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| Hiking | 7.30 Miles |
1,500 AEG |
| | Hiking | 7.30 Miles | | | |
| 1,500 ft AEG | | 11 LBS Pack | | |
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| no partners | | My wife had a quick change of plans that opened up a little window for a quick overnight backpacking trip (always try to find balance with enjoying being alone in the wilderness without putting too much burden on the spouse: key to success). I ended up having to work a little later than planned so scrapped my original plan and decided to hit boulder canyon starting at the lake.
At the marina, there are 10 parking spots that are specifically for people hiking the trail and also note that you don't need a Tonto pass for those. When I got there around 3:30 on Friday, I think there was only one or two other cars. When I left this morning around noon, that was full and I had a couple ask me about where they could park and... I don't know. I know that's private property; are there penalties if you park in another spot? If you have a Tonto pass is it okay?
Any rate, I started my hike around 3:30. The climb definitely lets you know it's there but isn't too bad and the views were quite nice. Around the saddle at the top that you begin your descent on, I ran into the only people I'd see on trail, several people who had set up camp. I lost the trail right around there, turning right when I needed to scramble over a small rock/boulder, and pretty sure they thought I was creeping on them. Sorry! I found the trail soon enough and starting descending. This took a lot longer than expected as it's decently steep in some sections combined with some pretty loose rock making you choose your steps a little more carefully than normal.
Eventually I made it down and found out the backpacking gods had decided I had earned their grace. Slightly off trail through light catclaw (they must have appreciated the blood offering) I found a fantastic camp site that had a bunch of nice wood already cut and sitting next to a fire ring. At this point, it was getting dark so I quickly set up my tent and then started a fire and enjoyed my night reading a pretty good book (fantasy, Martha Wells if you care) and eating some Poblano Chowder by packit gourmet, one of my favorites.
The night was pretty windy and around 2:30, I was woken by a gust and then my tent half fell on me. I have a trekking pole tent and while I had stacked rocks on my stakes since it was pretty soft ground (don't come around THAT often in the supes...), the one that came loose I had thought was in good and just put a tiny rock on. Dumb choice on my part. Stacked some rocks, tent was good. I do wonder about those people on the saddle though. While the views are fantastic there, not the greatest part when weather is kicking up and the wind was 20+ mph where I was so... hope they had fun.
Woke up, ate some breakfast, finished my book, started my trek out. Nothing too exciting to note other than it's much easier going up that south side than down it and I saw probably 50+ people on that 4 mile section, including a couple of off leash dogs. One of the dogs started growling at me and showing teeth but the owner told me, "Oh he won't bite." Keep your damn dogs on a leash, especially on trails that are narrow with cliffs on the side. Most of you don't have your dogs trained near as well as you think and, even then, things happen. I will stab your dog with no bad feelings; I've been bitten once in the past and that's not happening again. I told them this when they made no attempt to control it and they had the nerve to get all indignant with me. Go figure. Pretty dog, though.
Made it back to the trailhead otherwise event free to a much more full lot than yesterday afternoon. |
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