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| Lane Mountain 233 - Crown King Back Road, AZ | |
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| | Lane Mountain 233 - Crown King Back Road, AZ | | | |
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Lane Mountain 233 - Crown King Back Road, AZ
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| Hiking | 18.22 Miles |
3,846 AEG |
| | Hiking | 18.22 Miles | 9 Hrs 5 Mns | | 2.29 mph |
| 3,846 ft AEG | 1 Hour 8 Mns Break | 14 LBS Pack | | |
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| Partners |
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[ show ]
| partners | | Joe threw out a couple of suggestions for the week. My recent goal has been to choose the hike that I know Joe will like the least. This one was the longest, with the most elevation gain, and had the most prickly obstacles. To top it off, there were 32 miles of dirt road to the trailhead, making this the clear winner. (Actually, it had been a while since we'd been around Crown King, which is why I picked this one.)
Using the Bumble Bee exit, the road to downtown Crown King was in great shape once we passed Bumble Bee. Later, on the way back, we took the Crown King Cutoff to meet the I-17 at Bloody Basin. It's 7 miles longer, with 4 miles less dirt, and much smoother.
Once out of Crown King, progress was slow. The remaining 5 miles require high clearance, decent tires, and 4WD if it's wet.
It's been 11 years since I first planned this hike, and this was the third time we've done this loop. The last time was 7 years ago.
From the parking area, it's a 2-track road to the beginning (unmarked) of the Lane Mountain Trail. It's a great trail with beautiful views all the way to Sullivan Spring. From here, it gets a bit narrower, but still good until the next easy-to-miss turn.
We need to teach the cows to use and stay on the trail. In the sections they do use, the trail is in nice shape.
The climb out of Copper Basin is always challenging. It always feels steep and hot. When a breeze did kick in, we'd stop for a second to enjoy it.
In 2016, we noticed a mining operation in Humbug Creek. This has expanded into a huge operation with lots of heavy equipment. At the end of the Lane Mountain Trail, we had to hop over some of their equipment to get to the Back Road to Crown King. The guy operating the shovel shut off his machine and asked us where we were going. I pointed down the road and continued past the No Trespassing signs.
While eating lunch, we were passed by a couple of Jeeps. Three miles later, we passed the same Jeeps, as one was high-centered on a boulder trying to get off.
At the Oro Belle mine, the real challenge starts. Can you say catclaw? Thank goodness, in our old age, we've learned to wear long pants and long sleeve shirts. This made this section bearable.
We stopped at the cabin and Savoy Mine to check if the gold water was still there.
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The gold is gone and has been replaced with clear running water. Hmmm?
We completed the climb to the Senator Highway and the 1.7-mile hike back to the car.
Good times with an above-average amount of complaining.
On the way back, I noticed that the Cleator Yacht Club had available parking. We decided to bypass it this time. |
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Wildflowers Observation Isolated
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There is a very fine line between "hobby" and "mental illness."
Dave Barry  |
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