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| Backpack | 18.11 Miles |
2,693 AEG |
| | Backpack | 18.11 Miles | 2 Days | | |
| 2,693 ft AEG | | | | |
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| partners | | This area came on my radar a couple of years ago after separate triplogs by Chumley and FOTG. Chumley put this trip together and I was along for the ride. We drove up on Friday night and car camped at our trailhead. We then spent an overnighter exploring this wonderful area and returned to Phx on Sunday evening.
We left on Friday night and drove to Safford with the longest stop ever at Taco Bell in Globe. It took nearly 30 minutes to get our food! We arrived at our trailhead to meet Karl and Kyle who left about an hour before us. We camped and enjoyed a campfire and stayed up late. The weather was chilly but pleasant overall. We woke Saturday and broke down camp and then started our hike. The first few miles were along a road and very easy going. We made good time and connected onto the Safford Morenci Trail. This section was very enjoyable and there is a solid trail the whole way. Sections follow the rocky creek but it’s not a big deal. At one point we were chasing a herd of cattle down canyon. Luckily they all left the canyon right before the walls narrowed up. From here you follow a section of narrows that is very cool!
We arrived at our camp a little after noon and set up camp near the creek. After that we day hiked up canyon to the Old Lady Gay Cabin. It was restored in 2003 and is in excellent condition. From there we returned to camp and then hiked east about a mile on the Safford Morenci trail up Midnight Canyon. This is another sweet section with narrows. Afterward we returned to camp and settled in for the night with a nice campfire and good food. I brought brats and grilled them over the fire. So yum!
The next day we woke and took our time breaking down camp. The others went to check out the ruins while Kyle and I stayed in camp. From there we made our way down Bonita Creek which was a real treat! The going is very easy as you cross back and forth across the creek. This is a really beautiful canyon that all of us enjoyed. The fall colors were past prime but still enjoyable. After a few miles we reached the road and took our lunch. From there we made the climb up to the mesa and then had a few more miles on road back to the vehicles.
Another wonderful trip to an amazing area of Arizona! This state is so diverse it’s impossible to see it all. Thanks Chumley for putting this together and thanks to both Chumley and Karl for driving. |
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Route Editor
Route Scout
