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| Hiking | 3.12 Miles |
532 AEG |
| | Hiking | 3.12 Miles | 1 Hour 15 Mns | | 3.12 mph |
| 532 ft AEG | 15 Mns Break | 12 LBS Pack | | |
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| no partners | | Gila Box RNCA - Part I
While continuing my Section 3-4 Tour de Baja Arizona (TDBAZ) research outing - I headed to the Gila Box RNCA after an early breakfast in Safford...
I had departed Sierra Vista early afternoon the day before. I wanted to take the long way to Safford and broke from I-10 at Willcox heading north on Ft. Grant Rd. toward Bonita and onto Bonita - Aravaipa Rd. bound toward Klondyke. The dirt portion the route from Hwy 266 in Bonita to Klondyke ranks high on my list of favorite back country routes and even with the wind and overcast it did not disappoint. The Galiuros were shrouded in and out of veiled clouds at their highest points with Bassett cloaked fully. Aravaipa Canyon's southern extremes opened-up as the road descended into a less familiar landscape with the Santa Teresa wilderness rising in the north a little further down the way. I saw not one other vehicle and only one person roadside the entire way from Bonita to Klondyke Road. I pressed toward Safford via Klondyke Rd. and the vibe shifted noticeably as ATV hauling SUVs and the Gila River Valley both made their presence know as I moved further ENE toward US Hwy 70. I made my way to a cheap Safford motel room as darkness fell upon the wind-chilled Gila Valley.
...I then made my way out to Gila Box - a GPS route from the Hwy. 70 & 191 intersection is included - awestruck at the snow and cloud interplay on the Pinalenos. This made for a dramatic seasonal backdrop to the entire western Gila Box outing. Audibly strong water flow existed in both Bonita Creek and the Gila itself. As hiking was secondary to route research I got in a reasonable few miles of sustained hiking, with a lot of in and out of the vehicle to boot along the way as well.
After which I journeyed out to the eastern end of the Gila Box area via the Black Hills Country Byway and finally Hot Well Dunes via Haeckel Road then Bowie and the return home to Sierra Vista. It was a good day to get an early start, as I find the colder days in AZ invigorating! |
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Bonita Creek |
Medium flow |
Medium flow |
| | | Running nicely - average I would guess - you'd have to submerge to the ankle to cross in the lowest parts. Great sound! | | _____________________
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