MudNCrud Forums
Sitting and Day Dreaming => Mud Puddle => Topic started by: Brad Young on February 16, 2024, 08:20:54 AM
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Day One:
One of the advantages of our van trips to the southwest is the generally warmer winter weather. But only during the day, and not always.
As we all know, it sometimes snows in the desert. And the whole southwest has been having more than average precipitation again this year. Some of that has been in fairly cold storms.
So as we rolled through Phoenix, in the rain, I had my doubts about getting back up a so-so quality dirt road that had to be snowy. But, that's where we had to go to get to Rogers Trough Trailhead, where last year's trip ended, at just under 5,000 feet elevation. Having nothing to lose, we gave it a try on day one (we'd stayed the night before with Vicki’s college roommate and lifelong friend, and her husband, who not only gave us wonderful hospitality and friendship - but let us borrow a Ford Explorer with which to make/attempt the long dirt-road drive to this trailhead).
As we got higher up the road, we were glad we had a more “nimble” vehicle:
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53520024577_7f9b255221_c.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53520917841_31fc6e236a_c.jpg)
Having pushed the dirt-road driving for 15 miles (with good luck!), we stopped just before the last steep and icy hill. Vicki bade us goodbye and good luck (and caught one photo where Digby wasn’t even touching the ground):
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53521348405_4bf63552fb_c.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53520024737_1d0b4f09bd_c.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53520918211_5cd5e86bc4_c.jpg)
It turned out that Vicki had gotten us to within 0.4 mile of the trailhead (thanks again to Dana and Loren and their Explorer!!). Although other vehicles had driven the first part of that four tenths, the second half was covered with fresh, untouched snow. We reached the trailhead, found the G.E.T. and started uphill:
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53520024977_f3c00607e2_c.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53521084423_9f1ec5ab47_c.jpg)
The G.E.T. exists as a foot trail for the first mile from Rogers Trough. It then joins a dirt road for another mile before it cuts off and becomes just a foot trail again. All of this distance was covered with a layer of snow (although a dune-buggy-type vehicle which had passed us earlier had taken this road over this snow).
We had snow because we were at a relatively high elevation. But elevation has advantages too. One is the views. In all directions. Starting with to the west - looking over the whole Phoenix area:
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53520918926_114b89bafc_c.jpg)
And along the ridge/road/trail too:
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53520025652_d1c90bcb2b_c.jpg)
All of this section of trail is well marked. Here’s the road exit point, in the snow:
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53520918641_b0775307d7_c.jpg)
And the view south, toward Highway 60, the end of the day’s hiking, and, visible left of center, the town of Superior, Arizona:
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53520919421_acdd6fea86_c.jpg)
Also visible was very large Picketpost Mountain which is across (south of) Highway 60 and next to a trailhead and campground that we intended to use in the next few days (the mountain's near side is shaded):
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53521085373_ee3a8a1321_c.jpg)
The next two miles of trail consisted of switchbacks down for 1,200 feet. The snow thinned and disappeared:
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53521349150_7ab0190420_c.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53521349520_7861ba2254_c.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53521085488_c6de24d8f5_c.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53521350405_d49dff30c3_c.jpg)
Things leveled off in the upper reaches of Whitford Canyon. The trail become almost flat and the hiking easy and fast:
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53521350495_aacaabd4fc_c.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53521350395_ea9aa30378_c.jpg)
More water in the creek than I expected:
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53521350925_d55fbd135f_c.jpg)
Here’s a typical side canyon showing water where it's not very common (a small, flowing cascade):
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53521238759_5a57ef09a8_c.jpg)
Soon we were low enough that saguaros started to appear (I probably lack the imagination to see any human-like shape in this one - but some of them sure look that way):
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53520027062_705ca7c8dc_c.jpg)
And signs of old types of land use: Here, an abandoned old stone corral:
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53520920786_787352956b_c.jpg)
As with much of this trail (and also the Arizona Trail), this isn't wilderness. We passed a few dirt roads on today's hike and heard (but did not see) dune buggy type vehicles:
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53520027487_2aafe248cb_c.jpg)
The girls were loving the water almost as much as they’d loved the snow (of course!!):
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53521239929_1a6d0efc80_c.jpg)
Whitford Canyon has a section where it narrows significantly (don’t all streams in the southwest have one??):
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53520029617_fb47634beb_c.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53521240674_919233c609_c.jpg)
This block of rock there caught my attention (and made me think of J.C., of course). This was one block of rock, but with such different surfaces on different sides:
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53520922456_b18e4e7fcb_c.jpg)
We were now getting low enough that this impenetrable (huge thorns) and fascinating plant (ocotillo) was making an appearance:
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53520922476_ed6330218e_c.jpg)
The drainage ended and we followed an arrow-straight, undulating ridge line:
