AZT 2019 Day 29: Campsite near the East Verde River (mile 479.7) to Sheepherders Tank (mile 504.2)

24.5 miles

The very first task of the day was to climb to the top of the rim. It was less than 2 miles away from where I had camped last night. I left the flowing streams and started what I assumed was a grueling climb.

The climb.

It ended up not being too bad. It was a more sloped section of the rim, not as sheer and dramatic as I had been seeing yesterday. As a result, there weren't any of those great views you might expect at the top of such a significant geologic feature.

Not the view I was imagining. 

What was at the top of the rim was a plaque. The writing made me cringe a little. Apparently, there was a skirmish in which a group of Apaches raided several ranches, and the US Calvary/Indian Scouts hunted them down.

US history, especially regarding native americans, is complicated. I appreciate seeing signs that tell the history of a location, but this plaque made clear who the good guys were and who were the bad guys. It expressed the sentiment of the settlers at the time, but didn't really seem to fit a modern perspective and didn't seem like something that deserved a commemorative plaque. It has cleared angered some people as spray painted over it were the words, “Settlers had it coming.” I didn't exactly agree with that sentiment either, and the conflict entered my thoughts for the next couple miles.

The controversial monument. 

Another bit of history was just beyond the plaque. It was an old cabin that had been maintained by the forest service. The cabin was originally built in 1918 for the purpose of forest management. When you see historic cabins it usually has nothing to do with forest management, so it was a fun and unique find.

Old forest management cabin.

When I originally looked at what was upcoming on the trail north of the rim, I saw lots of forest roads and stock/wildlife tanks as water sources. I figured this would start right as I hit the rim.

To my surprise, the trail just past the rim went through the woods and next to a flowing stem for several miles. The trail mostly crossed the forest roads I had seen on the map, and never joined any of them for very long.

The AZT next to a stream. 

Walking the woods.

Eventually, the trail dipped down to East Clear Creek. There was nice running water here and I stopped for a long lunch break.

East Clear Creek.

After the creek, I walked the woods most of the rest of the day. At one point I came upon Blue Ridge Campground, where I was able to throw out some trash and use the bathroom.

Just past the campground was highway 87, which I would be crossing for the 3rd time. I was focused on looking for the highway itself when I was surprised by a large snake in the coiled position.  I practically jumped to the other side of the trail and luckily it didn't strike.

I quickly took stock of the snake. There was no rattle on the tail, and its head wasn't as triangular shaped as a rattlesnake. I was at a loss for what type of snake it was. It flicked its tongue out at me a couple times, then turned its head and slithered through the grass in the other direction.

Big snake.

A couple miles after I crossed 87, I hit the 500 mile mark of the trail. Beyond that, I kept walking until I hit a forest road. The trail followed this annoying road, which consisted mainly of large rocks. It was definitely an ankle breaker road, just what you want to do at the end if the day.

500 miles!

Finally, I reached Sheepherder Tank. It had to best “reviews” out of all the tanks in the Arizona Trail app. It looked like a small pond. I even discovered hungry little fish swimming around when I went to fill up my filter bag.

Sheepherder Tank.

I looked around the surrounding area and found a previously established single tent site. It was a perfect fit so that is where I set up for the night. I was definitely feeling those 24.5 miles.

My home for the night.