Portal, AZ - Rodeo, NM

Jhus/Horsefall Hike Report August 21,2025

 

One of our more complicated hikes is Jhus-Horsefall.  Complicated because 2 drivers have to depart 30 minutes early and leave one vehicle at the bottom of the Horsefall Trail at the bottom of the Pinery Canyon grade.  This is the location of one of the many historic sawmill sites in the Chiricahua Mountains; only the cement foundations remain of the operation.  The 2 drivers then return up Pinery and wait for the rest of the hikers at Onion Saddle who have met at the regular time at the Silver Peak parking lot.

 

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t was a beautiful cool morning at Onion Saddle.  Very nice because the first part of the hike involves almost a mile of uphill jeep road and steep trail through silver leaf oak regrowth.  Finally at the top of the hill we got into unburned forest, shade and a segment of slight up and downhill trail.  There had been enough rain along this part of the Chiricahua crest for a number of wildflowers and plenty of native grasses.  In the short sections of north facing trail the air almost felt like fall as we hiked under towering Douglas fire and ponderosa pine trees.  Further north the 2011 fire had burned most of the mature trees and we hiked in full sun.  Much of the tread along here has narrowed and slid down the slope and could use some major maintenance.  The last downhill stretch to the Jhus/Horsefall saddle is in nice forest and other than one huge down tree, in pretty good shape.

 

The saddle is an interesting location as Jhus Canyon (named for an Apache war chief) tops the crest of the mountain from the east side right where Horsefall Canyon tops out from the west.  Quoting Ben Erickson’s 1970 interview about how Horsefall got its name: " Horsefall boxes up there west of Iron Spring.  Said old Malcom Barfoot, used to live there on the edge.  After a calf coming down the canyon said he roped the calf, started to rope the calf and his horse stumbled.  Said old Malcom spread out his legs like that caught on a rock and the horse went over a boulder.  That was where it got the name "HORSEFALL".  The story come to me".  We keep discussing doing a hike up the Jhus trail, but we know several sections along the upper creek have thick stands of young trees and lots of rubble in the channel – it will take some work.  

 

It wasn't quite lunch time at the Saddle, so we hiked down Horsefall 2/3 mile to Iron Spring.  The cement trough was full of clear water and a U of A research camera was pointed at us.

  

 

With our meal and brief nap finished, we continued the hike.  This segment of the trail has a number of medium sized logs and some confusing tread also needing maintenance.  The trail slopes south through a low saddle leaving Horsefall Canyon and entering a side canyon of Pinery.  We don't much like this segment.  Not only is it on a west facing slope during the afternoon heat but there is lots of catclaw bushes that crowd both sides of the trail.  However, there were some very nice flowers in the upper section, including Lemmon’s milkweed and Mexican Star:

 

 

  

The lower part of this trail segment has badly eroded tread and several water bars should be put in.  The trail eventually reaches the bottom of Pinery Canyon, and we hiked on the low terrace under tall sycamore, oaks and pines.  The vehicle left this morning was still there – no lost keys this time!  So, we returned to Onion Saddle and Portal.

It has been a tradition that it pours rain whenever we plan this hike - not this week, sorry about that!

 

Next week we will meet at 7 AM AZ, 8 AM New Mexico time at Trash Corner and do a several hour drive to the Pinaleño Mountains (Mt. Graham) near Safford.  Our hike will be down Ash Creek to 2 tall waterfalls.  This trail is an old logging road and is rather steep in sections; the hike back uphill is strenuous.  The bubbling creek and occasional raspberry bush do help with the climb a little.  Bring hat, lunch, water and sun protection.  We usually drive into Safford for dinner after the hike so tell concerned people you will be later than normal.

 

Hike report from Al, photos from Elaine

The author adds Happy Birthday to “The Old Historian” from all of us!