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| Hiking | 11.43 Miles |
548 AEG |
| | Hiking | 11.43 Miles | 3 Hrs 54 Mns | | 2.93 mph |
| 548 ft AEG | | | | |
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| no partners | | I was going to meet up with a friend at Larson Ridge for a cookout, so I planned a hike I thought I could finish by early-afternoon. He had to bail, but I went ahead with the hike anyway.
None of Haz's three topos completely agree on the route, nor with that marked by the Boy Scouts 50 years ago. @The_Eagle and @Tortoise_Hiker added another route 10 years ago. I tried my best to find the middle road. So to speak. 
When my wife and I arrived in Forest Lakes, I drove her on a scouting trip down Rim Road to FR 487. The going was very slow, as my SUV’s shocks are shot. (It’s going into the shop on Monday.)
I finally started hiking at 10:00 a.m. It was cool, with winds up to 15 mph. There were still a few small patches of snow. I wore my hoodie. Other than taking the hood off, or adjusting the zipper, I did not remove it all day. Even though the temps gradually increased to about 60℉, and the wind died down, I never got sweaty. The sky was sunny, a brilliant blue, all day.
After ½ mile, on the right is rusty corrugated metal tube and an unmarked carbonite post. That is where the General Crook Trail supposedly splits off FR 9316. There was no use depression, but I gave it a shot. Pine forests are normally open, but the brush was dense.
I got back on FR 9316. My recommendation is to simply stay on FR 9316 to FR 300, then follow that south.
I searched for 10 minutes and could not find anything with “V82” on it, or which looked like it might have once had “V82” on it.
Because crossing canyons slowed travel, could break wagon axles, and made excellent Apache ambush sites, the trail / FR 300 follows a ridge’s high line from Forest Lakes, 15 miles southeast to FR 51. There are views down Hangman’s Draw, Gentry Canyon, Big Canyon, Bull Flat Canyon and northeast in the general direction of Overgaard. The top of the ridgeline is mostly heavily wooded, and there are downslope clusters of trees, but the Rodeo-Chediski Fire so thoroughly burned them recovery has not yet begun even 20 years later.
My wife surprised me at the apparently unstaffed Gentry Lookout. I scarfed the other half of her ham sandwich, she told me the pit toilet was locked, and I headed back out.
I found both the otherwise unmarked V85 and V89 posts.
Despite the bad shocks, my wife was able to meet me at FR 487. While drinking my recovery V-8, I found the reason my toes were sore: Not from blisters, but being cut up by untrimmed toenails. 
Hike Video: https://vimeo.com/822376648 |
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Wildflowers Observation Isolated
A few western spring beauty, one cluster of short-sepal bitter-root, and scattered dwarf lousewort (which look like milkvetch). |
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| http://prestonm.com : Everyone's enjoyment of the outdoors is different and should be equally honored. |
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Route Editor
Route Scout
