| | -
-
-
-
-
-
-
| |  |
|
2 |
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
| |  |
|
8 |
|
| | |
|
| Hiking | 11.00 Miles |
2,100 AEG |
| | Hiking | 11.00 Miles | 4 Hrs 36 Mns | | 2.39 mph |
| 2,100 ft AEG | | | | |
|
|
| |
| Partners |
|
none
[ show ]
| no partners | | With being over in Chicago the past week, not being able to hike and the disgusting heat here I headed over to the Pinalenos. My original plan was to hike High Peak Road to the top, head over on the connector road and take Big Creek Trail back down for a nice loop. Started up High Peak Road, which is in good shape pretty much the entire way to the top but does have a good amount of 4-5 foot tall Aspens growing on it. Made it up to the top and started making my way over to the Big Creek Trail but took a break in the shade first. As I was getting ready to head down, I noticed that I was only a couple miles from the top of Mt. Graham (elevation 10,720 feet) and the threat of thunderstorms was pretty low, so I decided to continue up the mountain. The last half mile up was a slog, the continuous up and higher humidity killed my energy so I took a nice break once on top before heading back down. On the way down I was torn on taking the Big Creek Trail back down or staying on the High Peak road since I already knew it's condition. I choose to head down the Big Creek Trail which unfortunately was the wrong decision. There was an initial trail that turned into a Aspen, deadfall mess. I fought my way through the mess for a good mile before I came to a small switchback and the trail cleared up (too bad it was only for a minute). As I came to Big Creek there was a pretty good sized wash out where the trail would be. I 'slid' down into the wash out and took a quick break to study my route. I hiked a little ways down the wash out and climbed back out. Still not finding the trail and with the route I had downloaded a bit confusing at this spot I continued down the side of a large drainage, only to come to another large washout, which I had to climb down and back out of again. Covered in dirt I was finally able to find a small resemblance of a trail and hike it back down to the Swift Trail (it took me 3 hours to hike this 3 mile section). It was roughly a half mile walk on the dirt road but it felt like a lot more then that as I was covered in dirt and exhausted. Made it back to my truck and enjoyed the drive back down the mountain. Temps were a perfect 68 degrees to start my hike and the temp gauge was showing 79 as I was driving down. Came across two mountain bikers on High Peak Road and two hikers up near High Peak Cienega and a ton of deer all day.
*Disclaimer - because a portion of this hike is in the Red Squirrel Refugium area which is a closed area, this hike was just a dream that I had as I would never enter the illegal area. The pics are what I dreamt of.   |
|
Wildflowers Observation Moderate
|
|
| _____________________
Hiking is just walking where it’s okay to pee.  |
| | |
|
|
|
|
|
| |
Route Editor
Route Scout
