"A Night at Reavis Ranch"

That weekend, John was determined to go backpacking. We had not gone backpacking since our trip to Paria Canyon, and now that National Skydiving Championships were over and all of the relatives were back home, it was time for us to make another trip into the backcountry. Not only was John determined to go backpacking, but he was also determined to go to Reavis Ranch. In the past, we had been unable to get there, because each of the trailheads along the Reavis Ranch Trail #109 were inaccessible to us - they required a four-wheel drive vehicle to get there. The Roger's Trough Trailhead, for example, was a decent road except for the last half of a mile, which was fairly rugged. It was one of those roads where John has said, "Yeah, the van probably could have made it, but I wouldn't have risked it." But now we had Iris, our Jeep Grand Cherokee. Now we could get there. Of course, now that we were able to get to where we wanted to go, we had a bigger challenge ahead of us: what to do with all of that weight that we have to carry. At fifteen months old, Mary was starting to get too big to carry in a fully-packed "Limo" - she already weighed twenty-five pounds - and yet, even if she could walk, there was no way that she could hike six miles without having to be carried part of the way. Although John and I have been trying to lose weight to make it easier for us to hike, we were still going to be faced with the issue of pack weight. In order to try to resolve the situation, John and I did a little experiment for this trip, to see if we could better distribute the weight that we carry. Instead of packing the "Limo" with the heavier equipment, we decided to carry clothing, diapers, and toiletries in an effort to make the pack as light as possible before adding Mary to the weight. Then, in lieu of packing my smaller ladies' backpack, John pulled out his large backpack and stuffed it to capacity with the sleeping bags, the tent, the food, and the rest of the equipment. It was quite heavy, but with the weight distributed evenly throughout the pack, there wasn't a problem carrying it. The next part of the experiment would involve carrying the packs. John suggested that I try carrying the "Limo", while he carried his bigger, heavier backpack. However, during the steep climbs and descents, we would switch packs, because he knew that I would have balance problems if I tried to carry the bulky "Limo" up and down hills. I agreed to give it a try. So, on Saturday morning, bright and early in the morning, we loaded our backpacks into the Jeep and left for the Roger's Trough Trailhead. After stopping for bagels and coffee at Einstein's, we merged onto the freeway and made our way south to US 60, which we took east to Florence Junction. Along the way, we listened to commentary about the World Series on KTAR - game six would be taking place that night. Naturally, we were going miss the game because we didn't have a transistor radio to take with us into the backcountry. (I was a little disappointed that I was going to miss this game - especially since the Diamondbacks were down three game to two, having lost all three games in New York. If they lost game six, the series would be over.) The trip to the Roger's Trough Trailhead was a familiar one to us, as we had been there before. In December 1998, we hiked from the Woodbury Trailhead to Angel Basin, where we found ancient Indian cave dwellings that are still intact today. To get there, we took US 60 to the Queen Valley turn-off then turned right onto Hewitt Station Road (FR 357). This good dirt road follows the abandoned railroad tracks for three miles before bringing us to JF Road (FR 172). Here, we turned left and followed this road for several more miles. Except for a few steep sections and dry creek crossings, FR 172 is not a bad road and only requires a high clearance vehicle all the way to the Woodbury Trailhead. Eight miles later, we came to a junction with FR 172A, which we would take another three miles to the Roger's Trough Trailhead. (To go to Woodbury, we would have continued another 1.5 miles on FR 172.) Here, the road was still not bad aside from a few steep sections that would have been ugly in bad weather, even in the Jeep. It wasn't until we reached the end of the road that we found the part that required a four-wheel drive vehicle - the road became very rugged and uneven, to the point where even our old van would have had trouble. In order to get past this part, John put the Jeep into low gear and let it crawl over the rocks until at last we were back on good road…at which point, we were at the trailhead! And what a crowded trailhead it was! When we arrived, we found that there were already six or seven four-wheel drive vehicles parked there - we weren't expecting there to be so many people there, not at a trailhead as remote as Roger's Trough. Of course, most of them were probably day hikers going to see the ruins at Angel Basin (which were only 4.5 miles away), so it was