Manning Camp Trail • Hike • Arizona • All Triplogs • HikeArizona.COM

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	chumley	John10s
	John9L	slowandsteady

Started from Turkey Creek Trailhead after the drive in Saturday morning. A bit warm in the lower slopes but still managable. It's about 2.5 miles before we hit any significant shade which is also about the time we reached Mud Spring and took the first break.

After the break it's into the trees and cooler as we gained elevation up to Deerhead Spring and the ponderoa pines. We passed Spud Rock Campground and then up and over the ridge to Mannign Camp at 8,000 feet. Reaching camp we setup and relaxed the afternoon away. Chumley and 10s were more motivated and hiked over to Reef Rock and Mica Secondary. Surprisingly not much water in the Manning Camp main pool near camp...never seen it that dry before.

Day 2 Chumley came up with a Grass Shack Loop about 10 miles or so. Leisurly start in the morning hiking down towards Cow Head saddle. Ran into a couple of backpackers heading to Manning at the saddle where we took a short break. Contining on and dropping down into Grass Shack it was getting warmer. Not much water at Grass Shack...emergency only!! Took another break before starting the uphill climb to Manning. It got a bit warm in spots but the trees in the upper ascent provided nice shade and a cool breeze helped a lot. Reached camp and ran into the backpackers we saw earlier in the day. Took a break in camp and contemplated another day hike.

Eventually Chumley, 10s and I decided on a 5 mile Mica and Spud Rock loop. Great views on Spud rock as always and very windy as always! Mica is just the high point but nothing special there. After break on Spud Rock we headed back to camp and another realxing night!

Next day it was back out Turkey Creek...however we took the long way past Devils (not) Bathtub and through a really cool Ponderosa Park forest back to the original trail. After that it was down Turkey Creek to the vehicles. Another great Memorial Day trip in the sky islands!!

_____________________

2 archives

May 24 2025

John10s

Guides 25
Routes 376
Photos 5,897
Triplogs 346

40 male

Joined Mar 01 2018
Chandler, AZ

Memorial Mica, AZ

Backpack		May 24 2025
		John10s • Triplogs 346

Backpack	39.50 Miles	10,156 AEG

Backpack	39.50 Miles	3 Days
	10,156 ft AEG		41.5 LBS Pack

Linked

[ checklist ] Devils Bathtub Galiuro Mountains Man Head Manning Camp Spring Mica Meadow Mica Mountain Mud Hole Spring - Mica Reef Rock Rincon Peak Santa Catalina Mountains Spud Rock Spud Rock Spring

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	BiFrost	chumley
	John9L	slowandsteady

Route Recorded on Route Scout | Pop | Map | Popup | MapDEX

This was my first backpacking trip in 7+ years, and I was excited to join the group on the second iteration of their previous 3-day / 2-night Memorial Mica trip in 2022.

Day 1 - Saturday
Hike 1: Turkey Creek TH to Manning Camp (8.85 mi / 4,017 AEG / 4h 19m)
Chumley, 9L, and I left The Valley ~5AM and drove to Turkey Creek TH, where we met Karl and Kathy. After some final packing, we were on the trail just after 8AM to start the climb up to Manning Camp. The first two miles were relatively flat as we hiked into Saguaro NP, then the steepness increased as we ascended into higher desert ~ three miles in.

We took a break at Mud Hole Spring, which was a small, muddy pool, and 9L and Chumley dug out some of the mud and debris in the hope that it would look clearer on the hike out on Monday. The steepness increased again as we resumed the climb, with a lot of rock steps built into the trail that increased the difficulty. Deer Head Spring was dry, and we detoured over to Spud Camp and Spring among a nice aspen grove. The campground was empty; the spring itself was dry, and the concrete spring box had some stagnant, murky water a few feet down...not a great time for moisture on the mountain.

9L and I arrived at the empty Manning Camp a little after noon and checked out the water situation. The fenced-in pool near the pump house was dry, and the the main water source below had two stagnant pools that didn't look too appetizing. After a short rest, Johns 9 & 10 explored down the drainage in an unsuccessful search for a more appealing water source. When the rest of the group arrived, we agreed that the pools were good enough to filter, and we set up camp and relaxed for a while.

Hike 2: Overlook Loop (5.22 mi / 1,168 AEG / 2h 5m)
Before dinner, Chumley and I hiked a lasso-loop from camp that included Reef Rock and an unnamed overlook. Great views from both spots that collectively included Rincon Peak, the Galiuros, Wrightson, and Mt. Graham among many other landmarks, and the second overlook included a fun scramble to the top with the help of a short tree stump ladder. Back at camp, we ate dinner and hung out under the party lights into the wee hours of mid-evening before retreating to our tents. We had the campground to ourselves, and comfortable daytime temps dropped into the upper 30s overnight.

Day 2 - Sunday
Hike 1: Grass Shack Loop (11.41 mi / 3,102 AEG / 5h 3m)
After wakeup calls from the wild turkeys, we packed up for a day hike to some lower elevations and started a counter-clockwise loop, heading west along Cow Head Saddle Trail. With the low morning sun, we had pleasant shade and stopped at a few overlooks on the way down, with some steep sections of trail, much of which once again had stone stairs built in courtesy of the NPS. We took a break at the saddle and saw three guys hiking up from Douglas Spring, headed for Manning Camp. Tanque Verde Peak was only 2.5 miles away from there, and I was tempted to rush over there, but time and lack of water kept me from trying it.

We continued down to the deserted Grass Shack Campground and paused for another break. Chumley checked out the spring, which was almost completely dry, then we had the long climb back up to Manning. That included a lot of sun exposure and more steps, and it felt great to get back into the shade and cooler temps of the ponderosas at higher elevations. Chumley and I arrived just as the three guys we'd seen earlier hiked into camp.

Hike 2: Man Head - Mica - Spud Rock Loop (4.96 mi / 1,079 AEG / 2h 23m)
After hanging around camp for a few hours and filtering more water, Karl, Chums, and I went on another short hike to check out some of the upper destinations north of camp. The first stop was Man Head, another landmark that looked nothing like its name...Chumley told me it looked more like an eagle, but I struggled to see any resemblance to Bruce. We passed Mica Meadow, then stopped at the Mica highpoint. Karl had warned me it was one of the least impressive high points of any range in Arizona, and that was true: limited views, flat, and not much to see other than some small remnants of the old lookout.

Then it was on to Spud Rock, which looked nothing like a potato but provided the best 360° views of the weekend. We relaxed on top until the winds got too annoying, then completed the loop back to camp. Chumley and I went over to a water tank that had a random tent setup nearby, and back at the campsite, one other solo backpacker had shown up, along with two hikers from Colorado who'd hiked all the way up from Happy Valley to Manning to filter water because they couldn't find any down below. The most common question from the other backpackers after seeing the pools at Manning: "Did you guys filter that water?"

We cooked dinner, and I learned from the previous night's mistake and ate two of the undersized freeze-dried meals, and we hung out under the lights and had another night in the upper 30s.

