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 | Swinging in the Mazzies, AZ | |
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| | Swinging in the Mazzies, AZ | | | |
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Swinging in the Mazzies, AZ
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| Hiking | 15.79 Miles |
3,770 AEG |
| | Hiking | 15.79 Miles | 7 Hrs 57 Mns | | 2.27 mph |
| 3,770 ft AEG | 59 Mns Break | 10 LBS Pack | | |
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| partners | | L and I have had this on our radar for a while. Passing it numerous times on SR87, neither of us had ever been in this area of the Mazzies and we were curious. Oh yeah, and the Mazzie Swingset was up there.
Mazzie Swingset via FR177
We parked at the intersection of FR177 and FR191. When dry, most passenger cars can make it to this point. Past this point on 191, something with higher lift than a Subaru is required. A mile or so in, the tread changes to single-track and the trail closes in. It's not terrible and doesn't slow you down. The grade reminds me of the climb up to Mt. Ord. Gold Creek had a decent flow for the first 2 miles of the hike.
We made the turn up to the Swingset and checked out the mine, the burned-out trailer, and other mining relics in the area. The final destination was a short break at the swingset itself.
Mazzie Swingset via FR201
Next up was Pine Butte, so we jumped back on the track and headed for our turn at FR201.
Pine Butte
This will be a "one and not done" for me. The first part of the climb is on a loose, rutted "road" that is steep enough that some will be on all fours in sections. This ends and the off-trail jaunt begins toward the peak. It's a maze of manzanita that just does not quit. We made it past 5588 and then up to the next rise before calling it quits. The manzanita was just getting too thick and looked even worse ahead.
We retreated and decided to add something David / @hikerdw and his son had done a while back. There is an unmarked old road that goes around the north side of Pine Butte and joins back up with FR191. This was actually one of the highlights of the day. It's a single-track that is in great shape, offering some great views. After some lunch, we rejoined our route back.
A fun day in the Mazzies with good temperatures and off-and-on breezes. It was good catching up with Linda again. |
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Wildflowers Observation Isolated
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There is a very fine line between "hobby" and "mental illness."
Dave Barry  |
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