KP South Fork # 70 and Blue Peak Backpack

azbackpackr · Post by **azbackpackr** » Jun 08 2010 5:33 am

NOTE: THIS EVENT IS CANCELED DUE TO VARIOUS REASONS. NOT ENOUGH RESPONSE ON ABC OR HAZ, SO I HAVE SIGNED UP FOR BEAR WALLOW ON TUB!Friday June 25th to Sunday 27th 2010 Noon on Friday to noonish on Sunday.

This hike starts a few miles south of Hannagan Meadow, at the KP Cienega Campground. It is going to be an out and back, although there is a day loop possible to Blue Peak. My idea is to leave the camp set up in the same place both nights, and do a dayhike up Trail # 71 to Blue Peak on Saturday, possibly looping back down to KP on #72 (if it is in hikeable condition.) There is a degree of flexibility here—we could move camp if we choose to. A true adventure! There are other side hikes if the one to Blue Peak isn't enough for you, you can also go up to Moonshine Park.

Mileage is about 4 to 5 miles first day, lose around 1300 feet elevation. Second day, optional dayhike to Blue Peak, about 7 miles round trip, 2500+ elevation gain. Third day hike out, 4 to 5 miles, gain 1300 feet.

This area gets a lot of snow and rain, and is covered in fir, spruce, aspen, pine, etc. Down in KP creek there are several 10 foot waterfalls, and flat areas for camping. You can fish in it too, although the fish are small, they are said to be easy to catch. The view from Blue Peak is enormous and amazing. This is the heart of the wolf recovery area. I usually see a bear or two when I hike in this area. There are also elk, deer, mountain lions, etc.

The reason we are not doing the loop with Steeple Mesa Trail is due to recent trip reports that indicate it is covered in deadfall, and has little shade due to fire a few years ago.

Please Note: Partially exploratory for trip leader (although that may change because I may have time to scout it first.) No dogs, please! This area is not well-suited to hiking with dogs. This is a 3 day/2 night backpacking trip. We will not be car camping, but if you want to meet us at the campground instead of at the restaurant, that will be fine, just let me know! I am big on communication. Please respond to communications! If you are an ABC member you can sign up for it on there instead of on here.

Meet at noon on Friday June 25th at:
Alpine Grill, 42649 U.S. 180, Alpine, AZ 85920
(928) 339-1930‎

We will have lunch and proceed to trailhead and immediately start hiking. If you want to, you can meet us at the KP Cienega Campground sometime after 1 p.m. (probably closer to 2 p.m.) But please let me know about it if you want to do that.

On Sunday morning we will get an early start hiking out. Anyone who wants to stay behind is of course, welcome to do so, but I like to make sure that people can get home to Phoenix or Tucson before dark.

Vaporman · Post by **Vaporman** » Jun 08 2010 7:15 am

LoL, I'm planning on doing about this same hike pretty soon after seeing Mike's photos. It's been two summers and I really to get back to this sweet area... Great minds think alike!

azbackpackr · Post by **azbackpackr** » Jun 08 2010 7:51 am

Yeah, but I sure want to stay off the Steeple Trail after what Mike said about it! I am going to call the trail crew guy and ask him about that. I do know he and his crew have tried to keep Steeple open, but since that big fire it is hard for them to keep up with all the deadfall, especially after as hard a winter as we had this past year. The fact that it is in the hot sun AND has dozens of bad deadfalls does not sound fun at all.

This winter was so hard that most of the houses in Alpine and Greer sustained damage from snow and ice. Most had all their bathroom vents broken off, and their snow stops sheared off or bent. Some had leakage, especially those big cabins with a lot of gables--and some of the leakage was very bad since the owners were not present to monitor it. Some had broken plate glass windows from when the ice starts sliding off the eaves and then it curves around and pierces the glass!

In addition to that we had a lot more strong winds this spring. So, for the hiker, these things translate into a lot more deadfall than usual.

azbackpackr · Post by **azbackpackr** » Jun 08 2010 7:59 am

I don't get how to put this on Events list and on the HAZ calendar.

joebartels · Post by **joebartels** » Jun 08 2010 8:59 am

Only Events with a selected hike and a set date post on the Events Calendar.

You're almost there, select a hike. It's right above where you selected date.

If this wasn't further than San Diego from the west valley I'd jump in.

PLC92084 · Post by **PLC92084** » Jun 08 2010 9:06 am

Hey... What's wrong with San Diego (other than it's in CA...)!?

joebartels · Post by **joebartels** » Jun 08 2010 9:14 am

Nothing, that was my point

I spent the summer of '88 roaming between Del Mar and Carlsbad and loved it!

big_load · Post by **big_load** » Jun 08 2010 11:42 am

How is the view from Blue Peak? It was tempting last month, but I didn't figure I had time to be sure of reaching it.

azbackpackr · Post by **azbackpackr** » Jun 08 2010 12:14 pm

Awesome view. I haven't been there in a few years but last time I was there, I was surprised there was no one squatting in the old fire tower, because it sure did look pretty liveable to me (old hippie that I am... ;) ). You can see all the Blue Range, the Gila Wilderness range and over to the west as well. I am pretty sure you could see Mt. Graham and the Chiricahuas, but can't swear to it. Last time I was there, I saw a bear along the trail, also.

azbackpackr · Post by **azbackpackr** » Jun 08 2010 12:22 pm

joe bartels wrote:
Only Events with a selected hike and a set date post on the Events Calendar.
You're almost there, select a hike. It's right above where you selected date.

