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| Hiking | 8.61 Miles |
2,069 AEG |
| | Hiking | 8.61 Miles | 5 Hrs 48 Mns | | 1.57 mph |
| 2,069 ft AEG | 19 Mns Break | | | |
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| no partners | | I last hiked the ridgeline 6 years ago with Andy for the time. For the most part it's not too bad except for the last descent before you get above the Wind Cave if you're heading southbound. That part is pretty steep and rocky with some loose scree sprinkled in. A little bit of exposure here and there but nothing real bad if you're slow and careful. It was likely a product of the more difficult hikes I've been making a point of doing lately, but this time the worst sections of the ridgeline didn't seem as daunting as they were 6 years ago.
I started from the Bulldog ATV TH off of Ellsworth and took the Maricopa Trail spur up to the Pass Mt Loop Trail, which is exactly where the ridgeline trail starts. Its kind of funny how at that intersection the very beginning of the ridgeline trail is very wide and inviting, and in almost no time it gets very steep and narrow with sketchy footing and loose rock.
There was one spot on the ascent that's pretty tricky because of the vertical climb. There's a way to do it with minimal exposure, but it can be like a puzzle at times figuring out what that route it looking from below. There were 2 other trails going around the outcropping at the base of the short cliff, but it didn't seem like either one would get to the ridge. Once i was below later on looking up, I though I could see where they might get there.
Started just after 5:30am. the gun range opened promptly at 7am, which started the constant sound of gunshots which eventually faded into the background like white noise. At 8am, the gnats woke up and hung around every time the shade from the clouds took over. Their absence in the heat of the sun made that more bearable. hit the peak before descending to the Wind Cave, got there by 9:30 to an empty cave.
From the peak to the where I got off on the Pass Mt LoopTrail was all the traffic I saw. Early on I had some shade due to the approach on the west side and then there were some nice breezes early on the ridgeline. The heat kicked in on the hike back up on the Pass Mt Loop Trail. Ray was hiking the other way on Pass Mt Loop and we stopped and talked for a few minutes, nice to run into someone you know while doing a local hike. |
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