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| Hiking | 4.61 Miles |
1,396 AEG |
| | Hiking | 4.61 Miles | 2 Hrs 28 Mns | | 1.87 mph |
| 1,396 ft AEG | | | | |
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| Partners |
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none
[ show ]
| no partners | | I got the idea to hike Vineyard Mountain from @Mike_W . I put off the hike for a few months to avoid stealing his thunder. 
It was 33℉ in Tonto Basin at 7:45 a.m. Brrr! I would have done this hike anyway, but was not relishing the thought. By 8:00 a.m. at the dam lookout, it was 43℉. Not a meteorologist, but thankful for whatever oddity caused that. Still, I waited an hour to head out, so I’d have half decent light for taking photos.
Halfway up the first 1/2 mile climb, at a right-hand switchback, there is a line of rocks to the left. If you go left, it is about 200 easy off trail yards to the best view of the dam. Pipes are embedded in the rocky promontory, and sections of cement wall are dotted about it. I wonder what that stuff was? Does not appear conected to the old construction camp.
On the north side of Inspiration Point, there’s a welcome twenty foot dip. In shade at 10:00 a.m., that dip is where I found the first non-brittlebush flowers of my hike, tuber anemone and paintbrush. A helicopter made a run east over the lake, turned down canyon, then came back overhead, not far up. 
From the saddle, it is only fifty feet up to the summit of Inspiration Point. I should have done it, but didn’t.
The second climb ends near the microwave relay. At least that is what it looks like. Can't find any info online. 
Where you should turn off to the summit, I built a cairn. It is only 150 grassy off trail feet up to the summit. Some of the grass was 12″ high.
The first entry in the summit log was Bob Martin. Of course. Only surprise is it wasn’t the other Arizona peak bagging legend Bob Packard. Now I — a non-legend — am also in the summit log. (Though calling this a “peak bag” is stretching it a wee bit.)
I made it back to my car in only 40 min. (Not counting stops for the flowers that were beginning to appear in now 60℉ direct sunlight.) I was surprised to encounter two other hikers on what I thought was an obscure trail, and there were a half dozen vehicles at the trailhead when I returned. No idea where they went. 
Rumble: https://rumble.com/v74gm94-hiking-viney ... tains.html
Vimeo: https://vimeo.com/1155532861 |
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Wildflowers Observation Light
Overall light, but brittlebush between microwave relay and summit were moderate-substantial. |
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| http://prestonm.com : Everyone's enjoyment of the outdoors is different and should be equally honored. |
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Route Editor
Route Scout
