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| | | Crucifix Canyon to the Bat Cave, AZ | | | |
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Crucifix Canyon to the Bat Cave, AZ
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| Hiking | 9.47 Miles |
1,819 AEG |
| | Hiking | 9.47 Miles | 6 Hrs | | 1.71 mph |
| 1,819 ft AEG | 27 Mns Break | 12 LBS Pack | | |
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[ show ]
| partners | | This destination has been on my radar since watching Legend of the Superstition Mountains back in 2015. Episode 1 featured a huge "Bat Cave" with a ladder over 70 feet tall, the top of which disappeared into the darkness of the cave ceiling.
We started down the canyon from FR80, boulder-hopping our way through. It’s slow going, and you need to carefully pick your downclimbs, but nothing too crazy. The one semi-tricky spot is a rabbit hole you need to crawl through to bypass a 15-foot dry fall. If you enjoy geology, you’ll love the many formations and multi-colored boulders that Mother Nature has provided.
The "Bat Cave" lies some 400 feet above the canyon floor. The ascent is slow, steep, and loose. We got as close to the bottom of the ladder as we wanted to. The guano is deep, and it doesn’t appear that the ladders (metal lower section, wooden upper section over 70 feet tall) have been usable for some time. The top of the wooden ladder looks like it’s spreading and missing some rungs.
[ youtube video ]
We headed downhill and then out to a spot with views of the Salt River, where we took a snack break in the shade.
Time to head back. One hiker was heading to the cave as we were leaving. After he was about 30 feet past us, Wally and I exchanged a look. He appeared to have no arms. We were shocked that he was doing this class 3 hike.
We changed things up and exited to the northwest, up a side canyon. Once again, it was slow going and steep, but once we reached the top, we hit the use trail that goes to Peak 3402. After another snack break at Chalcedony Cave, we headed back to the Subi. We passed the only other people we saw all day on the way down—a group of five from Texas, armed with picks, shovels, poker, and other implements of destruction.
The temperatures were pleasant most of the day, but it did get a bit warm once we were out of the canyon. Itch scratched. Thanks for joining, Wally. It wasn't in the Supes, but he had views of them. |
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There is a very fine line between "hobby" and "mental illness."
Dave Barry  |
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