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| Hiking | 13.20 Miles |
2,268 AEG |
| | Hiking | 13.20 Miles | | | |
| 2,268 ft AEG | | | | |
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| no partners | | | I've hiked in the Mazzies many times, but never in the western half, due to the long drive, but we decided to venture out that way yesterday. The 34 miles on the dirt road to get to Sheep's Bridge felt like it lasted forever, and by the time we arrived, it was a little after 9. It was chilly and windy as we got ready, so much so that I put on my long-sleeve pullover (which only lasted about 15 minutes, lol). We were surprised to see a guy and his dog come up from the river bottom wearing only swimming trunks (I assume he was at the hot springs), but not sure. We started across the Bridge, crossing the Verde, then a short hike on the Verde River Trail before taking the Dutchman Grave Trail. The Dutchman Grave Trail makes a small climb up to HK Mesa before a small drop down around a small hill, then a good-sized climb up a steep, rocky ridge, only to drop back down again (my favorite!). The trail on the mesa was pretty overgrown with tons of dried out grass, but it's well-carined, so pretty easy to find, if you happen to get off it, as we did a couple of times. Once we reached the bottom, we crossed Sycamore Creek, which had a ton of flow. I'm not sure how often there is flow in that area, but we seemed to time it just right. We stayed there for a few, admiring the views before continuing. We made it to both the lower and upper Dutchman Grave Springs, where we sat next to the creek and had lunch before deciding that it was already 2:30, so we had better start heading back. The hike back was warm, and with a good amount of water still on the ground throughout the hike, the humidity had cranked up, making it drag. There were several areas, especially on the mesa, that felt like we were walking on a sponge. Uneventful hike back to the bridge where we arrived just before needing a headlamp. Long, slow drive back in the dark, coming across a couple of groups camping along the way. I was able to hike just over 13 miles on the ankle, with it being pretty sore once we were done, but it feels much better the day after, the sacrifice of hiking, I guess. Awesome day in the Mazzies with so much beautiful scenery. |
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Autumn Foliage Observation Moderate
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Wildflowers Observation Moderate
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Hiking is just walking where it’s okay to pee.  |
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