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| Hiking | 4.22 Miles |
1,085 AEG |
| | Hiking | 4.22 Miles | 2 Hrs 11 Mns | | 1.93 mph |
| 1,085 ft AEG | | | | |
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| Partners |
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[ show ]
| no partners | | Planned to hike east end of Aravaipa. Only the night before I realized I had failed to secure a BLM wilderness permit. 
I didn’t want to lose our hotel reservation, so I quickly cast about for something else to do down there. Then I remembered this loop around Mitchell Peak. And it’s a part of Arizona I’ve never been to. 
I figured it would take me four hours to hike the loop. I planned to hike counter-clockwise, so I would be on Mitchell Peak’s sun-facing slope in cool morning temps, and on it’s sun-blocking northern slope in the warmer afternoon. I was expecting shade. I did not find it.
I started hiking at 10:25 a.m. I climbed up the jeep trail across the highway from HL Saddle, then turned south, paralleling US-191. My nose immediately began generating epic amounts of allergy-induced boogers. I had to blow my nose at least every minute. That did not bode well for a four hour hike. Thankfully, the faucet turned off when I arrived at Sardine Saddle. 
From Sardine Saddle, I descended 800 ft. in just under a mile. Though I never fell, I slipped a bunch of times. It was rocky. And not nearly as shady as I had hoped.
I arrived at the trail's low point just before noon. It had taken me 90 minutes to hike the 2½ miles to the Walnut Spring Cutoff. Considering how warm it was getting, and how far I had to go, I decided to bail.
It took me 1h 15m — including three five minute breaks — to hike 1½ miles back up to Sardine Saddle. Thankfully, I was able to text ahead, so my wife could meet me there. Maybe the northern half of the loop is better: I did not care much for the part I did. 
Driving south on US-191 I saw a sign for Black Hills Back Country Byway, which I was warned is a “primitive road” that one should “use at your own risk”. So, I decided to at least take a look at it. Particularly down to Old Safford Bridge, it couldn’t have been nicer dirt.
The road gets very twisty, but on a Tuesday afternoon, we saw no one. The only slightly rocky part was heading back down to US-191, roughly MP 7-4. Today, the was car-drivable; no high clearance necessary. I enjoyed it so much, it made up for the hike! 
Rumble Video: https://rumble.com/v4tcdnr-hiking-hl-sa ... il-11.html
Vimeo Video: https://vimeo.com/942932651 |
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Wildflowers Observation None
Low in species and quantity. Disappointing, considering the weather. |
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| http://prestonm.com : Everyone's enjoyment of the outdoors is different and should be equally honored. |
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Route Editor
Route Scout
