| |
|
| | |
|
| Hiking | 8.60 Miles |
|
| | Hiking | 8.60 Miles | 8 Hrs | | 1.08 mph |
| | | |
| |
| Linked |
|
none
[ show ]
| no linked trail guides |
| Partners |
|
none
[ show ]
| no partners | | I did this hike after hearing about some impressive falls just below Aliso Spring and indeed they were quite nice. I also had a brand new pair of Lowa Renegade GTX boots to try out. The hike started at the Papago Well Trailhead (TH) to the east of Pistol Hill Road. You have a choice to four-wheel it an extra 1.5 miles in to Papago Spring but I started at the TH. Just past Papago Spring the trail heads to the southeast up Quemada Canon to the ridge separating Quemada Canyon and Shaw Canyon. At the ridge you will pass through a fence and turn to the north-east following the ridgeline/fence toward Rincon Peak. To get to the main destination you will stay on the ridgeline for about a mile and a half before you veer off to the right to drop down into Aliso Spring, pretty straight forward.
However, for me the drainage way at the bottom of Shaw Canyon looked and sounded way too inviting. So after about half a mile on the ridge trail I made my way to the bottom of Shaw Canyon and was rewarded with some beautiful stretches of alternating slow flow, cascading flow and mid size water falls. At one point I spread out on a big flat rock next to a little water fall, had a sandwich and daydreamed. Eventually I made my way further up the drainage until it got too steep and difficult. I then made my way back up the canyon and sort of bush-wacked the rest of the way to Aliso Spring which was nice because the big falls just below Aliso were within my site for most of the time.
Aliso Spring is a nicely shaded flat in a predominantly pinion-juniper populated canyon. I did this trip knowing this area (south face of Rincon Peak) would probably dry up first when things warmed up. If you stay on the trail the round trip is about 8.6 miles. I figured with all my weaving and side tracking I probably did around 9.5. I guess that's the advantage to a shorter hike, you can play a little more on the way. |
| _____________________
| | |
|
|
|
|
|
| |
Route Editor
Route Scout
