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| Wedding Cake and Turks Head via Lost Goldmine, AZ | | -
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| | Wedding Cake and Turks Head via Lost Goldmine, AZ | | | |
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Wedding Cake and Turks Head via Lost Goldmine, AZ
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| Hiking | 9.21 Miles |
2,039 AEG |
| | Hiking | 9.21 Miles | 5 Hrs 16 Mns | | 1.90 mph |
| 2,039 ft AEG | 25 Mns Break | | | |
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| Partners |
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none
[ show ]
| no partners | | Been trying to take advantage of the cooler days as I can and realized I needed to aim for a hike midweek with the end of week forecast calling for wind and rain. Also wanted to get out for something slightly shorter than usual to evaluate the fit of a pack before I committed to a super long day with new gear. Wound up with a very late start to the day thanks to insomnia and dithering on where to drive to since I couldn't muster the enthusiasm for a wander at any of the closer locales.
Been meaning to hit the Wedding Cake and figured maybe with a near midday start I'd be able to catch a spot at the parking lot thinking most people would have opted to hike in the morning and would be clearing out....I was wrong. Arrived to a couple other cars queued for a parking spot. Luckily, a large-ish group came off the trail relatively quickly and I was able to park after 10-15 min of waiting. I guess the lesson here is that I should either get moving earlier or if I have the daylight, to park at the Lost Goldmine TH instead.
Before heading out, I added Turks Head to my route, and figured I'd run up to see the petroglyphs if I had time - initially, I was going to hit the petroglyphs first, but the trail was overrun so I headed out Lost Goldmine towards my two targeted peaks instead. I passed a number of folk headed back towards the trailhead while I was outbound, with one guy eliciting a smile by yielding the trail and calling me "miss" -- it's nice to know that I can still garner a "miss" when some people think I'm 400 
The Lost Goldmine trail is fast traveling with fantastic views of the Superstitions and lots of very happy saguaro, cholla and other low desert plants. Before long, I hit the junction (marked with rocks placed on the ground in the shape of a cross) to head towards Wedding Cake Hill. I wasn't paying attention and cruised right past the cairn and location to cross the fenceline (oops), realizing my mistake as I contoured around the far side of my target and found myself looking at Turks Head...a quick check confirmed my error, so I dashed back to climb to the summit. The route is well trodden and easily followed all the way up. Took some time to enjoy the solitude and the stunning views from the top while being buzzed by a pair of swifts. While I was on my way up, I received a suggestion from @00blackout that I check out Chuparosa Canyon - I was able to make out the use path from where I was perched and figured I might give it a go in lieu of heading up to look at the petroglyphs if I had the daylight to work with at the end of my planned hike.
After my brief break, I headed back down and over to Turks Head. The route up Turks Head is also easy to follow, though is braided in places - I was surprised to find another hiker headed down near the summit as I was on my way up. I had the top to myself, and after snapping a few photos that don't do the views justice, I headed back down and rejoined the Lost Goldmine trail.
While I had a screencap of the route for Chuparosa Canyon, I didn't have it downloaded and ran into a few snafus...eventually got to where I needed to be, but after popping over the barbed wire fence, I found myself picking a route amongst cattle paths in and around the drainage and I knew I was going to run out of daylight - so rather than continuing onward, I decided to call it a day and headed back to my car. Looks like I have a reason to return, preferably after we get a bit of rain!
Happy to say that the new pack seems to fit and carry well, though I need to figure out where to shove my phone for easy access since I can't easily reach the side pocket while the pack is on. Also realized while on the off camber slickrock sections that I had managed to forget to don my ankle brace in my haste to leave the house...glad to also realize that my days with required bracing might be coming to a close! It was a great day to be outside, and the views in this area of the superstitions are extra lovely with all the mature desert flora.
Wildlife: various birds and a variety of lizards. |
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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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