The trail system will become part of the official Arizona Trail System and was selected from some of the many trails that exist in the area. As shown in the map, trail A has two internal connector trails, trails B and C are loops, and trails D and E lead to the Hassayampa River and Box Canyon via Dinosaur Wash. All are well marked with carsonites (signs). These trails are for riders, hikers and mountain bikes only. Trails for motorized vehicles are being planned for the future.

You can also download the following two items:

• A GPX file (track and waypoints) for use in GPS units
• A map of the trail system in PDF format

The trailhead complex consists of day use parking with kiosk, a horse staging and RV parking area and an overflow staging area. Camping is permitted in the staging areas. No other facilities such as water, toilets or trash containers are provided at this time.

The area is typical Sonoran Desert landscape with stands of saguaro, ocotillo, palo verde and mesquite trees and various varieties of cactus. Wild life may make an occasional appearance: deer, a family of javelina, desert tortoise and the ubiquitous coyote and jackrabbit. The trails provide wonderful views with a backdrop of the magnificent Weaver and Bradshaw mountain ranges. Springtime can cause a spectacular wild flower bloom that depends on the amount and timing of the winter’s rainfall.

To reach the trailhead turn north onto El Recreo Road (just east of the Hassayampa River bridge in downtown Wickenburg) from U.S. 60. El Recreo Road merges into Constellation Road. Travel 3.2 miles on Constellation, then take a left on Blue Tank Road and travel for 1.4 miles to the trailhead. These roads cross wash areas that may be flooded and eroded during and after storms.

A special thanks is extended to the many other groups and individuals for the effort and cooperation necessary to make this happen: Foremost is to the Wellik Foundation for the initial grant to hire a professional trail planner to design and implement the trail complex, Arizona Fox Trotters Association, Grantham Fence Company, Lone Rangers Riding Club, Carson Construction, Johnson Lumber, Ace Hardware, Arizona Power System, Tommy Riggs and Rupert Lemons. Job well done!

My definition of Trash: Those people who litter.

There is a great sense of accomplishment helping with and directing desert cleanup efforts. It’s not without frustration though because there are areas that get re-trashed shortly after the cleanup. Of the several afflicted areas, Box Canyon is the most frequently abused, littered with beer cans and bottles that make up the bulk, which are obviously the product of weekend-night beer parties. Underage drinking is suspect since it’s a “safe place” in a remote part of Yavapai County where little, if any, patrolling is done by law enforcement. The next most abused site is Calamity Wash, popular as an unofficial target range, with fewer beer parties and serves as a graffiti workshop for rock painting.

Recently, three cleanup events have taken place. The first was at an old dump where 3000 pounds, mostly scrap metal, was collected. More work is needed before cleanup of this site is completed; the second was removing a pile of 56 tires that were illegally dumped on Scenic View road near Box Canyon; and the last was at Box Canyon, a “perpetual” garbage dump. Cleanup of other sites are planned for this fall when cooler temperatures arrive. If you know of a littered site please identify it with routing and/or GPS coordinates so they may be included in future cleanup planning. Report the information to the Wickenburg Conservation Foundation office, 928-684-7473.

There is a constant battle with roadside litter along Scenic View, Blue Tank, Constellation Roads, Calamity Wash and the length of the Hassayampa River south from the Hassayampa River Preserve to a couple of miles north of Box Canyon. The source of litter along the roads is no different than along the highways for that matter but along the river, most is attributed to the ATV/jeep crowd since there is comparatively little litter to be found along the horse and hiking trails.

So what can be done? Foremost, report a violation (2). If you witness someone littering in the state of Arizona, you can report the incident by calling the litter hotline toll free at 1-877-3LITTER (354-8837). Please make sure to answer all the questions, including your name and address, to ensure a follow-up to the incident. A letter will be sent to the offender notifying them that they were observed littering and asking them to refrain from littering in the future.

If roadway debris poses an immediate threat to safety, call 9-1-1. If you see large accumulations of debris along the freeway that is not in the roadway, contact the Arizona Department of Transportation at 602-712-7355.

There is legislation to increase the penalty for littering but the issue of catching and prosecuting the “trasher” remains. Requiring a substantial deposit on containers would, in my opinion, be more direct and immediate way of reducing the litter: a disincentive to at least to those wanting to get their money back; and an incentive to those who would earn money in gathering the trash. Eleven states but not Arizona do this and it seems to work well. Big business has always opposed deposits though.

Education, yes but that will take some time and is not a near time solution. But nonetheless it would be an additional factor in reducing litter if included in the school curriculum and with parental action by example.

Box Canyon and Calamity wash require more aggressive action. Initially, an occasional patrol by the Yavapai County Sheriff’s Office and a Citizen’s Patrol group, particularly during “party time”, would be a start. Word would then get around to the under-age alcohol drinkers and cause them to go elsewhere? Litter barrels would help but would need servicing.

What about feces and urine? Glad you asked. Pits for feces should be located at least 200 feet from water sources (rivers, lakes, etc.) to avoid possible bacterial contamination as well as away from trails. Organic soil is preferred over sandy mineral soil for faster decomposition. Also avoid concentration of pits around campsites. Pits should be covered with a reasonably thick layer of soil to prevent access by animals and flies. Toilet paper and feminine hygiene products should NOT be placed in pits but placed in a plastic bag that can be sealed and carried out for proper disposal. A pit for urine is unnecessary; just perform your duty off trail and or a short distance away from water. Keep in mind this is a basic practice. Other areas will likely have a stricter policy.