Day 3 - Monday
Hike: Manning Camp to Turkey Creek TH (9.06 mi / 670 AEG / 3h 42m)
We ate breakfast, broke camp, and headed out around 8AM. We took a slightly different route down, leaving camp south via the AZT, then passing by the dry Devil's Bathtub, then north past Spud Rock Campground before eventually connecting with Turkey Creek Trail. Going down the upper stretches made me appreciate how steep that climb had been on Saturday. We stopped at Mud Hole Spring again, and the pool was a little clearer after Chumley and 9L cleared out a bunch of the gunk two days prior. We kept a fast pace the rest of the way and were back at the trailhead before noon.

The three of us relaxed in the shade of the sycamores near Happy Valley Campground, then drove into Tucson for lunch at BKs. Much better than I expected since my initial fear when I heard "BK" was that we were headed to Burger King. Traffic wasn't terrible for a holiday, and we were back in Phoenix by mid-afternoon.

Summary
I really appreciated the invite--it was a fun weekend from start to finish. This was 100% uncharted territory for me, so I got to explore an entirely new area. The phrase I heard most often during the weekend was some version of, "There was a lot more water here last time!" I can only imagine how beautiful it would be out there with water flowing. It was great meeting Karl, Kathy, and 9L...I always enjoy a good John-squared hike, and this one was sequentially numbered. And, after a long layoff, it was nice to backpack again...I had to borrow a lot of gear, and especially since I own almost no specialized backpacking equipment, I was happy my pack weight remained manageable. I suppose years of consistently overpacking on day hikes helped prepare me for carrying an actual backpack again

Flora

Flora [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Arizona Madrone Arizona Pine Hedgehog Cactus

Fauna

Fauna [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Wild Turkey

Culture

Culture [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Benchmark Cag Shot Post Hike Grub

Named place

Named place [ checklist ]

	Deer Head Spring	Dry	Dry
	Completely dry; even with a sign, it was hard to tell where the spring would be

	Devils Bathtub	Dry	Dry

	Manning Camp Spring	Dripping	Dripping
	Pool inside the fence near the pump house completely dry. There are two pools of water below that with a sign indicating that's where campers can filter. Pools were stagnant and murky but filterable.

	Mud Hole Spring - Mica	Dripping	Dripping
	Small pool that started out murky and full of debris. Looked more filterable two days later after the group cleared a lot of the debris out on the hike in.

	Spud Rock Spring	Dripping	Dripping
	Stagnant pool deep in the concrete box; the actual spring was dry

1 archive

May 24 2025

chumley

Guides 94
Routes 840
Photos 22,055
Triplogs 1,993

52 male

Joined Sep 18 2002
Tempe, AZ

Memorial Mica, AZ

Backpack		May 24 2025
		chumley • Triplogs 1,993

Backpack	38.84 Miles	9,491 AEG

Backpack	38.84 Miles	3 Days
	9,491 ft AEG

Linked

[ checklist ] Chimenea Canyon Deer Head Spring Devils Bathtub Grass Shack Spring Man Head Manning Camp Spring Mica Meadow Mica Mountain Mud Hole Spring - Mica Rincon Peak Spud Rock Spud Rock Spring

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	BiFrost	John10s
	John9L	slowandsteady

Spent another long weekend in the islands, which is always a nice option. Mixed it up a little bit from last time to cover some new ground for me.

Saturday
Turkey Creek TH to Manning Camp
8.23mi - 3,901aeg - 4:54
We got started around 8 to mild temperatures and some welcome cloud cover to help temper the morning heat before gaining some welcome elevation. Arriving at Mudhole Spring revealed our first glimpse of things to come all weekend. It wasn't exactly dry, but drawing anything consumable would have been quite a chore. We did some maintenance work with hopes that it would make it a better option for the next visitors here.

The stretch of trail between Mudhole and Deerhead (which I think has long-since ceased being even a seasonal source for water) is impressively steep, and it sort of broke me. Eventually, I regained my step and headed over to Spud Rock Campground. The marked spring there is dry as a bone, but the spring box did have a foul puddle at the bottom. I don't think I'd have figured out how to draw consumable water from this one.

Climbed the Switchback trail to the ridge and the final climb from there to the Fire Loop junction before rolling down into a deserted Manning Camp. Unease began to settle in as the reliable spring that NPS reports has only dried out twice in recorded history was a dust bowl

. This would make a quick end to any attempt to spend a weekend backpacking here. After dropping packs and doing some investigating, we discovered that there was about 20 gallons of water in the NPS-use-only rainwater collection barrel which eased the potentially very bad situation we found ourselves in. While there was no water in the spring and the pond was empty, there was still a pool of unappealing water in the bedrock below camp. After cutting through the oily surface film and treating a liter, we learned that this pool would suffice.

In later thoughts, I don't know if NPS reports of the spring drying out only 2 times historically also required the skunky bedrock pool to dry out too? If so, this doesn't qualify since there's still water available. If not, this would be time number 3 that the spring is not producing any water. Presumably it will take monsoon rains before this changes.

Reef Mica Head Loop
5.16mi - 1035aeg - 2:05
This was a first Rincon trip for 10s so after setting up camp, I tour-guided an afternoon jaunt across the top of the mountain, hitting a couple of the east slope viewspots. The dozens of miles of trails and cool rock formations at elevations in the 8k range are what make this such an enjoyable destination.

After a couple of hours exploring we headed back to camp. With water issues alleviated, we all settled in for the evening. Some periodic island breezes died down as the night went on and delightful late-May temps settled into the upper 30s overnight.

Sunday
Cowhead Grass Shack AZT Loop
11.51mi - 3014aeg - 5:03
I had never done any of the west side trails here on the east side of No Saguaros National Park, so I proposed the HAZ-reported 10.7 mile loop that dropped down to Grass Shack via the AZT and the parallel Cow Head Saddle Trail. On my suggestion we went ccw down via Cow Head, opting to make the return climb on the AZT, assuming it would be very nice tread and ample shade. I was wrong. Oh sure, the tread is nice, and the grade was great, but despite the forest being nicely wooded, the trail has been so well maintained that there is no shade to be found as the 20-foot wide trail cut takes care of that possibility!

Nonetheless, it was an enjoyable loop and I was glad to knock off another few miles in my quest to never complete any segment of the AZT. Cow Head was a very nice trail to descend to Cow Head Saddle. We cut down to the AZT via the Douglas Spring Trail, which was my least favorite mile of the loop. The low point on the day was 5300 feet at Grass Shack where we took a break in the shade. As with the other typical water sources, there was a small pool of unappealing water here. This one would have worked in a pinch, but we were happy not to have to rely on it.

We all made the ascent at our own various paces, finally reaching the more pleasant pondo shade of the upper mountain at around the 7kft contour shortly after the noon hour with the temp having topped out at 81 about halfway up. We all spent a couple hours recovering in the 71-degree mountaintop shade and breezes at Manning Camp.

Mica Spud Loop
4.85mi - 966aeg - 2:23
Karl and John and I decided to hit a couple of the highlights we hadn't gone to yesterday, with a visit to the technical highpoint of the range, which features the views and excitement of any county highpoint in a corn-growing state. Thankfully, a short distance away stands Spud Rock, and while a few feet lower, it offers the money shot views that should not be missed for any visitor to this mountain.

