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| Hiking | 3.56 Miles |
2,758 AEG |
| | Hiking | 3.56 Miles | 3 Hrs 43 Mns | | 1.30 mph |
| 2,758 ft AEG | 59 Mns Break | | | |
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| partners | | I've wanted to hike Lava Falls to the river for a while, but the isolation of this one has always been a challenge.
With four days off over the holiday break I suggested the option a few weeks back, secured permits and decided to keep an eye on the forecast. A potential Christmas storm fizzled from the early models and other than some bitterly cold temps we figured it was good to go.
I'm not really sure I'd want to do this at any other time of year. It was in the 20s when we set off, but even at the end of December, the Arizona sun baked the south-facing slopes of black lava rock, and even on the descent it wasn't too long before I was in shorts and a t-shirt. The forecast called for a high near 50 at the river, but up top I never saw it over 42, and I can't imagine doing this on a day where the temps are 70 or even 80!!? at the river! It would be brutal!
Lee suggested hiking poles, and I grabbed them from the truck at the last minute. I'm glad I did. The descent is steep and loose and the poles helped a lot. At one point a loose boulder moved under foot and I decided to send it downhill to get it off the route where others might encounter it. As we all stood and watched, it was a bit unnerving to see and hear this 100-lb rock as it bounced and rolled for several hundred vertical feet below us before finally coming to rest.
We continued on, negotiating a couple of little scramble-climbs before crossing over a little ridge near the river. On the backside the slope was scree-covered and the route undefined. I lost my footing and began to slide down the slope, managing to arrest before the 15-foot drop that I only noticed after I'd stopped. This turned out to be the most dangerous part of the hike. Easily avoidable, but also an easy error to make.
A few minutes later, we were at the river and made the short traverse downstream to observe the rapids up close. They really are something to behold. I'm not a rafter, but I can see how this is an infamous challenge for those who are!
After some photos and a snack, we turned back and headed up. With the relatively cool temperatures, we made excellent time, climbing out in about 90 minutes. I carried two liters of water, and only drank one of them. From everything I've read, this is extraordinarily unusual and it must be stressed that the highest temperature we experienced was in the 40s. Much of the river was shaded with the low angle of the December sun and we actually sought out sunny areas to warm up. There were record cold temperatures even for December, so I would expect a much different experience even during a normal winter weekend, and certainly during warmer months.
With all those qualifications, I really enjoyed this hike, and would absolutely do it again if the conditions were similarly ideal.  |
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| | | Absolutely roaring. Looked like Shinumo Creek-level flow! I wonder if it's really warm!? Other side of the river so no way to know without a raft. | | _____________________
| I'm not sure what my spirit animal is, but I'm confident it has rabies. |
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