miles from the trail head on the dirt path but is not visible from the river bed. I ended up walking a whole mile south of the ranch because of this, but I ended up discovering a carcass and an old dam by backtracking on a road that was not the official San Pedro trail. This unmarked trail led to the dam. The river makes a wide bend here. It's a pretty part of the river. The things one discovers when off trail! I turned around here and walked the official trail back and this led me to the old ranch.
Right now the cottonwoods are still yellow, but have lost some of their leaves. The road here is at the highest part along this hike, at 3933' and offers a nice view of the poky shrub-dotted gullies before hitting the ranch area.
I explored the ranch a bit, walking around the abandoned buildings, but didn't stay long. There is much more overgrowth around the buildings than what I remember. The buildings all looked neglected. I was now six miles into this walk and was getting tired. I ended up taking the river back, walking through thick shrubbery before hitting the water. I stayed on the river bed until it took another wide bend to the west. I finished off on Old Fairbank Road and returned to my car. It was 78F and three hours later. Time to get home and rest. The dogs were tired and were grateful for the soft bed to nap on. on the drive home.
I would do this section again, but cut out the railroad bed and hike the Old Fairbank Road to the dam.
Once home, I learned about the death of Argentine soccer player Diego Maradona. He was 60 years old and had a massive heart attack, most likely from his cocaine use. He was the star player in the 1986 World Cup when Argentina defeated England in the quarter final, in a goal that should have been a foul but which Maradona called "the hand from god." Argentina then defeated Germany in the final game. My sister Iris had such a crush on him. Maradona certainly was a talented player, but fell into drug and alcohol addiction early in life, yet he never seemed to have lost the admiration of Argentines.
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