Back at camp we were joined by a trio of hikers who had come up from Douglas Spring earlier in the day, and one solo hiker who had come up via Turkey Creek. Two additional hikers stopped by on a 14-mile round trip from Happy Valley just to get water! Those 6 were the only other humans we saw all weekend save for a pair down near the trailhead as we finished up.

Monday
Manning Camp to Turkey Creek TH
9.17mi - 573aeg - 3:38
Another morning that started in the 30s but moderated quickly. We hit the trail at 8, taking the southern Tibberroute via the Bathtub Spring Trail across to Heartbreak Ridge. This time we opted for the East Slope Trail which was very enjoyable as it descends to Spud Rock Campground. From here it was a repeat of the ascent two days prior on the Turkey Creek Trail. You definitely notice the grade in the mile above Mudhole Spring and it was nice to take a breather there before bombing down the bottom half back enjoying a nice post-hike snack under the shaded canopy of Sycamores in (the very dry) lower Turkey Creek.

Recap
Incredibly dry out there. Lots of turkey and deer wandering through Manning Camp, probably because it's the only place for miles that has any water at all. Great views and enjoyable hiking on these great NPS trails as always. Good to hike with 19Ls, Karl, and Kathy. Thanks for the company and conversation. Tacos at BKs are as good as always but it's a $20 proposition for lunch now. Alas, the days of $2 tacos are a distant memory.

Flora

Flora [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Arizona Madrone

Fauna

Fauna [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Wild Turkey

Named place

Named place [ checklist ]

	Deer Head Spring	Dry	Dry
	There's no sign of this spring even existing anymore.

	Devils Bathtub	Dry	Dry
	Sandy dry.

	Grass Shack Spring	Dripping	Dripping
	Not dripping. No flow. Just a small skunky, hot, algae-filled puddle in the sandy drainage.

	Manning Camp Spring	Dripping	Dripping
	Spring is dry. The normally fenced in "pond" is dust. There is a pool of water in the bedrock where campers are supposed to draw water from. It's not flowing nor particularly appealing. But it works. It is conceivable that this pool does not last to when monsoon rain arrives.

	Mud Hole Spring - Mica	Dripping	Dripping
	A couple of gallons of filterable water in the pool. Barely a trickle otherwise.

	Spud Rock Spring	Dripping	Dripping
	Signed spring is dry as a bone. Concrete spring box had a few inches of nasty water about 2 feet below the surface. Would be hard pressed to draw water from it.

_____________________

I'm not sure what my spirit animal is, but I'm confident it has rabies.

Jan 24 2025

fricknaley

Guides 93
Routes 397
Photos 4,984
Triplogs 4,124

49 male

Joined Jun 20 2003
Tucson, AZ

Rincon Creek Part 1, AZ

Hiking		Jan 24 2025
		fricknaley • Triplogs 4,124

Hiking	24.50 Miles	4,863 AEG

Hiking	24.50 Miles	8 Hrs 40 Mns		3.07 mph
	4,863 ft AEG	41 Mns Break	12 LBS Pack

no routes

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6 linked trail guides

Madrona Ranger Station from Loma Alta TH

Rincon Creek Trail

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Trying to get all the Saguaro NP trails in this year.

Started off in a brisk 21 degree morning. Beautiful day. Quilter trail is very nice and the Manning Camp trail down to Madrona is a highway. There were actually a couple rangers at Madrona, whom i talked to pleasantly for a while before heading out to see what kind of shape Rincon Creek is in and how much I could get in on the day. What a fantastic trail this is! I got almost 3 miles in before hitting my turnaround time. I should be able to get the rest coming from the other way sometime soon.

Big excellent day in Saguaro

_____________________

Apr 27 2024

Jackluminous

Guides 1
Routes 262
Photos 864
Triplogs 266

51 male

Joined Mar 24 2021
Tucson, AZ

Manning Camp and Spud Rock via Grass Shack, AZ

Backpack		Apr 27 2024
		Jackluminous • Triplogs 266

Backpack	31.19 Miles	7,111 AEG

Backpack	31.19 Miles	34 Hrs 50 Mns		2.05 mph
	7,111 ft AEG		27 LBS Pack

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7 linked trail guides

Douglas Spring Trail to Douglas Spring CG

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Route Recorded on Route Scout | Pop | Map | Popup | MapDEX

Steven and I backpacked into the Rincons. The plan was to take Douglas Spring Trail all the way to Grass Shack and spend the night there, then hike up to Manning Camp and explore the high country a bit before heading back down to Douglas Spring Campground, then hike out the following morning. It would have been nice to stay at Manning Camp the second night, but the campsites were all reserved and I needed to be back in Tucson, showered, by noon.

Friday morning at 8 we started at DS trailhead. Even then it was quite warm, making it a bit of a sweat-fest to DS Campground. I'd only filled my 3/4 liter water bottle to keep the water carry down. There was quite a bit of water below Tina Larga so I tanked up there, had lunch at DS campground and got more water, then proceeded to Cow Head Saddle. Neither of us had been on DS trail past Cow Head before, so that was new. It was much more lush than I expected.

We made it to Grass Shack mid-afternoon, and had the entire campground to ourselves. There was plenty of water in the creek, and it is a truly remarkable place to camp in the backcountry. I mean, there are bear boxes and a bathroom, miles from the nearest road. Since Grass Shack is on the AZT, it gets a lot of use (or at least the bathroom does). There was a bit of a Matterhorn effect in the WC, leading us to wonder how on earth the Park service cleans out the pit. Do they airlift a pump truck? Should you visit, BYOTP.

At dinnertime, it was apparent that neither of us had planned our meals particularly well and we were going to be short on calories, particularly Steven.

Speaking of calories, I saw two deer and a whole bunch of bunnies around Grass Shack. Last year we attempted this itinerary, but at the time the Park service had closed the campground due to mountain lion activity. I can see why big kitties might be active in the area.

Saturday morning was cool, cloudy, and breezy. The cloud decks were below the peaks, and we hoped to make it to elevation before they burned off. We broke camp a bit after 7 and made it to Manning just after 10, so we made decent time but it wasn't fast enough to catch the clouds before they lifted.

Manning was definitely being used, as there were about a half dozen official-looking tents pitched around, and the cabin was open with lots of equipment set up. Nobody seemed to be around except a couple backpackers who left about the same time we arrived.

The falls and pool near Manning were going strong; seeing the falls cutting through the rock and cascading into a series of giant pools was pretty cool.

After scarfing a few bars and snack items we proceeded to Spud Rock. It's a pretty sweet view up there, one of the best in Southern Arizona IMHO. Spud was super windy though, so we didn't stay too long.

Since Steven didn't have enough food for the trip, he decided to hike all the way out instead of camping at Douglas Spring. It had been warm overnight at Grass Shack, and both of us figured it would be even warmer at DS. I figured I'd be pretty tired and would probably camp, but as we descended I started thinking about how nice a hot shower and a regular bed would be over sweating in a tent all night. Though my feet lodged a formal protest against the notion, when I reached DS campground just before 3pm I determined I could rest for 30 minutes and make it back to the car by 7. So I filtered water, ate whatever I had left that didn't require cooking (except a couple bars), and took my shoes off. Steven left before I did, so I hiked out solo. I briefly considered camping again, but then what's another 6-1/2 miles, anyway? And a 20-mile day would be kinda impressive.

