Friday’s hike started at the Trailhead Staging Area. Eleven of us hiked the Scenic Trail and then a smaller group of us hiked out to the site of the ranch homestead. We finished up by hiking back on part of Stoneman Wash.
Below is a group photo. (There were too many new names for me to remember…)
Ranger Amy tells the group about a petroglyph that can be seen along the Scenic Trail:
Amy and Nick lead the way along the Scenic Trail:
A coil of barbed wire and a fence post remind us that the area was once a ranch:
The steep bank of a wash near the old homestead:
This clay pit (below) is just off the Pemberton Trail somewhat past the site of the old homestead. I’ve been told that clay was mined here for a short period of time with the intent of making clay water pipes. If it weren’t for the invention of PVC pipe, the area might have been very heavily mined for clay.
Four Peaks can be seen in the distance.
We saw some Desert Broom flowers that had gone to seed in some of the washes:
Hiking down one of the feeders to Stoneman Wash:
Hiking up a short, but steep hill leading out of Stoneman Wash:
The arrow points at Nancy:
Two of our hiking group with the McDowells in the background:
