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| Hiking | 12.76 Miles |
1,712 AEG |
| | Hiking | 12.76 Miles | 4 Hrs 55 Mns | | 2.60 mph |
| 1,712 ft AEG | | | | |
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| no partners | | Got a speeding ticket on my way out of town. Just now -- Tuesday afternoon -- finished the online driving course. What a pain. I think I'd rather do time in Florence.
Anyway ...
Hiked from near the top of the climb from Camp Verde (FR 9243D) to FR 9361K, roughly V16 to V27.
Upper Sawlog Tank #1 had decent views 17 miles southwest to the Pine Mountain Wilderness.
Though occasionally rocky, cross-country was never difficult. The gabions (cages of stacked rocks) helped. Some of the gabions have a sign shaped like a triangle with curved sides (known as a Reuleaux triangle). Auto mechanics will recognize the shape from a rotary engine; musicians a guitar pick. In all, I found 30 gabions.
The forest road gradually becomes fainter as it follows the shallow upper reaches of a draw. After crossing FR 9248A, the trail disappears. It took me a few minutes to figure out I should continue southeast, towards the top of Mud Tanks Mesa.
Downhill off the low mesa, I picked up the old Crook roadbed (rocks were pushed to either side). I low-crawled a gateless fence near Road Tank.
Now near AZ-260, he remainder of this segment is never more than 300 yds. from the highway, and sometimes as close as 50 ft. On Thursday afternoon, traffic wasn’t bad, and didn’t harsh my mellow. Nor did the grass, which was actually grass-like, not stabby & aggressive cheatgrass / foxtail. That would have sucked.
Though unnamed, the tank on Tin Can Draw was nearly full, dotted with reeds, and surrounded by plenty of shade. Removing my shoes & socks, I took a 20 minute lunch break.
V21 is on the north side of a juniper, 360 ft. west of where the official route marks it.
The trail crosses a shallow valley along dirt Tom’s Creek Rd. Now in ponderosa pine, most of the next three miles have spot shade. Just past Meadow Canyon Tank, th jeep trail turns right to AZ-260. Instead, bend left onto FR 9246R. In 150 yds., on the right, is a chain latch gate. Pass through it. I had to excuse myself as someone had parked his fifth wheel there. 
I arrived at FR 9361K in a hair under seven hours, five hours moving time (2.60 mph). Not bad, considering all the times I stop to take pictures. After a change of socks, and street shoes, and a sodium replacing V-8 it was back into Phoenix to hit up my Wisconsin home boys, Culver’s, for my first cheese curds of the summer hiking season!
Hike Video: https://vimeo.com/827604443 |
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Wildflowers Observation Light
Red & yellow pea most common flower throughout this hike. Doubting mariposa lily near Upper Sawlog Tank. Really rich foothills paintbrush. Great clusters of longleaf phlox, after the first few miles. Hairy golden aster, yellow evening primrose, desert biscuitroot, some sort of pea or vetch on berm of Tin Can Tank, western wallflower on slope of Salmon Lake Butte, ashen milkvetch, and the good ol' dandelion. Some tiny species I did not photograph. Maybe 20 species in all. |
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| http://prestonm.com : Everyone's enjoyment of the outdoors is different and should be equally honored. |
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