| | -
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
| 1 label |  |
|
|
-
| 1 label |  |
|
|
-
| 1 label |  |
|
|
-
| 1 label |  |
|
|
|
| | |
|
| Hiking | 4.00 Miles |
1,180 AEG |
| | Hiking | 4.00 Miles | | | |
| 1,180 ft AEG | | | | |
|
|
| |
| Linked |
|
none
[ show ]
| no linked trail guides |
| Partners |
|
[ show ]
| partners | | Started off a wonderful birthday-week of hiking and fun with Lauri by heading to Wickenburg to visit Vulture Mine and hike Vulture Peak - both great fun!
Our trip to Vulture Mine was inspired by a recent episode of "Ghost Adventures" and while we didn't experience any paranormal activity, we did have a blast exploring this important piece of Arizona history. Contrary to info online, the ghost town is open everyday now ... $10 "donation requested". We had a nice chat with the older fellow - a real character! - who runs the place, and he took our picture with Mimi, the resident cat. Once we were out on our own, there was a feeling that it was still the old wild west and anything could happen out there - it was neat. The town still has many buildings that are mostly intact and still filled with various items and relics in varying states of decay. Maybe our favorite building was the old machine shop, which seemed to still look much like it had back in the day. We saw the "hanging tree" (18 men were hung from it) and the bordello (conveniently located right next to the single men's bunkhouse) and many other interesting sights. I felt like I could encounter Henry Wickenburg, Charles Stanton, or even Jacob Waltz at any moment. I found this place fascinating, and enjoyed it more than I thought I would ... highly recommend visiting it - especially if you are in town to go to Vulture Peak anyhow!
After a quick trip back into town for sustenance, we headed back out to Vulture Peak, where Lauri got to climb her first mountain and I got to check off another hike in my "60 hikes within 60 miles" book. As many triplogs mention, the first half of the hike is an easy, pleasant stroll through the desert(just watch out for cholla). After crossing the fence at the upper trailhead, the trail begins to climb the flanks of the mountain and the excitement begins to build. Ascending to the saddle, there are parts that remind me of other fun hikes such as Picketpost and Flatiron, and once on the saddle the view is nice. The scramble to the top might look a little intimidating in parts, but it is short and fun - about 10 minutes of class 4. From the summit, the view is outstanding, and there is a nice flat spot that I would like to camp in sometime. No vultures in sight today, but we were circled a couple times by some falcons.
Both of these adventures together made for a really great day! |
| _____________________
| | |
|
|
|
|
|
| |
Route Editor
Route Scout
