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| Mingus North - Mint Julep Loop IV, AZ | |
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| | Mingus North - Mint Julep Loop IV, AZ | | | |
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Mingus North - Mint Julep Loop IV, AZ
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| Hiking | 17.44 Miles |
3,216 AEG |
| | Hiking | 17.44 Miles | 8 Hrs 14 Mns | | 2.40 mph |
| 3,216 ft AEG | 58 Mns Break | 12 LBS Pack | | |
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| partners | | We've done multiple Mingus combinations/configurations throughout the years. It's an easy drive to get to and offers various elevations to take advantage of the seasonal temps. In the fall you can try to time the colors with the oaks and Maples.
We started in a small parking area directly across from where we'd finish on the J-P Wagon Road 503A at a refreshing 51 degrees. We dropped down to the Mescal Trail #547 and immediately lost another 10 degrees. Enjoying the tall pines it gently climbs until we met the Bug Hollow Trail #548. With a bit of off trail we looped in the Upper Mescal Trail #550 taking this back to Bug Hollow.
My favorite trail on the loop is always the Powerline Trail #549. You gain about 400 feet on this trail taking in vast views to the north, from Bill Williams to the west, to the peaks in Flagstaff. As @PrestonSands talked about in his 2012 triplog, we noted fresh bear activity along the majority of this track. Every time we come across "The Well" pipe [ photo ] as Joe calls is, we are always curious as to how deep it really is. This time we unscientifically timed a dropped rock until it his water at the bottom at 2.64 seconds. It's close to the 3 seconds in this mathematical explanation Professor Joe Bartels put together for us. [ youtube video ] . So we no longer have to guess. The old road turns into a single track before it finally disappears. As long as you stay to the east side of the drainage here, you will shortly run into a very nice use trail, quickly taking you down to the North Mingus #105.
The 105 takes you down to the Mescal Gulch area. This starts an off trail climb to meet up with a well used MTB trail used by evidently crazed MTB'ers. This is without a doubt the steepest, loosest portion of our loop. We have trouble staying upright hiking. Not a clue how the MTB'ers don't seriously hurt themselves.
We had lunch and lunched at Walnut Springs before finishing off the last six miles of the hike on the Jerome-Prescott Wagon Road 503A
We only saw 2 people and their dog all day long and that was in the last 100 yards of the hike. |
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There is a very fine line between "hobby" and "mental illness."
Dave Barry  |
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