White Canyon area "closed"?

imported
#1

Just found the following on the AZ Trail website ‘trail conditions’ page. Anyone know what’s going on and where exactly? Wondering if it’s affecting foot access along the temporary AZT route, or perhaps just vehicle access along Battle Axe Rd.

“There is heavy construction equipment on this section working on the road and drilling pads. They do not want any non-construction traffic while they are working. The new trail will be completed by Dec 31st and the web site will be updated to reflect the new track.”

blisterfree

#2

I was just there with a crew on Monday. The work is being done on what used to be a flagged route north of the tracks from the bridge, heading toward Walnut Canyon. When I hiked through there, I hiked the tracks illegally rather than bushwhack the flagged route. That can still be done. Or to do it legally, bypass on the road as described on the web page.

They’re supposed to be done this week, but there was a lot of rain there earlier this week so maybe not.

When the new track is posted, it will show a new route bypassing White Canyon to the west. The artesian well will be about 2 miles north of the new track. There are no good water sources on that route yet, and it will be about 35 dry miles from Kelvin to Superior. The ATA is working on getting a water source developed.

Garlic

#3

I loved that artesian well. Water pumping up out of the ground in the middle of the desert!

bowlegs

#4

Thanks guys. For some reason I took the ATA message to imply that there is non-trail related construction work going on somewhere along the de facto trail route between the artesian well and White Canyon Wilderness south boundary. Or at least somewhere along that road between Battle Axe Butte and the highway. Note the word “drilling pads” in their missive.

My main concern is whether the de facto route by the artesian well would remain viable in the future, as it’s the current “official” route of the GET, and since some AZT users may prefer to continue using it for the better water prospects.

Hopefully the ATA can get a developed water source along the new route at some point. Someone recently reported finding water along one of the old 2-tracks the new trail employs, down near the Gila, and this was before all the recent wet weather. Also there’s Trough Springs, closer to Picketpost, which I understand is a large cement trough with pipe and often has some water.

Here’s a glimpse at the new Arizona Trail route, compliments of Scott Morris’ website:

blisterfree

#5

I think portions of the old route and the new will make an incredible 2-3 day loop hike out of Picketpost. We do need to solve the water issue tho.

Shawn

#6

John Rendall had posted the following under the public comments on Scott Morris’ related diary entry (see link above):

“We still can’t say it’s officially open until the mining crews are finished their test drilling on 3 different pads. Hopefully they will be completed in another 3 weeks and then we will redo the 2 mile road they had to contruct and incorporate it into our trail, thus making it a non-mortorized 30-36? tread. Next week we will be changing the signage on the south end of the Alamo Cyn Passage so as to direct the southbound traffic on to the new section near the BLM/ NFS boundary and remove all the signage leading to the White Cyn Wilderness. When finished it will end up being a 36 mile trip from Kelvin Brg. to Pickett Post.”

Good job guys! One suggestion might be to leave the old trail signage in place, since some folks may still want to visit the artesian well and the White Canyon Wilderness until the water situation along the new route gets ironed out. Also, the old route is the way GET hikers go, and they benefit from the AZT signage and flagging as much as anyone. By simply removing any flagging tape and cairns immediately at either end that currently point out the old route, trail users intent on taking the old route would navigate on their own initially, and then benefit from the old signage as they continue along. Note that this is the same approach the ATA has taken in Barrel Canyon, where Las Colinas and the old route split. No explicit evidence of the old route at the new trail, but there’s still a lot of beneficial infrastructure in place farther along the old route, including the gates allowing access to the culvert beneath Highway 83, the large trail signboard there, and the wooden posts with AZT branding at junctions. Very handy and no point in dismantling it, since it’s only more work for no net benefit to anyone.

blisterfree