SPECTO, MODUS, TRACTUS: AZ SR 89 - Little Hell's Canyon

This January (2011), we began a project located 15 miles south of Ash Fork AZ. This portion of AZ SR 89 lies in the rolling juniper covered foothills southwest of Bill Williams mountain. What was originally the Prescott & Ash Fork Stage Coach Road, has only changed by the asphalt arming the same location. Closely skirted by the Prescott spur of the Santa Fe railroad, this area has a close and mostly undisturbed tie back to the foundation of Arizona itself.

The old SR 89 bridge closely paralleled by the current Santa Fe rail bridge over Little Hell's Canyon.

This area is at the headwaters of the Verde Valley and offers some amazing views.

Looking Northeast towards Bill Williams Mountain.

Having been originally surveyed by the U.S. General Land Office in 1884 and having been inducted into the Prescott & Kaibab National Forests, the area has laid untouched since that time. As surveyors, we expected to find the original stone survey monuments as well as bearing trees from the 1884 and subsequent 1910 surveys in pristine condition. We certainly did.

Original Stone Survey Monument with etchings over 100 years old.

Bearing Tree of the same vintage.

Only 3 miles in length this is a relatively small project for us, but we found ourselves wishing it was much longer.