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53521242044_b361e3f5dc_c.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53521242139_f5b01d2aa6_c.jpg)
At almost 17 miles I was very pleasantly surprised (very!!) to hear Vicki’s dog call. Those of you who have heard it know it (somewhere between the pig-call "suuweee" and I don't know what). I hadn’t seen Vicki, but she was a quarter mile below us on the trail. She'd hiked up and had seen us and her call let me know instantly that a pretty tough hike was almost done (pretty tough in that it's February and I haven't been doing 16 mile days lately). Her call’s effect on the dogs was also immediate: both bolted down the trail to see mommy (you’d think that they hadn’t seen her for weeks):
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53520923331_770c31b852_c.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53521089388_e0788d403f_c.jpg)
Vicki turned around and we quickly finished to the day’s pick-up point a mile north of Highway 60:
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53521242184_d7f00c0122_c.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53521242229_734f786808_c.jpg)
We returned to our friends’ house to get their car back to them, to be social, to wait out one day of rain, and, honestly, to take a rest day. Like it says above, I haven’t done a longer hike like this since September and I knew I’d be sore and tired.
This was a good start. I'd made some milage and we’d overcome the only single factor that might have stopped progress for this year: snowy/icy/muddy roads which could have prevented us getting to the trailhead. We were set up now to do more.
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I didn't know dogs could levitate. That's quite the capture.
Poorly-sorted pebble conglomerate with a sandstone matrix. Probably an old streambed but not knowing AZ geology it could also be a beach deposit recording a receding sea level (regressive sequence). Fining-up sequence (if it's in situ). If it's marine - it could even be an old underwater landslide deposit. I remember how disappointed clink's grandson Johnny was when we went to New Idria and I would look at something and say it could be this or it could be that - or it could be something completely different! Bottom line is it's fun to think about what used to be there and how puny and insignificant our lifetimes are compared to geological time. :sleep: :sleep: :sleep:
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Digby pic is cool! No cape?
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Day Two:
Someone commented in last year’s thread that “the lunatics are running the asylum.” There’s an obvious (small) kernel of truth to that comment with regard to going clear out to Arizona to seek out a still-obscure and difficult trail. Yes. But some of us are crazy and others are just flat nuts.
Day two started with a drive to Picketpost Trailhead to meet an example of the latter. This character had come all the way out to this trail to hike for the two days he could squeak in (and he claimed to have come out to check on MY sanity):
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53533919345_c983601215_c.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53533495786_eb5306fd89_c.jpg)
Linking up with Jon, combined with the vagaries of trail milage, led to a short hiking day. Here’s the “latter” with my beloved chauffeur, companion, cook and so much else:
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53532607857_c20d731502_c.jpg)
Vicki drove us to a point where we could walk up-trail a bit to regain the point where I’d stopped on Friday (and no, he ultimately did not hit me with that rock):
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53533816074_e8418e66b6_c.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53533496051_e828c795a8_c.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53533496386_9237775a7c_c.jpg)
The out-and-back was very flat:
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53532608782_c7a4d99489_c.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53533497046_de71f0c0ae_c.jpg)
We had enough time for snacks:
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53533679948_e328d01469_c.jpg)
Picketpost Mountain, still across Highway 60:
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53533497346_781bd34298_c.jpg)
Queen Creek provided the only real excitement of the day. We didn’t expect a wet creek crossing and so all of us went across barefoot. Two of us liked it and the other two have tender feet and didn’t like it:
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53533921920_7e0113d453_c.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53533817869_739d6dd12e_c.jpg)
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(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53533499336_59e804af99_c.jpg)
The last bit of Jon's crossing was supervised by a young professional (Young professional?):
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53533499766_da7d03cb7c_c.jpg)
Jon got a nice view of Weaver’s Needle:
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53533501146_57009d8923_c.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53532613132_4fb8a9c6cd_c.jpg)
The trail passes under the highway, so no need to worry about the dogs in traffic:
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53533924205_80ded80903_c.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53533819779_42869583f4_c.jpg)
We finished into the trailhead and across. Jon learned there one of the hard and fast rules of these hikes: “20 extra feet of hiking so that there’s overlap between hikes" (luckily he was a good sport and played along):
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53533684133_027e60f9dd_c.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53533925965_e63c85856c_c.jpg)
Several barrel cacti were just starting to bloom:
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53532613847_31b0128300_c.jpg)
And the sunset on Picketpost Mountain capped off a nice (if short) day:
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53533501816_d6efe55a79_c.jpg)
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Someone commented in last year’s thread that “the lunatics are running the asylum.”
