Highline - AZT #26 Photoset • Sredfield • 2015-05-27 • HikeArizona.COM

Highline - AZT #26, AZ

	2015-05-27
	2 by Sredfield

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Highline - AZT #26

Payson, AZ

Highline - AZT #26

Payson, AZ

Hiking	6.00 Miles

Hiking	6.00 Miles

no routes

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Partners

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no partners

Probably the toughest 6 miles I've hiked.

ATA is planning a realignment around the fall-line down off the rim. The plan will push the trail north in two very large switchbacks. Yesterday we just about completed the corridor flagging of the route.

We hiked in to the upper end, which is at a wide flat area just a few hundred yards below where the trail comes off the Highline contour. The route quickly enters thick brush, so thick your feet don't touch the ground. Hands-and-knees mode of travel was common. We used HAZ mapping refined with inclinometers to lay out the grade. One pine tree quickly became Bearsh_t Tree; there were droppings all around. I blew the whistle several times to let the critter know we were around. While incredibly brushy, we encountered no barriers to construction, just a few interesting challenges. We plan to use a mini-dozer to rough it in followed by several volunteer work events to finish it--may be this fall. The views across the valley and down the Mazatzal Range are incredible. At an overall grade of less than 6%, it should attract the mountain bikers. FS has been awesome on the project, it is great to work with these professionals.

More to come.

Flora

Flora [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Woodland Pinedrops

	Donahue Tank	26-50% full	26-50% full
	Skanky but plenty of water.

_____________________

Shawn
The bear went over the mountain to see what he could see.

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