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| | Del Shay - Gun Creek Loop, AZ | | | |
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Del Shay - Gun Creek Loop, AZ
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| Hiking | 15.30 Miles |
3,079 AEG |
| | Hiking | 15.30 Miles | 10 Hrs 24 Mns | | 1.69 mph |
| 3,079 ft AEG | 1 Hour 20 Mns Break | 14 LBS Pack | | |
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[ show ]
| partners | | Took a shot at Gun Creek. Boom, what a riot! The objective of the loop was a ~4 mile stretch of Gun Creek. Everything else was getting to and away from the show which included a near waist deep crossing of the Tonto. It'll be neck deep when I tell the story next year.
The creek was flowing more than imagined. The terrain had more vertical backdrops and steep grades to conquer too. The area is labeled Sierra Ancha on topo. I had it in my mind as the faded foothills at best. Heck it's twice as close to Mazzie Peak vs Aztec Peak.
We entered the show where FR 894 crosses Gun Creek. Within minutes we passed a five star campsite. Based on the primitive 4x4 road access it's probably used by ranchers, cowboys, hunters and explorers alike.
Our stroll down Gun Creek was a continuous obstacle course. We tried the stay dry theory for a half mile. We tried intimidating our surroundings with ultra high pitch singing, that didn't work either. The ice cold crossings were knee deep at worst. You'd warm up in minutes, just in time for another shock treatment. The near and far scenery really got my attention. There was a fair amount of small operation mining activity around 1899 from my pre-research. Several times I kept thinking about others out here in boots. They'd probably shake their heads at us in trail runners. Likewise I think I'd die out here in clunky boots.
Four miles on the obstacle course was plenty. Bruce volunteered to climb out of the situation. That spoke volumes as he rarely goes with that option late in a hike. It was steep but over quick and offered some nice views looking down.
Merged and returned on the Del Shay 41. Bruce pointed out a couple cairns he declared Hank built. I didn't think much of it at first. The more we hiked it became apparent the trail really doesn't exist. One of multiple HAZ'rs may indeed have contributed, luckily BobP hasn't scrolled the landscape... lol
Swimming Eagle Video
https://youtu.be/6P ... ilxQ |
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Gun Creek @ FR 894 |
Heavy flow |
Heavy flow |
| | | Flowing excellent, swift when it narrows down to six feet wide. |
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Tonto @ Rye Confluence |
Heavy flow |
Heavy flow |
| | | Flowing like a river. Not as fierce as my experiences crossing the Verde. Enough current to take a man down. | | _____________________
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Route Editor
Route Scout