That comment should have said "the lunatic's running the asylum" when I discerned that clink was there. I opted to go with the standard saying.
clink looks like a garden gnome next to you.
The dog appears to be gagging in that one picture (must be downwind of clink)
That mountain reminds me of the Superstitions - looks like the same crud.
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Day Three:
This day’s hike promised to be real. We’d camped (vanned?) only half a mile from the trailhead and so an 8:00 start was easy (but cold - it was still in the 30s when we started hiking, still in the shade of Picketpost Mountain):
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53533812193_c29a0aae05_c.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53533630771_d592f96ec2_c.jpg)
We reached sunshine after about two miles, gaining elevation slowly in and out of draws:
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53533948719_e413c4f42c_c.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53533631321_418acf2dfb_c.jpg)
Weaver’s Needle still stands out:
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53534053425_c816e79965_c.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53534053740_008b18efc7_c.jpg)
Picketpost Mountain is also no slouch for standing above the surrounding terrain. We passed its south end and then used its distance to measure our progress south:
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53533812958_0f1e6f83e1_c.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53533631786_8a7d32b0d5_c.jpg)
Sometimes a rock is so unique, so ideally placed, that one must stop for snacks and water:
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53533813433_2f37f4a399_c.jpg)
Little Digby was loving the long desert hikes:
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53533632046_81a495658b_c.jpg)
Picketpost was waaaay in the background now:
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53532743767_3271f955ba_c.jpg)
We were blessed by lots of water on what so far had been an easy hike. The dogs always take advantage of lots of water:
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53532743917_8de0835ab7_c.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53534054930_fee561da32_c.jpg)
It didn’t take long before we reached the day’s first significant way-point, dirt Forest Road 4 (visible in the background of the first photo below). Here’s Jon, in the lead, followed closely by my two traitorous-wretch mutts (following HIM instead of ME - I'm the one who loves and feeds them):
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53533814248_3fdd5c28d1_c.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53534055840_d1ee7b7e60_c.jpg)
Another perfect boulder was the seat of our next break:
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53534056305_78cc828973_c.jpg)
We then followed a canyon two miles to our day’s high point. We started to get some vistas into new terrain:
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53533952329_7363135c5f_c.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53533952659_dcab465a8c_c.jpg)
Among the views was Weaver’s Needle, which still stood out way, way to the north (this would be the last view of it though from the trail):
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53532745957_1c9e63299b_c.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53533634886_71eda76de8_c.jpg)
So far, all of this trip’s hiking had been on trail tread that was both Arizona Trail and Grand Enchantment Trail. That was about to change. Big time.
First we saw the valley in which the trails split from each other while we were up on a saddle:
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53532746552_38f7b61914_c.jpg)
By way of explanation, The Grand Enchantment Trail is still not all that well established. It’s been planned out and it mostly connects, piece to piece, using already existing trails. But sometimes those already “existing” trails barely exist anymore. And, overall, the trail doesn’t get enough traffic yet to keep the tread in decent shape. I experienced this last year.
At this point, in this valley, the well used Arizona Trail splits to take a different route further east. The different route further east is actually a re-route of the A.Z.T. This re-route was made so that that trail would avoid the White Canyon Wilderness. Avoiding the wilderness was necessary because the A.Z.T. is open to mountain bikers and mechanized forms of transportation are not allowed in wilderness.
