Fall color hunt along the Swift Trail was the main focus for this trip.
Parked at Twilight and hiked up the Swift Trail switchbacks to Ladybug Saddle. Lots of color along the way, but about half of it is on the ground already, I was a little surprised at this early fall.
From Ladybug Saddle I took the trail up to Ladybug Peak. Arrived on top to find that the new ammo box register I placed up there after the Frye fire a few months ago was missing. WTF ..... why do people do this s**t?
On the way back down I stewed for a while about the box missing as I took the Ladybug Trail down to Turkey Flat. Ladybug trail was great! I rested for a bit on a rocky overlook for coffee, snickers & the views down before completing the trail down back on to the Swift Trail. A short walk along the road pass the cabins brought me back to Twilight completing the loop.
Except for discovering that my register box was missing, I enjoyed my morning on the mountain. The colors were great, the peak and trails were great and the weather was cold ..... I love the cold!

Swift Trail (366) has been re-opened up to Ladybug Saddle ..... again. Flooding continues to be a problem at Wet Canyon and has closed the road I believe 3 times now since the Frye Fire.

Headed up with the first stop at Wet Canyon crossing. And as pre-warned, ADOT has removed the old 1935 historic CCC bridge. Another historic Pinaleno structure lost forever ! The flooding at Wet Canyon has been violent and I along with a few others were shocked at the "new" look of the entrance to this most loved canyon/picnic area, but to remove the old bridge was IMO unnecessary & lazy. ADOT does own the road (and old bridge) and because of that can do as they please ..... whatever!

I then drove up to Arcadia CG and hiked down to Upper Wet Canyon. Again as the lower crossing, completely changed forever from the flooding, but in a good cleaned out/opened up way. Before/after pics won't be believed to those who know Wet Canyon. Then it was off to my main hike for the day up to Mount Baldy Peak.

Took Turkey Flat up, hung a right onto the Ladybug Trail, then off-trailed up to the peak. Took in the outstanding views on top, ate lunch & signed the ammo box register before leaving. Beautiful hike back down through the pines on this very scenic trail.

Last stop was on the drive back down to Noon Creek to check things out. This is the lowest burn area on this side of the mountain and all trails here are posted closed indefinitely, the picnic grounds are open.

Wildlife spotted - 6 white-tails, 4 Abert's, skunk, spiny lizards, butterflies and many vocal hawks & vultures up high.

& &

Mount Baldy Peak views -
[ youtube video ]

With a little bit of light left in the day, I felt compelled to make a quick detour on my way home from Safford. I made a beeline for the Turkey Flat trailhead, parked, and hit the trail, moving fast. I made it up to the first view of Mount Baldy 8359' on the Ladybug Trail in 15 minutes, as dusk chased away the last rays of sunset. I had a much needed, misty-eyed, one sided conversation with the fire-scarred Pinalenos, and then hiked back to the highway with a heavy heart. My mind recalled many good memories of times in the Pinalenos as I descended the Swift Trail. Good memories will continue to be made in these wonderful mountains.

Clockwise Loop.
Turkey Flat TH up to get it started.
Hung a right onto the Ladybug Trail.
Off-trail side trip up to Mount Baldy Peak, flipped a step boulder and lost some shin skin, but the amazing view down on Turkey Flat was worth it!
Ladybug Peak still holding plenty of ladybugs, long time register box was missing
Took the Swift Trail switch-backs down to complete the loop.

Mountain + AddSanz =

up in 48:30.

booked it up the swift trail after a long day working in safford. drizzly on my drive up but as soon as i hit the trail, wind picked up and blew the storm away. beautiful conditions on the summit. this trail is not getting much use lately. as expected i saw nobody. steep little sucker

haven't been up Ladybug in years. started at 5 and made it up in about 50 minutes. great trail and hike with sensational afternoon/early evening views. nice breeze on Ladybug Peak. Just me and the squatches out there tonight.

awesome after work hike

Day 2 of my Pinaleno Camping Trip...Wanted to do some Hikes that I haven't done yet, and although I've done Ladybug Peak, I did it from the Saddle before...This was a little bit more of a Workout. I decided to go ahead and throw in Mount Baldy on the way back...Why? Because it was there...

Beautiful Morning and the Hike was going very nicely...Calm, relaxed, actually enjoying some nice Uphill... I came to a little "bump" where it was stepping on Rocks going down...Of course, with a Trail I haven't been on, I'm not totally focused on the Trail, although my Foot Placement here was at least in my Peripheral Vision...I stepped off that last Rock, back on to level Trail...I thought I was stepping next to a small Gray Rock...OOPS! If that Twin-Spotted was known as an aggressive Species, my Trip would have ended with that Step...Less than 6" from his Head... He was small, coiled up, sunning himself in the middle of the Trail...I think I scared him more than he did me! Instead of striking, he jerked the other way, while I did the "Rattlesnake Two Step"...He rattled his very small Button Rattle and started beating cheeks for the Rocks on the edge of the Trail...It drops off there and I think he calls it home...I somehow managed to get the Camera out and fired off a couple of shots, but definitely didn't have much time... Very Cool Encounter, once it was over...My first Twin Spotted in the Wild!!!

Continued on down the Trail, paying a little more attention to the actual Trail... The Uphill was a nice little Workout...Got to a Saddle, started up more Switchbacks and came face to face with a White-Tailed Doe...Less than 20 feet away...She stared at me in disbelief for a moment and as I turned the Camera on, the White Flag came up and she quickly walked into the Brush...Could not get a clean shot after that...

Finished the Switchbacks and got up to the Peak...The Views were as nice as I remembered, albeit a bit Hazy...Not many Clouds, but still a Haze to the Horizon...Spent an hour up there, enjoying the Views, watching Birds come and go, including a couple that weren't all that common...Read through the Log, laughing at fellow HAZers...And then it was time to go...

Followed the Trail back down, poring over Preston's Description for where to start the ascent to Baldy...Found it and Off-Trailed it up to that Peak...Enjoyed the Views here and laughed at more Entries in that Register...Then it was back the way I came, onto the Trail and back to the Escape...Lots of fresh Bear sign along the Ladybug Trail, especially the closer you came to Turkey Flat...

Nice Hike, nice little Workout with a couple of breathtaking moments of excitement...I could easily see doing this Hike again...

I never get tired of this backyard favorite. Went to Ladybug Saddle, with a visit to Ladybug Peak on the way there and on the way back. Just enough snow left in places to make kicking foot holds necessary. The scent of wood smoke and pine hung heavy in the chilly night air back at the trailhead. In my opinion, the best smell combination on earth!

Had a freakin' cold good time Christmas Eve on The Mountain. Went to Ladybug Peak twice, on the way to Ladybug Saddle and on the way back. No one had signed the summit register since my last visit two weeks ago. Did a half mile on Bear Canyon Trail, too. The moist ground was frozen solid, with an inch of snow on north slopes. Snow and white firs: oooh, nice!

My Saturday hike plans ruined, I was determined to start the weekend off on a better note. I left work early at 3:30 pm, started up the Turkey Flat Trail at 4:10. Went to Ladybug Saddle, then made a side trip to Ladybug Peak to watch the sunset on the way back, and finished the hike by headlamp. Very quiet in the Pinalenos today, only saw a couple of other cars.