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| Hiking | 4.90 Miles |
820 AEG |
| | Hiking | 4.90 Miles | 5 Hrs | | 0.98 mph |
| 820 ft AEG | | | | |
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| partners | | This was a repeat of a hike I did back in April, 2013, into Deep Creek Canyon above where it dumps in to Bull Canyon. This time I brought 5 friends thanks to Grasshopper's hike planning. The drive up FR203A to the Bull Canyon Th can be a little frightening if you have a fear of heights and meet another vehicle coming the opposite direction. But I just kept reminding myself that this was nothing compared to the time I rode out of Miles TH in the Superstitions with friendofThunderGod at the wheel. We stopped at an overlook off of FR203A on the way to the Bull Canyon TH to take a look at the Coon Creek Ruins far below and enjoy the views. Then it was on to the trailhead. It was a short hike along Deep Creek Trail #128 to the start of the off trail section of this hike. We stopped by Mesa Tank which was lower than it had been in April, 2013. It appears to be on its way to filling up with sediment and becoming a marsh. Then on to the picturesque ancient corral. This area is still being actively used for cattle ranching which helps keep trails open through the patches of brush on the mesa.
On our way down a side ravine on the old mining road we were treated to the view of a large troop of Coatimundi on the opposite wall of the cliff sided ravine. There were at least a dozen but maybe as many as 20. They were tightly bunched together when I first spotted them with all there faces pointed towards us staring at us across the ravine. The white markings around their eyes really stood out in the bright morning sun and looked like they were all wearing white goggles. It was this feature that first caught my eye. As I fumbled to get my camera out of its case they started to move off in single file following a tiny ledge in the cliff and then started to scatter with some continuing along the ledge and others climbing up the hillside. This was the highlight of the hike for me because it was my first ever sighting of Coatimundi.
We continued along the old mining road to see the two Donna Lee uranium adits then took a side trip down the bottom of the canyon on the way back. I hadn't ventured more than a 100 yds down the canyon bottom on my last trip and hoped we could make it through the deep slotted section of the canyon visible below the second adit. Unfortunately we didn't get very far before being stopped by a high pour off that could only be down climbed by rappelling - something I prefer to leave to the Canyoneering folks who have obviously been here before based on the webbing left wrapped around large rocks at the top.
On the return hike I separated from the group and took a "short cut" up to the mesa to explore another area on the way back. Didn't find much, just a lot of brush which I was able to negotiate by following cow footprints left when it was muddy. I knew they were probably heading for the tank and would know the best way to get through the brush. I did cross the top end of a drainage with patches of water pooled in the slick rock. This drainage becomes quite large turning into a small canyon which enters Bull Canyon just above Deep Creek. A place to explore next time. After a couple of "What's that over there" side trips I made it back to the trailhead just a few minutes behind the rest of the group. |
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