What used to be A.Z.T. before the re-route is now the G.E.T. This change happened in 2011.
Of course, we intended and needed to stay on the G.E.T.
Once in the valley shown in the photo above, we tried to follow the guidebook, tried to find a split, and tried to find the G.E.T. But there was no sign of a trail. Or, I should say, there was no sign of the G.E.T. The A.Z.T. was easy to see. A nearby four wheel drive road was also easy to see. But we absolutely couldn’t find the G.E.T. At least one milepost that the guidebook described was not there. The brush and grasses along the washes nearby grow quickly and although we were in the correct wash, no sign of a trail leaving it could be seen. And, finally (and we only realized later, unfortunately) Jon had internet access with his phone (I had none). The map program on Jon’s phone (run by that “G” company) placed the G.E.T. differently than what was shown on the guidebook topo map. Shit.
We did our best to look for anything, anything at all by way of a trail. Nothing. At first we followed the internet map walking up the wash where it showed the trail to be. At least on Jon’s phone, this looked like a trail. It didn’t on the ground though. Zip.
This isn’t good country to move in off-trail. We were in a wash, but it wouldn’t last forever and we needed to find the right way to go. Progress on the trail mattered of course, but turning around wasn’t much of an option at this point (we were more than halfway through a 16 mile day, not to mention the fact that Vicki would now have left reception in her drive around to our pick-up point and there was no way to recall her). Spending the night in sub-freezing temperatures would be dangerous at best. We needed the trail. Crap.
Finally, I just went with my gut. I told Jon where I thought we’d gone wrong and how we could move across what looked like relatively open terrain to where I thought the trail HAD to be. He agreed with me and we started moving. But we were almost half a mile from where I “knew” the trail had to be. And the “open” terrain wasn’t as open as it had looked when we’d viewed it (we couldn’t see the deep and steep gullies we had to cross). We moved, but the whole time we were moving, of course, we were both wondering what to do if the trail wasn’t where it “had” to be?
After what seemed like forever we got close to the saddle where we expected the trail. Nothing came into view. No trail tread was visible. We got 30 feet from the saddle. Nothing. Godammit.
And then I saw something. A duck. Not a bird, a stack of rocks. It couldn’t be there from any source but humans. Jon saw another duck. There was no trail tread at all here, but the more we looked, the more ducks we saw. This had to be it. No trail tread? Well the trail’s been re-routed since 2011 and this trail doesn’t (yet) get much traffic. But stacks of rocks? That’s long been the sign of a trail. We started further east (as the map showed). More ducks! Yep, we were on the “trail,” but it sure wasn’t much of one.
Here’s some shots of where we hiked. Ducks are visible. But trail tread? Hah!
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53532746567_8bfaf6139d_c.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53533817023_ca8c1ffd63_c.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53533635921_4290c17fe2_c.jpg)
At least most of the ducks were well made and visible for some distance. And occasional tread confirmed that yes, we were on the old A.Z.T., now the G.E.T.:
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53533816813_104e94823d_c.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53533954029_3f1b2aa4c1_c.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53533954284_8182112763_c.jpg)
There's a big difference between walking on a well-established trail and following ducks on a maybe. Our pace had dropped to half of what it had been. But we had daylight (and we had headlamps if we'd needed them). We knew where we were and now it was just a matter of carrying on.
Over a saddle, down to another and then to a third. Moving down a canyon now with no trail tread for most of it. But also with nowhere else to walk than in the canyon. We came to an ancient disused road (basically two faint tracks). This made it easier.
And then our end-point came into view. Or rather the huge mound of a butte that marked the end-point, Battle Axe Butte (no, I’m not making this up):
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53533954149_a07ec06fff_c.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53532747687_be171a6a73_c.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53533818368_c2449a4d83_c.jpg)
The trail reaches a dirt road on the north side of Battle Axe (it's visible in the last photo above). That road then circles 270 degrees around its west and south sides. Our "out" point for the day however was around the butte’s east side on that same road (to the left in that same photo). Vicki would be waiting a mile up that road (that’s as far as Jon’s car could reach from Highway 177).
