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| Bulldog Lone Saddle Loop, AZ | | -
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| | Bulldog Lone Saddle Loop, AZ | | | |
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Bulldog Lone Saddle Loop, AZ
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| Hiking | 4.20 Miles |
691 AEG |
| | Hiking | 4.20 Miles | 2 Hrs 13 Mns | | 1.89 mph |
| 691 ft AEG | | 12 LBS Pack | | |
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| partners | | What with all the goings on in the different directions (Mesa marathon, Ren Fest, the usual Apache Trail traffic and likely busy Supes trails) this was another weekend morning when neither of us was too fired up for anything but another short, local off-trail wander. Since we had to avoid North Power Rd (due to marathon) we headed out Usery Pass Road while trying to come up with a somewhat specific destination or at least a start point.
The Maricopa Trail gate on the East side of Usery Pass Road managed to catch my attention early enough to make a quick stop and park on the shoulder just past the gate.
We began by heading East along the Maricopa Trail, just far enough until making a 90° left turn off-trail with the idea to link up with the Around Lone Mountain equestrian trail. Unfortunately it had been so long since I'd been on that trail, the abrupt turn took us into an area which happened to be a bit thicker and thornier than the expected, but we persevered by spending a bit more time scouting potential routes to avoid the worst.
Eventually we hit the equestrian trail, not that it was much better, as it appeared to have received very little use in a long time. We weren't planning on returning along the trail, so I don't know why I did some cat-claw trimming, but I did... until realizing it would just be a wasted effort on an almost unused trail.
After a short jaunt off the trail for a view and a few photos from a prominent rocky overlook, we decided to drop down into the widest/long drainage to begin our wide counter-clockwise arc back to the start. We spent almost a mile in the drainage, noting many critter tracks... deer, javelina, coyote but saw nothing but a single rabbit.
It was during one of the descents into a narrow drainage when the ground gave way under my feet and I took a reasonably hard fall on my butt and right elbow. Thankfully my landing area was mostly loose sand, but still I ended up with a sore elbow (bled but clotted almost instantly) and what I would expect to be a bruised right hip. Once back home I realized most of the hit was absorbed by my rain jacket that had been left in the bottom of my pack, so I guess forgetting to empty my pack each trip sometimes works out... other times, not so much.
Circling Westward back toward Usery Pass Road meant numerous ups & downs to cross the many N/S drainages but eventually we reached the wash which would lead us back to the Maricopa Trail gate.
Temps: 59-69° F |
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