Sheep Bridge

[ck1]

Earlier this year the Republican ran an article about the Sheep Bridge out past Horseshoe Lake...it was a decent article...and it so happened that the Three Wisemen (two fellow teachers and I) were planning our annual Wiseman Outing...so we decided to follow the article so to speak...

After crossing under a dam spillway, 6 hours, 30 miles, 2 rattlesnakes, 1 coach (or is it choke) snake, an enormous turtle, 2 flat tires, one weird guy, a suspension pull cart and a wonderful day in the desert we were relaxing at a streamside site having a few beverages and burgers.

The journey out the the Sheep Bridge is well worth the efforts.
_________________
-Colin

"The Journey is the Destination"

[Nighthiker]

Did you give any thought to accessing the bridge from the west bank ?

[CatValet]

Oh my Gosh Colin- Who did you know who let you drive across the dam???

There are several Mazatzal W.A. trailheads east of the dam; Sears TH and Davenport Wash come to mind. These wilderness boundary trailheads are all 4-6 miles past the dam on 4x4, or at least high clearance 2x4 roads. This adds the better part of a day to your backpack when carrying a heavy pack and 6-8 qts of agua. This is even more annoying when cowboys from the ranches there drive past you and throw empty beer cans in your pack.....I HATE walking on roads!!!

Supposedly, SRP gave the ranchers a key to the gate and they could drive across while hikers, who everyone knows are all Al-Qaida fedayeen have to walk across. (After all we could damage the dam and the billions of tons of water behind it could threaten Phoenix....ok, the rancher might get his feet wet as dry as it's been.....) Makes a long first day, and having the drive available makes a lots of trips open to three day weekends which would not be with the extra miles on foot.

Oh, please, oh please, tell me it's true.....



The drive up to Sheep's Bridge is nice but very long. I understand the Forest Service is selectively non-maintaining it....dunno about the route in from I-17, it's been a few years.

The bridge area is nice, but if you drive a jeep, all the sheep come running, calling, "Hooooooolie!!"

[ck1]

Sorry buddy..."crossing under the dam spillway" was on mountain bikes...not a truck...though I did see one driving right near the dam, and wondered how he got there...I hear your pain...it would be a long long drive to go around the dam...

We didn't opt for the west side because it looked like about 36 miles...and we figured 30 was good....plus we wanted to ride, not drive...

It was a fantastic day!
_________________
-Colin

"The Journey is the Destination"

[Leva]

This is a bit after the fact, but I thought I would post here because I'm fairly familiar with the road in question from the west side of Sheep's Crossing. Last time I drove up there was summer of 2001.

There are actually two ways to get to Sheep's Crossing -- you can take Cave Creek Road from Phoenix to where it turns to dirt and turns into a forest road. Follow that north over the mountains and down into Bloody Basin. There's a turnoff that says "Verde River 11 miles" -- I am not sure if the mileage, but it's two or three hours at a moderate pace from Seven Springs. Less if you drive like I do, more if you've got nervous passengers.

Follow the turnoff to the Verde River down to Sheep's Crossing. Easy enough.

From I-17, take the Bloody Basin/Crown King turnoff and go west through Bloody Basin, and look for the turnoff for the Verde River on your left.

All the roads in question are passable in good weather by a high clearance vehicle. The last 11 miles is marginal for a passenger car -- might be able to make it, but I've scraped bottom with a Jeep or S-10 a few times every time I've driven that road. OTOH, I've seen an old bug back in there, but the four guys with it looked big enough to carry the car over the worst spots! It's 99% good, usually, with a minor washout or deep rut or two to make life interesting. Bring a shovel and a jack just in case.

In BAD weather, neither route may be passable. The route from I-17 has an unbridged crossing over the Agua Fria that can be interesting. In good weather, it's ankle deep. In bad weather, it can be over your hood. The route from Carefree has quite a bit of elevation gain -- I'd guess by the vegetation (chapparal) around 4500 feet or so. I have never personally seen more than four or five inches of snow, but my father tells stories of having to plow through around 18" with a jeep to get out of Bloody Basin one time, so getting stuck is a distinct possibility. Get a weather report in the winter before you go. Bring a pillow and a deck of cards during the monsoon. *grin* There's also an unbridged crossing at Seven Springs that could be dicey after a BAD rainstorm.

If you're looking for a bike ride, make sure you're in shape if you decide to ride from Carefree. That's quite a bit of uphill ... pretty ride, though. Might be fun do park it somewhere around the turnoff for the last 11 miles, though, and just ride that ... there would be a few sandy spots.

Good bass fishing in the reeds under the bridge. Don't miss the tiny hotspring hidden back in the reeds, either. One of my favorite hot springs of all time -- it's not at all mineralized or sulphery, very clean, bathwater temperature water.

This is not, note, a hike I reccomend for women to try alone. It's a bit of a party spot in the summer and I have had problems here before. My aussie cornered a rather inebriated guy who was a little more persistant than the dog liked a few years ago ... *grin*

I am hoping to do a long hike above Sheep's crossing either around Thanksgiving or in the spring -- probably several days. Love that country.

Leva