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| Hiking | 8.10 Miles |
1,952 AEG |
| | Hiking | 8.10 Miles | 7 Hrs 1 Min | | 1.82 mph |
| 1,952 ft AEG | 2 Hrs 34 Mns Break | 20 LBS Pack | | |
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| partners | | Ever since I first saw this feature sticking out across from Battle Axe I wanted to climb up and hike out to the end. A year ago when we climbed Peak 3660 on the opposite end of the mesa we ran short of time but vowed to return. When I drove by it on my peak bagging trip last week I decided it was time to git'er done!
Even with a late start with only a 90 minute drive to the trailhead we were on the trail well before 9 am. Although we were prepared for a full 8 mile round trip we were hoping to save a mile each way by ascending a ravine just over a mile along the wash. After bushwhacking barely .2 mile through very dense growth we gave up. By time we got back into the canyon we'd lost 30 minutes, but if we'd kept going we may have hit a dead-end anyway, losing even more time.
Ok, although we were moving on in earnest it was still slow going with all the boulder-hopping and boulder-climbing as well as pushing through against the grain of the brush... at least we will be going with the flow on our return. Eventually we reached the wider ravine that allows relatively easy access to the upper mesa area. While it may look reasonably flat on a topo map as well as the route profile, we had a series of 6 major ridges to climb up and over before reaching our destination. But the more experience e gained the better our route choices.
Just before we headed out to the end of the promontory we stopped at the high point on this end for some photos. From here is was an easy jaunt to the promontory edge and took in the awesome views all around. While it did provide a new viewpoint to check out climb routes up Battle Axe, I realized I should go back and look at the photos I took from the next headland to the east, which I climbed a year ago. But no matter, I seriously doubt I'll even attempt Battle Axe. I'm sure my fear of heights will do me in before reaching the summit so I don't see the point to beginning the climb.
Anyway, we took a good 1/2 hour for a leisure picnic and nap before setting out on the return trip. I was getting a bit disappointed we had yet to see any wildlife other than a few birds when there right in front of me is a motion-less Sonoran Whipsnake, almost like it was waiting for it's portrait. So I took a few minutes to shoot some video and take a few close-up shots before it got tired of it all and shot off.
On the way back I descended into the ravine we had hoped was a short-cut to check it out from this direction. For the first 1/4 mile it looked so good I could almost jog down the wash until... rats! barely 200' from the point we reached in our earlier attempt from below was a 50-foot sheer drop. At least now we know it's not a feasible shortcut. When the wash is running it would be a beautiful 50 foot waterfall, but for us it presented a barrier we simply could not bypass. Oh well, at least it only took me 13 minutes to so the half-mile out-and-back before we continued on our way.
By time we were back in White Canyon wash again we were both showing the signs of how much effort we'd already expended. By now my knees were begging for a cold-pack and rest but of course that was not an option. The closer we got to the trailhead the more eager we were to get there so pain or no pain we kept up the pace.
Having neglected to take a photo of our destination before the hike we made sure to take a few before we left. I'm sure it would have been a nice comparison. Tons of photos so I narrowed it down to 50 to post here. The full set of 77 photos is on my web site. |
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](https://hikearizona.com/dex2/images/smilies/eusa_wall.gif "Brick wall")