likely that we weren't going to see anyone at all. We took a few moments at the trailhead to prep for the long hike ahead of us. After putting on sunscreen and changing Mary's diaper, we did our last minute packing, making sure that we had everything that we would need for a cold night in the Superstitions, including Mary's jacket and extra blanket. Then, John helped me put the "Limo" on my back… Oof! That morning, I gained a new appreciation for the sacrifices that John makes in the name of recreation. As soon as I had the Limo on my back, I felt my spine begin to shrink, and it wasn't long before my shoulders began to ache from the way that the pack pulled on them. Unlike a normal backpack, the Kelty child carrier does not distribute the weight evenly between the shoulders and the hips, which makes it difficult to carry when it is fully loaded. On top of that, the pack is very bulky and awkward, which changes your center of gravity (much like being pregnant but carrying the bulk in your back). To make matters worse, the weight constantly shifts as the child moves around in the seat. If Mary was to fall asleep, for example, she would naturally try to lay to one side, which would cause all of the weight to fall onto that side. All I can say is this: John must really love us to put himself through the pain of carrying Mary around on his back so that we can have a wonderful adventure in the backcountry. He's a very brave man for doing what he does. After a mile, we came to a very steep section, where the trail descended quickly towards Roger's Creek. This part proved very difficult for me; I already have balance problems, and carrying the "Limo" only compounded them. I had to hike that section at a painstakingly slow pace in order to make it to the bottom without falling down. Upon reaching the bottom, we both decided that I just wasn't meant to carry the Limo - it was time for us to switch packs. We took a short break in Roger's Creek to give Mary a chance to burn off some of her pent-up energy before continuing along the trail. Now that she is a toddler, it is necessary for us to do that often, because otherwise she becomes antsy and starts whining. Those frequent breaks really slow down our pace, but at least the hike is quieter! Having rested my shoulders, it was time to continue on our hike. John helped me put on his backpack, which, despite the extra weight, rode much better than the Limo, because it wasn't as awkward. I was able to carry it without a problem for the rest of the trip. A half of a mile later, we came to the junction with the Roger's Trough Trail, which goes to the ruins at Angel Basin. Here, we continued straight on the Reavis Ranch Trail #109, at which point the trail began to climb at a slight grade as it entered Grave Canyon. We had a few creek crossings along the way and had to hike through some of my "favorite" stuff - the catclaw mimosas - but for the most part, the journey was quite pretty. At mile 2.3, we stopped to take another break, because we had reached the site of Reavis' grave. Located about 100 feet off of the trail, Elisha Reavis' grave is one of those places that hikers should go see once, just to pay homage or whatever, but the grave itself it not very impressive. It is not marked, so it is difficult to find it if you don't know what you are looking for. Even if you do know what it looks like, it is possible to miss it completely. Reavis' grave is nothing more than a large pile of rocks - not very impressive when you compare that to the cemetery at Lonely Dell (in Paria Canyon, at Lee's Ferry) or to any of today's gravesites. However, it is interesting to note that that was how people lived and died in that time period. Reavis spent many years, battling the elements - the extreme temperatures, the wild animals, the Indians - while trying to run his ranch. Then he died. There was no need for a fancy burial plot or a funeral. He was simply laid to rest and covered with the rocks of his land. John and I visited Reavis' grave separately - John went first to scout out the spur trail, to make sure that it was passable. After he returned, I took my turn, fighting my way past the catclaw mimosas on my way there. Once we were finished, we put our packs back on and continued up the trail. As soon as we were on the trail again, we began the long, steady climb up to Reavis Saddle. Although the climb did not sound as bad on paper - only seven hundred feet in seven-tenths of a mile - it did turn out to be a bit of a groaner for me. About halfway up, the heat was starting to get to me, too, so I was getting somewhat sick. Although summer was officially over, we were still in the middle of a heat spell, with temperatures in the eighty-degree range - higher than normal for that time of the year. Despite it all, though, we eventually made it to Reavis Saddle, just in time for lunch. Reavis Saddle was the perfect spot for us to have our lunch. We snacked on carrots, celery sticks, and apples under the shade of a juniper tree, at