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 | Sandy Saddle TM 6, AZ | | -
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| Volunteer | 10.48 Miles |
2,413 AEG |
| | Volunteer | 10.48 Miles | 3 Days | | |
| 2,413 ft AEG | | | | |
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| Partners |
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| no partners | | Headed out for a 3-day outing with the two youngest kiddos (8 & 10) to burn some fall-break energy. Late start, Barnhardt Trailhead at 9:40, there were four other vehicles (tho we didn't see anyone else out there until the last day). Each kid had a pack with their clothes and some essentials while mine was comically overstuffed, wish they were bigger fans of cowboy camping. Barnhardt was a delight to walk up: creek was roaring below, hillsides had fresh growth, several seeps were dribbling across the trail, and both Hawaiian Mist & Big Kahuna were flowing. After Barnhardt we turned off on Sandy Saddle, pushing through the bad sections and celebrating our work so far, then dropped down into the creek to avoid the worst of it and rock hopped to camp. Setting up camp and showing the kids where the water sources was (and establishing camp rules) took some time, so only got an hour or so of work on the trail done before it was time to make dinner and tell stories around the campfire.
Next morning we woke up to a thick layer of frost over everything, so we were a bit sluggish getting up. After breakfast I headed back out and did some more trail maintenance, but between a budding cold and semi-constant interruptions my progress was mediocre. It was still beautiful weather and there were plenty of breaks for hanging with the kids, so I wasn't disappointed at all. Plus, the original plan for the day was to visit Deadman Falls, which was voted down based on collective energy levels, so my expectations were low anyways. As the sun dropped we bundled up again and settled in for dinner, only to discover that my whisperlite was clogged and I couldn't fix it, so cooking turned out to be a problem-solving exercise. Stories were shorter on the second night, kids were completely tuckered out by eight.
Last morning was a bit of a rush to pack up and head out in time for an afternoon birthday party. The hike out was more painful to connect to Sandy Saddle, wonder if I can clear the rest of this section to make future outings easier with lots of caffeine and a few long days. Going down Barnhardt went quickly and we passed three groups this time, one of which had admirable ambitions to take Sandy Saddle to Deadman. Hope he made it! There was a bit of excitement with a young tarantula near Garden Spring, otherwise an easy hike out and a quiet drive home 
220' more feet cleared. Another 800' and our future trips would be a lot easier. |
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Autumn Foliage Observation Light
Some yellows spotted. |
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Castersen Seep |
Gallon + per minute |
Gallon + per minute |
| | | Tons of water flowing down both creeks, plus there was a surprise seep seeping, tasted wonderful. |
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Garden Seep |
Quart per minute |
Quart per minute |
| | | Healthy flow over trail. | | _____________________
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