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| Hiking | 5.02 Miles |
1,428 AEG |
| | Hiking | 5.02 Miles | 6 Hrs 53 Mns | | 1.10 mph |
| 1,428 ft AEG | 2 Hrs 20 Mns Break | | | |
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Bend Benchmark is located on a mountain top, north of the city of Gila Bend and just west of the dry, flat, Gila River. My trailhead was northeast of the mountain range, and the whole hike was a bushwhack.
This hike, like most of my hike adventures, had some surprises.
The biggest surprise was the terrain on the desert floor prior to getting to the mountain range.
Prior to getting to the 'full-of-boulders' drainage up the mountain, I had to maneuver through many desert-floor drainages - No problem.
Also, I had to get through three huge chasms. The first chasm had 25 foot, straight down sides - on both sides, and I had to hike parallel until I found a 'soft spot' in the chasm wall. Once at the sandy bottom, I then had to 'take-a-hike' in the chasm to find another soft spot again on the other side. I did this on three chasms going to the mountain, all knowing that I'd have to attack the three chasms on the hike back after leaving the mountain. I guess, with the once-upon-a-time flowing, and mighty Gila River close by, I shouldn't have been surprised.
When I got to the steep mountain range drainage, I actually enjoyed the boulder hopping up, up and up. Lotsa decision making, figuring out each boot placement, on the boulder puzzle - Both going up and later, down.
Once out of the mountain drainage, I caught sight of the Bend Benchmark peak, and to my surprise, I found out I wasn't alone.
A million jumping cholla (and chain cholla) were gracing the final climb up to the peak. I had to make a curving ascent to avoid the thicker patches, and did the same descending.
Bend BM and its two reference marks were placed in 1948, and surveyors used Nose BM as the azimuth mark. Nose BM is 3.8 miles north.
I was at Nose BM eleven months ago, and I included its disk in my photos, as Bend BM's azimuth mark.
All in all, the hike was a successful, fun, adventure. |
| _____________________
Not All Those Who Wander Are Lost
J.R.R.TOLKIEN |
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