32: Upside Down River

Hassayampa River Preserve, Wickenburg, AZ

W I C K E N B U R G,  A Z

From the porch of the visitor’s center, Marty Lawrence blurts out one last bit of advice before I set off alone on the Hassayampa River trail: “Watch out for rattlesnakes; they’ve become very active lately”.  For the past half hour, we’ve been discussing very specific details about this preserve I’m about to explore.  Did he deliberately wait until I was 20 yards down the trail to drop that snake nugget on me?  But then he adds, “Just stay on the trail and you’ll be alright.” 

Thirty minutes ago, I was parked in the dark at a locked gate off Route 60 south of Wickenburg, Arizona hoping like hell Marty would come through on his promise to meet me there at 6:00 a.m.  I was surprised that he so willingly agreed to meet at that ridiculous hour as I was planning this trip.  With military precision though, at 0600 hours, Marty was swinging the gate open for me.  Literally right from the start, I began trusting Marty, so when he says to stay on the trail, I’m going to heed that advice. 

For the past year, I’ve been researching Arizona’s Hassayampa River.  Never once did I find anything that described the river the way Marty did: the Hassayampa is an upside down river.  It mostly flows underground, but hits bedrock south of Wickenburg forcing it to the surface for six miles before slipping underground again.  It’s a perennial water source for those six miles, and has created a thriving green oasis for a variety of plants and animals… including rattlers.

I flew in late last night, and with a pre-sunrise meeting time, I feel as though I’ve been blindfolded since arriving in Arizona.  As I leave the visitor center and head down the trail, the blindfold is coming off.  The morning light begins to illuminate the green oasis and it’s quite dramatic.  At each bend in the trail the views and lushness are astounding.  On Marty’s advice, I hike up a small hill to the preserve’s high point, Lykes’ Lookout, for a great overview of the property.  The scene is green.  Hassayampa’s water in the desert has attracted life so dramatically and in such a clearly visible way from this vantage point.  It’s the purest green I’ve ever seen. 

Near the end of my loop hike, I find a side trail to a bench in a mesquite forest.  Here I sit for twenty minutes simply resting.  My breathing and body temperature seem to be in perfect sync with the slight breeze, swaying trees, and flitting birds around me.  The preserve doesn’t open to the public for another hour.  It’s just me and the Hassayampa, and it’s incredibly peaceful.

When the spell is broken and I head back to the visitor’s center, I realize I’ve nearly forgotten about snakes.  Marty’s advice worked; I stayed on the trail and I was alright.  In fact, I was more than alright.  The Hassayampa River Preserve is an extraordinary place setting my week in Arizona off to an amazing start.  

Hassayampa Link:  Click here for more detail