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| Hiking | 11.84 Miles |
4,020 AEG |
| | Hiking | 11.84 Miles | 5 Hrs 15 Mns | | 2.42 mph |
| 4,020 ft AEG | 22 Mns Break | | | |
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none
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| no partners | | Left the valley at 10 am because of kid and dog logistics. Made it to a pretty full parking lot at 1 PM. Ran into 4 or 5 people pretty close to the trailhead and then maybe another 4-5 throughout this hike. Temps were in the mid 50's at the TH.
Miller Canyon is stunning and steep.The variety and mix of flora and fauna is pretty fascinating with some of the largest Douglas Fir's I have seen in Arizona, while on the other sunnier side of the same canyon are more desert oriented plants.
I somehow ended up in the canyon bottom about 2 miles in on the way up. To my credit there were some orange ribbons and flags that kept me pushing through undergrowth unnecessarily. I learned on the way down that this very well constructed and maintained trail high banks the southern exposed slope through almost the entire canyon. The entire trail is clear of brush, deadfall and is incredibly easy to follow if you are paying attention ](https://hikearizona.com/dex2/images/smilies/eusa_wall.gif "Brick wall")
At the junction of the crest trail things get really snowy. There is probably between 4"-6" of snow up there right now. The path has been compacted by hikers so it can be slippery in spots. Nothing is too bad, but it did slow me down some. The views from the crest trail are really beautiful especially down Miller's Canyon. Things were cold up on the ridge but nothing like the climb to Miller's Peak.
It has been a while since I have felt the wind blow as hard as on my final ascent up to Miller's Peak. Probably blowing 50 mph or more. The sun was shining but it was cold!! Even Luna wanted off and she is crazy! I took a few pictures, signed the log and boogied down the mountain.
It is strange to be so close to Mexico and experience the weather, snow and flora of the Huachuca's. Like the Chiricahua's this area has me excited for further exploration, but maybe in a month or so when things warm up some. |
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Wildflower seed in the sand and wind
May the four winds blow you home again |
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