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| FR 344 Slate Creek FR 26, AZ | |
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| | FR 344 Slate Creek FR 26, AZ | | | |
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FR 344 Slate Creek FR 26, AZ
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| Hiking | 7.20 Miles |
108 AEG |
| | Hiking | 7.20 Miles | 3 Hrs 35 Mns | | 2.16 mph |
| 108 ft AEG | 15 Mns Break | 20 LBS Pack | | |
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| partners | | It had been well over 5 years since we last hiked from AZ 87 to the corrals at the West end of Forest Road #26 along Slate Creek so it was about time for a return. Weirdly enough, just now as I write this do I realize we last hiked it a few months before the 2020 Bush Fire so at the time of this hike, obviously any possible before/after comparison didn't happen. Oh well.
As usual we began from the small corral on Forest Road #344 just off AZ 87 just over a mile North of the Slate Creek/Mt Ord TH. At the outset, Forest Road #344 has been rerouted to avoid the massive erosion on its original route, which of course we followed. On the return we followed old cowpaths along the original route.
While Forest Road #344 doesn't officially continue more than a quarter mile, the 'road' continues East all the way until it reaches the West end of Forest Road #26, at the corral, windmill and water tanks. So, essentially, until reaching Slate Creek it is just a road-walk. A reasonably short climb followed by a seemingly never-ending descent (700' elevation loss) to Slate Creek. It winds a bit so the waypoints at mile 1 and 2 are less than half-a-mile apart, which is of no consequence... until the long ascent on the return makes it feel like 2 miles.
Due to absolutely no maintenance on the road, ongoing erosion and lack of cattle traffic in a long time, we were constantly seeking the smoothest track, rarely finding anything resembling smooth so being attentive upon every step was a requirement. One constant along the way was a thick black plastic water pipe running from near the start all the way to the tanks at the corral, with a few posts where it tee'd off to another pipe.
Once we reached Slate Creek the road essentially became no more, degrading into a variety of tracks going in different directions, some taking wide detours around piles of rock, others becoming dead ends where the road was completely washed away. We tried to follow my previous GPS track as much as possible but eventually just followed the path of least resistance. Kind of funny that on the return it was notably easier to follow my previous track.
Due to thick and wet vegetation, Tracey pretty much kept her distance while I spent a bit of time wandering around the corrals, windmill, solar panels and water tanks. We continued possibly a half-mile farther East than we had in the past but Slate Creek being nothing more than an eroded rocky wash at this point we saw no point to continue.
Shortly after turning back we found suitable flat boulders next to trickling water and settled down for our lunch break. As I mentioned above, by sticking a bit closer to my previous GPS route we found the going a bit easier.
Once back on the 'road' it was a just a long walk back, and of course, for the most part, uphill. Overall, a nice day for a hike with temps in the mid-60's.
And who knows, maybe we'll be back sooner than 5 years... or not. |
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