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| Sunflower Trail #344 Shortcut sobo, AZ | | -
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| | Sunflower Trail #344 Shortcut sobo, AZ | | | |
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Sunflower Trail #344 Shortcut sobo, AZ
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| Backpack | 5.67 Miles |
549 AEG |
| | Backpack | 5.67 Miles | 3 Hrs 1 Min | | 2.41 mph |
| 549 ft AEG | | 22 LBS Pack | | |
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| no partners | | This is the first of 3 triplogs from my In and Out from the Cross F TH to Sunflower along TR #344. I hiked to the east side of the culvert that runs under the Beeline Hwy, which I believe is the junction with the Pine Mtn Trail.
This is a sobo unofficial route. It's unofficial because it takes a shortcut along FR 393 to the south, mentioned here in HAZ in a Guide. (It shorts the Connector to the north that takes you to the full Sunflower trail.)
Important points:
- You're on your own bushwhacking from the Cross F TH to FR 393.
- There is a lot of water in a large cow pond along the trail. But no one wants to drink it. (Photo.)
- That's the only water that I saw. (I read that there is lots of water further south (along the Pine Mtn Trail) in Sycamore Creek. But I stopped along Sycamore Creek Road up here to look. It looked dry to me.)
- Saw a pair of cows near the cow pond who ran when they saw me.
- Saw no other animals (no rattlesnakes, no bears).
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In my typical over-exuberance/overestimation of my capabilities, I had intended to drive up to the Cross F Trailhead on Friday, when there was a good chance of rain in the area. I intended to hike in the rain down to Sunflower, return, and then load up from a 22 lb backpack to a 30 lb backpack to overnight north on the Little Saddle Mtn trail at my favorite mesa there. I'm glad that I didn't do all that.
First of all, it did rain Friday. (Photo.) Had I tried hiking the trail in the rain, I would have had to contend with slick, slippery mud on the trail.
Not only that, but recalling my grade school days, this would have been mud that sucks the boots off your feet.
And even if you keep your shoes on, you're going to be carrying about 5 lbs of mud with you on each foot. And then there were sinkholes.
Specifically, there were these large "post holes" that I presume collapsed under a horse's hoof. (I should have taken a photo.) So I could have easily broken an ankle/leg had I hiked Friday in the rain and sunk a foot.
Fortunately for me, the trail had dried up sufficiently Saturday to be safe. Still, there were indications of slimy mud in creek beds/low points. (Photo.)
When I arrived at the Cross F TH, I had the place to myself. (Same in the afternoon/evening.) Whereas the last time that I was here (February), there were quite a few vehicles. (Volunteer maintenance folk I think. I met a few on the LSM trail.) I parked under two trees where there was a fire ring.
Initially, without thinking, I started my hike to the north, intending to take the Connector from the Cross F TH to the junction of the Sunflower Trail and the LSM Trail. But, per log 3 of 3, I missed a turn on the Connector, and spent an hour off trail. Perhaps a blessing of sorts, because when I returned to my vehicle at the Cross F TH, I remembered that I had read here on HAZ about a shortcut to the Sunflower trail.
The shortcut is FR 393.
Although there is an official gate (and signage) on the NW side of the Cross F TH which starts the Connector, there are two other "gates" (but with no closures) on the south side of the TH. (Photo.) These are unlabeled.
I don't know why they're there. They're relatively close to each other. So it's not like they lead to different trails.
Anyway, looking at my GPS apps, it appeared that I could easily hike to FR 393. Hah.
Well, it was easy. But the trail wasn't clear. In fact, there was a new barbed wire fence (without barbs) that make it appear that someone didn't want hikers cutting across to the FR from the TH. So I had to bushwhack a bit to get onto the road.
In retrospect, it would be easier to hike out of the Cross F TH back on to Sycamore Creek Rd, walk about a quarter mile south, and get on to FR 393 directly.
Once on the road, it's a steady climb past the bases of the high tension towers that rise overhead. Not very scenic. (BTW, even though these are high voltage lines, and fairly close at times, I did not hear any hum/arcing. Perfectly quiet.)
But what a climb! I was huffing and puffing. If I were going to have a heart attack, that would have been the place.
Eventually I came across a trail marker. It was pointing 344 to the north. (I am getting the impression that the AZT is designed with nobo in mind. Whereas I think if I ever tried it (I don't think I will) that sobo would be better. (Mostly downhill.)
Anyway, the Sunflower trail to the south was fairly obvious - although soon there would be a well defined Jeep trail that confused me.
Temp was about 60 in the morning, climbing to 65 in the afternoon. There was a breeze in the morning, coming from the south that was often chilling. I thought about putting on my wind breaker, but soon I had descended enough that the wind was blocked.
There were several trail markers and cairns along the way. No brush to contend with, so the trail was fairly easy to see in the distance.
Soon you come up to a large cow pond to the east. It's fairly big and had a lot of water. But, oh, that water! (See photo.)
And it looked like muddy quicksand around the pond.
While hiking near some tree growth, I noticed that someone (more likely, someones) had taken the time to cleanly cut large branches off of some of the trees guarding the trail. (So I think it took two people. one to cut. One to hold the branch while cutting.) I know that I don't appreciate enough what volunteers to do make these trails pleasant for us.
Then a lot of gates to pass through. And some unique bridge-type of cattle guards. (I presume.) (Photo.)
The last two miles or so of the Trail sobo is the "Burn Area." Very desolate looking. Although some indications that life is returning. (Photo.)
As I wound downhill the last half mile, I thought that I saw the culvert that I would be passing through. But false alarm. The culvert for the trail is just around a bend. |
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| Be careful. It really is "a jungle out there." |
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