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| Hiking | 13.49 Miles |
2,286 AEG |
| | Hiking | 13.49 Miles | 7 Hrs 24 Mns | | 1.96 mph |
| 2,286 ft AEG | 30 Mns Break | | | |
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| no partners | | I decided to make a trip to the Supes while the water is still there. At first I thought it was already gone because when I crossed First Water Creek along the Second Water Trail, it was dry there. But as you get deeper in, the streams are still running.
Started out with the Black Mesa loop, but this time I did it clockwise, taking the Black Mesa Trail first and heading east. To my memory, this was the first time i've ever hiked the Black Mesa Trail in that direction.
Once i got to the junction with the Dutchman, I headed further east on that and then took the Bull Pass Trail up, then took the Lost Black Mesa Trail further east until it hit the Dutchman Trail again. The Lost Black Mesa Trail is now very faint and overgrown in several spots. I hiked this once 11 years ago and I don't remember it being this bad. It's not a total bushwhack yet, but it's getting there. It was rather slow going along this spot of the hike.
From the Dutchman Trail, I headed north and then headed back on the Bull Pass Trail. Saw a backpacker taking a break at that junction, first hiker I saw for the day. Once I got back to the east end of the Black Mesa Loop, I took a lunch break. 2 horse riders went by. When they saw me, the first guy said, "We're on the right trail". then 10 minutes later they were doubling back asking how to get to the Black Mesa Trail. Turns out they were on the wrong trail. 
Most of the foot traffic was on the way back on the Dutchman Trail. The first hikers I saw were an old couple, also asking about how to get to the Black Mesa Trail. they had accents and when they spoke to one another it was in a Slavic language. I asked if they were Serbs. They were Polish. I'm half Polish so we talked a bit about that. 5 min after we left I forgot the only phrase I know in Polish that means "how are you". This is the 2nd time this has happened to me while hiking, I need to work on that.
The last bit along the Dutchman Trail was a bit of a slog at the end. my minutes per mile was getting longer, but I felt like I was still moving pretty good. I looked at my GPS tracks and I did this same hike basically 11 years ago, but I added the summit to Black Top Mesa, which I couldn't imagine doing today for one hike. The Lost Black Top Mesa Trail was in better shape, but I was a decade younger too, so there's that.
A little chilly to start but it never got hot. Perfect weather, which will be gone soon enough until late October. |
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