We were soon on the road. Down to Walnut Canyon and a creek crossing there and then Vicki:
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53533637406_298730aa02_c.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53533818793_27b1f2c816_c.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53534059705_47fc03f62e_c.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53533955719_8e5879b1f8_c.jpg)
We arrived only an hour later than I’d estimated we would. Jon and I agreed that we’d lost that hour while we were lost and trying to find the G.E.T. Certainly all was well. We drove back to Picketpost Trailhead, Vicki and I to spend another night and Jon to catch a flight back from what had been a way too short introduction to a very different type of trail.
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Glad you guys found the trail. Terrain like that can make finding a trail like finding a needle In a haystack. You could be just yards from it and not see it. Real easy to get disoriented/ veer off.
Nice photos!
If only they would let those bikers ride in wilderness areas. The trails could be so much more defined. ;)
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If only they would let those bikers ride in wilderness areas. The trails could be so much more defined. ;)
Sure. And then imagine how much better mountain bike trails will be... when we open them to motorcycles.
:P
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Some bike trails came from motorcycle trails so it could be remarkably good! I wouldn't mind. There's places where this exists. Unicycles on the other hand.....
Looks like you and Clink had a good couple.of days!
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(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53528030017_b6b4af20b2_z.jpg)
Yes, a great couple of days indeed.
clink looks like a garden gnome next to you.
Brad did seem taller than I remembered him. His manner of walking on the trail at times reminded of you JC, looking like his tribe had gone south for the winter, but he had just now realized they weren't there and a gnawing sense of urgency was spurring his already awkward gait into semi-frantic lumbering through the wilderness trying to find them.
Truly, "This Thing's Addictive".
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Thank you Vicki for being the Supreme Watcher-Outer for trail wanderers!
I suspect she must have one of those neuralink brain chip implants and is able to often mute us by simply blinking. That or Job is out of a job concerning patience.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53529108663_14c2b29c77_z.jpg)
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Day Four:
I had a decision to make for day four. I was looking at a 21 mile day if I hiked to where Jon and I had left the G.E.T. and continued to the next possible pick-up point to meet Vicki. But part of that 21 miles would be the 270 degree circle which our exit-road and the road/the trail make around Battle Axe. All of the 270 degrees are on a rocky, dirt road. And this road IS the trail for a lot of those degrees. Finally, this road part of the trail included a steep up and then a steep down.
As an alternative to 21 miles, I could walk just the whole circle around Battle Axe. I could walk to and across Walnut Creek, go all the way up around the butte on the road/trail, and then back down to Walnut Creek. I'd finish by walking up-creek, off the trail, to return to the dirt road where we'd met Vicki. Here’s what it looks like on a map (with the red line being the Grand Enchantment Trail and the pen-tip pointing to the intended cross country movement up Walnut Creek):
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53532898737_a0f82f3ba4_c.jpg)
The “do-the-circle” alternative would reduce the 21 mile hike to one of six miles today and then one of 16.8 tomorrow.
I chose the short day (which, honestly, also let me spend more of the day with ever-patient Vicki).
Here’s Battle Axe Butte, the center of the day’s “circle,” as seen from the highway:
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53534176310_7d56142f04_c.jpg)
The van couldn’t go as far out the dirt as Jon’s rental car had gotten us. So Vicki got us as far as she could:
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53533757466_97851d3e5d_c.jpg)
We re-crossed Walnut Creek and soon made it back to where we’d left the trail yesterday:
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53534073844_6a9098b03f_c.jpg)
I took a selfie to mark the spot (such a modern man!!):
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53534073519_7107cd13b2_c.jpg)
And then we headed up the unexciting, rocky and steep road:
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53534176735_35d99e582e_c.jpg)
The views of yesterday’s end-of-day descent were nice:
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53533937613_0d8d4f922f_c.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53534074124_440e28d5cb_c.jpg)
Pretty soon we were topping out (to more great views to which photos don’t do justice):
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53533937998_18ec731037_c.jpg)
Walnut Canyon came back into view about halfway down the descent road:
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53534074304_842c539ef4_c.jpg)
And what a pleasant surprise; the cross country hike up-creek was cross country, but quite easy (as long as one was willing to get their feet wet as two of the three of us were enthused to do):
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53534176900_9f5382807f_c.jpg)
Soon we were hiking back up the road to Vicki. She came into view and by 1:30 we were all relaxing in perfect temps with wonderful views (“home for the evening”):
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53533758266_05d7a43959_c.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53534177405_e564abe0bf_c.jpg)
Oh, and I nursed the rips and tears inflicted on my skin by the desert (this one by a very neatly-patterned cat’s claw):
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53533938553_a7ba75e4e4_c.jpg)
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Day Five:
OK, so I know that I’m 63 years old now and not quite as energetic as I used to be. But I’ve done one hell of a lot of hiking and I think I know what I can do. Still, today I damn near misjudged my stamina and almost couldn’t complete a hike.