About halfway I met a snake on the trail. A little stripey guy with no rattle, perhaps two feet long at most. It refused to move. I tapped my trekking poles near it to see if I could gently encourage it to leave the trail, and no response. Finally I stepped over it, and all it did was stick its tongue out at me. Cheeky fella.

Sure enough, I made it to the parking lot by 7pm, in time for sunset. It was a long day.

Fauna

Fauna [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Black-necked Garter Snake

Wildflowers Observation Moderate
Lots of flowers below Cow Head Saddle. Carpets of little yellow flowers interspersed with purple and green seed heads of grasses. Manzanita are blooming profusely. Quite a few Sego Lilies, and the cactus are starting in on it too.

	Manning Camp Spring	Gallon + per minute	Gallon + per minute
	Beautiful cascading waterfalls into a huge pool.

1 archive

Oct 07 2022

GrangerGuy

Guides 34
Routes 138
Photos 931
Triplogs 111

68 male

Joined Dec 26 2018
Phoenix, AZ

Saguaro NP to Molino Basin, AZ

Hiking		Oct 07 2022
		GrangerGuy • Triplogs 111

Hiking	36.88 Miles	8,499 AEG

Hiking	36.88 Miles	3 Days 2 Hrs 12 Mns
	8,499 ft AEG		27 LBS Pack

Linked

Redington Pass - AZT #10

[ checklist ] Barrel Cactus Coral Bean Desert Cotton Hummingbird Trumpet Morning glory Showy goldeneye Skunkbush Spiny hackberry Spotted knapweed

Italian Spring Trail #95

Bellota Trail #15

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In support of the Arizona Trail in a Day fundraiser for the AZT, I volunteered for a segment in the middle of the Saguaro Wilderness. This meant a day walking into the starting point, and two days walking out from the finishing point. As a reminder, walking across the park requires paying a park fee or having an appropriate pass.

Hope Camp Trail
I started at the Loma Alta Trailhead of the Hope Camp Trail. There is a short section of dirt road passable by any car and good parking here. I was surprised there is no outhouse here. This is a popular weekday trailhead for people doing day hikes, apparently. Hope Camp Trail is wide and pretty flat. At about 2.3 miles I met the AZT and …

Quilter Trail
Named after Jake Quilter, an enthusiastic trailworker, who died suddenly while doing trail work. Info on him: [ John "Jake" Quilter ] . According to trail signs, Quilter Trail from Hope Camp Trail to Manning Camp Trail is 5.5 miles, although I measured it at 4.6. It’s always tough to get these right. There was good water where the trail enters the wilderness boundary, at The “Quilter Trail – 1.35mi Water Crossing”. At a signpost pointing right to the abandoned Madrona Camp, begins the …

Manning Camp Trail
Continuing northeast on the Manning Camp Trail, I encountered at seasonal stream flowing cheerfully at several gallons per minute at N 32.1787° W -110.60955°. This trail is flagged for maintenance. It looks like the park service will soon be fixing many places where the trail has become a stream. Thank you, NPS! About 2.3 miles from the Quilter Trail, there is an intersection with the Douglas Spring Trail going off to the left. This intersection is a little confusing. From here the trail heads east and south. The sky was darkening, and rumbling, and I could see I was going to get wet, so I quickened my pace a little to Grass Shack Spring Camp, arriving and getting my tent set up just as it started to rain. Note that camping here requires a paid reservation at Recreation.gov, but it is a nice camp, with good bear boxes that make great tables, and a really nice outhouse. The camp is 3 miles past the end of the Quilter Trail, or 10 miles from the Loma Alta Trailhead.

Saturday morning, I began my commitment to Arizona Trail in a Day, leaving camp around 6:15 am. In 4.6 miles, arrived at Manning Camp, another place where you could camp after making the reservation at Recreation.gov. This camp is a backcountry camp for maintenance and fire crews, and is really well appointed with faucets delivering running water, giant wood furniture, picnic tables, solar showers, cabins, covered corrals, and a propane stove that would serve dozens. It’s a puzzle to me why there isn’t a circle drawn around this place excluding it from the wilderness. No one was around. I enjoyed a hot lunch (using my own stove) at their picnic table, and then continued NE on the …

South Fire Loop Trail
You only go about 0.1 mile on this trail before it bears off to the right, with the AZT / Mica Mountain Trail continuing straight.

Mica Mountain Trail
A quarter mile up this trail, I encountered something I had never seen before, a chronolog.io photo stand. The idea here is you set your camera on the stand and take a picture, which you email to their upload site and they add it to their time lapse photo series. Unfortunately, at 8000’, my brain doesn’t work quite so good, and I am “icon-challenged” in any case,

so I put my camera on the stand backwards. If you are in doubt, take pictures both ways and sort it out when you get home. At 1.5 miles from Manning Camp, I took the short detour left on…

North Fire Loop Trail
… arriving at the summit of Mica Mountain, my high point for the trip. Then back the way I came to the intersection with the Mica Mountain Trail. There is quite the trail network up here, and the trail labeling is imperfect up here, and people have scratched edits on the signs so you don’t lose the AZT. Mostly I was following my GPS, so I had no issue. I continued straight on the north Fire Loop Trail, which seems to be marked Mica Mountain Trail, past the intersection with the Bonita Trail and turning left on the…

North Slope Trail
I headed down this trail 0.6 mi to Italian Spring, which is a large grassy puddle, with good water. Just as I finished up stocking up my water and having a snack, the skies opened up with thunder and lightning and hail. Not my favorite thing on mountain ridges, but I hoped that the radio tower on Mica Mountain would be a better target than me. Hail stings on bare skin. I headed as fast as I could down…

Italian Spring Trail #95
I was much slower than a couple other parties of younger folks dashing from the storm, including an unauthorized dog, but there was no point in rushing and getting hurt. Once out of Saguaro National Park, and entering the Rincon Mountains Wilderness, I had completed my section of Arizona Trail in a Day, but I just kept walking until the rain stopped, setting up camp on a flat spot with great views.

Sunday, October 9, I was in no hurry to leave camp, and continued down the hill, with my pruning shears and saw handy. I trimmed a lot of catclaw and mesquite that was encroaching on the trail, but eventually ran out of time for this. Just before exiting the wilderness, I encountered a seasonal stream flowing vigorously, which I have added to the water sources.

Where FR 37 comes in from the left to go to Italian Trap Tank, there is a wide sandy wash flowing that had to be forded, but never more than an inch or two deep. I’m confused as to whether this is the beginning of the Italian Spring Trail or if Italian Spring Trail #95 begins at Reddington Road and follows the alignment of the AZT. Even the Far Out app shows this location as the transition from AZT Passage 9 to Passage 10, while the AZ Trail webpage shows the dividing line at Reddington Road.

From here it was clear I would have to push to get to my intended camp at The Lake where the trail crosses Bellota Road. I picked up a gallon of water I had cached at Reddington Road and pressed on the …

Bellota Trail #15
The hike through the rolling meadows of the Reddington Pass area is beautiful, and far different from the high rocky wilderness to the south. I watched numerous storms meandering through the area, but none hit me. A lot of target shooting goes on in the area, and even after dark

. I wished I was wearing my orange hunting season hiking gear as I walked along the ridge top. I arrived at The Lake just before 6 pm, set up my tent, and had dinner in the dark. A great horned owl serenaded me all evening. As I sat there, a helicopter and fixed wing plane came in and circled for about 20 minutes, looking in the dark for who knows what?

