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| Top Hat and the Arches, AZ | |
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| | Top Hat and the Arches, AZ | | | |
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Top Hat and the Arches, AZ
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| Hiking | 12.60 Miles |
2,375 AEG |
| | Hiking | 12.60 Miles | 8 Hrs 4 Mns | | 2.37 mph |
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| 2,375 ft AEG | 2 Hrs 45 Mns Break | | |
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none
[ show ]
| no partners | | I did a similar route to this last week, and decided to come back and find a couple of arches that I missed the last time.
This hike is the same name as a hike that trekkin-gecho did on 1/31/2016, and I used his GPS track as a model for this hike.
I started and ended the hike at the Bulldog Canyon OHV Gate on N. Cactus Road in AJ.
I began by taking Road #10 to the west out toward the Mask Arches. Along the way, I noticed Peak 2685 to north, and since it looked climbable I made my way to the summit. I headed cross country through the desert to a ridgeline on the east side of the peak, and took the ridgeline to the top. It was a fairly easy walk up and walk down. I did not see a survey marker at the summit, but there was a summit logbook. There were very few entries in the logbook, so Peak 2685 seems to be seldom climbed. There are some nice 360 degree views at the top, so I was glad that I climbed to the summit.
After descending Peak 2685, I continued on to the Mask Arches. From there I dropped down into a wash and went a short distance and stopped by Pyroclastic Cave. To me, this is more of an overhang than a cave. There is a small arch at one end of the cave. From there I got back into the wash, and largely followed it back to Road #1356, and took it to Top Hat.
I walked up to Top Hat from the north side -- it was a bit steep but I was on solid rock the entire way so it was an easy climb. There are some really nice 360 degree views atop Top Hat. I saw the survey marker but I did not see a summit logbook. I went around to the NW on the descent to make my way over to Palo Verde Arch. Actually I think that you could have walked on a ridgeline all the way over to the arch -- I will try that next time.
It was an easy descent from the arch back to the road, and I headed back and then went on an easy off-trail scramble to the Twin Arches -- Trumpet Arch and Echo Arch. After stopping there, I ventured through the open desert back to Road 1356 which took me back to Road #10 and back to the TH.
It was another nice day wandering around the beautiful and underrated Goldfields!
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| I'd rather die of exhaustion than die of starvation. |
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