HAPPY TRAILS & LEAVE NO TRACE

"Please Leave no Trace"

I find it hard to believe that some people do not practice "Leave no Trace". Our campsite here at Picket Post is a well used horse area it is kind of hard to leave no trace. I took a couple days off of riding and Darrell myself and his girlfriend Edna cleaned up most of the campsite. I not sure if some of you horse people know but if you toss the manure on the pear cactus it kills them. It was sad to see so many dead cactus in camp and so much dried horse manure. We decided to start a burn pile and burn all the dead cactus and manure. It really cleaned the camp site up. Also we now haul our manure out of camp to spread in where there is no cactus and this way camp is not full of manure and flies. 

Before I started cleaning camp up I took Ron and Alan to the trail just above the Wagon tracks

They were going to do a loop back to camp. This was Ron's first ride on a mule. 

This is one of the almost dead cactus's that is covered in hay and horse manure

This is the back side of our campsite covered in manure and dead cactus. 

This is the same area after the clean up

It is amazing how well dried horse pop burns 

We raked all the poo out from under the trees and did some rock gardens 

Our campsite free of horse manure

Found this little guy under one of the dead cactus we found him a new home under a live cactus. 

In the mean time Alan and Ron were having a good ride

The next day we also decide to give the horses another day off. We have been riding some long trails and putting some good miles on our horses. 

We took a drive to Globe AZ. Globe is kind of an old mining town. They are still mining Globe area. There are some really cool old buildings there and some nice tourist shops like the Pickle Barrel. 

This is the town of Superior AZ only minutes from camp. They have almost everything you need but a laundry mat. 

Once you leave Superior AZ  you head up into the mountains. You go through a lovely canyon called Queen Creek Canyon. 

Rock formations are tall Hodo's

The main street in the Historical part of Globe

Some of the old buildings 

The Pickle Barrel Trading Post 

Heading back to Picket Post 

Almost back to Superior AZ

Another prefect sunset in the Arizona skies

Happy Trails 

OMG! OMG! THIS IS THE BEST TRAIL EVER!!!

There is a little story behind this title.The first time some of us Canadian found this trail we were with a Arizonian rider. She knows who she is LOL, anyway she had never ridden this trail and her reaction is the above title of this blog. Yes it is one of the best trails ever. 

Again we are camping and riding at Picket Post. You will find directions on earlier post on how to get to Picket Post. Below is a Map of the "OMG Best Trail EVER!!

We rode the pink part of the trail it is about 11 miles around a 4 to 5 hour loop. There are some parts that are a little bit of a challenge but on the most part a pretty good safe trail.

Our friend Katherine Cerra from Buckeye AZ joined us with her Mule Floppy. 

Katherine and Floppy

Because it was a hot day we rode the south side of the mountain first and then around through the canyon part coming home. 

The first part of the trail winds around the base of the south side of Picket Post mountain 

Say to the left when the rocks markers come up the trail will take you to a gravel road follow the road until you see more rock piles on the left. This is were you start to get into a narrow canyon. 

When you see this start looking for the rock piles to take the trail to the left off the gravel road

Almost at trail to left 

The first part of the trail is through this draw. 

Incredible Rock formations through the canyon 

This area is called Arnett Canyon. There is no shortage of water over on this side as the creek wined it's self through the Canyon. You do many creek crosses. 

This was a super place for lunch water for the horses and shade for all of us. 

This is the deepest crossing

I love this shot our friend Katherine took of me and my stallion "The Huntsman"

The rock formations just keep coming up around every corner of the trail

The most part the footing on the trail is just lovely

This is another cool rock out on the trail

We finish the ride at the windmill to water the horses 

The back to camp

Sitting around the fire with some good friends and a view of Picket post in the back ground. We had a Mexican Pot Luck. 

Another Cool sunset 

"Happy Trails" too you until me meet again :)