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| Hiking | 18.71 Miles |
2,836 AEG |
| | Hiking | 18.71 Miles | 9 Hrs 22 Mns | | 2.30 mph |
| 2,836 ft AEG | 1 Hour 14 Mns Break | | | |
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| no partners | | Second time doing this loop, including the summit. We contacted the Office of the Chairman of the White Mountain Apache Tribe several weeks ahead of time to obtain permission to go to the summit.
We started at the East Baldy trailhead, and went clockwise. The ascent felt like it went by fairly quickly, as we were enjoying the views and vibes the whole way. Spent some time playing and climbing in the rock garden. Further up is an amazing lookout point, and we spent some time awestruck by the views. At 10800 feet, the trail flattens out, and the 2 avid mushroom afficionados in our group were excitedly looking at all the large mushrooms just off the trail and explaining the unique qualities of each one. Apparently there had been a huge mushroom hunt the week before, but there were still many along the trail. Next we encountered the prolific raspberry bushes, and we all enjoyed the berries.
We reached the turnoff toward the summit, but the sign announcing that only tribal members may proceed was no longer there. We encountered a member of the tribe, and after he checked for our permit, he accompanied us most of the way to the peak. There were many people at the summit, and a large group was leaving as we arrived. Most were members of the Apache tribe, while some were non tribal members who worked for the tribe in Whiteriver. It was very peaceful and quiet, despite the large number of people, as most people appeared to be enjoying the views, contemplating, or conversing quietly. We spent some time taking in the views in all directions, then headed back down.
The upper third of the West Baldy trail was forgettable, with numerous dead and downed trees. Eventually we reached the river and the meadows, which were beautiful. We then took the crossover trail, which had more of an ascent than I remembered. The trees and meadows were very peaceful and pleasant, but this part felt like it proceeded more slowly than the other sections of the loop. We eventually reached the East Baldy Trail and returned to the car.
Overall this is one of my favorite hikes of all time. It was a beautiful day, with perfect temperatures (40s-70s over the course of the day). Most of the loop is exceptionally picturesque, except for the stretch of dead/downed trees along the upper part of the West Baldy Trail. The summit feels like a special place. The views are remarkable, especially at the summit and at the flat lookout area near the top of the East Baldy Trail. The river, rock garden, and raspberries made the experience even better. We encountered very few people the entire day except for the tribe members at the summit. Definitely will do this more often.
Finally, it turned out that we had randomly picked the last possible day that we could be allowed to go on this adventure, as most of the White Mountains were to be closed down that evening for the next 2 weeks so that George Strait and his posse could go on their annual elk hunt in the White Mountains. In fact, when we were at the summit, we were advised to evacuate the mountain before sunset to avoid being shot by Mr. Strait or his crew. Yes, apparently that's a thing. |
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Wildflowers Observation Moderate
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