Page 35 - Wood Plenty, Grass Good, Water None

turkeys [Merriam's] was hunted in the grove, and one killed."
Mollhausen provides a more graphic description of thissite:
"...we had not gone many miles before our attention was powerfully atracted by a row of cottonvvood trees; and on coming nearer we d i s c o v e r e d t h e d r y b e d o f a s t r e a m t h a t a p p e a r e d toproceedfromthemountains.Someclosely- growing willows that we saw in a ravine led us to infer the neighbourhood of water; and we accordingly turned the steps of our mules in that direction."
"As we rode through the long withered grass that covered an opening in the wood, we suddenly came in sight of a numerous flock of wild turkeys, which, startled at our ap proach, were running at a great rate towards a hiding-place. The shots fired among them were eminently successful; but when several of them fell, the rest spread their wings and flew away as fast as they could. The birds killed had fallen in the neighborhood of water that gushed out of the ground over an area of s o m e a c r e s i n e x t e n t , a n d t u r n e d it i n t o a k i n d of marsh, with occassional pools; only at one place did it flow bright and clear, towards the above-mentioned bed, and was there lost again after a short course."
IsuspectthissitewaswhereCienegaSpringsDraw and Pine Springs Draw run together. A voluminous s p r i n g still e x i s t s f u r t h e r u p C i e n e g a S p r i n g s D r a w . T h i s spring has been diverted for agricultural purposes and nolongerrunsdirectlydownthecanyon.Adry,barren flat occupies this site at present.
Going southwest, they encountered Walnut Creek. Whipple writes:
a beautiful grove of ash [Arizona mountain] trees."
They climbed a ridge between two running streams, apparently Walnut Creek and Apache Creek, then explored southward into wild and rough country. They camped somewhere on the slopes of Mount Hyde on the evening of the 17th. O n the 18th, they returned to W a l n u t C r e e k a n d e x p l o r e d w e s t w a r d a l o n g it .W h i p p l e , January 18,says:
"...we camped near the headwaters of the [Pueblo] creek, where grass and wood were abundant.... Turkeys [Merriam's] and deer [mule deer] have been plenty since leaving Picacho."
Of the country around Pueblo (now Walnut) Creek, Mollhausen wrote:
"It was not, however, the grand forest such as may be seen more to the East, nor the dreary deserts characteristic of this mountain chain; but low cedars and scattered oaks and pines, growing as irregularly as ifthey had been flung there at random among fantastically formed rocks, and masses of rolled stones, that had much the appearance of masonry."
On January 19,thepartycrossedthepassatthehead ofWalnutCreekandrodeafewmileswestward,finally reaching the headwaters of the long-sought Bill Williams Fork.Weatherandshortrationsturnedthembacktothe head of Walnut Creek, where they once again camped justbelowthepass.OnJanuary20,theyreturnedtothe junctureofApacheCreekandWalnutCreekandsetup camptoawaitthearrivalofthewagons.
Mollhausen, on January 20 (his journal date— still trailing other journals by one day) describes the valley further:
" T h e m a n y w i n d i n g s o f t h e s t r e a m ,a n d t h e s m a l 1 lakes, marshes, and islets formed by it,delayed usagooddeal;butwegotatlastuponfirmer ground, where, ifwe only avoided the thick parts of the wood, there seemed likely to be littledifficultyingettingthewaggons through." But further upstream, "The hindrances to the
"Above was a wide bottom-land, bearing faint
tracesofformercultivation,althoughnow partly
covered with a beautiful grove of ash trees.
Below, timber of walnut [Arizona] and oak
fringed the stream, rendering the site a pleas
ant spot for a settlement. ...Proceeding to the
bottom,withsomedifficultywemadeourway progressofwaggonsappearedtobealmost through rank grass and thick willows."
In his handwritten diary for January 17, Whipple noted:
"...Above appearedalargeforestofash[Arizona mountain] trees.Walnut [Arizona] oak and cedar lined the banks." For January 19, Whipple's diary further described the valley: "Above the Pueblo is a siennega [cienega] surounded by
The wagon train—Picacho to Pueblo Creek—The wagons, upon seeing smoke from Whipple, moved out on January 19. Their route was similar to the recon naissance party. Tidball, crossing Chino Valley with the wagons notes:
insurmountable; trees would have to be felled and hills cut through. ..."
USDAForestServiceRMRS-GTR-177. 2006.
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