This weekend we decide to drive to slightly higher elevations so we enjoy cooler temperatures and after mulling over a few ideas we settle on Deer Creek Trailhead. We have been here before but not lately and there are still a few areas left to explore. The drive to the parking lot is uneventful and there are places to park so soon we are on our way.
Our first goal is a ridge visible from the parking lot. We are planning to take established trails until we get closer and then walk up the ridge to reach a geocache that hasn’t been visited in a while.
The best laid plans can go wrong really fast and we know that so we keep an eye on our goal as we hike on the maintained trail. We notice relatively fast that a wash is separating us from the ridge and the farther we go the bigger the descent would be. So we pick a spot and descend into the wild wash before climbing on the other side relatively close to the ridge.
It is spring in Arizona and that can be seen by the multitude of wildflowers we encounter on our hike, with Tuber Anemone being some of the most common ones.
We are happy that the crest has a wildlife trail that is quite well defined in places and we follow it, finding caches along the way. Of course given that it is a wildlfe trail it can disappear suddenly, luckily the crest is easy to follow.
Some of the more interesting plants here are the sugar bush, they look quite out of place in the desert being so green and colorful with the little red flowers.
The last part of the climb to our goal cache is quite difficult but we are rewarded with some beautiful views of the area we climbed through.
Now it is time for the descent, it goes faster as we now know the route. We have to stop though when we notice cows in the distance and we try to assess if they will make it to the trail before us (spoiler alert: they didn’t). We also hear a loud motor in the vicinity and while initially blaming the highway and then a plane we finally see the real culprit, a motorbike that goes on the official trail, likely something illegal.
With spring come the insects including the butterflies. We see a beautiful Juniper Hairstreak doing his best immitation of a leaf, if we didn’t see it land we would have no idea it is there. And with insects there are birds including sparrows, woodpeckers and a host of other desert birds.
Our second and final goal for the day is the Deer Creek Trail and a new cache along it about two miles in. Here we can follow a maintained trail which is also flat so we make good time along it while enjoying the views.
Along the way we find a few wildflowers framed by two sticks, it is quite beautiful and we don’t resist and take a few photos.
After about 1/2 mile the trail starts to follow Deer Creek which is flowing quite seriously. We are not sure if this is due to the spring snow melt but it is an enjoyable hike in the riparian area.
With water close to the trail there are many trees some of which seem to want to engulf the trail. Luckily there was some trail maintenance done recently and the trail is well defined in this area.
There are quite a few flowers near the water and we have fun taking photos of them from different angles. Soon we arrive at the geocache and after an easy find it is time to start on our return hike.
The return hike is uneventful, with the sunset approaching the views are beautiful and we enjoy the great hike back to the car. We arrive at the car about one hour prior to the official sunset and decide that 8 miles is enough for today so we jump in the car and drive home after a beautiful day out in the mountains.