a cool elevation of 5,300 feet. Having reached the top, we were no longer in the high desert, among the catclaw mimosas and the scrub oaks. Instead, we found ourselves among the manzanitas and the pinions and junipers - it was quite a lovely change. And that was only the beginning. The hard work was over, and now it was time to reap the rewards. After taking a family picture, we packed up our packs again and continued along the trail. As we left Reavis Saddle, the landscape began to change again, as we found ourselves winding through grasslands, among ponderosa pines and junipers. At times, the grass was so tall that it was almost impossible to see the trail - we had to trust our feet to stay in the rut that was the trail and hope that there weren't any rattlesnakes underfoot. This three-mile section of the trail is described as one of the most pleasant hikes in the Superstitions, and in my opinion, it is. Not only was the scenery beautiful, but the hike itself was one of the easiest that we had ever done. Between Reavis Saddle and Reavis Ranch, the trail drops a mere four hundred feet over three miles, making it a very gentle downhill hike. I liked that, because it gave me more time to enjoy the scenery. But one thing still worried me: was there water at Reavis Ranch? I had called the forest service during the week to find out if there was water at Reavis Ranch, and she had replied that there was "a little bit". However, we had not yet found any water at all in Reavis Creek so far, and we were more than halfway there. Naturally, we were becoming quite concerned that this was going to be a short trip. At mile 4.7, we stopped to take break at another important landmark: the giant juniper tree. In the Hiker's Guide to the Superstitions, the author described this tree as so large that not even four hikers holding hands would be able to go around this tree. Based on that description, it was hard to visualize it until I actually saw it with my own eyes - and wow, it was indeed a very large tree! We took out our tarp and spread it down on the ground so that Mary would have a place to sit to enjoy a handful of Goldfish crackers. As we rested, a group of backpackers passed by us: two men and their young sons. They were coming from Reavis Ranch, where they had just spent the night. John and I stopped them to ask if they had found any water there, and they replied that there was a lot of water, not more than a half an hour away. That was great news! Before leaving to complete our trip to Reavis Ranch, we took a few pictures of the giant tree - including one very cute picture of Mary sitting on a knot in the tree. For us, it was a great way to remember such an impressive tree. As we continued down the trail, we soon came to a spot of mud next to a creek crossing…and soon thereafter, we found water! We also found many, many day hikers. The first group we encountered stopped us to ask for directions to the Circle of Stones, which could be found by hiking cross-country off of the Fire Line Trail #118 - a trail that was impacted by bulldozers coming in to fight the Iron Burn of 1966. The spur trail leading to the Circle of Stones is a hiker-maintained trail and is not signed, which would make it difficult to find without a map. Fortunately, these intrepid explorers had a topo map - they were going to try to find it. We wished them luck and continued on. Just before we came to Reavis Ranch, we found the perfect campsite…and it was full of tents! Not the least bit discouraged, though, we hiked further down the trail, knowing that we would not be hard-pressed to find a campsite - there were supposed to be many, many campsites near the Ranch. We stopped to drop our packs at the first one that we came to, but before setting up camp, we decided to go exploring a bit, to see if we could find something better. With Mary riding on his shoulders, John led the way to Reavis Ranch, which was about a tenth of a mile from where we had dropped our packs. Reavis Ranch was first established by Elisha Marcus Reavis in 1874. He was the first white settler to establish himself in the Superstitions. Unlike the other settlers who would follow, Reavis was not a cattle rancher but a gardener. He cultivated the land to grow vegetables to be sold the neighboring communities. Often called the "Hermit of the Superstition Mountains", he built himself a cabin in the Valley (now known as Reavis Valley) and lived there until his death in 1896, at the age of 69 years old. Reavis died on the trail between his home and the town of Pinal, and he was buried on the site where he passed away. After Reavis' death, a local cattle rancher by the name of Jack Fraser took over Reavis Ranch. In 1909, Fraser sold Reavis Ranch to the Clemens Cattle Company, in hopes of promoting a resort that was to be built there - the Pineair Resort, which never came to fruition. In 1966, the Iron Burn destroyed most of the ranch; in 1984, another fire completed the destruction. Very little of Reavis Ranch remains