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Hiking | 3.60 Miles |
1,230 AEG |
| Hiking | 3.60 Miles | 4 Hrs | | 0.90 mph |
1,230 ft AEG | | | | |
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| no partners | | Decided it was time to go check out Cathy's Ruin [ photoset ] in the desert hills north of Phoenix. Getting lazy in my old age, I shortened the hiking distance by driving a short distance up the bottom of a creek. After a short steep climb up a slippery slope the remainder of the hike to the ruin was a pleasant journey along the top of a ridge with ever expanding views of the surrounding hills and the valley to the south. The ruins appeared to be on an earth mound with the walls partially buried below the surface. This was probably a naturally occurring mound but my sometimes overactive imagination makes me suspect it could have been built up by the ancients. The interiors of the rooms appeared to have been dug out by either archaeologists or pot hunters with some re-stacking of the walls.
After inspecting the ruins I decided to climb to the top of the hill behind the ruin to check for more ruins. It was a steep treacherous climb during which I slipped and fell forward on an agave. Fortunately the large camera case which I carry strapped across my stomach saved me from a penetrating stab to the belly. There were no signs of ruins on top of the hill, just some great views of familiar peaks and mesas. A less hazardous route seemed appropriate for my way back down the hill. That led me on a loop along another ridge. I came across a ruin on that ridge which also had the appearance of being located on an earth mound. However the room interiors had not been dug out and just the outline of the top of a couple walls could be seen in the dirt. |
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