| | -
-
| 1 label |  |
|
1 |
-
| 1 label |  |
|
|
-
-
-
-
-
| 1 label |  |
|
8 |
-
| 1 label |  |
|
2 |
-
-
-
| 2 labels |  |
|
|
-
| |  |
|
3 |
-
| |  |
|
3 |
-
| |  |
|
6 |
|
| | |
|
| Hiking | 6.00 Miles |
1,375 AEG |
| | Hiking | 6.00 Miles | | | |
| 1,375 ft AEG | | | | |
|
|
| |
| Linked |
|
none
[ show ]
| no linked trail guides |
| Partners |
|
none
[ show ]
| no partners | | Hoping to beat the monsoons, I set my alarm for 6:20 am, but snoozed 'til 8. Arriving in Tonto Basin, I was greeted by a fully mature, anvil top thunderstorm over the southern Sierra Ancha. Lame! I briefly considered going elsewhere, before driving up highway 288 anyway.
By the time I reached the Reynolds Creek trailhead, the storm had moved east. Yay! Up the Reynolds Creek Trail I went, taking a couple of fruitless side trips off trail to hunt for ruins. This time I went down to see Reynolds Creek Falls. The upper fall might have been 20 feet, and poured into a shallow pool. I got down on my stomach to peer down into the bottomless slot that the lower falls emptied into. I'm guessing the lower falls may have been 70-80 feet. Very little water flowed over the falls, which seems like the norm.
Continuing on, I ran into another hiker, who was as surprised to see me as I was to see him. He told me of seeing elk higher up. I didn't know elk occurred this far south in the Sierra Ancha. Turning south towards Knoles Hole, the trail grew extremely muddy, and the air was thick with moisture. What appeared to be elk tracks were everywhere. I could hear bugling as I hiked through the aspen grove. Climbing out of Knoles Hole, I ran across a flock of turkeys, who scattered into the undergrowth.
At the saddle, I opted to return via Randal's and Grasshopper's ridge route. This route, which runs north along the ridge between Knoles Hole and upper Pueblo Canyon, was once a road, and later a trail. Cairns and a few blazes mark the way, although it would be hard to get lost on the ridge top. The views into the Pueblo Canyon and Cherry Creek areas are outstanding! At the north end of the ridge, the route becomes an ancient trail once more, that switchbacks down to a saddle dividing Reynolds Creek from Pueblo Canyon.
Stopping on the switchbacks to admire the view at the top of a cliff, I noticed several small, shallow caves on another cliff near the trail. Elk again bugled in the distance, and I heard rustling in the brush far below me. What I thought was an elk turned out to be bears. Five of them, actually. There was a mother, three cubs, and another full grown bear, who was thrashing about in a maple tree for some reason. I watched them for a few minutes, enjoying the play of the little cubs, and cursing my camera's lack of an image stabilizer. I was thankful to be out of sight and reach of the mother bear! Finally, the mother and two of her cubs ambled down the rock slide. She let out a groan, and the third cub came bounding down the rocks to join her.
Below the saddle, the trail soon rejoined the Center Mountain Trail, and back down Reynolds I went, enjoying the cool evening air and soft light. After a full afternoon of leisurely fun and exploration, I returned to my truck.
Driving home down highway 288, all of the motorhomes at Honey Divide were still there (don't you people have jobs or something?  ). Studying Conner Canyon, I came to the conclusion that the overgrown road going down it must have been the haul road for the circa 1903 Sawmill Flat logging operation, for Roosevelt Dam. I stopped at the Salt River bridge to enjoy the sunset reflecting off a distant thunderstorm cloud. Below the bridge, people splashed around in the water, while a couple fished. That water looked so tempting for a swim, but I just didn't have the time. Oh well.
Another great trip! |
|
Wildflowers Observation Light
|
|
| _____________________
| "…you never know when a hike might break out" -Jim Gaffigan |
| | |
|
|
|
|
|
| |
Route Editor
Route Scout
