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| Kendricks - Lava - Wild Bill, AZ | |
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| | Kendricks - Lava - Wild Bill, AZ | | | |
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Kendricks - Lava - Wild Bill, AZ
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| Hiking | 13.39 Miles |
3,299 AEG |
| | Hiking | 13.39 Miles | 7 Hrs | | 2.21 mph |
| 3,299 ft AEG | 57 Mns Break | 6 LBS Pack | | |
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| partners | | With the warmest temperatures of the year hitting the valley, Linda and I headed north to the high country for some cooler mountain air. I had a few things on my agenda that had long been on the back burner, so with that in mind, I made some plans, and we were on our way.
First up: Kendrick Peak. I'd done this one numerous times, usually as part of a bigger loop, as it's always a good warm-weather workout. We made our way up to the lookout, passing only a handful of people. After taking in the clear views at the top and checking out the unmanned lookout—with two broken windows—we made our way back down. This time, with a twist.
I was curious about the reported shortcut from the lookout that supposedly drops from one of the trail’s switchbacks westward to the forest road about a half-mile above the Kendrick parking area. We found no semblance of a trail or route but enjoyed the easy and scenic off-trail jaunt to the forest road. We saw five mulies on the way down.
Next up was the Lava River Cave. It being a Friday and school being out, I knew we wouldn’t be alone. There were quite a few people there, though not as many as expected. Some were climbing into the hole who had no business being there. The lava tube is really quite impressively large, with smooth ceilings and walls. The floor, however, is rough lava, and you have to keep an eye on your footing.
The final itch to scratch for the day was the unassuming Wild Bill Hill. After a pleasant walk across a meadow to reach our red, gravely rock entrance, we scrambled two steps up and one step back until we reached a ridge with better footing. The geology here is quite impressive, with nice views back toward Kendrick. We debated our exit route, knowing we wouldn’t be returning the way we came. After testing one route, we clicked onto what appeared to be a well-used game trail, which eventually led us down through a canyon-ish wash area. It worked out, and we made our way back to our ride with a few pleasant sprinkles along the way.
It was good catching up with Linda again and getting in a hike in the high country. |
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There is a very fine line between "hobby" and "mental illness."
Dave Barry  |
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