Monday morning, I was walking toward Molino Basin at first light. It is nice rolling country, and I watched the moon set and the sun rise as I went. Took a long break at West Spring, and then made the thousand foot climb up over the pass to Molino Basin.

Flora

Flora [ checklist ]

Wildflowers Observation Light

	Carolyn's Creek	Medium flow	Medium flow
	Flowing at gallons per minute of clear, cool water.

	Fletch's Creek	Medium flow	Medium flow
	Flowing at gallons per minute across trail.

	Grass Shack Spring	Gallon + per minute	Gallon + per minute
	The stream flows vigorously through the camp, by all the campsites.

	Italian Spring	Dripping	Dripping
	Pretty pool of water in the grass. Good source.

	Manning Camp Spring	Gallon per minute	Gallon per minute
	I collected water at the faucet at the cabin. There was water everywhere.

	Quilter Trail - 1.35mi Water Crossing	Heavy flow	Heavy flow
	Lots of water flowing in the ravine today, just where the Quilter Trail crosses into the wilderness.

	The Lake	51-75% full	51-75% full
	Plenty of water in the Lake, although I did not check it out for drinking quality.

	West Spring	Dripping	Dripping
	There was good water in a pool at the spring.

1 archive

May 28 2022

BiFrost

Guides 4
Routes 491
Photos 10,890
Triplogs 1,257

55 male

Joined Nov 20 2012
Phoenix, AZ

Memorial Mica, AZ

Backpack		May 28 2022
		BiFrost • Triplogs 1,257

Backpack	34.34 Miles	8,952 AEG

Backpack	34.34 Miles	3 Days
	8,952 ft AEG

no routes

Linked

Italian Spring Trail to Spud Rock

Partners

partners

	chumley	cmatheez
	desertchild	John9L
	slowandsteady

Great weekend in the Rincons on a holiday weekend. Car camped the night before and made it to Manning Camp via Turkey Creek Trail pretty early. Surprised we didn't see any other hikers or backpackers. The NPS crew was at Manning Camp but that was it. Then in the afternoon we day hiked to Spud Rock taking a break in windy conditions but still nice. Then a quick stop by Mica Mountain high point on the way back to camp.

Relaxing night around camp with Kathy, Chumley, 9L, Chris and Sam so a good group to spend in this awesome sky island! Next morning slow rolled it out of camp and did about 9 mile loop on top. First over to North Slope hitting Mica Secondary viewpoint taking a short break. Then continued on to Italian Spring and up the trail towards Reef Rock. At Reef Rock we took our lunch break and really enjoyed the spot and views. My personal favorite for views on the mountain with the Galiuros, San Pedro Valley and everything eastside as well as Rincon Peak to the south. Finishing up we headed downtrail passed Manhead and then took an off trail drainage route to Devils Bathtub. Unfortunately no water to speak of in the drainage but still some fun downclimbs. On the way back to camp Chumley and I split and hiked off trail up the drainage that flows out of Manning Camp. Best water on the mountain for sure with a few good pools for a swim.

Back at camp made a short trip over to Helens Dome before sunset. Really can't get to the summit without ropes so Chumley and I opted for the secondary high point which was a solid backup plan. After that another great night in camp.

Next morning we hiked out slightly different route than hiking in with some new trail but still exited Turkey Creek trail for the last 6 miles. Awesome to hike in the Rincons again with a great group!

Flora

Flora [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Claret Cup Cactus

Fauna

Fauna [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Arizona Black Rattlesnake

_____________________

2 archives

May 28 2022

chumley

Guides 94
Routes 840
Photos 22,055
Triplogs 1,993

52 male

Joined Sep 18 2002
Tempe, AZ

Memorial Mica, AZ

Backpack		May 28 2022
		chumley • Triplogs 1,993

Backpack	34.34 Miles	8,952 AEG

Backpack	34.34 Miles	3 Days
	8,952 ft AEG

no routes

Linked

12 linked trail guides

Italian Spring Trail to Spud Rock

[ checklist ] Devils Bathtub Italian Spring Mud Hole Spring - Mica Spud Rock Spring

Partners

partners

	BiFrost	cmatheez
	desertchild	John9L
	slowandsteady

What better place to spend a long weekend than in the islands!?

We rolled out of the valley late Friday for a car camp in Happy Valley along Turkey Creek. This allowed us to get a relaxed start and still be on trail in time to cover the lower elevation miles before the heat would become bothersome. In actuality, pleasant breezes and a layer of high clouds made the temperatures quite enjoyable.

Turkey Creek 34 was new to me and after a couple of easy miles it really kicks into gear. There was good water at Mudhole Spring, guarded by a beautiful AZB rattlesnake. We took a break here as this is the end of the exposed stretch and the rest of the climb is wooded.

Some of this trail has some pretty rough erosion and can be really steep. Especially just above and below the Mud Hole Spring area. Several reroutes have been constructed to bypass damaged sections with beautiful tread and nice switchbacks. I presume that similar construction will occur to fix the remaining stretches over the next year or two?

We cut over to Spud Rock, a campground I had only previously seen while looking down on it from above, so it was nice to check it out on the ground. It's set in a nice grove of pine and aspen. From here we headed up to Heartbreak Ridge via the Switchback Trail before dropping down to camp on the Fire Loop.

We arrived to a deserted camp and had our choice of sites. Despite the holiday and positively wonderful temperatures, I knew that there were no other reservations for the weekend.

Later in the afternoon, we did a four mile loop from camp to hit up Spud Rock for the views and the true Mica Mountain highpoint. Upon returning to camp we met the NPS ranger along with a small trail crew who had been sweeping the AZT with a fine-tooth comb. Aaaah, NPS money!

Sunday we did a nice 10 mile loop hitting the North Slope Trail, Italian Spring, the east side of the Loop to Mica Secondary, Reef Rock, Mica Meadow and Man Head, before taking an offtrail route down a drainage to Devils Bathtub. The entire drainage was dry, including the bathtub. The ranger said there hadn't been any flow in over a month, so it wasn't surprising that all the pools had dried up by now too. We saw a couple of turkeys that delighted Kathy by gobbling back at her.

The last half mile back to camp, Karl and I followed the drainage that Manning Camp Spring feeds. While the flow was light, there were some nice pools, narrows, and a cave, and we were both able to go for a refreshing swim.

After a break at camp, Karl and I headed out to see if it was possible to summit Helen's Dome, but we came up a little short, settling instead for Helen's Secondary, which is just a few feet shorter, and also keeps the view to about 340 degrees ... with the missing 20 degrees blocking the civilization of the greater Tucson metro.

