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I'm looking for a 3-4 day BP'ing trip for mid-April. Ideally it would be:

- within a 4 hr drive of Phoenix
- consist of a 6-9 mile hike to a "base camp" where we could set up and then do day hikes
- have reliable water

Current front runner is Reavis Ranch. Anyone have any other ideas?

Thanks

J

Rincons: Miller Creek Trail to Happy Valley Saddle backpacker camp.
Catalinas: Marshall Gulch to Wilderness of Rocks, camp near where trail crosses Lemmon Creek.
Payson: Hellsgate Wilderness
Central AZ: West Clear Creek, Wet Beaver Creek, Sycamore Canyon

I think that the hellsgate trip would be really cool but it might still be a little cold in the water.

I like the idea of the reavis trip, the weather is going to be perfect and you have several destination points well within dayhiking range of the ranch (ie circlestone, rogers trough and angel basin, plus all the cool old equipment around the ranch). You will also have reliable and adequate water for that length of trip at reavis.

Reavis.

Nighthiker wrote:Reavis.

What he said! Mary

On your way into Reavis drop your pack off in some bushes and run the trail to Reavis Falls and back. Return to your pack and head on in to the Reavis valley and camp near the spring.

The apple orchid should begin to be in full bloom mid April. Check out the Indian village site north of the spring and or the one east of the old ranch house site. Backpack to Circle Stone, see the Fountain Hills fountain to the northwest, the copper mine to the south east and spend the night there under the full moon (the 13th) and stars. Sit and ponder what it must have been like when Circle Stone was occupied.

Walk up via the trail that goes up the hill from the Fireline Trail and walk down the ridge that begins between the saddle between Circle Stone and Mound Mtn. peak. There is an old trail that used to take you up and down that way. Watch for additional Indian ruins on the way down. Single rooms approximately 4 by 6 feet originally but now just fallen down piles of rock.

Set up way points in your GPS and backpack cross country to the upper end of Rough Canyon. Spend a little time as you traverse through the canyon to see if you can find the cliff dwelling that is supposed to be there. Come back around through Fish Creek Canyon and Rogers Canyon and spend a night in Angel Basin or in the cliff dwellings if it is pooring rain.

The next morning hike and climb up to the cliff dwelling room that almost nobody knows about or see's. It is about a quarter of a mile upstream on the same side of the stream but higher. Its under a ledge in front of a large cave that you can see when you are sitting in the cliff dwelling cave that everyone does see and visit. Its doorway faces the cave and cannot be seen untill you walk past the cliff dwelling and around to the front of it. It has a window on the south side about a foot square. You can see it from the bottom of the creek if you have good eyesite. Hike up and approach the dwelling from the west unless you can fly like Superman.

On your last day, backpack up Rogers Canyon and take the side trip to the Reavis grave site. Return to Rogers Canyon and walk up to the Rogers Trail Head and have someone pick you up there. Let us know how it went and take lots of pictures so you can share your adventure with us.

You missed one area to day hike from Reavis Ranch. The Reavis Gap trail. That is one of my favorite trails in the Superstitions, you can see Four Peaks very well from that vantage point and it hardly feels like you are in Arizona or the desert. Mary

Shi wrote:

Nighthiker wrote:Reavis.

What he said! Mary

Reavis!!!! Beautiful backpack trip. Reliable water. Shaded area to camp......AND great views in from the north TH.

:mrgreen:

man, superstitioin guy, that sounds like a good time. I knew there were ruins in Roger's. I saw them from afar last week.

next month's group hike at http://www.azwilderness.com is Power's Garden. Looks good there as well.

In response to azbackpackr's reply:

Tonto Creek (Hellsgate) and West Clear Creek are on my list if it stays warm and we don't get any rain (I want clear water). Reavis and Saguaro National Park are alos options - I'm checking permits.

Thanks for the info.

J.

In response to matt gilbert's reply:

This is my front runner, now if I can just convince the others we'll be all set....

In response to SuperstitionGuy's reply:

Thanks for all the greta beta. Unless the temps climb into the 90's Reavis is my first choice. Especially after being turned away with e3 feet of snow 3 weeks ago. All the day trip possibilities make selling it to the others all that much easier.

J

In response to jayrapson's reply:
you must be crazy to go back to reavis after the snow we trudged through, although i guess you have to finish the hike, cant let it beat you, if it warms up a bit wet beaver canyon i think sounds like fun, that one has been a trip ive been wanting to do for a long time,

btw i sent the reavis deathmarch pictures to you

Ive been down tonto creek three times, sometimes after rain, sometimes after long dry spells, it has never been all that clear.

good choice jay, make sure you return in May for the green and red apples. Kinda tart, and the size of a hacky sack, but they are after all, organic.

btw Matt, back in the day I think it was Jan of '04, Tim Pete Mike Brad and Felecia took me into hellsgate, from what I remember the water was clear enough for me to see several Bud Lights coming my way down the creek.
Wish you were there, light refraction like a mutha

In response to Crocodile Ryan's reply:

Love the pics - thanks. Yeah we're going back. I'm on a mission now.

Wet Beaver later in the summer.

In response to matt gilbert's reply:

I've been to Hellsgate three times. Water was always running and twice it was crystal clear. Love that trip.

Okay I have follow up questions. Am I correct in assuming that the spring (and thus the good campsites) at Reavis Ranch is located at the South end of the valley near the the Fire Line trail, or does the spring run through the valley?

Also anyone know how many miles RT it would be to dayhike the ruins in Rogers Canyon from the ranch? I'm estimating it at 17.

Thank you,

Jay

In response to jayrapson's reply:
Reavis Creek runs +/- N-S just east(ish) of the ranch paralleling the valley. You will not miss it.
If you head to Reavis from Rogers' T/H, you might just do the cliff dwelling trip off of the Reavis Trail (likely 5mi. +/- R/T to/from the ruin) on the way in/out. (as a dayhike/stashing your backpack)
Circlestone makes a decent side trip from Reavis, too.
re. dayhike to Roger's from Reavis.....17 OR LESS is a good estimate IMO. (likely 15 if you use the Reavis & Rogers' trails both ways)
From Reavis to the cliff dwelling via the Frog Tanks is about 9 miles - might make a nice loop if you returned on the Rogers' & Reavis Trails to the ranch, as well.

The spring is located at the North end of the valley and there are excellent campsites throughout the entire valley. If you want a campsite with easy access to firewood do not use any of the hardened campsites. Select a campsite away from the trails and old road into Reavis and get further back into the woods. This will give you greater privacy and security as well.