The Ranch is open to day visitors from 10 AM to 4 PM.   $5 per person.   Groups of more than four people must call in advance.

 JANUARY 3 2012 NEWS 

See below for information on the new Friends of Cave Creek Canyon!

We closed out 2011 with a surprising total of 15.05 inches of rain and snow for the year.  Since only .29 inches fell in the first six months of the year, we were lucky to have a good monsoon and fall with 14.76 inches.  The dry winter contributed to the forest being so dry and the fires so intense in May and June.  December was a damp month, with over 2.5 inches of snow and rain.  It was also a beautiful time, with mist, low cloud, and snow on the mountains around us.

The forest where it was not intensely burned is coming back well, with new shoots coming from the ground on the oaks, and even junipers showing a fringe of green on what looked like dead limbs.  In places where the burning was less intense, you can hardly tell there was fire, as the monsoon rains encouraged an abundance of plant and wildflower growth.  In the places the fire was hottest, such as on the west side of Onion Saddle, things will take much longer to regenerate, although it looked green this fall from the aerial seeding that was done to hold the slopes.

In most of the usual places our guests go, you would have to look carefully to see any evidence of fire, so lush has been the recovery.  South Fork and the trails near the Research Station show little evidence of fire for the first few miles.  Silver Peak and this canyon were untouched.  It’s not nearly as bad as we had feared during the fire.

The creek is flowing very well, and with the several feet of snow we’ve had at higher elevations this fall we can expect water in the creek well into May.  Because of the snow, I would not recommend coming over Onion Saddle until spring, as that road isn’t plowed in the winter.

The final numbers aren’t in yet, but we had both the Portal and the Peloncillo Christmas Bird Counts over New Year’s weekend, and the numbers of species on both counts seemed to be in the normal range.  The weather was delightful, and on Count Day we were surprised by a male Scott’s Oriole at the ranch, a most unusual December bird.  Both counts had a good number of participants, and more are always welcome.  Next year it will be the weekend between Christmas and New Year’s.

The white-nosed coati is still present every other day or so, the javelinas have returned in numbers from wherever they had vacationed for a few months, and many deer are coming in, including 4 or 5 bucks.  The bears have gone into hibernation for the next 3 to 4 months, so we can leave the feeders out overnight without them being mangled. 

The Cooper’s hawk is still removing an Acorn Woodpecker every now and then, so it’s surprising we still have two dozen or so.  We will continue to have Blue-throated and Magnificent Hummingbirds through the winter, and we still have an Anna’s.

We had a trogon here beginning in early December, but he hasn’t been seen for more than a week.  I hear Sandhill cranes every few days high in the sky.  There are several thousand at Whitewater Draw, north of Douglas.

There is a new group here:  The Friends of Cave Creek Canyon, with a two-fold purpose.  One is to assist the Forest Service with projects and tasks they don’t have budgets for, such as some trail maintenance, signage, local improvements, and helping keep the Ranger Station open more.  The second purpose is public education, which will include an interpretive brochure about the canyon, interpretive signs where appropriate, guided walks, hosted Fourth Grade field trips, etc.   The mission statement is:

  “To inspire appreciation and understanding of the beauty, biodiversity, and legacy of Cave Creek Canyon”

The website is http://www.friendsofcavecreekcanyon.org/ and has a page about memberships.  It’s a 501(c) (3) organization, and all memberships and contributions are fully tax-deductible.  I invite you to join us!!!!

There’s also a fun facebook page, with lots of pictures of recent events: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Friends-of-Cave-Creek-Canyon-FOCCC/147688531965873  

We had our first annual meeting and elections December 15, and the members present had many good suggestions for projects.  Members also volunteered for specific opportunities, such as hosting at the Ranger Station, being a docent for visitor walks, speaking to school field trips, trail work, developing a native flower garden at the Ranger Station, etc. 

Gasoline:  Gas is available in Road Forks, NM, and only available in Rodeo on weekends, so please get gas well before you arrive here.  If you take the dirt road from San Simon, the last gas from the west on I-10 is found in Willcox, Bowie, or San Simon; from the southwest in Douglas; and from the east in Lordsburg or Animas.  Animas and San Simon are the closest places to get gas on weekdays, both about 25 miles away.

Maybe we’ll see you here soon!

Reed Peters

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