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| Hiking | 17.62 Miles |
3,318 AEG |
| | Hiking | 17.62 Miles | 11 Hrs 26 Mns | | 1.70 mph |
| 3,318 ft AEG | 1 Hour 5 Mns Break | | | |
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| partners | | Jason has been planning this one for over a month. We were finally able to get it done. I have been to “the Ranch” a few times, but never from the path we took. Jason, Scott and I were already set for this one and we were happy to have Wally join us as well. I knew this would be a tough slog and take all day, and it was and it did.
We started out from the Campaign TH about 830am. The drive in was a little sandy and a little muddy, but nothing any capable 4x4 vehicle couldn’t handle.
We hiked the loop clockwise, going up Campaign Trail, up and over the ridge via Fireline Trail to Reavis Ranch Trail and then back via Reavis Gap Trail/Campaign Creek. This one had tons of elevation, some beautiful scenery, a little boulder hopping and some rough sections.
Campaign Trail follows the creek going past the “REEVIS” school until it gets to Fireline. Some section of the creek were very beautiful, others seemed washed out from all the fires/floods. The hike was along and sometimes in the creek.
Once we made it to Fireline, it became an up, up and more up experience. This section was my least favorite of the day. This area was roasted in the Woodbury Fire from 2018. Some of the pines at the saddle made it, but many (most) were burnt and killed off. What has come back in the past 4+ years is a mixture of manzanita, various other ugly shrubs and catclaw intermingled between the tree skeletons that numbered in the 1000’s. This place will never be the same for sure. The hike up and down was longer and more torturous than I was expecting.
It was a sight for sore legs to see the Reavis Ranch junction. This area seems almost the same as I remember from my past trips. More grass than before. The flat and easy to follow trail was a relief. We stopped at the ruins of the Fraser cabin and had a little snack before heading up the Reavis Gap Trail.
The hike out was steep and I was already feeling the pain from this hike. The higher areas of this trail were the most scenic of the day for sure. I was a slow mover going up. My hiking comrades got it some breaks waiting for turtle-boy Andy to make it up to the multiple saddles along the way. It was not as bad as Fireline, that is for sure. Once we made it to the final saddle, the scenery turned as green as Ireland. Tons of green grass, but not many flowers. The sun slipped below the surrounding mountains and gave us a relief from the heat. We needed head lamps when we hit Campaign Creek on the final leg of the loop.
A difficult hike, but it was nice to see some new areas in the Superstitions. This was one of the few parts of the Wilderness Area that I have never been to. Thanks for putting this together Jason and thanks to Wally and Scott for some excellent company as well. |
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"Jobs fill your pockets, adventures fill your soul."
instagram: @andydilling |
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