The day started at 5:00 a.m. with great misfortune: “running for the bathroom” so to speak with extreme urgency. This state of affairs was very severe but within less than four hours Imodium had brought things under control (thanks again "Vicki's traveling pharmacy").
Under control or not, it was pretty clear that I was not at 100%. I was actually pretty damn tired. And I had to be dehydrated. But it’s only hiking. Plus we’re clear the hell out here in Arizona with a day set aside. No, I wasn’t about to sit around and waste it.
I set out for a 16.8 mile day at 9:30.
It took a little less than and hour and a half to walk the road to Walnut Creek and descend that back to The Grand Enchantment Trail. This was pretty easy and cool hiking, even the part that involved traipsing along in the water. Here’s the “trail,” which isn’t really a trail but is more a "direction of travel:"
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53535035469_6da28b7bd1_c.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53535032209_1cfb172c33_c.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53533829507_bfc01ac595_c.jpg)
Of course Walnut Canyon has its narrows (they’re shown on the map section in day four above):
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53533829447_49d10545e3_c.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53535032924_3d75b4ed20_c.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53535137560_c347bc2730_c.jpg)
Looking back up at those narrows:
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53535137675_a65351339f_c.jpg)
Heading due south now, toward the Gila River drainage. The creek disappeared into the sand:
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53535137485_03b4e5500b_c.jpg)
And then we rejoined the Arizona Trail. We’d have good tread and an easy path to follow now all the way to the outskirts of Kelvin, a small town with a bridge and a trailhead:
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53533831192_55e9ba98b5_c.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53533831332_37582c36fe_c.jpg)
The problem wasn’t the quality of the hiking though. It was the quantity. Once we hit the A.Z.T. we still had 10.8 miles to go. And I felt like I’d already hiked a full day. I began to have some doubts. At least the Gila runs in a beautiful canyon (although with the Southern Pacific railroad on the other side):
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53535138180_8d4fa24c96_c.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53534718561_e0c4c7c1ee_c.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53534896763_739a61764e_c.jpg)
The trail didn’t follow any direct line here. It went in and out of every wash, up and down every slight rise. God, can’t we just get there!? Temps weren’t blasting, but they were on the high side.
At five miles out from Vicki I started wondering if I could finish. I had adequate water and plenty of food (part of the problem was that I couldn’t really eat due to the morning problems; I did the whole day’s hike on two bars and an orange and was lucky to keep those down). I’d brought a headlamp. I started to plan on a short bivouac, stopping if I couldn’t make it and sleeping for a few hours before resuming by moonlight and headlamp.
But I kept going while I could.
The railroad crossed to our side the river three miles from the trailhead:
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53534719626_023da5980c_c.jpg)
At least this was progress. But now the trail gained 400 feet of elevation while crossing in and out of every wash. I wondered if the trail-builders had TRIED to make it harder. Here’s the map:
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53535072543_8fab68ba56_c.jpg)
I stopped frequently for rest in spots of shade. I texted Vicki, asking if there was any way she could move the van closer (no, there wasn’t). Moving at less than a mile an hour now, I trudged uphill. Conversations I’d had years ago with my friend Footie came to mind. What’s the difference between an “epic” and a “death march” we’d say. We never came to any definite conclusions in those conversations, but I was pretty sure I’d crossed the line today.
