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| Monument Canyon to the Nub, AZ | |
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| | Monument Canyon to the Nub, AZ | | | |
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Monument Canyon to the Nub, AZ
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| Hiking | 6.90 Miles |
2,358 AEG |
| | Hiking | 6.90 Miles | 5 Hrs 57 Mns | | 1.37 mph |
| 2,358 ft AEG | 54 Mns Break | | | |
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| no partners | | About 1000 feet below the summit of 5024 sits a prominent, south-facing outcropping that I've heard called the "Nub," at the head of Monument Canyon.
I started out the day with the more modest objectives of scrambling up Monument Canyon to check out the mine shaft and the airplane wreckage. The mine is pretty shallow/short, but worth a quick side jaunt. When I got to the turn up spot for continuing the up-and-over plane wreckage hunt, the canyon drainage looked clear and the Nub began calling my name. I answered.
Unfortunately, the clear drainage section (which would be fun to see when some good water is draining through the cascades) peters out and becomes choked again with various poky desert growth, so I popped out on a flank and followed it very steeply up intermittent talus slopes to the base of the Nub, on some semi-defined bighorn trails.
At the Nub, I did a little scrambling and made it most of the way to the top, but the final pitch would require more exposure than I was willing to risk whiled soloing and without ropes. Great views from that area, including the ability to look far down below and see the glint of the wreckage at the impact site and apex of the two drainages it straddles. Evidence that the bighorns enjoy this view relatively regularly.
Hitting the Nub also brings into view the neighboring Canyon West of Hog with the Ridgeline and 5057 on display.
Just north of the nub are a couple of striking spires (the "monuments" of Monument Canyon?), including a strong contender for the best hoo hoo poker hoodoo in the supes  Truly unmistakable.
Anyhoo, after enjoying the views and a break for some lunch, the real work of descending began. Honestly, if there was a better option for just continuing up and descending on a reasonably near legitimate trail, I definitely would have done it.
I made good use of my poles in sections, combined with some downclimb scrambling and butt-scooting some loose talus sections here and there.
Back in the drainage, I made the turn up on the wreckage path up to the impact site. It is truly amazing how spread out this wreckage is over the divide and the two drainages on either side. FWIW, I marked most of the places where wreckage is located.
Once back to the remains of the miner's cabin (aka the fireplace), I was happy to reconnect with an actual trail. Though I think that trail from the Broadway trailhead is one of the rockiest in the
Supes. The beautiful saguaro forest in this area though, along with the nice, broadside view of the ridgeline makes up for it.
Lots of bushwhacking on this route, and the bushes definitely whack back--so don't wear your favorite hiking clothes. |
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