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I am changing my plans from the Superstitions Backpack to the Mazatzals. I intend to hike in rd 25A and make base camp at (near?) Thicket Spring. I would appreciate anyone providing information about campsites in the area and the quality of the spring.

I have not decided yet if I will head out there Thursday or Friday. I plan on hiking out Sunday afternoon unless we find him before then.

Anyone is welcome to join me, or simply drop by for part of a day to help.

Apologies to Joe B for setting up a competing trip.

azpride wrote:I'm committed for Friday, although I don't know exactly what I'm going to do. I'll be able to get to 25A easily in my truck, so at the very least I'll just hike in from there. However, that's not preferred, as roundtrip just to the base of Sheep Mountain and back looks to be in the range of 10-11 miles. While that's fine, a much shorter hike in from the Peeley trailhead would allow for much more energy to search the SE slopes of Sheep Mountain.

I'm hoping somebody is able to check out the road to Peeley before Thursday night and can report road conditions.

I'll come and get you, lets just take my truck if its a high clearance concern.

Thanks for everyone's responses.

I will be using the coordinates suggested by tkknc as my primary option for a base camp location. I am hoping water will not be a problem at the spring or a nearby creek, especially with the rain/snow this last weekend. It's good to know that if it comes to it, Sheep Creek is only a few miles away and will have water.

I do not anticipate needing anyone to help resupply me, but thank you for the offer.

I have no radio, so if someone else who comes does, they can coordinate radio frequencies.

I would encourage everyone to be cautious. This is tough terrain and the last thing I want is for someone else to get hurt out there. I am glad to see people teaming up, searching with a partner will be safer than individuals searching alone.

For Anyone going out there this w/e. I have an old pair of ski pants with bib. I 've skied and hunted with them. They are heavy and would be good protection for night but hot during the day...pm me if your interested and I'll give you my address or we can meet somewhere.

@rlrjamy No offense Bob, but I'm that interested in getting into your pants.

So Steve, if I'm getting your route correct, you're planning on maybe parking at that FR 201/526 junction along that paved road a mile from the highway that we parked at last time, huff in on some old jeep road that I see on the topo north over to FR25, walk it north and take 25A at the junction, and up that trail along the West Fork for a total of about a 6 mile hike in to the springs. Another possibility is use that as an exit option, park out cars down there again, but save some energy and hitch a ride to Peely TH and drop down to the springs and setup camp. I got family in town for Thanksgiving, but I'll be able to join ya Friday morning. If you leave earlier than that, I'll prob try the hitching a ride in option. ;)

@Vaporman
[-X

Tough Boots and I are coming up Saturday AM. I have room for 2 more people. PM if you would like to join us so we can pick a meet up point.

I plan on heading up to Peeley TH Friday AM, 8 or 9 ish? I am open on that.

@Vaporman
If you would like a ride to the top for your hike in, works for me, let me know what time you will be at the bottom.
btw.... I have no extra pants... ...
I will be traveling with Cabo, she has a great nose & can go all day. My plan is to return in the late afternoon, evening. I may return Saturday after a good nights sleep. I have 2 FSR radios I will charge up, but no GPS.

For all going up on Friday.... Is 9 AM at the Peeley TH a good start?

I will have color copies 11 x 17 of the Ravine Map for all that want it, I will bring extra and leave them at the trail head in a zip loc bag.... somewhere.

LoL... Hmm, yea 9am might be a tad late though 8am would be better since I'd need to drop down to thicket springs and setup camp before running up one of the ridges. I can meet you a mile off the highway at the junction with FR201 at 730 if that works for you.

I have a pair of 2-way radios that I'll be bringing up. I'd also love to set up a meet point Saturday morning with the overnight crew so we know what the Friday crew got to. Nonot's basecamp looks perfect to meet at if we can set up a time. Tibber and I talked about getting to the TH at 7am Saturday. As said in the other forum, ravines 4,5, & 7 should be a priority. I think we should see how far we can get up those suckers. Also, will anyone staying overnight fri/sat have 2-ways?

