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I was wondering if anyone has been on the West Pinto Trail recently and if so could they report on the condition. I saw a triplog post by te-wa back in November stating that it was pretty rough and it sounded like that was just from Miles TH to the Oak Flat area. I would be interested to hear what West Pinto is like past Oak Flat, or Spencer Spring Trail.

TIA

If I recall correctly (a risky proposition today), according to the Carlson and Stewart's "Superstition Wilderness Trails East", part of that trail is officially abandoned, although still hikeable. If so, I wouldn't expect any rough conditions to improve unless the horse people take matters into their own hands. I'll try to remember to check when I get home if somebody doesn't have a better answer in the meantime.

I hiked it about 7 years as a shuttle hike. The bushwhacking as I remember was mainly thru the manzanita at the upper end toward Rogers Trough. I also remember that at the lower sections it could be confusing looking for the trail thru the creek bed. Having a GPS route loaded would be mandatory, but I've hiked worse trails in that area.

@big_load I have that same book but don't recall reading that the trail has been abandoned (although maybe I missed that), but if it has been then I would agree that it probably won't get any better. In trip 31 of the book, WPT to Roger's Trough, I quote "Day trippers will enjoy the tree-lined canyon, which has seasonal water". Not so much if you are shedding a lot of blood along the way

There is an abandoned section of trail east of Pinto Peak, but that's NE of this trail by a few miles. I think it used to be the Campaign trail. It's still there, but just "decommissioned", which I don't what that's supposed to mean because it's not like they maintain any of those trails. :roll:

@hikerdw It wasn't the whole trail, just a section between two identified points. (If not West Pinto, it was another one in the Miles TH area). Quite a few of the east-side hikes they document are on abandoned trails, but as Stiller notes, they're not necessarily terrible, since many are former ranching roads and not just footpaths or horse trails.

big_load wrote:(If not West Pinto, it was another one in the Miles TH area). Quite a few of the east-side hikes they document are on abandoned trails

In from the Miles TH, it was the Rock Creek Trail#195 I do believe that was decommissioned. Kanode finally figured it out after 2-3 attempts, but he does not recommend it.
Dave, a combination of West Pinto Trail#212 with the Spencer Spring Trail#275 brings back some very vivid memories for me My first eastern Superstition Wilderness hike where I thought I would need to spend my first "unplanned" day hiking overnight.. http://hikearizona.com/TL.php?ID=12011
(Thanks to Kanode, we now have a default GPS Track for this one, but I would still bet it is a brutal loop hike even with a downloaded route to follow)

@ grasshopper read your trip report, wow, that was a lot of miles in a rough area for sure. Thanks for the information/caution. What I was looking at was a in/out trip to the Silver Spur Cabin site which is about 6 miles in from Miles. I suppose I could get to it from Rogers Trough which would be slightly shorter in RT distance. Have you (or anyone) seen this area?

hikerdw wrote:the Silver Spur Cabin site which is about 6 miles in from Miles

Sorry, 'm not familiar with this.. my first time hearing of this site but like you say, here it is on HAZ MyTOPO overlay map--> http://hikearizona.com/location_g.php?QX=560 . Appears to be just off the West Pinto Trail 212 up a drainage. I think you need to get us some pics of this maybe interesting old cabin site

last time in supes i did w. pinto/fireline/rogers canyon loop.
w pinto is overgrown, not going back. it was slow going, lots of oak and catclaw. have fun, hehe

The West Pinto is alright between Miles and Oak Flat (at least, the times I did it were fine, haven't been there in a year or two.)

Once you pass the Spencer Springs trail a little past Oak Flat, the trail starts to get worse and you whack some catclaw and manzanita that's on the trail, until you basically reach a saddle just south of Iron Mountain. It's not the most pleasant trail out there, but I've done a few worse trips.

I've never tried Spencer Spring or Rock Creek. Also I've read that the Pinto Peak Trail is OK, the Cuff Button Trail is pretty bad, and the Brushy Springs Trail is hit and miss, but haven't done any of these either.

All in all, I'd leave the West Pinto towards the bottom of your list for when you've done most of the other Supes trails and want to try something new. A trip to Oak Flat and back from Miles TH would be an easy overnighter or dayhike.

Grasshopper wrote:

big_load wrote:(If not West Pinto, it was another one in the Miles TH area). Quite a few of the east-side hikes they document are on abandoned trails

In from the Miles TH, it was the Rock Creek Trail#195 I do believe that was decommissioned. Kanode finally figured it out after 2-3 attempts, but he does not recommend it.
Dave, a combination of West Pinto Trail#212 with the Spencer Spring Trail#275 brings back some very vivid memories for me My first eastern Superstition Wilderness hike where I thought I would need to spend my first "unplanned" day hiking overnight.. http://hikearizona.com/TL.php?ID=12011
(Thanks to Kanode, we now have a default GPS Track for this one, but I would still bet it is a brutal loop hike even with a downloaded route to follow)

Grasshopper is correct, as usual.

Thanks for all the information regarding the West Pinto Trail and other trails in the area. Greatly appreciated.

Grasshopper wrote:

hikerdw wrote:the Silver Spur Cabin site which is about 6 miles in from Miles

Sorry, 'm not familiar with this.. my first time hearing of this site but like you say, here it is on HAZ MyTOPO overlay map--> http://hikearizona.com/location_g.php?QX=560 . Appears to be just off the West Pinto Trail 212 up a drainage. I think you need to get us some pics of this maybe interesting old cabin site

Curious...it's been about a half year since this post...has anyone ever found Silver Spur Cabin? Is there much there??

VOAz has been working on that trail.

https://picasaweb.google.com/voazalbums ... ctober2011