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| no partners | | After thanksgiving with my mom, I was off the next day to another bucketlist item. Long rough drive in, the last 1.5 miles were e-ticket even with the Jeep. Steep, brushed out, pushing some cows and a very big bull ahead on the tight shelf road. When he turned toward me with his head down I was estimating my curb weight to his curb weight. But he walked on ahead. The brush was so bad I could not even begin to open the driver door. Unfortunately good views out the passenger side of the bottom of the canyon a long ways down. I was nervous as downed branches and rocks on the old abandoned road; I did not want to have to back down this thing.
Topped out and then another problem in the form of a huge juniper blocking the road, an enterprising soul had trimmed some tree branches and made a go round, but probably for a quad. Even with the Jeep mirrors pulled in barely made it through with some light passenger side fender rubbing.
At the end of the road was confused as to how to connect to a lower road, so some walking was in order. The road off the mesa wasn't the best either. At the bottom I parked in a small window in the catclaw bordering it, at the old wired shut gate.
Slung the backpack on and down the abandoned road. I eventually intersected a lightly used faded road. Walked it looking at the nice views and located a spur off the main, which took me into a canyon. I had no idea how easy or difficult it would be for my lasso loop I had planned. Right away a slot and pourover but it was easily passed on some ledges. The canyon would prove to be a boulder hop and a walk through with small drops and some slickrock, and some very nice geology.
I camped out of the canyon bottom on a bench near the main canyon I would use for my loop. I was able to hike down that canyon some for late afternoon photos, with the broad shallow creek. It was a bloody cold night with my nalgene canteen of water partially freezing. I still had coffee though, a must in my life.
Packed up and up the canyon, on the map my way was not long but it was not easy to keep feet dry. The broad creek, beautiful and babbling along, had weird drops in it where the whole broad creek would step down only a few feet, but it was like in a whole other creek bed paralleling the other creek bed. I got to the out and walked again an old unused road to connect to my way in. I saw and heard no one the entire time, which was good.
I got to the Jeep in time to battle my way out and car camp at an incredible view site with pretty crystal covered rocks in the area. Home was a leisurely slow rough ride until pavement.
I swore I would never drive that section of road again but now I've looked at TOPO and see another doable backpack from the same launch point. Will wait till it's warmer though.
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Route Editor
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