I finally reached the end of the uphill and got a glimpse of Kelvin and the Gila River bridge:
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53533832642_468dbaced1_c.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53534897433_554d49f690_c.jpg)
Less than two miles now, but still in and out of every slight gully. The direct distance was so close. And yet the trail was taking forever. One foot in front of the other. Finally, at a quarter mile from the van, Vicki was there to meet us. We turned around to hike easy ground back to the trailhead. I had a hard time keeping Vicki’s pace.
Once at the van I stretched out on the bed and laid there for an hour. Success; I was glad I’d done the hike, but really, really glad it was over. I ate some mashed potatoes for dinner with a little bit of soup. Ibuprofen served as desert.
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Some bike trails came from motorcycle trails so it could be remarkably good! I wouldn't mind. There's places where this exists. Unicycles on the other hand.....
Not sure how much longer the unicycling will last but I plan to do it until I can't.
It's been a long time since I've been on a bike but I wouldn't mind plonking around the desert on a cushy foo-foo with an oversize tank.
(https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/pw/ABLVV85l1-E5TI2xL2AA5Pbb2tv8mK97Xcjxt3a385J-MGM9HMwC-K5T047-QXePHuncFrASz9LqKF12qRlx-t0Tg8dDFc_wJAdLi87dj0xm_WDyIeFrEXyKJvF1gZZwaID1AvWbs_jUp5XlupK9dIyftF2S=w907-h598-s-no-gm?authuser=0)
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Not sure how much longer the unicycling will last but I plan to do it until I can't.
Yep.
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Day Six:
My goal today was to walk. Just to make sure I still could. Actually, I got out of bed with an appetite, which was progress. All four of us slowly got going at this very pretty trailhead:
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53534978711_fdc933a2fa_c.jpg)
I’d already planned that this was to be the last day of hiking. And already planned it as a short day. Two and a half miles beyond this trailhead was another. Beyond that was an almost-26 mile section that was dry and just too much to day-hike; it would take one night out and I had no bivy gear.
We got going late and slowly. The trail was a road to and then over the bridge (“the bridge” in this case was the old bridge under the new bridge - no cars and no worrying about getting the dogs across safely):
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53535156408_dccbbe7e33_c.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53534092147_68d80d7383_c.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53534976566_093b4bff38_c.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53535397670_5802b3e6c5_c.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53535291774_908c1b0615_c.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53534977796_184c3d73af_c.jpg)
Halifax is almost 10 years old now. That’s probably about my age in dog years. She and I were notably slow this morning. I took the girls off leash once we’d crossed the river:
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53535292154_5a7d148a37_c.jpg)
Unhurried, we climbed to the west of the Kelvin - Florence Road. Vicki finished packing and drove to the new trailhead:
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53535398320_cf47883053_c.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53535398340_8cc96d30dc_c.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53535398250_90b7fabd7d_c.jpg)
We saw her soon. Another wide open trailhead in wide open desert:
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53535158063_c4556bd85b_c.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53535398555_42ee7fecfa_c.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53534094037_4e913ee064_c.jpg)
By the end of 2 1/2 miles we were all moving smoothly, more or less. And the distance allowed more than just working out the kinks. I got to think more about this trail. So far out here and so different than the Sierra or the Cascades or even California’s coastal mountains, all of which I’ve walked extensively. And some hard hiking in places.
But it’s got its own definite charms, to say the least. With a fair amount of adventure blended in. I think we’ll be back next year….
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May it welcome you back with open arms
(https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/pw/ABLVV84WpOGiNrUZnLWkym2YQ-dGvmOe_g6MGb9E-Lem56yid-Vc4_t095Kbm345vghBgNiipMDMLOce8RLwFKxGHmwhE7dfgEXeNLDCdpuSRmsZ0MII6z64L356YN4WwsLTW5JC_7qlPTnUVTxg9Y8Kp6Li=w448-h598-s-no-gm?authuser=0)
Here's hoping you'll soar through the next section
(https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/pw/ABLVV85JGtxC6nqpglw3djb0JARY7HiBJWypGtdSxVYQhvEn51kjdIU8UIOxz20fbbrdA1wNFimWCqNFT5mIbEAn58s7MhRMWYiL7KLbt_jp6jy3kTNhwHC9H7GNfyy5ivBTZTP2OzT0ythE1erRBnXmhwsH=w900-h598-s-no-gm?authuser=0)
And make some great memories with the best of friends and people you love
(https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/pw/ABLVV84iXp0YZOuQblYWNNLcOwigMjybfDuD2X6cKc_FoVCygBAV-VgqRCzwokxOfje-hL_pocAyv9HOIZszYuPjLRvcZojxjjoi_d74FxhApwx_QzNlZlE82m11G0SY_qtX9iMzVgclzzkbEXT5wyFHgcwU=w813-h598-s-no-gm?authuser=0)
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P.S. Not trying to hijack the thread - just wanted to add some pics for effect and I have no dirt bike pictures in the desert.
