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Ruins of the Sierra Ancha Wilderness

The Sierra Ancha Wilderness is located about 100 miles east of Phoenix, between Globe and Young. Though fairly small at 32 square miles, it contains some of the most rugged and inaccessible terrain in Arizona. It is administered by the Pleasant Valley Ranger District of the Tonto National Forest. Click here for the Forest Service's Sierra Ancha web site.

Most of the Sierra Ancha Wilderness lies at an elevation of about 7000 feet. But along the eastern border, Cherry Creek has cut a substantial valley down to an elevation of 3000 to 3500 feet. The four thousand foot elevation change from the mesa top to the river results in a series of very steep-walled canyons cutting back into the mesa. The ruin group described below consists of three distinct ruins, located along a narrow horizontal shelf halfway up the side of one of these canyons.

Photo 1
Mosaic of the three ruins, looking across the canyon from the south wall. Ruin one is on the left, two is in the middle, and three on the right. Parts of all three are obscured by brush. (Photo taken March, 2008) Click on the thumbnail for a larger image. (660kBytes).

History

The ruins of the Sierra Anchas present somewhat of a mystery to archeologists. From 500 to 950 AD the region stood at the boundary between three distinct traditions: the Mogollon to the east, the Hohokam to the west, and the Sinagua to the north. Then about 950 AD a new culture—the Salado—appeared, occupying a region almost 100 miles across with the Sierra Anchas near its center. Tree ring dating of timbers used in construction indicates that the Anchan ruins were built and occupied over a relatively short seventy year period, from 1280 to 1350, which would make them Salado in origin. However, certain elements of the architecture, tools and pottery show a strong Mogollon influence as well. Adding to the mystery is the fact that the ruins are constructed in extremely inaccessible locations, raising the possibility that defense against invasion was a strong motivation. It has been suggested that this may have been the remnants of an older or hybrid community that managed to cling to its traditions for some time after the surrounding area was occupied by the Salado. At the present time, archeologists simply refer to the inhabitants as the "Anchan Tradition."

Description

As is the case with virtually all cliff dwellings, these are built into the north side of the canyon (facing south) so as to maximize the amount of sun exposure. However, access to the ruins up the north cliff face is virtually impossible. To get there, one must climb approximately 1500 feet up the slope below the south wall of the canyon to an altitude level with the ruins. At that point there is a shelf, which runs all the way along the south wall to the head of the canyon, and then back out the north side to the ruins. This route provides some surprises and some challenges. Although the canyon is over two miles long, it is only four or five hundred yards wide at the level of the shelf. Hiking in along the south wall therefore brings you directly opposite the ruins on the north side, which provides a nice view (see Photo 1). At the head of the canyon, the trail passes behind a waterfall that cascades hundreds of feet off the top of the mesa (photos 14 and 15). During the rainy season, the amount of water coming over the falls can be substantial.

Under the category of “challenges,” there are places where the ledge is not much wider than a sidewalk: You can literally stand with one hand touching the cliff face and the other suspended over several hundred feet of air. Also, during the winter, spray from the falls can coat the trail with ice. One of my hiking companions has (jokingly) proposed that the reason the ruins were only occupied for seventy years is that none of the Anchan children survived to adulthood.

One of the unusual aspects of this set of ruins is the pictograph shown in Photo 8. Although petroglyphs are quite common throughout Arizona, pictographs are fairly rare, and are usually found on rock surfaces that are protected from the environment. In this case, however, the pictographs are painted over the mud plaster that covers the inside of one of the structures. This is extremely rare.

Photo 2
All three ruins of this group are half way up the side of a sheer cliff.(2008)
Photo 3
Overview of Ruin 1. (2008)
Photo 4
Right Side. (2008)
Photo 5
Another view of the right side.(2008)
Photo 6
Left side. Note the holes that once held roof support beams. (2008)

Sierra Ancha Ruin 1: Click on a thumbnail for larger picture.

Photo 7
Overview of Ruin 2. (2008)
Photo 8
Large beams used to support roofs and internal floors. Note the figures painted along the lower wall. This is extremely rare. (2008)
Photo 9
Vertical joint in this wall indicates the two sections were constructed at different times. (2008)
Photo 10
Timbers were cut by hand, using stone tools. (2008)
Photo 11
This section was once three stories high. (2008)

Sierra Ancha Ruin 2: Click on a thumbnail for larger picture.

Photo 12
Overview of Ruin 3. (2008)
Photo 13
Close-up of Ruin 3. (2008)
Photo 14
Boulders falling from the cliff above have fallen into this portion of the ruin. (2008)
Photo 15
Underside of one of the very few intact ceilings. (2008)
Photo 16
A collapsed section of the second floor, showing construction technique. (2008)

Sierra Ancha Ruin 3: Click on a thumbnail for larger picture.

Photo 12
Entrances are very small by modern standards. Note that the doors do not have the characteristic "T" shape found in most Anasazi and some Sinagua ruins. (2008)
Photo 13
Blocked door indicates changes in usage over time. All the doors in this group use wooden lintels. Hohokam and Anasazi frequently use stone lintels. (2008)
Photo 14
Picture of the waterfall at the head of the canyon, taken in March near the end of the winter rainy season. (2008)
Photo 15
The route to the ruins passes under the falls. Ice can be a problem in the winter. (2008)
Photo 16
Cooper Fork ruin lies a few miles away on the east side of Cherry Creek. (2008)

Sierra Ancha Ruins: Click on a thumbnail for larger picture.

A Word of Caution

Cherry Creek Road (FR 203) branches off from State Route 288 just south of the Sierra Ancha Wilderness, follows along the east side of the Wilderness boundary along Cherry Creek for about forty miles, and rejoins 288 to the north, fifteen miles south of Young. In years past it was possible to drive the entire route in a suitable high-clearance vehicle. Today (March of 2008), the road is all but impassable. Coming from the south, the second ford of Cherry Creek is rutted and deep, and should not be attempted unless the water is very low. A few miles farther north at Devil's Chasm, the road is washed out so completely that even quads and dirt bikes are unable to pass. Coming in from the north, the road is passable to quads and bikes (barely) as far as Devil's Chasm, but normal 4WD vehicles are too wide to make it past the many washouts.

Due to the poor condition of Cherry Creek Road, access to the ruins is much more difficult than it used to be. In 1998 the hike to this site was about eight miles round trip. Today it is several miles longer, which has reduced the number of visitors to nearly zero. The trail is dim and hard to find and follow, and has become overgrown with manzanita, which makes for difficult hiking. If you go, realize that you are in a very remote and rugged area.

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