Yavapai Group
Grand Canyon Chapter
Hikers wading the river
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Yavapai Group, Grand Canyon Chapter, Sierra Club
Sierra Club Outings
Hikes
General Info:
Pre-reservation required for all hikes: contact Gary Beverly by email, or call 928-636-2638 (email strongly preferrerd!).
Bring your camera. We'll learn about the conservation issues threatening our Verde River. The Verde River is severely threatened by ATV's, water pollution, and groundwater pumping that will eventually transform the Upper Verde into a dry wash, destroying the riparian habitat of several threatened and endangered species. You may ask for photos of the area.
Oct 24
Hike The Verde: Part 1 Perkinsville Bridge to Bear Siding. "B"
(7 mi, 100' EC), all day
After shuttling vehicles (2WD, 12 mi), we'll bushwhack down the Verde River 7 mi through a very pretty and wild part of the river. There is no trail: be prepared to push through the brush and wade the river. This will be a long day, but there is outstanding scenery and photography with fall colors. Lots of wading required.
Nov 1
Hike The Verde: Part 2 Hell Point to Bull Basin. "B" (7 mi, 600' EC), all day
After shuttling vehicles (4WD, 7 mi), we'll bushwhack down the Verde River 7 mi through the most isolated and beautiful section of the river. There is no trail: be prepared to push through the brush and wade the river. This will be a long day, but there is outstanding scenery and photography, including a cliff dwelling, a ruin, and wildlife. Lots of wading required.
Nov 14
Hike The Verde: Part 3 Upper Verde River Wildlife Area to Stillman Lake. "C+" (6 mi, 200' EC), 9 AM - 3 PM
We'll hike up the Verde River to Granite Creek, stopping for lunch at Verde Springs using informal trails. Possible climb up to a 12 room ruin. No wading required.
Oct 17
Hike The Verde: Part 4 Stillman Lake & Verde Springs. "C" (4 mi, 200' EC), 9 AM - 2 PM
Entering through private property (with permission), we will hike down Granite Creek to the Verde River, then down the Verde into the new Nature Conservancy property to view beaver dams and Verde Springs, the source of the base flow. After lunch, we'll hike upstream along the shore of Stillman Lake to see more birds and petroglyphs. Easy, pretty, and cool hike, lots of fun and info! No wading required.
(not currently scheduled)
Hike the Verde: Part 5 Sycamore Creek to Mormon Pocket. "B" (12 mi, 600' EC), all day
We'll bushwhack up the Verde River 6 mi through a wild spectacular part of the river. There is no trail: be prepared to push through the brush, wade the river, and view outstanding scenery as we walk through the home of Osprey and Bald Eagles. Bring your camera. We'll learn about the conservation issues threatening this wonderful river: the Verde River is severely threatened by groundwater pumping that will transform the Upper Verde into a dry wash, destroying the riparian habitat of 6 threatened and endangered species. Ask for photos of the area. Reservation required.
(not currently scheduled)
Woodchute Mt "B-" (7 mi, 600' EC), all day
We will walk a good trail through the Woodchute Wilderness to the top of Woodchute Mt. On top, there are wonderful views of the entire Verde Valley, Sycamore Canyon, San Francisco Peaks, and Bill Williams Mt. Bring lunch and water. Pre-reservation required.
Volunteer Outings
Saturday, November 14
VERDE RIVER GREENWAY: Verde River Restoration Project
We will be removing invasive Tamarisk, Tree of Heaven, and Giant Reed from the river corridor. Please lend a hand. It's a beautiful time of year down by the river and you'll get to work with some wonderful people. What you need: Long-sleeve shirt and pants, gloves, sturdy shoes, a water bottle (we will have water dispensers to refill your water bottle) and snacks. Please bring loppers and hand saws if you have them, but they are not required. There will be plenty of work just swamping out the slash.
Location: At the Tuzigoot River Access Point in Clarkdale, Arizona. From the junction of Hwy. 260 and I-17, follow Hwy 260 into the City of Cottonwood to the intersection of Hwy 260 and Hwy 89A. Turn left on 89A and continue straight through Cottonwood on Main Street. After passing through Old Town Cottonwood, Main Street becomes Broadway as it enters Clarkdale. Turn right off of Broadway on to Tuzigoot Road before Clarkdale and cross the Tuzigoot Bridge, which leads to Tuzigoot National Monument. Immediately after crossing the Tuzigoot Bridge, turn right on a dirt road which leads to a large parking area near the Verde River. This parking area is the staging area for our project. Contacts: Marsha Foutz, Friends of VRG, mfoutz@commspeed.net; Sharon Kim, National Park Service, Sharon_Kim@nps.gov; Chip Norton, Friends of VRG, condors@commspeed.net
Friday-Sunday, November 13-15, all weekend
Warm Springs Wilderness Maintenance
This project in the Warm Springs Wilderness near Kingman is CRITICAL for the well-being of native wildlife within the wilderness, such as bighorn sheep. This amazing trip will offer wildlife, spectacular pre-historic sites, and petroglyphs. You will experience the unique ecological mix of the Sonoran and Mohave Deserts and enjoy the beautiful weather this time of year. The native wildlife of Warm Springs needs our help! This is a rugged backcountry service project guided by AWC with assistance from the Backcountry Horsemen of Arizona. We encourage those who are comfortable in backcountry environments to join us on this trip, which will help repair fencing around the three warm springs for which the wilderness is named. This is a long-overdue project: wild burros have done significant damage to existing fencing and are keeping native wildlife from accessing critical water supplies the springs provide. Trip Details: Hiking and moderate-to-strenuous fence breakdown and installation work will be part of the experience.
Participants will be spending two nights (11/13 and 11/14) out under the stars. Please check weather/temperature ratings and bring what you need to be comfortable. For more information on where to meet and other questions, contact Sam Frank at 928-830-8499; RSVP at sfrand@azwild.org.
This page was last updated on November 7, 2009