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| Hiking | 17.02 Miles |
1,849 AEG |
| | Hiking | 17.02 Miles | 7 Hrs 3 Mns | | 2.55 mph |
| 1,849 ft AEG | 23 Mns Break | | | |
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| partners | | Chris invited me to hike this one. I have driven through this area many times, but I have never hiked in this area. When he told me it was flat and mostly near the river, I was expecting something completely different than what we actually experienced.
This section of the AZT turned out to be really nice. We did about 9 miles in and then turned back. The landscape was 100% Sonoran desert with a just a little river/riparian tossed in. The trail itself was wonderful. Well maintained, easy to follow and well engineered. After doing some crazy & wild ones in the Superstitions recently, this was like heaven.
We started right before sunrise and the air was chilly. A little mist was present on mountain tops and the skies were cloudless. The portion of the trail we hiked was not flat, but rather up and down, following the contours of the land north of the river. Lots of switchbacks going up and down minimized the actual aeg. It did not feel like close to 2000 ft aeg after we finished, but it was.
We saw some white tail deer at the start and Chris saw a bobcat (I missed it) near the end, but it was surprisingly critter free. Lots of poppies throughout most of the hike was really nice. Closed up in the early hours, but wide open soaking in the sunshine on the way back. I was impressed with the number of saguaros and other desert flora. It's a lush area for sure.
Chris' plan is to break this section up into a couple hikes. So, if he goes back to finish off the area along the Gila, I am definitely in. Looking at the track for the entire section, it looks like it takes a turn north and really starts to climb. I have been in that area by White Canyon and Martinez Mine, and it's really beautiful in there as well.
A nice day out in a beautiful area. The river was really flowing and very green. The railroad bridge that crosses the river about 3 miles in was really interesting as well. We hiked by it on the way in, but stopped by on the way back. I did some research when I got home and found out the bridge was built in 1906. We cheated a bit and hiked back along the rails. I could hear the river flowing the entire time.
I am looking forward to visiting this area again. I know everything north of here is amazing, so it was nice seeing that goes all the way to the Gila. |
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"Jobs fill your pockets, adventures fill your soul."
instagram: @andydilling |
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