The dog days of summer temperatures have past and the cool days of fall have settled in under the blue sunlit skies of the Southwest. A welcoming time to set out on a hike and enjoy the scrub brush and wild oak of the Green Gulch Spring Trail.

This is a pleasant hike into the  wilderness of the high desert country with in the Bradshaw Mountains of the Prescott National Forest. At first from the trail head, the trail meanders along the Green Gulch Spring (Trail 43) on somewhat level terrain before the trail turns into a single foot trail and begins its switchback accent up along side  Green Gulch Spring.

Along the way you will have opportunities to enjoy the cooling shade of Alligator Junipers, Pion' Pine and Oak Trees.  As the trail switchs back and forth along your accent, the colling vegetation drops off and more high dessert arid conditions prevail, with various species of scrub brush along the way.

During the accent the summit always appears to be close, but the trail is deceptive in this way as it keeps traversing to and fro and further away from the blue sky horizon that appears to be the summit, but its not. At this point you are about half way through you hike.

Along the way you can see the evidence left behind from the various wildlife that is prevalent with in these mountains. Although I have not spotted any live specimens, I did recognize tracks of deer, Fox, Cougar and the scat of a Black Bear. All inhabitants of this wilderness in which we are only guest. I am not so much concerned about these creatures as I am with the reptilian species of snakes. They like this type of environment and the Bradshaws are known to inhabit five varieties of Rattlesnake. So exercise care as to where you step or place your hands.

After each step as you climb, you finally reach a few points that offer some nice vistas of the Dewey/Humboldt Valley and the Gulch you just traversed upward. Any one of these spots along they way is a good spot to catch your breath and a snack. After doing so, continue on because you have not reach the summit yet.

Once you finally reach the first summit the trail levels out and there is a rather large bolder that you can climb to its top and get a real view of the Green Gulch Spring that ziged zaged you to this point. This is not a summit per say at this point, but it is a high point offering a grand vista which won't be repeated for the rest of the trail.

After leaving this vista you can breath a sigh of relief because the trail conditions improve and the trek is more or less level until you begin to descend  into a saddle after which reaching the bottom you enter a nice meadow with high grasses, tall Ponderosa Pine  and Spruce trees. This is actually a pleasant site compared to what you have witness on the way up. But rest assured, it passes quickly as you will have another assent up and out of the saddle until you reach the trails end, which tee's onto Trail 42 which runs North and south along Spud Mountain rim.

Now the summit is really in view about another hundred yards along Trail 42. Once you reach this point you will know because the views all of a sudden open up to your West, from the North to South. Bring your camera because if it is a big bright blue sky day, you will want to capture these views of Granite Mountain and Little Granite. A little further West from that point Thumb Butte punctuates its self above a mountain ridge. Further South are clear views of Spruce Mountain and its look out towers.

After reaching this and gazing out into the wilderness you will give a sigh of relief and comment, "Yes, this was worth it." You will feel relaxed and enervated before turning to begin your descent from Spud Mountain. Another day to unwind. another day to clear the cob webs of the city life. Another day to fill your senses of Mother Natures Southwest Wonderland.