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| Hiking | 3.31 Miles |
370 AEG |
| | Hiking | 3.31 Miles | 1 Hour 21 Mns | | 2.45 mph |
| 370 ft AEG | | 20 LBS Pack | | |
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| no partners | | Original plans were to hike from Buffalo Park to Schultz Pass trailhead. On the drive out to Schultz Pass, the road was closed. We weren't aware of that. (on-going thinning operations?) So, we changed plans to hike from where the AZT crosses E. Mt. Elden Lookout Road down to Buffalo Park. Oops - the Mt. Elden Lookout Road was closed, too. AGH!
So, I bushwhacked from the closure uphill to join the AZT, turned on the tracking in Route Scout, and started hiking south. My sweetheart turned around, and drove back to Buffalo Park.
I quickly came to the junction of AZT and the Rocky Ridge trail. I turned south, and continued hiking.
Crossed Mt. Elden Lookout Road, and started a dirt road walk. I was expecting to "road walk" for a half mile or more, but after about a quarter of a mile, the road ended, and I was on a trail, lined with HUGE boulders, tree branches, and other forest detritus. After a few hundred yards I figured out that the Forest Service(?) didn't want people driving on that dirt road, so as part of the forest thinning project, they put all the "junk" along half of the road, turning a two-track into a single-track!
There are a LOT of hiking and biking trails in the Flagstaff area, so keep your head up, and watch where you're hiking.
After a steep PUD (Pointless Up and Down), the trail descends into a small valley crossing forest road 9166N, and another nameless road. Here, I saw a herd of 8-10(?) deer. I took several pictures trying to catch the deer, but only one had a deer in it.
Hiking up the other side of the valley, I met my Trail Angel Extraordinaire, and we hiked to Buffalo Park. Shortly after meeting, we saw another small (3-5?) herd of deer, running in the same direction as the prior herd. I snapped off more pictures, but only one had a deer.
Shortly, we were in the park boundaries, and the wide path, so we were able to hold hands, and walk back to the car.
Another wonderful day on the AZT.
(Still, no rattlesnakes spotted!) |
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