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| Chuparosa Canyon and Hieroglyphics, AZ | |
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| | Chuparosa Canyon and Hieroglyphics, AZ | | | |
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Chuparosa Canyon and Hieroglyphics, AZ
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| Hiking | 8.29 Miles |
2,201 AEG |
| | Hiking | 8.29 Miles | 6 Hrs 37 Mns | | 1.55 mph |
| 2,201 ft AEG | 1 Hour 16 Mns Break | | | |
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[ show ]
| partners | | As we headed toward the Superstitions this morning, we were debating whether we wanted to hike Spirit Canyon or Chuparosa...ishamod had to be back home by mid-afternoon, so it was going to be a relatively short day. We decided on Spirit, but the parking area described in the guide (intersection of Greasewood and Lebarge) looked like a gamble for a ticket or a tow. The only possible spot that wasn't blocking a driveway would partially block some recycling bins...so Chuparosa it was, and we drove over to Hieroglyphic Trailhead and got a spot before it got too busy.
I was expecting more of a bushwhack when we left Dutchman, but the route leading to Chuparosa was more open and well defined than some of the official Superstition trails. As we approached the entrance to the canyon, we noticed an arch up above and made the short scramble up for a closer look, and it was a cool feature.
[ youtube video ]
We weren't expecting water in the canyon, and that aspect met expectations...very little, just a few puddles in a few spots. But the scenery looking up the canyon was dramatic and colorful. The well-defined trail eventually faded, and there's more loose rock and some scrambling higher up in the canyon, but occasional cairns continued to mark the general route. We stayed along the east side of the canyon as we made our way up, and there were a couple spots with a little exposure, but nothing too bad.
We eventually decided to take a break and make it our turnaround spot ~0.2 miles from the top of the canyon...the reward:effort ratio was dropping quickly between the brush and scrambling on crumbly rock to justify going much further with the time we had left. But it was a great place for a snack, looking down the canyon toward Old Turk's Head and Peak 2630, with cliff swallows flying around on the opposite side of the canyon above the huge spire.
[ youtube video ]
Heading back down, there was more loose rock than I remembered, and we both had run-ins with cholla that required tweezer breaks. We had enough time before ishamod needed to be back home that we grudgingly decided to we'd hike Hieroglyphics Trail to see the petroglyphs since ishamod hadn't been there before. Amazing how quickly we went from one extreme to the other...we had complete solitude in Chuparosa all morning, then got back on Dutchman/Hieroglyphics and joined the line of people. It's been a long, long time since I've done one of these ridiculously crowded hikes, for good reason. But seeing fat dudes in Superman T-shirts is always good for a laugh.
Despite the masses, it was cool to see the petroglyphs again. My only other visit was a brief fly-by on the way up to the ridgeline a few years ago. Taking more time to explore around the pools this time, we noticed some rock slicks, grinding holes, and a metate that I didn't see last time. This would be a really spectacular spot if it was more remote and difficult to reach. Among the odd things that we saw among the swarms of people near the pools: a woman trimming a shirtless guy's beard with an electric trimmer...that's a first.
We explored along the creek bed up toward the spring before turning around and heading back. It was a shorter day, but fun to see Chuparosa for the first time and catch up with ishamod again after more than a month. The weather was fantastic, with temps in the mid-70s and the warmest day of the year so far. Looking forward to checking out Spirit Canyon soon...starting from a different parking area  . |
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Hieroglyphic Spring |
Dry |
Dry |
| | | No water at the spring itself. The area downstream by the petroglyphs had a light flow among the pools. | | | |
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