Monday morning we opted for the Tibberoute, starting on the Manning Camp Trail (AZT) to Devils Bathtub and then headed down Heartbreak Ridge before cutting back via the Deerhead Springs Trail. We saw a couple more turkeys near the Heartbreak Junction and the same snake was relaxing at Mud Hole as it was on Saturday, but that was all the wildlife we encountered on the weekend. From this point we covered the same ground back to the cars as we had hiked on the way up. The last 2 miles seemed to drag a little more than they did two days earlier and I spotted a group of locals a hundred yards from the trailhead ... the only other hikers we saw all weekend!

I really enjoy this mountain. It has some great terrain and you can peel off some good miles in cooler temperatures (it hit 38 at night ... 78 during the heat of the day). It was great to hike with Sam and Chris again.

Flora

Flora [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Claret Cup Cactus

Fauna

Fauna [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Arizona Black Rattlesnake

Named place

Named place [ checklist ]

	Deer Head Spring	Dry	Dry
	No sign of spring or water or anything that resembles a spring location. Except the NPS sign identifying it.

	Devils Bathtub	Dry	Dry
	Not a drop!

	Italian Spring	Dripping	Dripping
	Nice pool of clear, clean water.

	Manning Camp Spring	Gallon per minute	Gallon per minute
	Light flow through the narrows and pool below. Faucet was on at the cabin which made collecting and filtering easy.

	Mud Hole Spring - Mica	Dripping	Dripping
	Nice pool with problably 20 gallons at the spring and a few yards of trickling water in the "creek" that it creates. Rattlesnake seen in the same spot two days apart.

	Spud Rock Spring	Dripping	Dripping
	Open spring pool was full of very cloudy unappealing water. The covered spring box was cleaner. No noticeable flow, but plenty available for filtering.

_____________________

I'm not sure what my spirit animal is, but I'm confident it has rabies.

1 archive

May 15 2022

Guides 12
Routes 192
Photos 863
Triplogs 356

42 male

Joined Nov 30 2015
Phoenix, AZ

Mica Mountain meander, AZ

Run/Jog		May 15 2022
		ShatteredArm • Triplogs 356

Run/Jog	21.17 Miles	5,064 AEG

Run/Jog	21.17 Miles	7 Hrs 20 Mns	3.02 mph
	5,064 ft AEG	20 Mns Break

no photosets

Linked

Manning Camp via Douglas Spring

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no partners

Main event for the weekend, and attempt to check off all (or most) of the trail I haven't yet seen in the Rincon Mountains. Started up Turkey Creek (NPS has been doing a lot of work on this trail since last year) and it was already quite warm at 8:30AM, so the grind up to Deerhead Spring trail was quite a slog, such that I felt fine sitting in the shade while my friend checked out the campground. The aspen grove is leafed out, which has not been the case in my April visits.

Took East Slope over to the Heartbreak Ridge junction, so I can hit the 0.6 mile stretch of that trail I hadn't seen yet. Then up to Man's Head for another little break. Still felt warm even up there. Next we headed up Bonita Trail to the summit, which we didn't bother stopping at despite its sweeping views.

At the Spud Rock junction, I had to decide whether to head down past Helen's Dome to do an out-and-back to hit one stretch of trail I haven't seen yet, but opted to skip it, since I was feeling a little rough. So we headed down the Spud Rock connector trail and up the Mica Meadow trail (this section was nice). Back at Fire Loop, I ran out of water, and we made the planned descent to Manning Camp.

At Manning Camp we saw the first, and only, human we would encounter all day, an NPS employee who actually recognized us from a trail work outing a few months back. Filled up at the Manning Camp spigot, and she recommended a dip in the cold creek water. I took this advice, submerging my shirt in the pool, and it was indeed very cold and very refreshing. This was a winning suggestion for sure, and I actually felt pretty good the rest of the way down the mountain.

We took Devil's Bathtub (falls were dry, recently according to our friend at Manning Camp), then Heartbreak Ridge/Deer Head, quick douse in Mudhole Spring, and back to the bottom, where it was quite hot, but for some reason tolerable compared to how I felt up on the mountain.

Still have ~1.5 miles of trail left in the Rincons, but that'll have to wait until cooler weather.

	Deer Head Spring	Dry	Dry
	Nada

	Devils Bathtub	Dry	Dry
	No flow, a couple of stagnant pools on top of the falls.

	Manning Camp Spring	Gallon + per minute	Gallon + per minute
	Still lots of nice cold water flowing into the pool.

	Mud Hole Spring - Mica	Dripping	Dripping
	Still dripping, enough to filter in the little pool.

_____________________

2 archives

Dec 11 2021

Jackluminous

Guides 1
Routes 262
Photos 864
Triplogs 266

51 male

Joined Mar 24 2021
Tucson, AZ

Manning Camp Rincon Peak and Spud Rock via D, AZ

Hiking		Dec 11 2021
		Jackluminous • Triplogs 266

Hiking	30.31 Miles	7,190 AEG

Hiking	30.31 Miles	36 Hrs 32 Mns	2.41 mph
	7,190 ft AEG	23 Hrs 58 Mns Break

no photosets

Linked

linked

Partners

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Did a backpacking trip into the Rincons. Stayed at Douglas Spring overnight; took the side trip to Ernie’s Falls on the way. Douglas Spring was chilly overnight and we had frost on our tents in the morning. We did a day hike to Cowhead Saddle then up to Manning Camp, Rincon Peak, and Spud Rock. It had snowed plenty the night before our trip so everything above Manning was covered in fresh powder. It was amazingly peaceful and breathtakingly beautiful.

The scramble up Spud Rock was icy but doable. The views up there are priceless.

We were joined by a friend at camp that evening. I had to be back in Tucson Sunday by noon and decided it best to hike back Saturday night rather than pack up a wet tent to dash back in the morning. It made for a lot of miles in one day but I was well fortified with Chana Masala. There was good moonlight so I had my headlamp on low. Made it back home late and crashed hard.

	Manning Camp Spring	Gallon + per minute	Gallon + per minute
	Full reservoir running down the creek. Snowed yesterday.

Nov 20 2021

xvyto

Routes 1
Triplogs 2

male

Joined Nov 10 2021

Loma Alta Trailhead to Grass Shack, AZ

Backpack		Nov 20 2021
		xvyto • Triplogs 2

Backpack	19.80 Miles	3,643 AEG

Backpack	19.80 Miles	1 Day 2 Hrs
	3,643 ft AEG

no photosets

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linked

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Started at the Loma Alta trailhead around 10am on the Hope Camp trail, making my way to Grass Shack campground for a 1-nighter. Hope Camp is essentially a dirt road, also used for horseback riding and mountain biking (had to keep an eye out for bikers on my return trip!). Not much net elevation gain here.

After 2.3 miles by the sign, I turned north onto the Quilter trail. This section begins with a lazy winding route through some grasses, approaching the base of the mountains. Ran into a very nice AZT thru-hiker at a dry riverbed crossing. The trail gains about 1200 feet after this point, then holds mostly level around 4300 feet until the intersection with Manning Camp. This section of the hike offers a very nice south-facing view of SNP East, which lasts for several miles and includes several opportune spots to take a breather.

7.8 miles from the trailhead, you reach the Manning Camp trailhead, which will take you the rest of the way to Grass Shack. This trail gains about another 1200 feet to the campsite. Grass Shack is about 200 feet below the maximum elevation of the trail, which will warm you up nicely in the morning if you choose to return along the same route.