Always leave a site cleaner than you found it even if the litter is not yours! Parents, if you and your children visit a littered site, please think about what you are teaching your youngsters if you not only remover your trash but a bit more!

The Moose Brigade report provides litter statistics by quantity and vendor product. Future reports will include cleanup efforts conduced by the Wickenburg Clean and Beautiful (WCB) under the sponsorship of the Wickenburg Conservation Foundation (WCF).

As always, appreciation is extended to all those volunteers who have helped in these major cleanup efforts, to those folks who remove the litter scattered along the roads and highways and to Sickles Sanitation Ind. for final disposal and the Bureau of Land Management for resources.

(1) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Litter
(2) http://www.donttrashaz.com/

The help of groups and individuals is needed to continue improving our surrounding areas. If you can volunteer for desert clean-up activities, please submit your name, phone number, eMail address and preferred clean-up dates to Lee Pearson at WCF.WCB@GMAIL.COM, call 928-684-7473, or write to Wickenburg Conservation Foundation, Wickenburg Clean & Beautiful, P.O. Box 20008, Wickenburg AZ 85358.

Primary clean-up sites are the Hassayampa River bed from the Hassayampa River Preserve north to Box Canyon and beyond, Blue Tank road, Rincon road, Constellation road including Calamity Wash and South Vulture Mine Road, including the radio tower area. Anyone knowing of other littered sites can identify them with routing and/or GPS coordinates.

Volunteers will be provided with pik sticks, gloves, buckets and/or garbage bags. Dumpsters will be provided. Trailers and/or trucks will be used to remove the garbage bags during and after collection as appropriate. The tradition of providing refreshments for those who participate in the desert clean-up will be continued. Participants have a wonderful opportunity of meeting other conscientious residents who enjoy the beautiful and great outdoors surrounding Wickenburg.

Dates and locations where clean-ups are planned will be published and registered volunteers will be notified.

WCF Trails Committee members and other local riders, hikers and mountain bikers have used GPS units to track and document nearly 500 miles of trails during the past two years. Generous donations of labor, material, equipment, and funding from businesses, organizations and individuals have culminated in the establishment of the first information kiosk. The pictured kiosk marks trailheads located on Sophie’s Flat, several miles east of Wickenburg off the Blue Tank road. To complete this phase, maps and trail guides need to be developed, trails marked with carsonites (signage) and trailhead area graveled.

Sophie’s Flat represents only a portion of the trails around the greater Wickenburg area. Much remains to be accomplished. A critical aspect of this effort is that nearly all the trails cross BLM, State (within Yavapai and Maricopa counties) and private properties. Trail preservation success requires the cooperation of all parties. For a complete discussion of the issues and concerns see Allan Hall’s article, Observations on a Vision for Wickenburg – Part 5 posted on this site.

Appreciation is extended to those organizations and businesses that participated in this initial effort: BLM, Johnson Lumber, Ace Hardware, Grantham Fence Company, WCF/Trail committee members and friends and to those who have made donations: WCF, BLM, Fox Trotters Association and Lone Rangers Riding Group.

Some goals of the WCF are to assume responsibility for the late Dana Burden’s inactive Wickenburg Clean and Beautiful group that is now managed by Debi Main; to write grants for additional funds; and to pursue land trust donations of properties that have trail crossings.

Art Dorner of Sun City AZ reported, “I’m sorry to say that the tall saguaro cactus fell over on or about December 6, 2007. It was a beauty and I visited it many times,” in a comment to Allan Hall’s article, “The Spring Flower Show of 2005” posted on this web site.

It was a sight to behold, a magnificent towering desert sentinel standing guard near the mouth of Unida wash where it enters the Hassayampa River. The height was estimated to be 50-1/2 feet reported by Dana Burden, ref [1]. Dennis Orr and I estimated the height to be 56 feet during our visit in April 2007. Actual tape measurements made during our December visit showed the height to be slightly less than 46 feet with a 7 foot circumference at the base and thus perhaps not the tallest after all.

Saguaros die from several causes: frost, winds, bacterial rot, and vandalism. In most cases the cause is freezing which damages the soft tissues thus starting the rotting process. If unable to protect healthy tissue, the decomposition spreads until its death, though the saguaro may continue living for several years after the onset of the damage, ref [2].

In this case, it was evident that most of the cactus was consumed by rot, showing black tar-like fluid oozing from various parts. It appeared one major arm broke off first, weakening the supporting structure and causing unbalance, allowing the main trunk and remaining arms to fall in the opposite direction.

To think that such a towering giant started life from a seed the size of a pinhead – just only one to successfully germinate and grow from the thousands produced each year. Conditions for germination and the early growth years are nearly exacting: right location for soil conditions, protection, moisture and warmth, ref [2]. If successful during this period it will continue to grow around one inch a year and reach heights from 15 to 75 feet and live as long as 200 years. The conditions for this beauty were obviously good: remote and well sheltered in a wash with access to plenty of water. Its age is estimated to be well over 100 years.

References:

[1] Desert Hiking, Out Wickenburg Way by Dana W. Burden, Library of Congress Control Number 2004095910, is available in a number of shops in Downtown Wickenburg, including the Old Livery Mercantile, which also sells the book online.

[2] Saguaro Cactus Facts by Alethea Steingisser, http://www.naturesmoods.net/saguaro.htm