  1 BADGER SPRINGS |
 2 This wilderness area contains the headwaters of the Agua Fria River, which flows down through the west side of Phoenix |
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 5 The trail starts at 3000 ft, just above the saguaro and cholla of the desert lowlands. The first part of the trail is open and sandy. |
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 7 Old mine pipe |
 8 Badger Spring comes out in this area, giving the Agua Fria its first perennial water |
 9 The geology here is granite and basalt, with none of the sandstone and limestone of the Sedona area |
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 11 Our first sight of the Agua Fria. Badger Springs water is supplemented by runoff from the Mayer/Cordes Junction area. |
 12 The first of our many crossings of the stream |
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 22 As we descend along the Agua Fria, we come into the narrow saguaro cactus zone |
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 24 Granite boulders become granite pavement... |
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 27 ...which quickly becomes pavement with large boulders. The slippery granoite takes time to negotiate. |
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 29 Mesquite also starts here, which adds its scratchiness to the hike |
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 32 Cholla cactus comes into view |
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 34 There is a lot of insect life along the river but oddly, few birds |
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 51 A rest stop |
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 54 Granite with xenolithic inclusions |
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 57 Pink fleabane |
 58 Railroad ties were used as flume supports by a gold/silver mining operation on the rim of this canyon |
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 60 The mine's water supply was drawn off here. The flume is now abandoned, but substantial sections of the pipework remain. |
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 62 Accompanied by the mine pipe, we continue down the canyon |
 63 A mullein |
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 71 White fleabane |
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 79 A barrel cactus |
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 82 At the end of the public trail, the river forms a large pool, then exits through a narrow slot to the right. This is where we stop for lunch. |
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 89 We make a side climb up the left wall of the pond to a smaller canyon above |
 90 It contains a small stream of its own |
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 96 Cholla cactus |
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 98 Globemallow |
 99 This is as far as we go in the side canyon |
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 101 Back down to the pond. The mining operation, with an accompanying ghost town, was on the opposite rim to the right. |
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 104 A hedgehog in bloom, with a barrel cactus |
 105 Starting back up the canyon |
 106 It's getting warm this time of day, so we welcome any chance to cool off |
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 110 Piers supporting the mine pipe |
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 119 We take a short side trip to see rock art... |
 120 ...up here |
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 122 There are more panels in the area, butthis is the only one we had time to visit |
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