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I'm looking for a good shakeout hike in preparation for an extended section hike on the PCT this summer. Last fall I spent some time at a friend's cabin north of Payson along the Highline trail. It looks nearly perfect for a good shakedown hike. I'd take a pretty leisurely pace of around 15 miles a day so would take 3-4 days. I was thinking of mid-April for this.

I'm mostly looking for something that will not be too far off the beaten path since this is a shakedown hike with some new, UL equipment but will give me a couple good days/nites to test out the new tent, sleeping quilt system, etc.

I've only been up to Payson once so would love any suggestions. This seems like a good trail that is moderately travelled so I won't be completely alone (I hike solo mostly) but also not run over by a herd of mt bikers.

Any feedback is greatly appreciated!

Thanks
Leslie

http://hikearizona.com/decoder.php?ZTN=757

start at the 260 trailhead and go west, ending at THAT brewery.

LOL. Not familiar with "that" brewery, but I was thinking of running it west to east. It looks like there are bigger climbs and a greater overall altitude increase in the easterly direction.

Oh and thanks for the link! It was your trip that got me thinking that this would be the trail to do. did you guys run this west to east or east to west? The altitude plot and GPS track looks like it west to east but the narrative is clearly the other way.

Thanks!

Last year we did it East to West and it was enjoyable. We are looking for more of a challenge so we plan to do it West to East this year. There are plenty of bailout points of things go wrong with your gear testing. I think the Eastern side was more scenic then the West.

Thanks Ultrazona,
It sounds like its a perfect shakeout trail.

Leslie

@lesliedow
Yes, I think it is. It doesn't have too many punishing ups and downs (unless you go up onto the rim), it passes through nice, cool woods, and there are occasional good views below.

I like the East third as well. The middle third has a lot less tree cover due to previous fire. The west third is still nice. I believe east to west is about 8,000 AEG. West to east 10,000 AEG. Water for sure at Horton Creek, Tonto Creek, Washington Park(East Verde) and Geronimo. I would try to get through the middle section before the hottest part of the day. The AEG may seem high but the ups and downs add up. Have a great trip.

There is a race on the weekend on April 26th.. you said mid April but letting you know.. the few weeks before they have people on the trail working on it... 27th Annual Zane Grey Highline Trail 50 Mile Endurance Run Pine, Arizona April 23, 2016

Dschur wrote:There is a race on the weekend on April 26th.. you said mid April but letting you know.. the few weeks before they have people on the trail working on it... 27th Annual Zane Grey Highline Trail 50 Mile Endurance Run Pine, Arizona April 23, 2016

UN like... was planning backpacking right through that area that weekend. FML. =(

Just glad you posted that though. I would've been REALLY ****** if I came across it during the hike.

Dschur wrote:There is a race on the weekend on April 26th.. you said mid April but letting you know.. the few weeks before they have people on the trail working on it... 27th Annual Zane Grey Highline Trail 50 Mile Endurance Run Pine, Arizona April 23, 2016

Oh, thanks for that! I was trying to decide if I would hike it startng on the 18th or the 25th. I'll likely just push that to the week after the race.

One more questtion. I will be coming up from Phoenix. Is there a safe place to stash my car at the trailhead and are there any options to get back to the trailhead from the east end of the trail. I plan to hike it from west to east.

Thanks!

Argh, life happens and my trip has been delayed. I'm thinking now that I can do this the week of May 23, but that's a full month after I had planned. Any heat or water issues that I need to be aware of? Are the water sources pretty stable? I'm thinking I will do 12-15 miles a day and may shave off a bit to make it all in 4 days.
Thanks!

lesliedow wrote:Argh, life happens and my trip has been delayed. I'm thinking now that I can do this the week of May 23, but that's a full month after I had planned. Any heat or water issues that I need to be aware of? Are the water sources pretty stable? I'm thinking I will do 12-15 miles a day and may shave off a bit to make it all in 4 days.
Thanks!

Some of the intermittent water sources are starting to dry up, and it may be warm out in the burn though not terrible. I'd plan on traveling morning and evening. Actually, plan on unpredictable weather -- it could be hot, or if a front comes through, it could be darned cold. And remember it will rain on the Rim when it's not raining anywhere else in the state.

Aside from the water sources mentioned by Tortoise_hiker, there's usually reliable water in Ellison Creek.

If you wanted to cache food and supplies midway, FS144 has been recently bladed by the forest service and would be a good point to access the Highline as it goes all the way back to it. It's a couple miles east of Bonita. As long as it's dry, the trail is accessible by any vehicle with a little bit of ground clearance right now. (Don't try that road if it's muddy, the clay gets slick.) FS144 used to be a rather gnarly ATV track but I've had my 2wd Silverado back there now with zero problems since they improved it and somebody had a little sedan at the trailhead -- though I wondered about the sedan bottoming out on a few of the bumpy spots.

Oh, be aware that we're getting close to the time of year for fire bans.

You can now pack lighter as the night time temperatures will not be below freezing.

Do not let the negatives ruin your trip as this is a great route for backpacking in late May and even into June.

Thanks SuperstitionGuy. I think I will keep a close eye on the weather as the week goes on. I don't really want to be hiking in triple digits in an exposed area, OTOH, I chose this hike because it looks like its bale-able if things are not what I want.

Looking forward to it! I have a friend with a cabin just under the rim and its absolutely lovely there.

@lesliedow
The highline trail gets very toasty towards June, I would avoid going through any of the burned areas.

Thanks @Nonot. I'll keep that in mind. I'm not looking to bake and want to be sure that even if I end up going very slowly, I will have water sources.