Trailblazers. [photo by Vicky]

Burt Perry, Scott Green, Bud Tasch

Three hikers showed up on a cloudy chilly Saturday morning, where we began hiking 1.2 miles on Forest Road 323, a rutted 4 x 4 road that made for an easy uphill climb revealing gorgeous Verde Valley vistas.

Wildflowers cheer us. [photos by Vicky]

At the half mile point the road crossed a major wash, veered left and ascended the face of a boulder-lined hillside. Soon the first willows appeared, where Little Hackberry Wash spilled over the road in view of a small corral area and cattle guard.

Just before the cattle guard a rough unsigned road spined off to the right, that was Forest Road 9004J that began the second stage of the hike. This ragged road made a gradual climb crossing the wash several times where the willows made this best showing. As the hill closed in on the road, desert hackberry trees that presented as midsized shrubs earlier in the hike suddenly appeared as robust trees.

Burt Perry, Vicky Johnson, Bud Tasch. [photo by Vicky]

At the 2.5 miles point, metal blades of the Little Hackberry Well windmill reached above the canopy of the hike’s granddaddy hackberry. At least 20 feet high this massive specimen hung over the windmill and a small enclosure with a water tank and concrete well that is a haven for bird, wildlife and domestic cattle roaming the surrounding rangeland.

A gate and a windmill keep us company. [photos by Vicky]

We’re in the high country. [photo by Vicky]

Massive prickly pear sits on a boulder. [photo by Vicky]

Do you see what I see? [photo by Vicky]

Tall grass, and a great view. [photo by Vicky]

The road continued for another mile and a half passing by another hackberry tree with a huge raptor nest at the 3-mile point, that terminated at Little Walnut Spring at the head of a shallow canyon. This was our lunch stop.

We continued another 1.5 miles, turned around and headed back to the car. Along the way we saw a herd of seven javelinas rushing into the wash.

Length 8.2 miles
Car Pooling Distance from meeting point: 70.2 miles
Elevation Gain 970 ft (4,706 ft. to 5,399 ft.)
Car Pooler: Scott Green
Leader: Victoria Johnson
Hikers: Burt Perry, Scott Green, Bud Tasch