Fossil Creek and Deadman Mesa

Tucked away in the northwestern corner of the Mazatzal Wilderness are a few trails that play along Verde River and Fossil Creek. There are two in particular that form a pleasant triangle, if you throw in ten miles of two-track hiking to complete the loop. I headed out on a warm summer day to check out these trails, hoping to depend on the water as an option to cool down a bit, though I got a bit more than I bargained for.