Fossil Springs, Strawberry
April 21, 2001
Tom and Jeannie Van Lew

We met at McDonalds on Shea and after arranging for car-pooling we moved the vehicles not going near the hotel across the street. Those who attended were: Tom and Jeannie Van Lew and their dogs Sandy and Maggie, Gaurav Menon, a guest of Jeannie's, Chuck Parsons, Glenn Kappel, Darleen Linquist, Gerry Kinley, Doug Hawkins and his dog, Stacey Brown and her daughter Stevie, Joe Michalides, Bob Saunders and his children Nathan and Lindsay, Joyce Parrish and her friend Jessica Thomas, Chuck and Peggy Giovionello.  We maintained radio contact and eventually arrived at the parking lot for Fossil Springs about 8:45 am.  By 9:00 we had quickly loaded up our packs and headed down the trail.  We chose not to take the group shot at the beginning of the hike in an attempt to get away from the chilling wind.

Our destination today was Fossil Springs and the dam for the Childs and Irving Hydroelectric Generating Stations.  In their heyday the two plants supplied all the electrical needs of Yavapai County and by the early 1920's, the were meeting 70% of the Phoenix power needs as well.  In 1976, the American Society of Mechanical Engineers designated the plants a National Historic Mechanical Engineering Landmark.

Water gushing from the earth at Fossil Springs drives the Childs and Irving turbines.  The water flows at a steady rate and is channeled into a steel and concrete flume where it travels five miles before reaching the Irving plant.  Recently, however, the facilities will soon be decommissioned and plans are to restore flows to Fossil Creek.  Restored flows will bring back the creeks unique geologic formations, known as travertine, which create the pools and waterfalls along its length.

So we began our hike down the old jeep trail about 4 miles to the springs.  With the mineralized water a lush environment is created which supports numerous types of bushes, trees, birds and other wildlife.  We found huge brier patches alongside the trail.  We discovered a number of the springs and were amazed at the amount of water gushing from them.  Nearby, yellow columbine and monkey flower abound.  We found evidence of camp sites and a number of backpackers in for the weekend. 

We managed to continue on to the dam on the west side of the creek where we were taken to higher ground and observed caves and cavemen, actually teenagers who climb the canyon walls to the cave and were jubilant in announcing they had made it.

We arrived at the dam and watched as some young men jumped off the dam to the creek below.  We backtracked and ate our lunch near one of the big pools.  As the sky was growing darker we began our trek back the way we came to our cars.  One member temporarily lost his dog, but the two were soon reunited and we all began back up the canyon.  After the last person arrived at the trailhead and we were all returning home, the sky opened up and it rained.  We were quite thankful that we were all allowed to complete the hike first!

NOTE: The Giovionello's were camping near Payson and reported that it snowed that evening.

The above listed trip reports--documenting day hikes, backpacking trips, and car camping trips organized and arranged by the Arizona Trailblazers Hiking Club, Inc.--are meant to be more of a record of the various events performed by the hiking club and are not meant to be the only guide for anyone else wishing to do the same hike or backpacking trip. Instead, they should only be used as a supplemental to an official guidebook that addresses that specific hike or backpacking trip. Natural changes (floods, fires, windstorms, etc.) can occur and change and alter the landscape. The Forest Service sometimes changes the routing of a trail. Trail junction signs can be removed or altered. For these reasons, the hiking club's trip reports and even the official guidebooks may no longer be totally accurate in describing the trail and its layout. There is always the possibility, however remote, of a hiker sustaining harm or injury while on any hike, no matter how safe it may initially seem. The Arizona Trailblazer's Hiking Club, Inc., as well as any of its officers, directors, representatives, and designated hike leaders, disclaims any liability or responsibility for accidents, injuries, damages, or losses whatsoever that may occur to anyone using the trip reports that are available on our website. The responsibility for good health and safety while hiking, backpacking, or camping, ultimately rests with the individual.