This is my favorite destination that promises solitude, oasis desert beauty and water. Red Creek follows FR18 and is one of the few spots you can access the Verde River. The Mazatzal Wilderness is to the north and south of Red Creek then east of the Verde River. The prime spot for camping is under the sycamore and cottonwood trees on the east side of the Red Creek where it meets the Verde. Nearby there is abundant evidence of inhabitants from long long ago. Above the ridge there is an air strip for those taking the easy (dangerous) way in. There are a couple of pack trails originating from this location.
The adventure begins Friday afternoon getting a late start. Coming up from Seven Springs we got to Red Creek to start our four wheeling leg of the trip. During the trail I took a turn that use to be the trail and found a low branch. The branch nailed my windshield high on the passenger side and sent cracks all the across to the driver’s side. We arrived at our campsite just before 11 PM. After pitching the tents we got a decent camp fire going and settled with a couple of beers. It was a moonless chilly night with lots of starts. Mars was clearly visible to the east in Gemini.
Saturday morning came early with a beautiful sunrise. The camp fire was warm in the cold morning air. Food always tastes better camping and JR’s Orida, egg and bacon is just the thing to start your day.
I ventured off early to take some pictures of the morning. There were a couple of planes buzzing the airstrip and one landed turned and took off. The agenda for the day was to visit the airstrip for a bit, check out some ruins then hike a few miles to Mule Shoe Bend.
At the airstrip we were visited by a pilot flying in for a few moments. Great guy and wish we got his name. We talked a bit about the history of the strip and the area. While we were checking a burn spot from an ultra light accident (no one was hurt) we were buzzed by another aircraft doing a fly by. That was awesome. The plane sounded like it was at full throttle at less th