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| Hiking | 14.40 Miles |
2,748 AEG |
| | Hiking | 14.40 Miles | 8 Hrs 36 Mns | | 1.67 mph |
| 2,748 ft AEG | | | | |
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| no partners | | My buddy Jackson attempted to visit the ruins up on Packard Mesa a few years ago and was unable to find them. He asked me about this area, and while I have been down Sycamore Canyon before via the Parsons Trail, I have never been up to the mesa.
After a little research, I found a triplog from @Dixieflyer that went up to the mesa via Packard Trail that went out to the ruins. We decided to get this one done.
We met in north Phoenix at 5am and off we went. The temps at the Parsons Trail were in the high 20’s as we set off. The trail starts with ¼ mile drop to the canyon floor and a quick creek crossing. We managed to make it across without getting too soaked and started the long slog up to the mesa. It is about 2 miles up with about 1250 ft of aeg. That wasn’t as bad as expected. It took about 200 yards up the hill to shed my jacket. This portion of the trail is rough in spots and pretty rocky, but well maintained and easy to follow.
Once up on the mesa it was a 4-5 mile walk to the “turn off” to the ruins. Some elevation ups and downs, but mostly flat. The trail up on the mesa was sometimes easy to follow, other times it was unclear. Lots of cairns. As long as we kept heading towards the goal, it was all good. It was muddy in many spots. We came across a bunch of cows near the Sycamore Tank. That was pretty full, with lots of “customers” and even a bunch of ducks swimming around.
When we made it to the junction of Packard Trail #66 and Sycamore Basin Trail #63, the track we were following turned right. It was a little unclear what side of the fence we should have been on. We chose poorly as it was clear we should have been on the other side and had to scurry under the fence to get back on track.
We found the trail going up and it basically took us all the way to the ruins. Once you reach the crest of the cliff area, the stunning view we were expecting finally revealed itself. The hike down and then up to the ruins was a little sketchy, but nothing too difficult.
The ruins are well preserved, with the roof intact for 2 of the dwellings. The third room was in worse
condition. The construction was well thought out and sturdy. The location of these ruins always amazes me. This was not a long term residential location. It was too far from water and hard to access. I’d guess it was either a seasonal location when hunting or a defensive location in times of trouble? Either way, it was incredible.
The view from the ruins was so beautiful. Sycamore Canyon was directly below, but the red rocks of Sedona in the distance, Black Mountain to the right and Casner Mountain straight ahead made for an impressive vista.
After exploring the rooms and taking a little break, we started the long slog back to the trailhead.
On the way down from the ruins, we found ourselves on an established trail. It turned out to be the unnamed Trail #53. We just stayed on it rather than drop down to the “trail” we came in on. This trail meandered parallel to the main Trail #66, and eventually met up near the Sycamore Tank. If I ever go back to this location, that is the route I will take back up there.
The rest of the hike was the same as going in - flat with a little up and down across the mesa and then the rocky/steep decent down to the canyon. The creek crossing ended up being a little wetter than going up because I don’t think we cared about getting wet at this point and just crossed it. The ¼ hike back up was the parting gift but we made it up ok.
This hike was a long day. Leaving my house at 4am and getting home at almost 730pm. Inbetween, hiking almost 15 miles and navigating some rocky/rough sections. But, it was an amazing day seeing a new area. |
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"Jobs fill your pockets, adventures fill your soul."
instagram: @andydilling |
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