today, except for some stone structures and a foundation where the house used to be. There are also many mechanical devices left behind, including a plow and a pump. One of the things that Reavis left behind were his apple trees, which provide autumn hikers with a nice treat. We encountered one group of hikers on a quest to find these apples; they stopped us to ask if we had found any of them. Apparently, there weren't any apples to be found this year - no one has maintained these trees in about 100 years, so it is possible that these trees are not producing anymore fruit. Although most of the historical landmarks are gone, I was still quite impressed with Reavis Ranch. The site at which Elisha Reavis had chosen to settle was indeed idyllic, with cool spring water flowing nearby and grass as tall as "the belly of a horse" (as it had once been described by Reavis himself). And, we were lucky enough to be there at just the right time, too. Since it was autumn, the leaves on the oak and sycamore trees were just beginning to turn orange and red. The late afternoon sun was casting down upon them at that moment, bringing fire to those bright colors. It was one of those places you would not expect to find in Arizona - not this close to Phoenix, anyway. Now I know why Reavis had chosen it. Finding an alternate campsite proved more difficult than we had though, but only because there were so many to choose from! We eventually settled for one site at the base of an old tree, only a few hundred feet from the site at which we had dropped our packs. It was close to the creek, but far enough away from the trail to allow us a little privacy. While John played with Mary, I set up our campsite, making sure that we had everything done before the sun went down. Then, I took Mary into the tent and put sweats on her to prepare her for the cold night ahead - there was no doubt at all that it was going to be incredibly cold that night, and we were bound and determined to keep Mary as warm as possible. And, as predicted, just before sunset, we felt the temperature drop several degrees, and it wasn't long after that that John and I started putting on our jackets and long pants, too. At sunset, John cooked dinner for all of us - macaroni and cheese for Mary, and the usual one-pot chicken and pasta meal for ourselves. Once that was finished, he set about to try to get a fire going. It took him most of the evening, but he did eventually get a warm fire going…just in time for Mary to fall asleep in my arms at 6:00 p.m.! I had half-expected Mary to put up a fight at bedtime or to try to crawl into the fire, as she was so fond of doing. Instead, I found myself with this beautiful, perfect little sleeping angel in my arms, all bundled up against the cold air. I guess all of the excitement of the day had tuckered her out, and all she wanted to do was sleep. It was a perfect way to end the day. Just before 7:00 p.m., we brought our sleeping beauty into the tent to get her ready for bed. Without waking her, we quickly stripped her down, changed her diaper, and bundled her back up again. To ensure that she kept warm overnight, we first dressed her in a terry-cloth sleeper, then put a blanket sleeper over that. To top it off, we put her hooded sweatshirt back on her, so that she would have something to cover her little bald head. Once she was dressed, we placed her in the makeshift sleeping bag that I had constructed for her, using a baby-sized comforter, folded in half and sewn on two sides. To block out the cold air, we added another blanket to the inside of the sleeping bag. In the end, she looked like a little burrito, but at least she was warm. John and I didn't last much longer after that - we managed to stay awake until 8:00 p.m. By then, all I could think about was curling up in my nice warm sleeping bag, cinching down the string until I was completely mummied in it… As I closed my eyes that night to go to sleep, after I was all snug in my sleeping bag, I heard something that I never imagined I would hear in the Superstitions - I could hear our neighbors! Occasionally, I could hear several of them hooting and hollering into the night, and it left me wondering if they were listening to game six of the World Series… In the middle of the night, the sounds of our neighbors fell silent and were soon replaced by the howling of the wind. The weather system that was supposed to arrive in the state on Sunday night had arrived a little bit early. Around the same time, I noticed that Mary had crawled out of her sleeping bag and was now laying on her blanket on the floor of the tent. I emerged from my sleeping bag to put her back into hers, only to discovered that the chill was gone - it had unbelievably warmed up during the night. Mary was probably too warm in all of her bundles, so she had to do something to keep from overheating. As for me, I did not feel the need to mummy myself in the bag anymore, as the temperature was quite comfortable for the rest of the night. The approaching