Amazing, Spectacular Arizona Trail: Babbitt Ranch Campsite-Missouri Bill Hill

Welcome back to Aspen’s Tracks, thruhiking the Arizona Trail from Utah to Mexico. After camping last night along the Babbit Ranch stretch of the trail, today finds me backpacking southward toward Flagstaff once again. Hiking to the summit of Missouri Bill Hill completes the day and sets me up for a motivational sunrise tomorrow morning.

In the land of Arizona
Through desert heat or snow
Winds a trail for folks to follow
From Utah to Old Mexico

It’s the Arizona Trail
A pathway through the great Southwest
A diverse track through wood and stone
Your spirit it will test

Oh, sure you’ll sweat and blister
You’ll feel the miles every day
You’ll shiver at the loneliness
Your feet and seat will pay

But you’ll see moonlight on the borderlands
You’ll see stars on the Mogollon
You’ll feel the warmth of winter sun
And be thrilled straight through to bone

The aches and pains will fade away
You’ll feel renewed and whole
You’ll never be the same again
With Arizona in your soul

Along the Arizona Trail
A reverence and peace you’ll know
Through deserts, canyons, and mountains
From Utah to Old Mexico
-“The Arizona Trail,” Dale R. Shewalter

Arizona Trail: Babbitt Ranch Completion

Heading down the trail from the central Ranch provides more of the same early on – great views of the Peaks, but little else. I stop for a break and water at Tub Ranch, the first water source since Lockwood Tank (where I hadn’t stopped) and then continue south.

A note about the Peaks, since the views are so good of them here. They are the highest peaks in Arizona today, including Humphreys at 12633 and Agassiz at 12360 ft. They are a product of a volcanic hotspot under northern Arizona that formed what we know of today as the San Francisco Volcanic Field, a cluster of lava fields, around 600 cinder cones, and lava domes surrounding Flagstaff. The most prominent feature are the Peaks, an extinct stratovolcano complex.

San Francisco Mountain erupted around 400,000 years ago in a lateral blast (think Mt St. Helens). The eruption carved a hole in the northeast side of the mountain and is estimated to have lowered the height of the mountain by approximately 6000 ft. At an estimated height around 18000 ft prior to the eruption, had the eruption not taken place it would be the highest peak in the continental United States today. The view from the top reaches into Utah, Arizona, and New Mexico at a minimum. I’m not sure if you can see the southwest corner of Colorado.

The most recent eruption in the San Francisco volcanic field was Sunset Crater, now contained within Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument and probably one of the most unexpected places for many visitors in the United States where one can walk on and get a hands-on experience with lava. Sunset Crater last erupted around 1085 AD, meaning there is human documentation of the event from native people.

Arizona Trail: San Francisco Peaks, Cedar Ranch Trailhead to Missouri Bill Hill

Late afternoon finds me entering Passage 34, the San Francisco Peaks, and finally off the Ranch roads. The trailhead also marks the entry to the Coconino National Forest. Some trail angel left beer and candy at the resupply box here, much appreciated. The Peaks are just towering above at this point. I encounter Timmy, a friend of Boates from the Canyon, and we talk and hike together for a while. I leave first (for once) but he catches me speaking with some day trippers heading out and we hike together for much of the rest of the evening. Showers pass along with virga, a desert phenomenon where precipitation falls but evaporates before reaching the ground, comes in the evening, ultimately making for a spectacular sunset as we head into the thick of the northern San Francisco Volcanic Field.

Sunset

I leave Timmy to climb Missouri Bill in the hopes of seeing the sunrise from the top. In the dark, clusters of lights become evident on the reservation to the west – Kayenta, Cameron, Tuba City. It’s so dark, individual towns can be identified with just a rudimentary knowledge of the area. Should be to Flagstaff within a day or two, I hope. Tomorrow’s entry will cover the start of the stretch run into town.

Passage Logistics and Ecology

	Passage 35 (Babbitt Ranch)	Passage 34 (San Francisco Peaks)
AZTA Passage Site	Passage 35: Babbitt Ranch	Passage 34: San Francisco Peaks
Trail Surface	Mixed, mostly gravel road	Mixed, dirt road and singletrack
Length	24.5 miles	35.3 miles
Season	All year	Spring-fall primarily
Potential Water Sources	Cedar Ranch trailhead supply box Rabbit Canyon Tub Ranch water tank Lockwood Tank	Cedar Ranch Trailhead supply box East Cedar Tank Kelly Tank Alfa Fia Tank Schultz Tank
Water Reports	Arizona Trail Water Report	Arizona Trail Water Report
Trailheads	North: Moqui Stage Station South: Cedar Ranch	North: Cedar Ranch South: Schultz Pass
Trailhead Access	Vehicular access via dirt roads	North: Vehicular access via dirt road South: Vehicular access via gravel road
Wilderness	No	No, but runs very close to the Kachina Peaks Wilderness with option for side trip
Possible Resupply Points	None	Flagstaff
ATA-Rated Difficulty	Easy	Moderate
Potential Campsites	Available throughout; terrain is not an impediment here. Please observe LNT as this section crosses private property.	Best on the north side of the Peaks and on the south end of the passage. The east side north of Snowbowl Road is adjacent to the main parking area for the Arizona Snowbowl and Kachina Peaks Wilderness trails and is not as ideal for camping for this reason.
Ecosystems Traversed	Great Basin Conifer Woodland	Rocky Mountain Montane Conifer Forest
Highlights	Views of the San Francisco Peaks Sunrises and sunsets	Views of the San Francisco Peaks Views of San Francisco Volcanic Field Highest peak in Arizona Fall aspen foliage Sunrises & sunsets
Hazards	* Monsoon rains in summer * Lightning * Heat (wear cotton if humidity is low so you can soak it) * Hyponatremia – “drunk on water.” To avoid, ensure adequate salt & electrolyte intake and ensure you eat as well as drink water. Symptoms are almost identical to dehydration, but drinking more makes it worse. Prevention is by far the best solution. * Dehydration	* Monsoon rains in summer * Lightning * Heat (wear cotton if humidity is low so you can soak it) * Hyponatremia – “drunk on water.” To avoid, ensure adequate salt & electrolyte intake and ensure you eat as well as drink water. Symptoms are almost identical to dehydration, but drinking more makes it worse. Prevention is by far the best solution. * Dehydration * Wildfire

Passage Ecology