| |
|
| | |
|
| Hiking | 8.10 Miles |
1,745 AEG |
| | Hiking | 8.10 Miles | 4 Hrs 17 Mns | | 1.91 mph |
| 1,745 ft AEG | 3 Mns Break | 20 LBS Pack | | |
|
|
| |
| Partners |
|
none
[ show ]
| no partners | | After Crossing the Salt two days ago I couldn't wait to get back to explore more of the other side of the Salt.
Only this time, instead of crossing the Salt River I planned on an approach from Beeline Highway.
Big mistake... of the two tentative starting points, neither provided access to the Tonto Forest Public Lands
](https://hikearizona.com/dex2/images/smilies/eusa_wall.gif "Brick wall")
Not only the extra drive time was lost but the hour-plus I spent mapping out possible tracks with Route Manager as well.
While driving back along Bush Highway I was mulling over the options...
The first option would add a 6 mile round-trip just to GET to the area of interest
The second would add just under 4 miles but being more difficult it would take about the same amount of time.
That left either another 'wet-foot' crossing or starting from Blue Point Recreation Site. Hmmm... so where's my Senior All-Access Pass? I KNOW it's in here somewhere! And of course, I found it in the last place I looked, under the dash mat.
(Of course it's always the LAST place you look... you stop looking once it's found.)
Ok, so how am I going to adjust for starting 4 miles from my planned point? I'd rather not slog too far in the wash (a la Goldfield Ovens Loop) so I'm hoping for an early ascent up the steep cliff-like slope. Luckily I hadn't even started up the wash before spotting tracks starting up a steep & narrow drainage. It wasn't easy but it was well worth the effort, cutting off at least 90 minutes to reach the nearest planned exploration area.
I wasn't far up the slope before I turned west and soon connected with the horse trail I had followed in the other direction two days ago. Now in somewhat familiar ground I could make up some time, taking as direct a route as possible to the closest item of interest, a lime kiln. It turns out I was within a few hundred feet of it two days ago but had no idea it was there.
Only today I WAS aware of it, but just because of a mistake while using Route Manager. When switching between Satellite & FS Topo I clicked 'CT 1900' by mistake, and what's this? A lime kiln? Wow! Switching back to Satellite view and zooming in, there it is!
Ok, I found it, took photos and it's time to move on. But where? With plans already jumbled I simply went wherever something caught my interest, which meant it wasn't a smooth track in any direction. After encountering the same seemingly lost-and-alone wild horse as at the start, I figured it was time to start working my way back.
Wild Horse side-bar:
The young horse was originally on the opposite side of the river from Blue Point, wandering back and forth along the shoreline, whinnying constantly, as though hoping to locate the rest of the herd. So now, hours later and a few miles on the other side of the Salt River, I hear the same whinnying, and sure enough, it's the same horse! When I took its photo I asked are you following me? it replied with a loud whinny while hastily cantering off.
Now, with no horse-on-my-tail I'm ready to do some climbing up the very minor Peak 1719 (hill is more like it) to get a good overview of today's hike before heading back.
Video: Peak 1719 summit panorama
While taking it all in, I got to thinking about the return trip... particularly where I climbed from the river I realized will be a nasty descent. That's when I cast my eyes over to Peak 1817 (1917 on the map) and the long southwestern slope looked easy enough to go up & over, drop down to the horse trail on the other side and follow it down to the 'other' more well-known lime kiln on the Goldfield Ovens Loop. Done! Great idea!
It turned out to be an even better idea when I spotted what I thought was the back end of a White-tailed deer, taking a quick snap shot before it disappeared behind a Palo Verde. I hustled as quickly and quietly as I could to the point it had gone out of sight only to find nothing. Oh well, better luck next time.
But after taking a few scenic photos and continued my ascent, there it was again! Only this time it wasn't a deer but a bighorn sheep. And then there were THREE bighorns!
The bighorns were climbing the same slope as I was... only they were a bit lighter-of-foot so it was at a pretty good zoom when I shot the video, so be wary of vertigo:
Video: Three Bighorn Sheep climbing Peak 1817
The rest of the hike went by without further drama... up and over 1817, down to the horse trail, down to the wash, visit the 'other' lime kiln, out the wash and back to Blue Point.
What could have been a disaster, again turned into a prefect day of hiking...
Everything was good... weather, scenery, fauna and visiting a new-to-me lime kiln. |
| _____________________
| | |
|
|
|
|
|
| |
Route Editor
Route Scout
