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| Hiking | 12.10 Miles |
3,200 AEG |
| | Hiking | 12.10 Miles | 7 Hrs | | 1.73 mph |
| 3,200 ft AEG | | | | |
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| no partners | | Animal-pa-looza!
I screwed up my use of the GPS unit, but the distance is pretty solid while the AEG is pretty conservative. Went from the Icehouse CCC up Sixshooter all the way to Pinal Peak, and then down via Sixshooter/Telephone. I was hoping for a spectacular showing by the bigtooth maples and aspens, but only got one nice maple and a few nice aspens w/ respect to fall color.
However, my disappointment with Mama Nature was more than compensated by all of the animals I enjoyed.
Absolutely beautiful day in the Pinals. Pinal Peak didn't have the hurricane-force winds that rlrjamy and I experienced 364 days previously, and the views were stunning.
As for the beasties....where do I begin?
Just east of Top of the World I almost hit 2 ravens who were scavenging on roadkill. Really really close. Unfortunately US 60 is still under construction just west of the Pinto Valley Mine, and there were at least a dozen ravens waiting around for lunch trash from the construction workers.
I noticed a lot of small birds and more than a few tarantula hawks on the initial portion of the Sixshooter Trail. Saw a bunch of deer in the middle portion of Sixshooter, and then it happened.
I was on the switchback portion right before where Sixshooter swings around out of the canyon before crossing back into it when I noticed a tawny-colored animal about 15 yards ahead of me just to the right of the trail in heavy cover. My first thought was "elk?," but it was too low to the ground. Then "cougar?," but it was too big. Bear! as soon as its head came into view. I did a "modified Wendy" (think a football zebra signalling a completed pass while yelling "HEY BEAR! HEY BEAR!"), and mama bruin finally noticed me. She stood up on her hind legs to get a better look at me, and then her (until that point-unseen) yearling cub ambled past her. She "huffed" at it (and probably me as well), and the yearling turned around back uphill. Mama soon followed. Unfortunately no pics because I was more concerned at that point at getting my staff with the spike on the end put together. I bring a Sherlock staff that I stash in my pack on uphill portions, and use it for the downhills. I was quite concerned because I surprised them, and it was a sow with a cub.
I continued on in a quite rejuvenated state, and ran into a very large raptor (I'd love some help at identifying it once I get the pics posted) that sat in a large downhill tree, and just looked at me for a while. My first thought was that it's a golden eagle, but it sat upright. Probably not a redtail hawk because it was too big.
Saw countless small raptors and a lot of very large doves. Lots of woodpeckers as well (eat those pine bark beetles!).
Eventually I crossed FR 651, and there were countless little birds that have a very interesting hunting strategy. They fly for about 3 beats, then run on the ground for a few steps, and then peck around looking for insects. Little gray birds a bit smaller than sparrows. At that point I was trying to make verbal noises courtesy of the osos: "flyflyfly runrunrun hunthunthunt." Very interesting little birds that were both in front and behind me. I also sung some Christmas carols and my alma mater's fight song "Bear Down Arizona!" because there wasn't another soul on that mountain other than me, and I wasn't looking for any more bear surprises.
On the way down Telephone I saw about a dozen deer including a nice doe that just sat there and looked at me from about 15 yards away for at least 30 seconds until I moved on. I did get numerous pics of her, however. Roughly 1/4 mile above Doghouse Spring I was loudly talking to myself when I noticed "something" about 25 yards ahead of me on the trail in the heavy manzanita-oak-pine brush. I thought that whoever that is will think I'm crazy. It was a bear exactly the same tawny color as the 2 I saw earlier. It may have been mama because it was an adult. Whether or not it was the same mama bear, it bolted very quickly.
Took the old "road" that spurs off of Telephone because it looked like a quicker way down. Don't do it! It was a 45-degree slope, and pretty loose. Got back to the Icehouse CCC when it was just getting dark, and there was a ringtail slinking about. I tried like the Dickens to get a shot, but it was too dark, and Mr. Ringtail was not a willing subject. Spent about 30 minutes hanging out @ the CCC watching the Milky Way come out and texting my hopefully-soon-to-be-favorite hiking partner.
Great day.
If there's anyone who's jonesing for fall color, and has the Pinals on their list, the next week or so should be spectacular. The maples and aspens are about 5-10 days away. |
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Autumn Foliage Observation Moderate
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Wildflowers Observation Light
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