Grass Shack offers three campsites which must be reserved through the National Park Service. I had reserved my site through the proper channels a few days earlier, and arrived around 3pm. Several more groups and a few AZT thru-hikers arrived later in the afternoon. Fairly certain there were more groups at the site than technically permitted, but they were respectful of the area so it didn't feel crowded.

The facilities were as well maintained as one can expect ten miles into the park. The convenience of the outhouse was greatly appreciated, and I was pleased to find water near the site that could be filtered for drinking and cooking. I'm no ultralighter, so had I carried two gallons of water in with me just to be safe. As of November 2021, campfires aren't allowed at Grass Shack, so be sure to bring a camp stove if you'd like to cook.

The bear box at campsite 1 is a bit busted. The latch was caught in the up position when I arrived, but the door was still locked shut. Some handy tent stakes left under the bear box by previous hikers (no doubt for exactly this purpose) allowed me to lever it loose. If you close the door GENTLY, the latch won't 'jump' as it is closed and will stay securely in the down and locked position.

The next morning, I retraced my route backwards to the Loma Alta trailhead. All in all a very nice trip.

	Grass Shack Spring	Dripping	Dripping
	Some still pools of water just south of the Grass Shack campsite. Was fine to drink with a filter.

Apr 17 2021

Guides 12
Routes 192
Photos 863
Triplogs 356

42 male

Joined Nov 30 2015
Phoenix, AZ

Loma Alta to Miller Creek, AZ

Run/Jog		Apr 17 2021
		ShatteredArm • Triplogs 356

Run/Jog	22.85 Miles	5,064 AEG

Run/Jog	22.85 Miles	6 Hrs 45 Mns	3.56 mph
	5,064 ft AEG	20 Mns Break

no photosets

Linked

linked

Quilter Trail - 1.35mi Water Crossing

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none

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Relatively cool weather this weekend suggested I should try one of the lower-elevation routes I had been wanting to do for awhile, a point-to-point from Loma Alta to Miller Creek. The main goal here was to see (a) the abandoned Madrona Ranger Station, and (b) the hard to access lower/middle part of the Rincon Creek trail.

Wasn't totally excited about Quilter Trail, but the cactus blossoms were a nice, unexpected treat. All the cacti and ocotillos were in full bloom. Manning Camp trail down to the ranger station was fun, and really the only part of the day where we could really cruise without effort. Someone has done a lot of work on this trail that seems to mainly be used by equestrians now.

The ranger station was - as expected - abandoned. Chiminea Creek upstream from the trail crossing had some nice pools with a little bit of flow, and was a nice place to cool off and top off water supplies.

The first couple miles of Rincon Creek trail are uneventful, and the fun starts at Rincon Creek (which is mostly dry right now, but had a cool stagnant pool at the crossing that served well for cooling). That narrow stretch of the canyon would be cool to see when there's water. The climb itself was a grind, but probably wouldn't have been too bad had it not been for the 13 mile long approach. The wind made it a much more pleasant experience.

Once in the tall pines of Happy Valley Saddle, temperatures were nice and pleasant. The canyon that drains Happy Valley Saddle had some pools about half a mile down from the Rincon Peak junction, which could be useful information for camping. Could've spent all day sitting there, but beer awaited. Miller Creek trail was chunky as usual, but mostly shaded and pleasant.

Glad I got this one done; probably won't do again. As of this writing, I think I only have about 4.5 miles of official trail left to see in the Rincons...

Wildflowers Observation Substantial
Applies only to cacti and ocotillos, which were putting on a show.

	Chimenea Canyon	Light flow	Light flow
	Some flow through the pools upstream from ranger station.

	Madrona Canyon	Dry	Dry
	Dry at Rincon Creek trail

Dry

	Upper Rincon Creek	Pools to trickle	Pools to trickle
	Pools here and there in both forks, could be some flow in one stretch of the fork south of Rincon Creek trail. Still a decent pool at the trail crossing at the bottom.

_____________________

Apr 10 2021

jacobemerick

Guides 38
Routes 182
Photos 1,602
Triplogs 232

40 male

Joined Dec 09 2014
Gilbert, AZ

Rincon Double Feature, AZ

Hiking		Apr 10 2021
		jacobemerick • Triplogs 232

Hiking	31.88 Miles	7,927 AEG

Hiking	31.88 Miles	15 Hrs 29 Mns	2.59 mph
	7,927 ft AEG	3 Hrs 10 Mns Break

Linked

Happy Valley Lookout 7339

Rincon Peak

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none

no partners

Route Recorded on Route Scout | Pop | Map | Popup | MapDEX

Been curious (jealous) of all the fun trips in the Rincons, so headed down there and was absolutely blown away. This range is fantastical.

Turkey Creek Trail
Parked at Miller Creek Trailhead (46F, brr) and walked the roads in the dark, passing a half-dozen RVs along 4408 and reaching the trail in time to turn off my headlamp. Trail construction is fantastic (a common theme for the day) and I made quick work of the foothills, rounding 5220' and starting the meat of the climb with the rising sun. Temps were perfect - the steep slope worked up a healthy sweat, and I only had to pause for a few minutes for the cool air to chill me down. Anyways, reached Mudhole before 7AM and had decent shade for the rest of the climb, and I enjoyed the views of Reef Rock and the relentless uphill.

Deerhead / Switchback / Heartbreak
Deerhead was... a trail? After so much uphill this mostly flat route passed in a blink. Poked around Spud Rock campground, checking in on the spring. Quick break, then strode up Switchback, which was more memorable because it had (well-built) switchbacks. Heartbreak dragged, mostly because I was looking forward to topping Reef Rock. The marked drainage below Man Head had a trickle of water.

Fire Loop
Quick haul up to Man Head, during which my legs briefly thought about cramping, and then easy going under tall pines, with a soft breeze rustling underneath. The views from Reef Rock are fantastic, especially after gazing up at it all morning. There are a few lovely meadows to pass through, a handful of annoying drainages to roller-coaster through, overall this is a fun loop. Continued up to the summit of Mica Mountain, which offered no grand vista, just the remains of a fire tower.

Heading down was neat, with Spud Rock and Helen's Dome to check out, plus some good views north to Santa Catalinas. Spent some time gazing at Mount Lemmon, trying to retrace my visit last year and guess which flanks were hit hard with the fire. Eventually turned south and headed into Manning Camp (which was only manned by deer) and tanked up on water.

Manning Camp / Devil's Bathtub
Long, busy lunch break, and then headed down and quickly passed a few backpackers on their way up. Turned and headed east, where the burn damage picked up some. Didn't enjoy Devil's Bathtub as much, even with the big views - the day's heat was picking up and there's a lot of rocky exposure. Spring was trickling enough to almost be called a waterfall.

Heartbreak Ridge
I missed the tall pines of Mica Mountain quickly. There are views and interesting flora, and the trail is well-maintained, it just felt rather toasty in the afternoon sun. Made the quick haul up to the lookout, was neat to be halfway between the two peaks and have such a great view. Then there is that sudden, beautifully built set of switchbacks (boy was I happy to be going down them) and I was finally at the saddle.

