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| Backpack | 18.60 Miles |
2,824 AEG |
| | Backpack | 18.60 Miles | 8 Hrs 45 Mns | | 2.13 mph |
| 2,824 ft AEG | | 35 LBS Pack | | |
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| no partners | | Four in the morning comes early to me, but I was up and out the door 20 minutes later. Pack was already in the Jeep. Coffee at the all-night convenience store down the road and more coffee and breakfast in Apache Junction as the eastern sky was just beginning to lighten. Driving the ever-winding Apache Trail in the predawn is an adventure unto itself. Dawn found me at the turn off to the Reavis Trailhead.
The Old Hermit, Elisha Reavis, was the first white man to live in this valley. Others came later and raised cows and crops in this isolated valley in the midst of the Superstition Mountains back in the day. Someone along the way planted an apple orchard. The ranch is long gone except for the foundation of the old ranch house, which burned in 1991, and some rusted abandoned farm equipment. But the orchard survives and now is a destination of note for wilderness adventurers. This link provides some more history of Reavis Ranch. http://superstitionmountaintomkollenborn.blogspot.com/2013/03/the-reavis-ranch-legacy.html
I had never hiked to Reavis Ranch. Today I was adding the Reavis’ orchard to my “yeah, I’ve done that one” list. At good light I had dirt under foot. A stiff breeze in the high 30s pushed me up the trail with a purpose. Everything burns for the first two miles, especially when it is cold, your pack’s at its heaviest, and you are stiff from driving for nearly 3 hours. The climbing sun warmed me and the Superstitions. The pace got smoother and I drifted off into that hiker’s nirvana where the mind roams freely as the legs churn under you. The hike into Reavis from the north is through large, but largely uninspiring, country. No one was on the trail but me it seemed, and that is mostly how I like these kinds of outings -- lost in a big country and lost in my own thoughts.
First time on this trail, so I mentally checked off various points I’d seen on other trip reports. Finally the trail started down into the valley that contains Reavis and its famed apple orchard. My biggest concern had been water, so I took the first side trail off in search of Reavis Creek. Dry! Well I had packed just enough water for an emergency exit back to the trailhead. I followed the dry creek bed for a little ways and saw that precious liquid that spells life in the desert. The further I went, the better the water got. So far, so good.
Dropped the backpack and scouted the valley for a good campsite. There are many to choose from and none were occupied. Mostly out of nostalgia for the place, I settled in close to the site of the old ranch house, 9.91 miles from the trailhead according to my GPS. Had a quick lunch and went exploring. In other words, I headed straight to the apple orchard.
I’d planned to do this hike earlier in the month, but life had gotten in the way. That lapse in time had also turned the apples into either bear and deer food or mush on the ground. Apparently the bear had enjoyed the apples immensely from all the scat about. There were a few apples still hanging way up in one or two trees. I threw some sticks at them in hopes of felling one. Mostly my efforts resulted in sticks stuck in trees and the realization that, yet again, I will not be in the starting rotation for any major league baseball team next year. I did eventually succeed in knocking down some that had only minor bird pecks and insect bites. They went well with peanut butter and creek water.
The afternoon was cool and foretelling of a cold night. I set up camp with an eye to a good fire and shelter. By sunset I was wearing all the clothes I had packed and appreciating noodles and salmon in a boiling broth. The reflectors placed earlier in the fire pit paid off. With nothing left to do before turning in, I burned all the big wood for a few hours, saving some smaller stuff for a morning fire.
Even though it had been a long day, I sat by the fire late enjoying its warmth and the solitude of the place. My thoughts always turn to those close to me, family and friends, when I am out alone like this and there is just me and the fire. I watched the smoke drift heavenward and silently wished all would find their way. I remembered how lucky I am to be in this place. So many will never find it in themselves to venture beyond their presumed safe little world and discover the wonders of sitting by a fire alone in a lonely land, and thus they may never truly find themselves.
Finally turned in. The night was cold enough to make even a loner like me wish for the company of a good dog or a bad woman. Definitely appreciated the work I’d put into the shelter, my ExPed mat, and a really good down bag. Slept well and soon the day light peeked over the east rim of the valley.
Frost on everything greeted me. My water bottles, which I had decided to fill the evening before so as to get out of camp quick, were frozen. My water filter, which wasn’t fully drained I guess, was frozen. But I was only half frozen. Knowing how to get a fire going quickly is a definite asset. Soon my metal water bottle was by the fire to thaw and then breakfast was cooking. I was warming up beside the fire along with the water filter too. A little early Fall freeze ain’t nothing if you’ve had a Reavis apple.
Camp came down quick enough. Packed everything up and started back up the trail scaring up numerous whitetails rotten apple foraging. Felt good to be generating some body heat as I climbed up out of Reavis Ranch.
Bumped into some hunters on the way out setting up camp alongside the trail. Made some small talk and they mentioned one of their group was hiking in behind them and if I saw him to let him know he was on the right trail. About 40 minutes later I see a guy sitting beside the trail with a pack about as big as he was. And he was no small dude. I confirmed he was their buddy and gave him the message. He asked if I were certain because he should have already made it to their camp. He had his cell phone out looking at it even though there was no cell coverage for 20 miles in any direction. He did have a GPS attached to his pack, along with a yard sale’s worth of other junk that he most likely had never used. Told him he had about 2 miles to go. He looked like I had shot him. They say wisdom is gained through experience and a lack of wisdom generates most of that experience. I suspect this guy will gain wisdom by the ton on this trip.
Later another group comprised of four guys and one lady was hiking in, young, fit, seemingly well-equipped and experienced. They asked who I had seen camping where, status of water, etc. She mentioned with some pride that one of the guys was packing in two bottles of wine for her. Told her that I had never failed at filtering out some good water from Arizona springs, but as yet had never been able to filter a decent bottle of wine out of one, that trick apparently having been reserved earlier in our history. Bade them a good trip and pushed through the remaining two miles to the trailhead.
As I put my pack in the Jeep I was struck by two facts and one question. My body is tired, but again my spirit soars. My clothes are dirty, but again my soul is cleansed. Where to next shall we go?
Instead of photos I am doing a Youtube vid. https://www.youtube.com/embed/28BT-HFTZfU |
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All you have is your fire...
And the place you need to reach |
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