weather, however, had John quite worried. He spent most of the night listening to the wind and watching the clouds gather overhead - and he did not like the looks of it. At five a.m., he finally decided that it was time to get up and start packing to go. John let Mary and me sleep until 6:00 a.m. - that was when I finally heard him cleaning up our campsite. He explained to me that the weather was looking threatening and that we should probably think about getting out of camp as early as possible. With that, I quickly got myself and Mary ready to go. After eating a quick breakfast, we finished packing up our gear, and at 7:10 a.m., we began our hike back to the trailhead. The hike to Reavis Saddle was a somewhat easy hike that we managed to accomplish in an hour and a half, without taking a break. Gaining only four hundred feet in three miles, it was not a difficult trek at all. On top of that, it had begun to drizzle lightly on us, which prompted us to hike a little bit faster than usual. The drizzle did not last very long at all - in fact, there wasn't even enough rain to wet our T-shirts. By the time we reached Reavis Saddle, just before 9:00 a.m., the rain had stopped completely, and the sun was beginning to poke through the clouds. Of course, that didn't mean that we were out of the woods yet. While resting on Reavis Saddle, we were whipped by cold winds that forced us to cut our break short. After we left Reavis Saddle, it was all downhill, for the most part. Though it was a groaner going uphill to the saddle, coming down was a piece of cake and only took us half the time. At that rate, we knew that we were going to be off of the trail before lunch. It wasn't long after that before we began to see the first of the day hikers. We passed by several small groups of hikers along the way, and each time, we stopped and stepped off to the side of the trail to let them pass. We heard lots of comments about what a cute baby we have, etc., etc., but not once did we ask them who won the game last night! Finally, less than a mile before the end of the hike, we actually encountered someone we knew…or, at least, John knew him! His name was Joe, and he was on Kevin Vetter's parachuting (canopy formations) team. We spent a few minutes talking to him and his wife about the trail. They had been to Reavis Ranch many times themselves, but had never been to the ruins, so we convinced them to go there, as it was something they would enjoy. And, before sending them on their way, we asked them who won game six - we were very happy to hear that the Diamondbacks had beaten the Yankees 15-2! The series was tied, and game seven would be taking place that evening. Just after we left Joe and his wife, we began our last climb of the day: the steep uphill climb from Roger's Creek to the top. Although we had done this particular hike before, during our hike to Angel Basin, we had forgotten just how steep it was! It took us a considerable amount of time to complete that quarter- to half-mile stretch of trail…but after that, it was an easy flat hike all the way back to the trailhead… …So how did I manage to twist my ankle a tenth of a mile from the car? I'm not sure, but all I can say is that I'm glad I did it there, and not at Reavis Ranch! I was able to limp the last little bit of the trail without a lot of pain. (Fortunately, it wasn't as bad as I thought - the pain was temporary, and there was no damage done.) We arrived at the Jeep around 11:00 a.m. Instead of leaving right away, though, we lingered around the trailhead for about a half an hour while we ate snacks and played with Mary - we needed her to burn off some of her pent-up energy again, before we strapped her into her car seat. Otherwise, the ride home would have been very noisy! Of course, it was noisy anyway, as Mary threw a fit when John took away her Goldfish crackers. So, in order to appease her, I made the mistake of giving her back the Ziploc bag containing her crackers. As one can imagine, the combination of a toddler, Goldfish crackers, and a four-wheel drive road was not exactly the neatest - we are still cleaning those little orange pieces out of the Jeep - but at least she was happy. We managed to make it back to the pavement on US 60 without incident, and about an hour later, we were home. After unloading our backpacks from the Jeep, we couldn't wait to call John's parents to tell them about the hike. They, too, have always wanted to see Reavis Ranch. We have decided that we are going to return there in March 2002, this time with Bill and Erika. And so, another wonderful adventure had come to a close. We had finally been to the incredible Reavis Ranch. Though we were exhausted from the trip, we were glad that the trip had gone so well and that we had made it to our destination. Then, to conclude our perfect weekend, we stayed home that evening to watch game seven of the World Series and saw the Diamondbacks win the championship! Life is good!

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