October 2019 Mangum Dental Hike-of-the-Month
#264 West Spruce Mountain Trail
Distance: 9.2 miles
Difficulty: Moderate due to distance and elevation gain
Elevation Gain: 2,795 ft (Starts at 5174′ and ends at 6802′, highest point 7054′)
Parking: Free parking at the north and south ends of the trail. No services.
Directions: From the intersection of Iron Springs and Williamson Valley Road, head west on Iron Springs Road for 6.6 miles. Turn left on Dosie Pit Road. Head south on Dosie Pit Road for 2.8 miles. The trail head is marked with a brown carsonite trail maker with the numbers #264.
Summary:
The story of this hike began after school on a Friday afternoon in August. Two of my teenage children and I decided we would backpack this trail for an overnight adventure. We set out excited, determined, and undaunted. The trail seemed to be lightly traveled with bush overgrowth, but we pressed forward, excited to be outside. After a mile we reached the dry Iron Springs Wash. We mistakenly thought that the path had become increasingly less distinct, however we had traveled off the trail for an hour before we realized that we were not where we intended to be (a man is never lost). We bushwhacked the rest of the way up to the top of a hill for a better look around. It was getting dark and we intended to meet the rest of the family near West Spruce Mountain. We were in trouble. The terrain was steep and the hiking was extremely slow going. We finally found the trail, but the sun was setting. We decided to head back to the car, arriving well after dark. We were defeated. We met up with the other family at a park for dinner and relegated to sleeping back home on the trampoline.
The morning came early. I awoke with the words of Edwin Markham in my head, “Defeat may serve as well as victory to shake the soul and let the glory out.” The warrior emerged and I dressed with the same cloths as the night before and headed back to Dosie Pit Road, determined “to take the trail or die.” It was now easy to see that we missed the switchback up out of the creek. The trail had plenty of bush overgrowth and for the first 3 miles there was thick low-lying bushes with very few trees. The trail was fully exposed. As the trail rose over Spruce Canyon, the canyon appeared rugged and intimidating. The layers of ridges and ravines were like roast beef folded and stacked on a sandwich. The trail was steadily uphill from mile 1.0 to 3.5 as it approached the east side then wrapped to the south of Sugarloaf Mountain. At 3.7 miles the trail reaches Jeep Trail 47B. I turned left and hiked on the jeep trail and hike for the next 1.4 miles mostly uphill. The forest changes from low-lying brush to pine forest as the road approached the top of West Spruce Mountain. There was a wire gate at the 5.1 mile and after the gate, the West Spruce Trail picks up on the right side. The elevation here is 7,000 feet and the high mountain hiking is refreshing. Trail 300 intersects at 5.9 miles and is marked by a pile of rocks, but no signs. I stayed straight on #264. The rest of the hike continues south of Porter Mountain, along the Sierra Prieta Ridge, south of Willams Peak and ends at Forest Road 373 north of the Sierra Prieta overlook. The stunning views to the south west overlook Skull Valley and the multiple layers of blue mountains that fades with increased distance.
This is a tale of two trails connected by a jeep trail. While the southern part of this trial is more well-traveled and suitable for hiking, other options are trail running, mountain biking, and horseback riding. The northern portion is overgrown, rockier, and would be more difficult for mountain biking or horseback riding. The highlights of this hike include the views, solitude, and diversity of landscape. As my ride arrived to pick me up, I felt successful “to shake the glory out.”
