Fossil Springs
temps ranging from 70’s to 40’s, 2 hr drive from Phoenix, Colleen Hunt, Glenda Cope, Judy Eidson
Thinking we were leaving on Monday through Wed we would have the upper canyon to ourselves, wrong. Looks like college is still having spring break but no backpackers till we came out. It is 4 miles to the spring, but you can do adl 11 miles to go to the south & picked up there which maybe a good idea for future hikes. There are signs everywhere how many people they rescue each year including no fires. Does anyone read these signs?
One of the 1st things we encounter as we hike down from 5100 ft are 3 young 14 yrs to 20’s year olds carry 1 gal jug of water for the 3 of them, no hat, sunscreen,food, sandles/sneakers & smoking pot. Long story short time they got to 3800 ft they were ready to go back up as they were sunburned, tired & getting late. So we helped them out with water purification tablets & sunscreen. We found a beautiful site not far from the spring,
the temp of water is around 70 degree’s year round so perfect! The next morning early was a animal scratching at both Colleen & Glenda’s head. Whoops left food in the tent vs hanging it, that did not happen again for the next night. We did a day hike to the dam, old homestead what a nice surprise, the pictures can tell the story.
The blackberry bushes are very overgrown so this should be a great year for the berry pickers! As we continued our hike on the Flume Road we past some day hikers we met earlier in the day that had a fire going, even though there is signs everywhere including right where they were –no fires. Colleen politely informed them that there was high wind advisories out, no fires & that there were forest serve people out. They said they would put it out?? The scenery looking down on the creek was breath taking.
After a exerting dayhike “NOT”, we had lunch by the creek & enjoyed ripples of the water, smells & the lush watercress that surrounded us. Its so seldom we get to hear or be by flowing water, what a treat!
We continued on to the trail that leads to the other side of the springs, it is just as beautiful! Lovely campsites there also but for some reason I have then & in the past going only so far & turn around so I do not know where or how far that trail leads.
Colleen is at the far end of this picture, she thought it was a better advantage view point! The day & night only got better as we had trail ale, snacks & a full moon to look forward too! 
The full moon brought out our little creature that was sniffing at our tent the night before Peppe le pew! He was in for a surprise as the food was hanging high in a tree! 
The trip out was more people taking hikes in including the sheriff, & search n rescue, hopefully it was not for our friends the 1st day but they mentioned clean up. We stopped going in to Fossil Creek Creamery Goat & Llama Farm, so we also stopped going out to pick up some of there wonderful soap, fudge,& lotion. I do believe that is the 1st time I’ve ever seen a baby goat born, how wonderful that was! Momma did a great job & the baby was up & walking & us holding them in 
minutes! A great trip by all!
A trip I have been wanting to do for a long time so finally the time has come! Connie, June, Nancy & I headed out from Pnx, it took 2 1/2 hrs to get to Rogers Trough & 200 miles later. Temps were in the 70s for the high & 29 to 32 for low.
The next day we did a day hike to the ranch which was only 1/4 mi from where we camped, to my surprise all the apple trees were in bloom! Oh my gosh I thought most of them had died off since they are quite old, so this fall there should be plenty of apples. I miss the old ranch house, only a foundation stands, vinca still come up around the steps, old machinery still lay around. I had seen the place before it burned down but no matter what its still beautiful! We also met up with a solo hiker that was doing section hikes of the Arizona Trail, she was a stewart from passage 40b, I believe her name was Liz Good. 
This time of year it gets very cold at night so be prepared for that as day temps you sweat like its summer and freeze like its winter! Also best to be aware of unusual activity from animals as at the trailhead mentioned rabid fox in area. Here are a few flowers & bushes that were in bloom, fernbush, catclaw acacia, juniper, oak, ponderosa pine, western wallflower,firecracker, desert marigold, thistle, fleabane, tidy tips, tufted evening primrose, verbena, love grass.
First backpack for the New Year. Starting off the season with a Rookie Carolyn Mahon Cope, first time with a backpack on & she did great, also Glenda Cope, Connie Simmons, Nancy Vail Colleen Hunt & Judy Eidson. The Rookie was promised a Paris hike, this is what it’s called from Hikengirls nice & easy- like a hike where you can hike out incase you run out of trail ale ;).
Meadows(near Devil’s Post Pile) so the next day we would have a full day to do laundry, resupply & have a good meal, we did take zero day at Muir Ranch. This ranch was a delight, as you enter there is a backpackers bell that you ring to have friendly staff greet you. There was a cowboy training a colt, happy dogs ready to go with the mule packers & 2 close to 80 year olds cowgirls that could tell you stories that made you smile!
it’s like doing the Grand Canyon each day if not twice a day but the views are breathtaking and worth every step. Some of the passes were very windy and cold
there was three small storms that rolled through while we were there between wind, rumbling threating clouds, rain and some small hail. 
There is no place to potty, all granite. You will receive wag bag (yep also known as a potty bag or a bag with kinda like clumping cat liter) at the ranger station when you pass through – they are a must! We started out at 5:30 a.m. the next morning with our trail family Gordon & Annie. You get to a Y before you either going up to Mount Whitney or head down to Whitney Portal,
we reach the Y approximately 8:00am. The side trip to Mount Whitney is only 1 1/2 miles,
It was dedicated 9-5-1905 83 years ago the day we were there, and the hut was built-in 1909 which has a book that you can sign in. As I looked around and took deep breaths of all we experienced in 3 weeks, once again I said to myself – It’s not the destination it was the journey that got me there that made the trip! There is nothing like being on a hikers high!
Plus a cafe that had the best pancake that overlapped 2-10 inch plates that feed 5 of us!
Hope you enjoy the pictures!