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| AZT #18 FR 982-518 Loop, AZ | |
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| | AZT #18 FR 982-518 Loop, AZ | | | |
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AZT #18 FR 982-518 Loop, AZ
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| Hiking | 8.60 Miles |
1,241 AEG |
| | Hiking | 8.60 Miles | 3 Hrs 57 Mns | | 2.29 mph |
| 1,241 ft AEG | 12 Mns Break | 15 LBS Pack | | |
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| partners | | Another avoid-human-encounters hike (Close but no cigar...)
We planned to head north on AZ 87 again but with iffy weather seemingly more-so in that direction we opted to head eastward on the US 60.
With the half-dozen vehicles at the AZT #18/Hewitt Road trailhead we expected our string of non-human-encounter hikes to be broken... and we would not be disappointed in that expectation. (disappointed that we encountered others? yes)
Since Tracey demanded an on-trail hike I told her to lead to help keep me on the on-trail-leash, so-to-speak. That didn't last long... not because of me wandering off-trail but due to a the possibility of another rattlesnake encounter. Although the temp was 50-some degrees and breezy with overcast skies it was not something we expected, barely .5 mile out we met a young gal with a dog who had turned around due to a coiled-rattlesnake on the trail a half-mile or so back at which point Tracey wasted no time putting me back in the lead again.
Now a bit more vigilant (me hoping to see the rattler, Tracey hoping the opposite) we kept watch but were disappointed... no rattler on the trail. (ok, so Tracey didn't quite share my disappointment) However, as we continued the next mile or so, we kind of mulled over... why didn't she just walk around it? Drive all this way to hike a a mile or so then turn around and go back? (Not that I haven't driven a hundred miles for a 2-mile hike before, but surely not cutting one short for a coiled-snake... I simply step on it! like 2 weeks ago)
But enough about herpetology, and a bit more attention to meteorology... with threatening clouds and the first drops we donned our rain-gear and prepared for the squall, which never came. Ok, so we got a few light-to-medium sprinkles but within another mile we doffed the rain-gear. The next mile we experienced the other two human-encounters but nothing close. Just a quick hi, 'bye and keep moving.
We took a left onto FR 982 to catch a glimpse of the narrow slot-canyon... having throughly explored it on two previous occasions I felt no urge to remove my pack to follow it the full 500-foot length. With previous photos and a video I only took a few more photos. This is when the two dirt-bikers passed by with a friendly wave... we waved to them, not the other way around.
When we last hiked this loop some six years ago the worst part of it was the hike up to the northwest 'corner' so we decided to take a short-cut. (I use care to make sure it was Tracey's idea, not mine, otherwise if/when we encountered something less-than-fun I would avoid the blame) But no matter, we found enough cowpaths and game trails to make it the quarter-mile to save the half-mile of hiking.
From there it was a matter of a road-walk along FR 518. We encountered a few cows and four calves taking their siestas along our route so we dropped down-slope a bit so as not to spook them as we passed by. About this time we saw an F150 and a 4Runner climbing a hill very hesitantly. While both vehicles were easily more-than-capable, they certainly proved limitations of a capable vehicle in the hands of a less-than-capable driver... the driver being the weakest link. They both appeared to be wet-behind-the-ears newbies at 4-wheeling.
Along FR 518 we took a 12-minute snack break just in time to pass by a LARGE group of 4-wheelers having a hey-yo time, not really doing a good job at the 6-foot rule. But hey, they're young and invincible so nothing will happen to them.
A few more interesting items lest I forget...
#1. We passed by two but observed a half-dozen small fenced areas around some kind of sensors. With a bit of oogling with the big G I found out these arrays had 4G wireless modems to send sensor data to whoever... which likely means Resolution Copper. Whether they sense ground water level, seismic activity, or other I was unable to determine. Suffice to say this area is Alternative 2/3 for dumping the mine tailings for the RC mine. If this site is the final selection, there will be a 7 square-mile 500 foot hill just north of Hewitt Road and west of AZT #18. That's a hill 1/4 the height of Picketpost in 20-30 years... I doubt I'll be around to see it.
#2. The 18" water pipeline running adjacent to the now-defunct rail line. I'm not positive (the big G was unhelpful here) but I believe the water running through it is EITHER water pumped from Queen Valley area to the Magma Mine OR tainted water heading the opposite direction to San Tan Valley where the solids will be separated and hauled away somewhere as hazardous waste? What happens to the water? Who knows.
#3. The defunct rail line... it hasn't been used in maybe a decade or more, and the tracks no longer actually cross the US 60, but they still have the lights and RR signs by the turn to Queen Valley. Makes no sense, but then a lot of things fall into the same bucket lately.
But no matter, we had a great hike and other than the few sprinkles early-on the sun came out and the weather turned out perfect.
Stats for the day:
Number of pedestrian human encounters = THREE (6-foot+ distance)
Number of dirt-bike human encounters = TWO (12-foot+ distance) |
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