If this wasn't further than San Diego from the west valley I'd jump in.

I don't get it. All I see is "linked hikes" above the date. When I click on that, it tells me to link hikes. I don't want to add any linked hikes, although there are a couple, I don't want them on there. I don't see where to go back to the original set-up page, either.

You are right, Joe, there is no really good way to get to Hannagan from the West Valley--either you have to go round about through Show Low and Springerville and then drop south, or you have to go through Globe to Safford and then choose either Morenci/to north on 191 (with its miles and miles and miles of 10 and 15 mph speed limit) or Mule Creek cutoff to Glenwood NM, to Alpine, and then south to Hannagan.

I sure hope none of my crowd tries to come up 191 from Morenci, unless they do it the day before!

te_wa · Post by **te_wa** » Jun 08 2010 12:37 pm

Vaporman wrote:LoL, I'm planning on doing about this same hike pretty soon after seeing Mike's photos. It's been two summers and I really to get back to this sweet area... Great minds think alike!

brian, "great minds thing a hike"
lol

this sounds like a fun trip. blue peak was on my list of things to do, just not so soon.

joebartels · Post by **joebartels** » Jun 08 2010 12:44 pm

azbackpackr wrote:I don't want to add any linked hikes

The first hike you select is the hike.
Not sure how I can make that any more clear than this posted next to it...

On multiple legs the first hike selected serves as the starting point

but I'm open to suggestions.

azbackpackr · Post by **azbackpackr** » Jun 08 2010 1:50 pm

Ok, I did it. Thank you! I will suggest something if I can think of something...

PLC92084 · Post by **PLC92084** » Jun 08 2010 1:55 pm

Hey Joe... We're fortunate Liz even uses a computer!! Most of the old hippies I know had to rely on their kids to do it. I'm not sure there's any easy way to post how-to pics on the setup page

Sorry, Liz... couldn't resist! (I'll pay for that later, probably...)

Vaporman · Post by **Vaporman** » Jun 08 2010 2:00 pm

te-wa wrote:brian, "great minds thing a hike

LoL, yea I second that that Steeple trail was as brutal two summers ago as it was for Mike. Loads of treefall and zero shade... While that Blue Peak and fire lokout were pretty sweet as was the KP south fork.

azbackpackr · Post by **azbackpackr** » Jun 08 2010 2:05 pm

To that fellow Californian: :roll: I will have to think about an appropriate response...

At least I can type with all 10 fingers! And when I was in school, they taught us SPELLING! What a concept!

Ok, so, back to the topic--would anyone like to go on the hike? I have 3 + myself signed up so far on ABC. I am not listing it with SAHC this time. It does get cumbersome keeping track of people from 4 or 5 clubs at one time!

te_wa · Post by **te_wa** » Jun 08 2010 2:27 pm

PLC92084 wrote:We're fortunate Liz even uses a computer!!

heck, we're lucky the people of Eagar got telephones last year! Even wearing shoes is a new concept to most of them..

PLC92084 · Post by **PLC92084** » Jun 08 2010 2:29 pm

And I'm going to pay !!??

azbackpackr · Post by **azbackpackr** » Jun 08 2010 9:28 pm

Joe, they're pickin' on me!

joebartels · Post by **joebartels** » Jun 08 2010 9:42 pm

Welcome to the club. You're talking to a guy that has lived the life of Wile E. Coyote. I feel no more pain and my ego is flatter than a pancake. I smile and move on

KP South Fork # 70 and Blue Peak Backpack

KP South Fork # 70 and Blue Peak Backpack

Re: KP South Fork # 70 and Blue Peak Backpack

Re: KP South Fork # 70 and Blue Peak Backpack

Re: KP South Fork # 70 and Blue Peak Backpack

Re: KP South Fork # 70 and Blue Peak Backpack

Re: KP South Fork # 70 and Blue Peak Backpack

Re: KP South Fork # 70 and Blue Peak Backpack

Re: KP South Fork # 70 and Blue Peak Backpack

Re: KP South Fork # 70 and Blue Peak Backpack

Re: KP South Fork # 70 and Blue Peak Backpack

Re: KP South Fork # 70 and Blue Peak Backpack

Re: KP South Fork # 70 and Blue Peak Backpack

Re: KP South Fork # 70 and Blue Peak Backpack

Re: KP South Fork # 70 and Blue Peak Backpack

Re: KP South Fork # 70 and Blue Peak Backpack

Re: KP South Fork # 70 and Blue Peak Backpack

Re: KP South Fork # 70 and Blue Peak Backpack

Re: KP South Fork # 70 and Blue Peak Backpack

Re: KP South Fork # 70 and Blue Peak Backpack

Re: KP South Fork # 70 and Blue Peak Backpack