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| Hiking | 9.85 Miles |
1,861 AEG |
| | Hiking | 9.85 Miles | 5 Hrs 19 Mns | | 2.26 mph |
| 1,861 ft AEG | 57 Mns Break | | | |
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| partners | | Both S and I had time constraints, with hers being earlier in the day, so I thought a hike out of Peralta would get us out in the wilderness and meet the time constraints. Drove separately to the TH, arriving at 6:15 with a good number of cars already parked and an owl talking away up the hill. Headlamps for the small climb up to the ridge, then good from there; I also had my long sleeves on for the first 10 minutes, but warmed up quickly and ditched them.
Dutchman
The trail is good through Brittle Brush Basin, with some minor encroachment, but not bad. Saw two guys a ways up the trail, with one wearing an orange hoodie, so I thought it could be Wally. After gaining on them pretty easily, I knew there was no way it was the human rocket. They stopped at the Coffee Flat junction, brief convo with them as I waited for the flower girl, then up we went. The bottom portion of the climb was in the nice shade. I had forgotten how rocky the climb is, which is kind of annoying but pretty easy nonetheless. Stopped for a quick break at the saddle, debating on taking the longer loop down Whiskey Springs/Red Tanks or sticking with S on the smaller loop. Being that it was going to be in the mid 80's and temperatures were already warm, I stuck with the shorter loop and glad I took it as it got hot once we got onto Bluff Springs. Quick break in the dry creek near Crystal Spring before jumping on Bluff Springs.
Bluff Springs
Overall, in good shape as expected with the heavier traffic, with some areas of tall Buffel grass waiting to ignite. Passed a solo hiker heading towards Bluff Springs, a trail runner near the Terrapin junction, and two young guys with about a half liter of water climbing up the short rocky section ](https://hikearizona.com/dex2/images/smilies/eusa_wall.gif "Brick wall") . Stopped for a few to talk with a father and son in Barks Canyon who were on their yearly backpacking trip. The father was 83, carrying a thousand-pound pack, but was still out there doing it. S helped him make a couple of adjustments to his pack, and off they went. I absolutely despise Cardiac Hill, as my knees were screaming at me the whole climb down. The lower we got, the more mall traffic we came across, with a ton of cars and people at the mall TH.
I counted 15 cars at the soon-to-be non-existent Wave Cave parking area, several guys working on the fenceline along Peralta Road, and two Longhorns lying in the shade. 80 degrees back in the car, which is pretty much at my threshold, it was hot. I remember Andy, and I hiked this area in Feb of 2023 with a couple of inches of snow on the ground. We pretty much got robbed of a winter, it looks like. Nice shorter-ish hike in the Supes, thanks S for tagging along. |
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Wildflowers Observation Moderate
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Barks Canyon |
Light flow |
Light flow |
| | | Very light flow for parts of it before it goes underground. | | _____________________
Hiking is just walking where it’s okay to pee.  |
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