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| Hiking | 12.73 Miles |
1,078 AEG |
| | Hiking | 12.73 Miles | 7 Hrs 51 Mns | | 1.83 mph |
| 1,078 ft AEG | 53 Mns Break | | | |
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| partners | | I don't remember ever making it out to Haunted Canyon when I was last hiking in the superstitions, but had heard from several folk that it's a beautiful hike providing a bit of a change from the more typical superstitions experience.
We started walking with a little bit of light frost visible in areas. The first mile or so is easy walking that may or may not include encounters with cows as the route follows the closed forest service road to the end with corral and gate. Beyond the gate, we didn't see any cows....though there was plenty of evidence of their presence. As such, treat the water sources with caution.
Before hitting the road end and getting going on the trail proper, we made a quick detour over to Perez Cabin, which is well guarded by mesquite trees/shrubs. Once we passed through the gate, the path transitioned to more pleasant walking, crunching through plenty of fallen sycamore leaves. The path generally meanders on either side of the forested drainage with plenty of cairns to mark the crossings. I found the streamside trail sections are fairly distinct and not terribly overgrown. There are some very nice pools present with a little bit of flow, but for the most part, the drainage is dry.
As we made our way up canyon, we made note of a few mines/caves to check out. Knowing there were caves in the area, I contacted an old grotto friend for beta to make sure I could go prepared. Even with my prep, still made the rookie mistake of leaving my spare batteries for my headlamp in my pack, so was stuck using my handheld secondary light when I realized my headlamp was not functioning as expected. It's been more than a hot minute since I've spent any appreciable time underground  Ah well, lesson learned for next time.
I was pleasantly surprised at how easy it was to access the big cave - most of the caves I've been in require much more crawling and squeezing. This particular cave was really open and spacious by comparison, and surprised me with the variety of decorations present. We found the register in fairly short order - it was nice to see that the CAG* is still active. Beyond the register, there's more passage, though curious explorers might benefit from a hand line or a body belay - depending on skill level, the drop might be downclimbable, but it wasn't something I wanted to attempt without a handline for backup. Since this was the first wild cave my hiking partner had been in, I suggested turning off all light sources to get a feel for what complete darkness is like...I refrained from taking the opportunity to startle him 
After our brief underground interlude, we continued up canyon to Toney Ranch Spring and onward to the cabin. The spring trough was full with some slight overflow...and a number of bees. After checking out the cabin and taking a break for lunch, we headed back to the car, taking a detour through the narrows. The section of narrows features some really neat walls and geology. You'll want to watch your footing, especially where things may be made trecherous by fallen leaves.
Since I hadn't been out to this area of the Superstitions and we still had decent daylight, Jason was kind enough to drive out to Miles Ranch for a look around.
It was a great day out in a new to me area - thanks for the invite, Jason!
*If wild caving is something that interests you, I urge you to join a grotto or ensure you go with someone with caving experience. Caves can be a delicate resource and require some special care for preservation. Your first stop in gaining information should be the NSS (National Speleological Society) followed by your local grotto. This particular cave appears to be overseen by the Central Arizona Grotto. |
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Wildflowers Observation Isolated
spotted one lonely crescent milkvetch growing on the closed forest road. |
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Tony Ranch Spring |
Quart per minute |
Quart per minute |
| | | Trough is full with slow overflow, pipe has a fast steady drip. | | _____________________
Happier when hiking....I may not move fast (and I'm often distracted by wildflowers), but I'll get there eventually  |
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Route Editor
Route Scout
Ah well, lesson learned for next time. 
