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| Hiking | 7.35 Miles |
770 AEG |
| | Hiking | 7.35 Miles | 3 Hrs 45 Mns | | 2.45 mph |
| 770 ft AEG | 45 Mns Break | 8 LBS Pack | | |
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| no partners | | I finally got around to finishing up the Black Canyon Trail this weekend. I only had the last ~7.2 miles to go, and was trying to figure out logistics to stage a car at the northern end. Based on seeing gates on satellite imagery along the Old Sycamore Road route by the ranch to the east of this section, I opted to just go solo and hike this as an in-and-out.
A 7:30am start worked out great. Clouds and afternoon rain in the forecast made for some great 60 degree hiking temps. Parked at Big Bug TH, I took the tunnel under Hwy 69 and was on my way north. Past a few houses and over a ridge, the trail opens up and starts to feel more remote again. Overgrazed desert dominates the first 2 miles or so, and then things get moving. With no climbs higher than 300' in elevation gain, this section is an easy rollercoaster through easy drainages and short climbs.
At the 6 mile mark, I reached the Agua Fria for the last time. I was pleased to see the water running through this canyon with a 5' wide stream of clear water with algae clinging to the banks and bottom. I had 4 liters of water with me already, but I brought the Sawyer just in case. I guzzled an extra half liter at this spot because I had plenty to spare. I would be done with this last section of the BCT in the next 1.5 miles, so I was only 3 miles away from topping off if I needed to. As things played out, I had more than enough water already with me.
The trail was still signed very well through most of this section, except for about the last mile. The trail gets extremely faint and there are some criss-crossing cattle trails, but the large cairns let you know you're on the right path. If you don't see a cairn every 500 yards in this mile, check your maps.
At the northern terminus, it's pretty uneventful. No fancy BCT signage other than the usual Carsonite signs at the farm road. I did see another Carsonite on the north side of the road, and a very visible trail with similar quality headed further north. I know the MBA site shows riders going another 2.8 miles or so further north to another road system, but I was just here to finish the "official" BCT (according to the current BCT Coalition site maps at the time). My plan is to continue from here and cross-country on old trails all the way to Dewey-Humboldt. At this point, I've walked from my house in North Phoenix to 7 miles past Mayer, so why not just keep going another 11 miles and connect to another AZ town?
I liked this section. While not my favorite of the BCT, it was quiet and easy. I only saw 3 mountain bikers, otherwise I had the entire area to myself. On my return back, I was drizzled on by a light rain the entire way. Not even enough to break out the rain jacket, actually. The sky looked intimidating, but it wasn't until I got back to my truck that it started coming down in sheets. Perfect timing. 14.7 miles total round-trip |
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| "Keep close to Nature's heart... and break clean away, once in a while, and climb a mountain or spend a week in the woods. Wash your spirit clean." - John Muir |
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