Smoky Creek Question

[badknees]

Anybody ever cross the blue section on the map below? I have been upstream as far as the spring maked by the red "X", and Robert has posted a trip report where he hiked south from the Dodson on the Green route.

Looks like crossing over is shorter.

[TheWildWestGuy]

I have taken the blue route and it's fairly easy arroyo walking.  The junction of the two routes is marked with a couple rock cairns and 3 old strands of barbed wire still hanging across the arroyo after 70 years.  The spring marked on the topo South of the junction of the two routes is (I believe) an unnamed spring (post modified to correct factual mistakes and references).  This bypass-route is considerably shorter than the Smokey Creek Trail which winds around Sugarloaf and into another major valley to the East.  The bypass route has a bit of rockhopping and scrambling and one ~5-6' pouroff that you will have to get up and over.  There are a lot of springs in this area including one's not marked on the map so you should find reliable water in several places along this route... TWWG

[mule ears]

The spring marked on the topo South of the junction of the two routes is (I believe) called Mesa Bonita Spring according to former BBNP ranger Eric L. 

TWWG Mesa Bonita spring is described in this thread http://www.bigbendchat.com/portal/forum/hiking-the-desert/upper-smokey-creek-t2668.0.html by BIBEarch as the one just east of Goat Mountain

Quote from: "mule ears"
Has anyone ever walked the drainage that runs just east of Goat Mountain?  It runs into Smoky Creek just north of the junction with the Mule Ears trail and looks like an interesting possible route to the Wilson ranch at Blue Creek.  The crux looks to be the tight area just west of points 4358 and 3875 were a spring is marked.  I am thinking of using it as connector from Mule Ears spring to Blue Creek canyon this winter.

Quote from: Bibearch
Most of the passes through this part of the country were routes taken by cowboys and goat herders. They stayed up on the slopes above the canyon floor though. This route has a nice set of ledges at Mesa Bonita Spring (marked "Spring" on the map) that you will need to skirt around. There's another spring (Goat Mountain Spring) upstream of Mesa Bonita. Some of it's a little brushy & thorny but generally hikeable.