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P.S. Not trying to hijack the thread - just wanted to add some pics for effect and I have no dirt bike pictures in the desert.
Highjack away! It's nice to know that someone is reading this stuff ;)
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Man that's one frustrated cactus. Tryin' to flip the double bird with no fingers.
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Man that's one frustrated cactus. Tryin' to flip the double bird with no fingers.
You people aren't gonna last very long if you visit Arizona.
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Doing a little reading ahead. After four more days of hiking I (we??) will be entering this unreal looking canyon:
https://www.blm.gov/visit/aravaipa-canyon-wilderness
You coming Clink? Next year?
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You people aren't gonna last very long if you visit Arizona.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53528026012_2711896214_z.jpg)
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You coming Clink? Next year?
Yes, the addiction or enchanting thing happened.
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How many days for the next section? Same general time of year?
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It'll be how many days for the next trip. The next section is 25 miles and then two sections that are each day hikes.
The upcoming crux though is getting permits for Aravaipa Canyon. Apparently they're limited in number and enforcement is very strict.
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How did I miss Day 5? I could have sworn I made that uni comment with the wheelie picture after day 4 (after the picture of your scratched leg). Perplexed.
That looked like some hard hiking with a "not very clear" trail and all the up/downs did not sound fun - feeling bad or not.
Looking at the map it looks like the trail follows contours fairly well but I do see a lot of spots where the line crosses a topo contour (un-dig). Scenery looked pretty cool too but I doubt you enjoyed it much being so focused on simply surviving.
Reminds me of the old guy on my uni circuit that I had the good fortune to talk to one day when I had an upd. He was telling me about how his now deceased uncle had survived the Bataan Death March and a POW camp. He was 6 foot 3 and 98 pounds when he was released from the camp. He had Beriberi and only lived to be 42. We had an interesting talk.
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I hate strict enforcers, except in a stew. I will bring an assortment of spices.
There is going to be regeeking up on orienteering on my part, which will be much better than offering a mislabeled and misleading alternative trail on my phone app to further confuse the trail finding. Going with my gut when I was leaner worked better, not so all inclusive.
The thought of spending a cold night out in the desert with you never even remotely crossed my mind as a possibility. The dogs would be the saving grace of that scenario. I’ll have to modify my day packing items to include matches, iodine, and fuel/food for furry mobile emergency heaters. If the dogs aren’t going I’ll need to get a lightweight bivi sack(whole body condom) for protection from the elements…
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Great photos, Brad! It was good to see Clink out and about!
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Great photos, Brad! It was good to see Clink out and about!
I think Brad conspired with Beano to photoshop clink in all those shots - they are punking us!
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What is a Gastroenterologists favorite hobby?
Spelunking.
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What is a Gastroenterologists favorite hobby?
Spelunking.
Wrong thread.
http://www.mudncrud.com/forums/index.php?topic=2449.0
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Speaking of wrong thread, a personal shopper could really help you with that wardrobe of yours.
:)
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Speaking of wrong thread, a personal shopper could really help you with that wardrobe of yours.
:)
I'd rather look like a traffic cone than a garden gnome. :ciappa:
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I'd rather look like a traffic cone than a garden gnome. :ciappa:
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53550330162_91ae5f6337_z.jpg)
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(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53553863474_be9437505c_z.jpg)
Gets in your brain.
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I'd love to go back this season. But too many other plans are interfering.
And before you know it, it's gonna be too hot there, and then granite season starts, and then the PCT trips we've planned.
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It isn't always sunny in the desert!