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| Backpack | 6.00 Miles |
987 AEG |
| | Backpack | 6.00 Miles | | | |
| 987 ft AEG | | | | |
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| partners | | It was time for another getaway. The dates worked out for this weekend and it matched the peak color timeframe from our trip a couple years ago. I invited a handful of tagalongs to be nice but they all ended up bailing so Noel and I got our wish for the weekend alone. We drove down Friday morning, lost a tire on the way in, switched it out, got some mud and some hunter waves and then parked for feet time.
Two years ago was a color s'plosion but a dry one. This year was a switcharoo. Everything was flowing but mostly green. We decided to pick a new camp spot since we didn't need the lower spring nearby. We figured out bears pick the best camping spots so we found the area with the most bear poop, great nestle factor, leaf color, and adequate fire chimney, at the fork of two bubbling creeks. Noel had joked that there was enough bear poop to make a full size bear and I'll be darned if I didn't come back from collecting firewood to catch her molding something that may have in time become a four legged brownie if I hadn't early return scared her into knocking it all down.
She moved on to the cleaner duty of setting up the tent and zipping our bags together while I worked out the fire ring and the rest of the wood. A lot of the wood was damp or wet still but we got the flames going strong enough both nights.
Since the color was a little scarce, we set about waterfall hunting up the mapped but unnamed very flowing creek next to camp (south of the trail and west of the Lower Spring). We got to its split and followed both forks for a ways. Pretty little areas. I'd recommend it if the water's flowing.
We had lunch back at camp over a pool that begged to be swum in. Sometime after that, we did the hike up to the Upper Spring (This section had the best color) then came back before too dark to fire it up again.
The next morning we packed up and then hiked back up to the Upper again. The color seems better with the morning sun on this stretch. We lazily came back down, got our gear and hiked back to our wheels for the drive home.
We never did run across a bear but we saw 4 deer bound away and one getting walked out not of his own accord.
In short,
Yay water.
Slow clap fall color. As in, "It had good color... for Arizona," as in "This ice cream tastes good... for being sugar free." |
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Autumn Foliage Observation Moderate
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May he guide you through the wilderness : protect you through the storm;
May he bring you home rejoicing : at the wonders he has shown you;
Armchair Crisis Design |
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