K'sMoH: Big Springs LbNA #22832
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Add Location| Owner: | Kristal & Ron  |
|---|---|
| Plant date: | Jun 7, 2006 |
| Location: | |
| City: | Pinetop-Lakeside |
| County: | Navajo |
| State: | Arizona |
| Boxes: | 1 |
| Found by: | Connecticut Croaker |
|---|---|
| Last found: | Aug 6, 2021 |
| Status: | FFFaFFFOFFFFFFFFF |
| Last edited: | Jun 7, 2006 |
Distance: 1/2 mile RT
Difficulty: easy
Stamps: hand-carved
This is one of many in the Kristal’s Memories of Home series – a little tour of my hometown and some favorite highlights from my 15 years here.
Start at the Larson Public Library, on the NW corner of White Mountain Blvd (Highway 260) and Woodland Road. Search for a bound publication titled “Lakeside Locale” (RefAZ-SW 979.135 Lakeside). It’s in the reference section, so it won’t be checked out. This was an 8th grade English project. My friends and I interviewed all of the surviving pioneers of the area and wrote up their stories to preserve them for future generations. If time permits, enjoy a few of the articles that catch your interest, but be sure to find and read mine that’s entitled “What Happened to Lakeside’s Springs?”
Before you leave the parking lot, go out to the corner of the intersection and visit the bronze memorial for Rick Lupe, one of my father’s co-workers and friends. My parents say this is a very good likeness. You can also read the plaque with details about the Rodeo-Chediski fire from 2002. Makes me cry every time.
Now drive .5 miles south on Woodland (passing The Christmas Tree Restaurant, a Lakeside icon and an excellent place for dinner) to the Big Springs Environmental Study Area on your left. Walk down toward the observation platform, turn left and cross the wooden bridge. Take either the 1st right through the field, or the 2nd along the tree line, to get to the pond at the other end of the valley. This whole area is what local schoolchildren know as “The Outdoor Classroom”. We came here for science field trips and on the last day of school each year we would all gather here for a picnic and games like the 3-legged race and water balloon toss. Looks like its purpose has changed somewhat since… I bet the birding is really good here.
At the pond, find an interpretive sign that reads, “Putting the Spring in Big Springs” and enjoy the cool, pure water gushing up out of the ground, especially behind you. We used to pick watercress from a huge crop that was right in front of this sign. From the large pine tree to the left of the sign, continue SE on the trail for 14 long steps to a large rock. Now go 14 more steps at 65* from north to a small juniper. The “K’sMoH: Big Springs #1, The Outdoor Classroom” box (*Whew!*) is under a grapefruit-sized rock at the front of the shrub.
The “K’sMoH: Big Springs #2, Symes Dam” box is now surrounded by private property, so it's permanently unavailable. However, if you have ten minutes to spare, please continue enjoying my trip down memory lane...
Leave the Big Springs area and walk west on Homestead Road, past a white fence on your left. EVERY winter, SOMEONE comes sliding down this icy hill and crashes through this fence. The winter of 1988-89, I had the honors. At .2 miles from the corner you’ll cross the creek coming from the spring. Growing up, we spent many happy afternoons wading in this culvert, catching crawdads with our bare hands. (Take your shoes off and try it -- good, clean small-town fun!) My parents still live a few blocks up the road.
The dam is just downstream, behind that huge new yellow house. I'm sorry you can't see it because it's pretty cool. To me it was just a creepy old place to play, but some knew it as a source of precious electricity. Weird.
Difficulty: easy
Stamps: hand-carved
This is one of many in the Kristal’s Memories of Home series – a little tour of my hometown and some favorite highlights from my 15 years here.
Start at the Larson Public Library, on the NW corner of White Mountain Blvd (Highway 260) and Woodland Road. Search for a bound publication titled “Lakeside Locale” (RefAZ-SW 979.135 Lakeside). It’s in the reference section, so it won’t be checked out. This was an 8th grade English project. My friends and I interviewed all of the surviving pioneers of the area and wrote up their stories to preserve them for future generations. If time permits, enjoy a few of the articles that catch your interest, but be sure to find and read mine that’s entitled “What Happened to Lakeside’s Springs?”
Before you leave the parking lot, go out to the corner of the intersection and visit the bronze memorial for Rick Lupe, one of my father’s co-workers and friends. My parents say this is a very good likeness. You can also read the plaque with details about the Rodeo-Chediski fire from 2002. Makes me cry every time.
Now drive .5 miles south on Woodland (passing The Christmas Tree Restaurant, a Lakeside icon and an excellent place for dinner) to the Big Springs Environmental Study Area on your left. Walk down toward the observation platform, turn left and cross the wooden bridge. Take either the 1st right through the field, or the 2nd along the tree line, to get to the pond at the other end of the valley. This whole area is what local schoolchildren know as “The Outdoor Classroom”. We came here for science field trips and on the last day of school each year we would all gather here for a picnic and games like the 3-legged race and water balloon toss. Looks like its purpose has changed somewhat since… I bet the birding is really good here.
At the pond, find an interpretive sign that reads, “Putting the Spring in Big Springs” and enjoy the cool, pure water gushing up out of the ground, especially behind you. We used to pick watercress from a huge crop that was right in front of this sign. From the large pine tree to the left of the sign, continue SE on the trail for 14 long steps to a large rock. Now go 14 more steps at 65* from north to a small juniper. The “K’sMoH: Big Springs #1, The Outdoor Classroom” box (*Whew!*) is under a grapefruit-sized rock at the front of the shrub.
The “K’sMoH: Big Springs #2, Symes Dam” box is now surrounded by private property, so it's permanently unavailable. However, if you have ten minutes to spare, please continue enjoying my trip down memory lane...
Leave the Big Springs area and walk west on Homestead Road, past a white fence on your left. EVERY winter, SOMEONE comes sliding down this icy hill and crashes through this fence. The winter of 1988-89, I had the honors. At .2 miles from the corner you’ll cross the creek coming from the spring. Growing up, we spent many happy afternoons wading in this culvert, catching crawdads with our bare hands. (Take your shoes off and try it -- good, clean small-town fun!) My parents still live a few blocks up the road.
The dam is just downstream, behind that huge new yellow house. I'm sorry you can't see it because it's pretty cool. To me it was just a creepy old place to play, but some knew it as a source of precious electricity. Weird.