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| Hiking | 5.50 Miles |
700 AEG |
| | Hiking | 5.50 Miles | 2 Hrs 30 Mns | | 2.44 mph |
| 700 ft AEG | 15 Mns Break | | | |
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| no partners | | I got an early start on this heavily overcast morning, signing in at the First Water TH at 0620. It was pretty quick going as the temps were nice and cool but there were plenty of birds singing to keep me from getting too focused on the trails ahead.
My first signs of mankind was a group of Boy scouts and their adult leaders camped at the entrance to Garden Valley as they were slowly beginning to move around in the early hour. I nodded as I passed and kept on trekking towards the far end of the "Garden". It's surprising how long and lush the green grass is in the area, we can only hope that it doesn't go up in flames this summer when everything is dry.
As I descended the far side of the Garden trail, I came across two surprised hikers and their dog heading in the opposite direction, again I nodded as I met them and kept on going. At the saddle where the trails combine, I went off to the right taking the Northerly route between the two Mesa's and down to First Water Canyon.
I had already smelled the smoke from campfires long before getting into the wooded areas along the creek and the sounds of a couple of boys noisily running up the creek bed signaled the end of the peaceful quiet hike. A group of six adults were camped in the grassy areas and had the pleasant aroma of breakfast drifting through the stand of low growing Palo Verde.
As I approached the spring, there was a noisy humming of bees coming from the large Willow tree that overhangs the creek. I cautiously checked for a bee-hive but found nothing. I continued up to the pipe and spotted a Hummingbird hovering in the stream of water taking its early morning shower. My appearance must have frightened the bird before I could get the camera ready.  A little further along the trail I came across more campers fixing their breakfast, it must have been a real busy place for the last couple of nights.
I left the camping areas and continued up the First Water Creek through the boulder fields where a small but steady flow of water splashed through the rocky creek bed. Then into the narrow canyon with it's steep walls and finally to the old tin covered corral at the ranch site where I hiked up the trail to First Water Road. It's a short jaunt back to the Trailhead where I ran into the Forest Service personnel working the Wilderness entrance.
It was a pretty quick trip as there weren't many photo ops on such an overcast morning. Spent about half an hour conversing with Lou and Dave at the Trailhead then it was back to home. The trails are seeing fewer hikers as the snowbirds are heading back to their winter homes and soon I'll be heading back to Minnesota for another summer of swatting mosquito's and repairing my lawn after another hard winter  It's always hard to leave Arizona and the enjoyment of the mountains for the season, but I can look forward to another season after the Monsoon's, the Haboob's and the fire season has passed. |
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Wildflowers Observation Moderate
Most areas of the trail are Moderate although some are Substantial. A very fragrant and enjoyable hike. |
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Hackberry Spring |
Quart per minute |
Quart per minute |
| | | Slow but continuous flow coming from the pipe. | | _____________________
| On every trip into the Superstitions, I find another Gold Mine. Today the mine was filled with Memories. I can not wait for the next trip. |
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