| | -
-
-
-
| 1 label |  |
|
|
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
|
| | |
|
| Hiking | 7.90 Miles |
646 AEG |
| | Hiking | 7.90 Miles | 3 Hrs 13 Mns | | 2.59 mph |
| 646 ft AEG | 10 Mns Break | 15 LBS Pack | | |
|
|
| |
| Partners |
|
[ show ]
| partners | | With the majority of our Utah hiking trip being a washout we wanted to add one last hike on the drive back home. I had Onyx Bridge in the Petrified Forest as an option... until encountering locked gates due to the shutdown.
(Although I'd heard NP's were open with no amenities or staff other than LEO's, it wasn't totally unexpected.)
Oh well, but since AZ 87 would bring us right by AZT #28, having hiked it in 2014 and 2020 it seemed worth a return to gauge the change over 5 years.
The first item of note was a very large recently fallen tree, which, based on how it was split, very likely may have been a result of a lightning strike.
Next up was Hay Meadow Tank with about 3 times as much muddy water as in late September 5 years ago.
From there on, as we ascended and descended along at many times was rocky terrain I vaguely remembered bits and pieces from the past, but memory fades over 5 years. One obvious difference was the amount of water along the trail, requiring a number of water crossings, albeit easily able to keep our boots dry.
About halfway into our time/distance plan, we spotted an area of somewhat flat boulders off to the side, which became our lunch spot and turn-around point.
On the return leg while my mind was wandering my eyes were wandering as well, which is how I managed to notice something neither of us had noticed earlier.
A few hundred feet off the trail was what appeared to be a grave stone so naturally we had to check it out. It was a stone marker at the base of a tall pine tree, labeled Los Piños, 343m, AD 1988. Standing next to a tall pine tree the first part mades sense, but the 343m (if it is an m) was baffling, no way the tree is 343 meters tall, not even 343 feet. As far as the AD 1988, it doesn't appear to have been inscribed at the same time as the other items, so again it leaves the mind wondering, if not wandering. Check out the photo and add a comment if you have any explanation.
Just a quick stop for a one more photo at the fallen tree and we were back to the car and heading home.
Temps were 54-62°
Being a Friday afternoon, while the majority of the traffic was Northbound on AZ 87, there were enough slow trucks/RV's heading South that the only thing to do was to accept it and take it at a leisurely pace.
Kind of funny that a guy who was in such a hurry as far back as Clint's Well, passing everybody whether in passing zones and/or oncoming traffic or not, passed us again near Sunflower. I guess he must have needed a pitstop in Payson. |
| _____________________
| | |
|
|
|
|
|
| |
Route Editor
Route Scout
