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Hey, if you were going to do a Sunday night-Monday (Memorial Day) camping overnighter with the family, where would you pick so that it's out of the heat and out of the crowds? Virtually nowhere will be secluded, but just not overrun with people? Would love to take the family fishing on Monday!! Thanks in advance...

it's awful quiet around here and i havent seen anything about the HAZ members' plans for this weekend. so what are you guys and dolls going out to do this fine 2012 memorial day weekend?
i'm going to avoid "going up north" as it's called.. leaving sunday for an overnight on Pinal mtn, via the Sixshooter trail. close to mesa, little traffic, great area that i havent seen yet.
(that is, if it's open and has access)

Every time I've been on Pinal on holidays (Memorial Day, 4th of July and Labor Day) it's been pretty busy. Due to that I've only camped there on non-holiday weekends or during the week.

While there may not be crowds down at the Six-Shooter TH, if you're thinking of camping near the top you might find it a bit busy. Last weekend there was quite a bit of traffic, at least on Sunday.

2 car camps at top, one holds 13 units, the other 3. i will camp in the trees, out of sight but near the spring to access water. most of all, if anyone passed thru, they wouldnt even see me!
i just dont want to hear a)gangster rap b)gunfire.

te-wa wrote:i just dont want to hear a)gangster rap b)gunfire.

What about hippie love grunts? :yuck:

I remember camping on July 4 back in the 80's when few except the locals knew about Pinal Peak. As usual, every campground in the state was full, but I had upper Pinal to myself. Last time I was there, someone ran a generator all night long so he could power his classic rock stereo and the string of lights strung around his 'compound'. I think he called himself 'The Dude', man..

You might check out the primitive road that heads east at the Icehouse trailhead about 1/3 mile to a FS gate. There's a nice camp site at the bottom of the hill, or you can toss on a pack, and continue east on foot. The old road follows a fence line downhill, and possibly connects with Telephone Trail, but I turned around before that.
Just don't tell anybody about the area; it's a secret!

The Sixshooter/Telephone intersection would be a nice place to camp. I strongly suspect the top will be a zoo. You'll see when you get there.

Moovyoaz wrote:You might check out the primitive road that heads east at the Icehouse trailhead about 1/3 mile to a FS gate. There's a nice camp site at the bottom of the hill, or you can toss on a pack, and continue east on foot. The old road follows a fence line downhill, and possibly connects with Telephone Trail, but I turned around before that.
Just don't tell anybody about the area; it's a secret!

1/4 mile down that road is where we started our hike last Sunday. We kept going because there was a huge 5th wheel camper just off the main road complete with ATV & dirt bike and we didn't want to even be near it.

writelots wrote:On second thought, though, with those 3+ million folks up there... The southern ranges are terrible, miserable, bug ridden dens of illegal activity and make for horrible camping. Just awful. Don't do it. Head north young man. Yeah!

Not doing anything today, celebrating my mom's Bday (89!) took her shopping. Getting up early to head out for the Chiricahuas for a day hike. Might as well get it over with, hiking at altitude among the dark sticks, the burned story of Az sky islands. Only nice thing, supposedly high at Chiricahua peak will be 59 tomorrow, and I have a new camera to test --borrowed---a Panny Lumix G3 mated with a 9-18mm Oly lens.

Spending the weekend at Hart Prairie, slave labor. Wind was in the high 40's MPH today, pretty tiresome. Woke up to low clouds and cold, but as the day wore on the sun came out and wind subsided. Great place to get some fresh air and exercise.

Leaving for Mesa Verde after work on Monday. Should be arriving at Navajo Nat'l Monument for the night around 9:30pm. Not finding an empty campsite is lingering in the very back of my mind, but I don't think I'll have too much to worry about. Traffic on I-17, however...

Hiked the Baldy loop & camped 2 nights at Winn. T'was 34F yesterday night at camp!

desertgirl wrote:Hiked the Baldy loop & camped 2 nights at Winn. T'was 34F yesterday night at camp!

Burrrrrrrrrrrrrrr! You should have slept well then. ;)

Altho on Sat. we changed our hike from Wilson Mtn due to the chill in the air and the wind.

I wanted to warn all the Baldy hikers that it was going to be quite cold, plus no campfires allowed, but I figured it's time for people to find out for themselves that May is not warm up here at night. It almost never is.

Cold is good. I sleep well -- but after 18+ miles of trail pounding I am sure I'd have slept well anywhere I expected cold but not 32F cold that's all ...

I was just happy Winn was still a campground & not burnt! Looks like teh fire came close

I'm the exact opposite. If I'm really tired and it's cold, I probably will have insomnia. Especially now, since I am used to hot, hot weather. Anyway, glad you had a good time.