Marion Spring?

[TooOld2Hike_EP]

The weather forecast this coming Friday and Saturday calls for relatively cool with a chance of rain in Sunflower and Rye. I'm thinking it might be a last chance to go backpacking. (Although I've bp'd as late as June in the past.)

So, for Friday (afternoon arrival at Cross F TH), I'm thinking about backpacking to, and overnighting at, the little mesa on the Little Saddle Mtn trail (TR 244) at about Mile 398-ish (?), where I camped on my first ever backpack trip on the LSM trail.

If that goes okay, then Saturday I'm thinking about exploring to find Marion Spring, which shows to be 2000 feet away as the crow flies. Call it a half mile by foot. (Each way.)

I have Joe B's Route from Feb this year. (Sheep Creek Laso Loop.) So no excuse for becoming lost.

He found some water there in February. If it rains Friday, might there be some water there Saturday?

Joe reported a pool, but didn't find a Spring. Is there really a Spring there? With a pipe? Tub? (I presume it's been worked because there's also a Marion Spring Number One nearby.) Any one tell me what to look for? (I'll try to home in on greenery.)

Depending on how that goes, I might drive up to Rye after that and try camping out near Rock Creek Falls Saturday night. (Although I don't recall seeing any decent campsites when I passed thru last year.) Water Reports from a week ago report water. But I don't know if it's falling.

[joebartels]

I'd highly recommend against going off-trail to Marion for yourself. If there is any water from the recent rainfall it will be 2 yards off the trail at [ photo ] . Both of those are close to the trailhead, I'd carry the water.

[TooOld2Hike_EP]

@joebartels
Tnx. I looked at your photoset, hoping to see the Spring proper.

So stay on South Fork of Sheep Creek then? Or are you saying to not venture off the AZT?

(I just now found your Guide for Sheep Creek. (I didn't know that I could click on the title in the Elevation insert.) After reading your Guide, it sounds like your saying to not venture off the AZT. That Sheep Creek is kinda "off trail."

(I rememeber the rocks that you showed in your photo just north of where I plan to overnight. I found them a month later coming back south from Mormon Grove along the LSM trail.)

[joebartels]

I recommend you stay on the AZT

[TooOld2Hike_EP]

@joebartels
Okay, thanks.

[xsproutx]

This state has hundreds, even thousands of miles of really traveled trail with so much information and fantastic scenery so I am constantly surprised at your attempts to die in the wilderness ;) ;)

You asked the question, though, so I'll give you a serious answer. 90%+ of "springs" marked on the map in AZ are suspect at best. They probably don't have water and the ones that do, that water could be a trough, a puddle, a pool, a full out lake almost. If a water source on here only had 4 reports ever, the last one over a year ago and this year being dry as hell, and you have commented that you couldn't find the best/most most obvious water sources in the most trekked place in the state... Stay away. Do not pass go. I've become a broken record at this point, but someone is going to have to drag your dead body at some point and that's really going to suck for them.

I love the idea of an older guy really trying to get out there and do things. I hope I have that same mentality when I get to your age! You can still be adventurous and backpack and have solitude, though, while being safe.

[TooOld2Hike_EP]

@xsproutx
I understand and I appreciate your concern. I read about the misadventures of the sometimes younger, always more experienced hikers/backpackers here and I, too, wonder why they do what they do. And I, too, expect to read about them in the news someday too. (To be fair, I understand doing it for the "challenge." When my airplane partner and I had our own plane, we often flew into challenging weather just for the fun of it. While it's always fun to fly, flying in clear blue sky becomes kind of routine after a while. And, yes, our less experienced/less equipped fellow pilots thought that we were crazy, purposely launching just to dodge thunderstorms. (Someone here has a signature about a fine line between a hobby and insanity.))

In my case, I think I'm doing it for the challenge. I know that I'm not doing for the scenery. (Have seen plenty from ten thousand feet. And not a Pantheist.) I don't do it for the solitude.

I keep coming back to thinking that I do it because I don't want to admit that I can't do it. (I.e., that I am Too Old to Hike, despite my moniker. I.e., don't want to "Hang up my spurs." So am in denial.)

As for Marion Spring, I thought it was a safe challenge. 1) It's only a half mile away from developed trail, 2) I've surveyed the general lay of the land from the campout mesa on the LSM and satellite, 3) I have Joe's route. (I found a better one, where he and the Eagle actually went to look for Marion and said that they couldn't find it. Only pools. (Lion Mountain loop)).

But apparently not such a safe challenge.

It's moot anyway. I make these ambitious two day plans only to find that I'm too exhausted after one day to go on. (Am trying to "bulk up" in advance this time, tho. Have been drinking Muscle Milk stuff and pasta tonight.) So in the end, I'll probably be happy to make the 3.5 miles to the campsite where I camped two years ago and call it quits after that. (Or maybe go on to Potato Patch or McFarland for a second night, instead of the long uphills and slippery downhills of Rock Creek Trail to the falls. (Although sleeping by the Falls would be nice.))

[RedRoxx44]

Also distance sometimes does not matter off trail. There are areas in this state where the off trail progress can be measured in yards per hour. Pushing in that kind of terrain can be a huge calorie burner and ok if you are fit and prepared. If you have a problem can quickly become a nightmare and a few yards can be like an overwhelming proposition if you are ill, injured, etc.

[azbackpackr]

@TooOld2Hike_EP

I keep coming back to thinking that I do it because I don't want to admit that I can't do it. (I.e., that I am Too Old to Hike, despite my moniker. I.e., don't want to "Hang up my spurs." So am in denial.)

Please do find and follow Dale (Greybeard) Sanders. Then you will (hopefully) stop saying you're too old! I myself am 72, and have no inclination to stop doing what I'm doing, although I'm tied down as the caregiver of a family member, (I can't leave home at night) I intend to train for backpacking through this summer, and hope to have a chance to use my brand new pack and also do at least a 3 day bicycle tour.

Dale Sanders is 89 and planning an Appalachian Trail thru hike during his 90th year, last I heard. It will be his second time getting the Guinness Book of World Records for "oldest to hike the AT." He has also twice held (and now holds) "oldest to paddle source-to-sea on the Mississippi." The reason for "twice" is that someone older than him broke his record, so he went back and did it again, to regain his record. I know, it seems a bit silly, but on the other hand, he's a fun, charismatic, charming and extremely generous person. If he wants his name in the book, I'm all for it.
Here's his page, and he also has a FB page I follow. https://www.greybeardadventurer.com/