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| Flatiron Plus a Walk on the Ridgeline, AZ | | -
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| | Flatiron Plus a Walk on the Ridgeline, AZ | | | |
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Flatiron Plus a Walk on the Ridgeline, AZ
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| Hiking | 9.86 Miles |
3,787 AEG |
| | Hiking | 9.86 Miles | 6 Hrs 42 Mns | | 1.93 mph |
| 3,787 ft AEG | 1 Hour 35 Mns Break | 12 LBS Pack | | |
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| no partners | | I was quite moved by mnlumberjack's recent triplog of his Flatiron hike, so I decided to do the same.
Like Jack, I was surprised by the number of people on the trail. I could see about three dozen people ahead of me as I turned onto the siphon draw trail, and there were more farther up the trail. Like Jack, I kept my head down and hiked at a sustainable pace. When I reached the flatiron, it was just me and three others. That soon changed, though, as the masses I passed along the way started trickling in.
I hadn't been on the ridgeline trail in over a year, so I decided to take a walk out that way. Besides, why pay the heavy toll of trudging up Siphon Draw when it's a short (and relatively easy) stroll to equally stunning views to the south and east. You also might meet some interesting people up there. I first met Joe and The Eagle along the curve a little over a year ago while they were on their "Nightmare...Revisited" hike.
After rounding the curve and moving south along the ridge, I decided to head over to a hill that my wife often points out when we're driving east on 60 past the mountain. The hill is referred to as 4613 on mytopo. From a distance it resembles a pyramid. As I approached the hill, a little over two miles south of Siphon Draw, an ascent from the north looked a little steep, so I continued along the trail. At the highest point as the trail passed to the east, I left the trail and headed up. The top is a cluster of large, fin-shaped rocks and tall, vertical spires. Not a lot of options once you get to the top - steep drops and thick vegetation limit your mobility - so I took some pictures and headed back to the trail.
It was getting warm and I only brought 2.5 liters of fluids (for a Flatiron hike), so it was time to wrap it up. I reached Siphon Draw at 11:45. Still lots of people on the trail, so the trip down was slow. I passed quite a few people still heading up as I was finishing. Amazing. It had to be approaching 90 at the lower elevation. I know I was a little toasty and looking forward to that bottle of what turned out to be very warm water in my truck. Yuk!
This was a fun hike on a gorgeous, albeit warm day. Thanks for the inspiration, Jack! |
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