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| Hiking | 10.53 Miles |
2,543 AEG |
| | Hiking | 10.53 Miles | 5 Hrs 32 Mns | | 1.99 mph |
| 2,543 ft AEG | 15 Mns Break | | | |
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| no partners | | Looking for a cooler hike not too far away, decided to go to Prescott. Used the filter on HAZ site to find hikes in season around Prescott. Picked Bear Down Mountain. Never hiked from Green Gulch trail head, but it looked easy enough to get to. Lots of trails in the area, so I figured I would make a loop and also bag Stoneridge Peak. I created a route using route editor and saved it to Route Scout. Very glad I did because there are lots of trails and the off track warning saved me a couple of times.
When I arrived at the large parking area at the trailhead there were only two other cars there. It was about 70 degrees and sunny. The first mile was level and easy. After turning left at the junction the rocky trail started climbing. Not to step at first. It just kept going up and up. After climbing for a couple miles the trail went downhill and steep with loose dirt and rocks making it slow going. After giving up a lot of elevation the trail started climbing again. There were some very steep parts with loose fitting that were fun.
Eventually got to a spot with a view of Bear Down. Looked nice and flat on top from a distance at least, a perfect spot to have lunch. A few minutes later Route Scout let me know that I had reached the "bush whack junction" to Bear Down Mountain. I was hoping for an easy walk to the peak, but it wasn't. There were some ready stretches but not many. Lots of bushes and trees and boulders in the way. Eventually I reached some boulders that must be the way to the top. I climbed up and with some difficulty reached the top of the boulders. The top? No! I could see another big boulder pile that looked higher. Damn. I find a route down the far side of the first boulder pile which has me forcing my way through bushes to get through. Luckily I was wearing long sleeves and long pants or I would have been totally scratched up.
On to and up the second boulder pile. And when I get to the top once again I can see another boulder pile that's even higher. Double damn! Got to climb down this second rock outcropping and make my way to the third one. Ugh. This is hard work.
Finally I reach the high point. It's just the top rock on the pile. I sit on it and take a selfie or two. Lunch? Out of the question. All I can think about is getting back to the trail. There were a couple tricky spots, but down was easier than up. Eventually I could see the trail and pushed through more bushes and then I was out in the open back on the trail. Whew!
Back in the game. The trail was fairly level for a while, and then started heading down and down and down. Seemed never ending. Hard to believe I hiked this far up.
Stoneridge Peak looked big. The trail went back uphill steeply as it got to the bushwhack junction. Also the peak is at least a few hundred get above the trail. I would have liked to see the view from the top, but I was not up for another long steep bushwhack and decided to keep going. The neck party of the trail was very steep with loose rocks and bad footing. Slow going. The least fun section of the trail.
Despite that it was a nice day on the trail. Only saw one other person, a guy walking his dog near the start. Nobody else all day. Back at the parking lot my car was all alone.
I might try this trail again to bag that second peak. |
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