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| Hiking | 11.05 Miles |
2,333 AEG |
| | Hiking | 11.05 Miles | 5 Hrs 44 Mns | | 1.98 mph |
| 2,333 ft AEG | 9 Mns Break | | | |
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| no partners | | My latest refinement of a route from the end of Cochie Spring Trail to Wild Mustang in the Tortolita. With the help of tracks from RidewithGPS, OSM, and four scouting trips, I think this is finally the most navigable route.
Starting at the Wild Burro trailhead I took Hotel Spur to Cochie Spring Trail, and around to the end. Cochie Spring Trail is possibly the best engineered trail in the Tortolita, traversing the south side of Cochie Canyon, however recent rains have beat up the wash crossings a bit. From the "END" sign the trail continues for a while defined by a low rock wall along one side of an abandoned road. Once past the windmill there is a sporting uphill segment on this road, very rocky, but still occasionally defined by that rock wall. Once past the next wash crossing with a small dam below the connector route is marked by a small cairn and a 1970s vintage soda bottle. This is before the main road and where the GAIA Hike Layer shows the Mustang Connector coming down and provides access to the track with a short trail segment above and south of the wash.
From here, after the short travers and another wash crossing, the climbing begins up the ridge to the Mustang Rake. 1000' in one mile, scattered cairns, and some loose terrain. Generally the route follows the ridge southeast to the top.
From the top, you get rewarded with fantastic views of the Wild Burro basin, Tucson, the Cats, and Cochie Canyon--and the sort-of-famous "Mustang Rake". And, not obvious way down to Wild Mustang. There are parts of tracks directly down the wash to near the Wild Burro/Wild Mustang junction, but I have never managed to connect the dots without lots of scratches and bumps.
The better route is down the ridge to the west, heading directly towards Big Caprock just below and south of the ridgeline. Someone has already marked much of the route and its pretty well defined. Occasionally the cairns can get lost in the desert pavement and one must take care not to miss the "right turn" that keeps you along the top of the ridge until you are closer to the Big Caprock social trail.
Eventually you meet up with the Big Caprock trail, near where it turns west and approach the peak. From here its a more refined trail back to Wild Mustang, and downhill back to the trailhead. |
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