Hiking, August 18, 2015

Searching for the Holder Cabin Site on the Mogollon Rim, AZ.
A1HolderCabinLoop The location of this hike A2HolderCabinLoop The GPS track for this hike A3HolderCabinLoop GPS track on Google Earth photos. Notice the curious shape of the track. IMG 2646-HDR(3) In search of the Holder Cabin Site, we head down FR 643A going west from FR 137. We could have driven almost to the cabin site, but we chose to hoof it, to add miles on the old hiking legs.
IMG 2649-HDR(3) Along the road we notice an odd tree (center of this photo) having no branches until very high off the ground. When the branches do start, there are many, many of them high up above the ground. IMG 2652-HDR(3) The bracken (ferns) are growing quite large. IMG 2655-HDR(3) We get to the meadow where the Holder Cabin site must be. We spend maybe 20 minutes looking for it, wandering around the meadow. Just before we give up, we notice the bed of an old road that goes through the meadow and up the other side, our first clue. The second clue is a blue spruce tree that had been trimmed years ago. You can see both in this picture on the left side. IMG 2658-HDR(3) Don't know what this is, but it is unusual.
IMG 2664-HDR(3) We spent a good bit of time covering the meadow. IMG 2667-HDR(3) We did spot this nesting place for some large animal, probably an elk. IMG 2670-HDR(3) Once we spotted the old road bed and headed to the unique blue spruce, we came across part of the foundation for an old building. It must be the site of the Holder Cabin. IMG 2671-HDR
IMG 2676-HDR(3) IMG 2679-HDR(3) IMG 2682-HDR(3) OK, it must have been a log cabin with a mortered stone foundation. Morter was used as chinking for the fill between the foundation and the first row of logs. IMG 2685-HDR(3)
IMG 2688-HDR(3) IMG 2691-HDR(3) The unique blue spruce tree that has been trimmed of its lower branches years ago. IMG 2694-HDR(3) stitchSmall A 180 degree composite panorama looking out the meadow side of the cabin site. What a location. Imagine herds of deer and elk grazing and an occasional black bear in your front yard. IMG 2713-HDR We followed FR 9714G and spotted this recent attempt at a log cabin. There were a few camping sites along this FR. We suspect that a boy scout troop camps here, because there were several log structures in the area. When 9714G came to an end, we backtracked and headed north on the closed part of FR 643A.
IMG 2718-HDR(3) We walk the now-closed FR 643A and spot several of these strange growths. It's conifer, but what? IMG 2721-HDR(3) IMG 2724-HDR(3) FR 643A opens up again and is hazzard free back to FR 137. IMG 2727-HDR(3) We're now back at FR137. One quarter to 1/2 a mile down this road we should find the Exterror (and we did).
IMG 2730-HDR(3) Suzanne spots a metal tag nailed to one of the trees near the road. This is a type of marker that used to be used to mark bearings of property lines. This one was dated 1969 IMG 2733-HDR(3) The tagged tree also had a blaze mark that once once designated a trail ("blaze" a trail).