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| Hiking | 8.01 Miles |
2,910 AEG |
| | Hiking | 8.01 Miles | 8 Hrs 18 Mns | | 1.20 mph |
| 2,910 ft AEG | 1 Hour 37 Mns Break | | | |
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| no partners | | I had a good plan: starting from the General Crook Highway, walk a loop on two adjacent ridges that would hit 3 seldom-visited ruins. But it turned out everything was a little steeper, deeper, and slower than expected.
From the road I went up to the top of a small ridge - I found one sherd there and a single petroglyph on the southern cliff band. The topo map had made me think crossing Sycamore Canyon would be no problem but in person it was more daunting: it took twice the time and four times the energy compared to plan.
Once I got to the top of the big ridge on the other side I enjoyed some nice downhill walking and had a good view of the Verde Valley and of the loop ahead. Unfortunately the ridge contracted to narrow rocky overgrown sections which slowed things down some more. It took me 4 hours to get to the rocky butte at the bottom of the ridge where I expected the first ruin, and I was far enough behind schedule I considered "bailing out" by walking up to the highway.
This ruin area was very interesting. On the butte top were defensive walls and several collapsed rooms and lots of pottery. I also found a mano there. But below the butte were more rooms (looked like they were sliding down the hill), more pottery, and what looked like a level plaza with a rock perimeter. Reminded me a bit of something I saw at Dorans Castle which is not far away.
It was a messy bushwack down to the creek but I decided to keep going on the loop. Steep and loose at the bottom of the "return" ridge but eventually I got to the rocky butte and 2nd ruin. No habitation here, no pottery, just some defensive walls on top....probably a lookout.
I hurried along and when I got to the step that would take me up to the 3rd location I decided 1) that looks steep, not sure I can climb it, and 2) even if I make it up I'm probably getting back in the dark. So I changed plans: down to the creek, up to the highway, and walk the road back. No fun getting to the road but I beat the darkness.
I'll return with a different plan to finish this off. |
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Route Editor
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