I also suggest anyone going to load the Ravine Map into their GPS. This will be a great reference map of the area and keep us on the same page. Even if you're no going into the ravines, we'll be using the same points of reference.

@Vaporman...I can do that. meet at the intersection in the pic attached? It is about an hour drive for me, I'll leave before 6:30 am Friday. I will be in a black Jeep wrangler.
480 223 7738 give me a call or text.

Was a radio frequency decided upon?

http://www.hikearizona.com/dex2/igaller ... hp?id=4412

I took my ATV in 25A on Monday and made it about 3/4 of the way in and hiked up the 86trail to the 260 trail then up that to Thicket Spring and then back down the 86 trail. There was a big pool of clear water with moss that if I had needed any water I wouldn't have worried about filtering a couple of liters. The Peeley Trailhead is 1 and a 1/2 miles from Thicket spring and is a much shorter route. I will be going up Friday morning around ten am to search the area around the trailhead I'll post road conditions when I get back.

Tough_Boots wrote:As said in the other forum, ravines 4,5, & 7 should be a priority.

Just a needed clarification: not in Ravine 4 as a priority unless you all have enough time having exhausted in-between Ravines 4, 5, and 7 and the associated critical ridge line down from Peak 6910 (ie, Eric's recommendation scenario). Unless our GPSjoe was totally delirious and hurting at the point, and/or maybe fell into Ravine 4 high up, when he may have made this additional 2nd bailout attempt from the PK6910 area, I really don't think he would have considered Ravine 4 as it would take him just too far SE before intersecting the Thicket Springs TR95. He would have been trying to find a route to get to TR95 ASAP that made sense to him.

Grasshopper wrote:not in Ravine 4 as a priority unless you all have enough time

noted

@Kenny. That sounds good to me and I think that's the same place I was planning on parking at.

I'll be camping at thicket springs Friday evening and have a FRS though mine is old school and only goes to channel 14... Yea, on a day when we have the most attendance we should spread out and work our way up ravine 5 and then back down 7 and on another day work up the ridge between 6-7 and down ravine 8 or some variaion of that.

@azpride
I'm still waiting to hear my daughter's work schedule. I am hoping to be able to go out on Sunday too.

All, I know most of you are concerned about the road conditions and I have been speaking with a couple of the hikers that are attending off line. My husband is going to take a nice Thanksgiving morning drive tomorrow around 7 am up FR201 to the Mt Peely TH and report back the road conditions. I should have a report back to everyone by 11am tomorrow morning.

@Vaporman
I'll be there!

Vaporman wrote:I'll be camping at thicket springs Friday evening

Should we all meet at maybe 8am Saturday morning at nonot's camp spot?

cjensen116 wrote:I should have a report back to everyone by 11am tomorrow morning.

awesome!

Vaporman wrote:@rlrjamy So Steve, if I'm getting your route correct, you're planning on maybe parking at that FR 201/526 junction along that paved road a mile from the highway that we parked at last time, huff in on some old jeep road that I see on the topo north over to FR25, walk it north and take 25A at the junction, and up that trail along the West Fork for a total of about a 6 mile hike in to the springs. Another possibility is use that as an exit option, park out cars down there again, but save some energy and hitch a ride to Peely TH and drop down to the springs and setup camp. I got family in town for Thanksgiving, but I'll be able to join ya Friday morning. If you leave earlier than that, I'll prob try the hitching a ride in option. ;)

I will likely park a mile further along the paved rd than last weekend, which is maybe 2 miles from the highway and hike north along 25 to 25A to Cornucopia trail to camp. It is about 5-6 miles by the looks of it. You may be confused about our parking location last week.

If you want to hike the West Fork, that would put eyes on a trail only one other person has hiked.

If someone is going tomorrow to Peeley TH, it would save distance, though not an incredible amount of time. Especially if the road is snowy up on the backside the last few miles.

Frankly it's 5.X miles and not much AEG, so a shuttle only is sensible to worry about for dayhikers.

Kenny wrote:Was a radio frequency decided upon?

Let's go with 14 I guess. If no one is waiting for us at the camp spots Saturday morning, I'll just send out a call and see if anyone is in range and answering.