Wishbone Trail Hike, Goldfield Mountain December 9, 2016
The Bulldog Canyon off-highway area is found off Apache Trail just east of the Goldfield Mine and the signs to the riding stables. The Willow Canyon Trailhead starts on a rocky trail that winds down into a wide wash where we turn left. We walk along the wash until we see a signpost just up a bank to the right; here we turn right onto a trail where land reclamation is taking place. Branches to cover newly planted trees line this trail along with jugs of water left under trees to provide water. This trail meets a road where we walk for a short time before turning down into a rocky path that leads to a gate on a saddle area called Prevention Gap. From the gate, the trail turns into a very smooth path of Slickrock leading down to the creek bed. There we found water in little pools and an area called the tanks (water lying in elongated rock formations).
The long hiking group veered to left onto Cottonwood Springs Loop that leads us over up and over smooth rock trails and down into a wash by following a narrow and winding rocky path. A sandy horse path links these narrow rocky downward trails that finally lead to a wash with flat smooth rock and sand. The path is a nice leisurely walk down the wash until the trail ends for this group at a large mountain cliff. We turned back on the same trail where there are views of Weaver's Needle. We met two horseback riders from the stables that are accessed off Apache trail, past Goldfield Mine. After stopping for lunch on a viewpoint we returned to Prevention Gap, which is 1 mile from the trailhead. The hike was 6.6 miles in total.
The short hiking group hiked a portion of Wishbone Junction Loop. The hike started the same as the long hike until the Tank then hiked the Wishbone Junction trail until they turned back and on the same trail. This hike also had views of Weaver’s Needle.
Pictures from the Short Hike
Wishbone Trail, Goldfield Mts.
From the Jct. of Hunt Hwy. & Hwy 79 N. of Florence go north on Hwy79 13 mi. to Hwy 60, Turn left on Highway 60 and go three miles past King’s Ranch. Just past Mountain View road bear right on E Old West Hwy. Turn right at the stop sign, then bear left continuing on Old West Hwy. to the first traffic light on Tomahawk. Turn right going northward, past two stop signs, until you come to the junction of Hwy 88. Turn right. Proceed to the Museum for a potty stop. Then east about 10 miles on Hwy 88 to the trailhead on the left. (across the road from the “25 MPH” sign)
33°30’03.88N 111º27’45.90”W
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