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| Mine Mountain via FR 1521, AZ | | -
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| | Mine Mountain via FR 1521, AZ | | | |
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Mine Mountain via FR 1521, AZ
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| Hiking | 6.40 Miles |
1,522 AEG |
| | Hiking | 6.40 Miles | 3 Hrs 19 Mns | | 1.93 mph |
| 1,522 ft AEG | | 15 LBS Pack | | |
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| no partners | | I hadn't been out to Mine Mountain since July 2016 when it was the last part of a triple-peak loop so I figured it might be about time for another visit... if the weather cooperated and the 60% chance of t-storms were kept at bay.
Based on the radar map it appeared the heaviest weather would move away but the skies looked ominous so I kept a close watch on the many layers of clouds moving in seemingly all directions. But, I'm here, so I might as well keep going until/unless prudence dictated otherwise.
Forest Road 1521 was far worse than when I last drove out here with the Cherokee... bad enough in many areas it was better to walk alongside than on it. And once past the last gate there were some spots where it didn't appear a road had ever been there.
A few miles out I began to wonder if the weather would be the least of my worries. Although my knee was by no means healed from the ant bites yesterday, still with a 2" diameter 'hot-spot' I didn't think it would pose much of a problem. But once I started the actual climb the pain ramped up almost to the same point as in the hours after the bites.
](https://hikearizona.com/dex2/images/smilies/eusa_wall.gif "Brick wall")
Hmmm, is that a rumble of thunder from the other side of Mine Mountain?
So first I look at the clouds then at my knee... wow, there's so much fluid weeping from it my pant leg is soaked. I pulled up the pantleg for a first-hand look and the 2" hot-spot is almost 3" and it is as red as it was yesterday. Crazy-weird... shouldn't whatever poison there had been from the bites it would have dissipated somewhat after 24 hours, and surely not get worse?
Thankfully the clouds quickly dispersed so all I had to do was keep focused on the hazardous rocky-road while trying NOT to focus on the pain. That's probably why I have so many photos of the terrible condition of FR 1521...
Even so the last half-mile I was practically hobbling and it was great to get back to the car, where I grabbed one of the half-frozen bottles in the cooler and held it against the knee for a few minutes before heading home.
Even with various anesthetic creams, BioFreeze and aloe lotions it would be another 30 hours or so before the swelling went down, the red hot-spot was down to a 2" oval and just a small discomfort from the area.
So yes, I skipped a day of hiking for recovery. And now, five days later all that's left is two red marks, one which looks like a small crater so it appears it may be another bite I carry a scar to remind me years later.
(Yes, another... to join the two I still have from a dozen years ago.) |
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Route Editor
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