Rincon Peak
Time for the "burnout". First mile is flat, and I used plenty of words to describe the rest of it, and flat was not one of them. Some overgrowth, some deadfall, and that last half mile had some confusing tread. Part of me enjoyed this trail, and I can see it being a fun standalone summit from Miller Creek. Doing it at the end of a long day was painful. When I reached the top I gazed at the panorama, swam in the vertigo, and then zoomed back down, ready to be done. Going downhill wasn't quite as tough as I thought it would be, and there were even a few sections that I jogged along.

Miller Creek
Not sure if I loved or hated this one. The trail construction is creative, and for as much elevation as it covers, there are a lot of flat switchbacks winding around the huge boulders. Had to turn on the headlamp about two miles in and navigate a few confusing twists. Last mile through the creek dragged. Think I need to do this again in the light to fully appreciate it.

Maybe a dozen people on the trail, along Manning Camp and Heartbreak.

Named place

Named place [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Mud Hole Spring - Mica

Deer Head Spring

Dry

	Devils Bathtub	Quart per minute	Quart per minute
	Large pool above rock falls, dripping flow over the lip.

	Manning Camp Spring	Gallon per minute	Gallon per minute
	Amazing.

	Miller Canyon	Pools to trickle	Pools to trickle
	A few sad, scummy pools at the bottom.

	Mud Hole Spring - Mica	Dripping	Dripping
	A few pools deep enough to scoop from.

Spud Rock Spring

Dry

_____________________

1 archive

Apr 10 2021

Guides 12
Routes 192
Photos 863
Triplogs 356

42 male

Joined Nov 30 2015
Phoenix, AZ

Mica Mountain outer loop, AZ

Run/Jog		Apr 10 2021
		ShatteredArm • Triplogs 356

Run/Jog	21.97 Miles	5,403 AEG

Run/Jog	21.97 Miles	7 Hrs 39 Mns	2.89 mph
	5,403 ft AEG	3 Mns Break

no photosets

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Italian Spring Trail #95

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Didn't have any ideas for other places to go, so I decided to head back to the Rincons for a loop around Mica Mountain. Decided to try the outermost loop possible using official trails, which was almost 12 miles starting at the top of Turkey Creek trail. Parked at the end of the road, and it was already hot at 9am, but the temps were nice past Mudhole Spring. The climb on this route was worse than last weeks Heartbreak Ridge loop, because instead of being more or less done climbing at Spud Rock Spring, the climbing continued all the way up to Man Head.

I hadn't been up there much besides just passing straight across via AZT, but it's beautiful up there. Still stray patches of snow near Mica Meadow. The reef rock view was impressive, probably my favorite in the range after Rincon Peak. After I got done taking a pano, a coatimundi appeared from over the edge of the cliff, and didn't even see me until he was about 10 feet away. His reaction when he realized his mistake was priceless.

Just a couple minutes after leaving Reef Rock, saw a band of 4-5 coatis. Guess that's the favorite part of the park.

North Slope was nice, not as bad as some of the triplogs suggest. Very few fallen trees left. The unburned stretches have some of the biggest fir trees I've seen.

By Manning Camp, I was pretty tired. That was the first place I saw anybody. Filled up water, then continued down to Devil's Bathtub, and back to Turkey Creek trail. Was worried it would be hot down low, but it was probably just in the 80s, which wasn't too bad with a low level of exertion.

Much tougher route than I envisioned; it took me about the same amount of time to hike, fully-laden, 20 miles out of the grand canyon a couple weeks ago.

	Devils Bathtub	Quart per minute	Quart per minute
	Flow above the trail crossing has dried up, but below is still going strong. Some trickle still at the Heartbreak Ridge crossing farther up.

	Italian Spring	Dripping	Dripping
	No flow, but there's stagnant water.

Manning Camp Spring

Gallon per minute

	Mud Hole Spring - Mica	Dripping	Dripping
	Still the tiniest seep.

_____________________

Mar 26 2021

toddak

Guides 13
Routes 38
Photos 1,651
Triplogs 577

60 male

Joined Nov 15 2005
Jackson, CA

Rincon Creek Trail

Tucson, AZ

Rincon Creek Trail

Tucson, AZ

Hiking		Mar 26 2021
		toddak • Triplogs 577

Hiking	28.00 Miles	6,500 AEG

Hiking	28.00 Miles	13 Hrs	2.15 mph
	6,500 ft AEG

no routes

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linked

Madrona Ranger Station from Loma Alta TH

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none

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Tough hike just to get to the start, but worth the effort. From Loma Alta TH mountain biked Hope Camp to the start of Quilter and stashed the bike, then up Quilter and down Manning to Madrona - phew, what a warmup, now let's get started! Rincon Creek Trail is beautifully constructed and in good condition, an excellent, steady climb to my turnaround at Happy Valley Saddle. Pretty parched out there right now, but after a normal winter I'm sure there would be lots of flowing water - I'll be back someday.

	Upper Rincon Creek	Pools to trickle	Pools to trickle
	fairly clean pools, tiny trickle

_____________________

Feb 06 2021

Guides 12
Routes 192
Photos 863
Triplogs 356

42 male

Joined Nov 30 2015
Phoenix, AZ

Loma Alta to TVR, AZ

Run/Jog		Feb 06 2021
		ShatteredArm • Triplogs 356

Run/Jog	22.67 Miles	4,885 AEG

Run/Jog	22.67 Miles	7 Hrs	3.78 mph
	4,885 ft AEG	1 Hour Break

no photosets

Linked

6 linked trail guides

Tanque Verde Ridge Trail

Tanque Verde Peak

Quilter Trail - 1.35mi Water Crossing

Partners

none

no partners

Along for the ride on this one, but helped suggest the route. I had been to Tanque Verde Peak 5 years back, when I thought I could do it in the spring with a 16oz handheld, and had one of my most memorable running-out-of-water experiences. (Technically I was right, I was able to do it with just 16oz).

Good waterfalls below Grass Shack. Would like to get closer sometime. Up on Cowhead Saddle, we ran into the first hiker since leaving Hope Camp Trail. Rest of the way up the peak was fine, a little bit of snow left, was expecting much more.

Filled up water at Juniper Basin - water was much better than the larvae-infested murk I had to use to wet my mouth on the earlier TVP experience. Saw a solo backpacker there who said he was on his way to Manning Camp - it was already 3pm, not sure he knew what he was getting into.

Good day, tougher route than expected.

	Grass Shack Spring	Gallon + per minute	Gallon + per minute
	Lots of water in the falls below Grass Shack.

Light flow

_____________________

Dec 02 2020

LJW

Routes 154
Photos 1,505
Triplogs 266

31 male

Joined Jun 02 2019
Phoenix, AZ

Mica - Spud - HVLO Loop, AZ

Hiking		Dec 02 2020
		LJW • Triplogs 266

Hiking	24.45 Miles	5,503 AEG

Hiking	24.45 Miles	8 Hrs 31 Mns	3.15 mph
	5,503 ft AEG	45 Mns Break

Linked

Happy Valley Lookout 7339

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Hoping for a thorough introduction to the Rincon Mountains, I gave this loop a go. Covers a lot of ground on the eastern side of the mountains and reaches the high points of Mica Mountain, Spud Rock, and the Happy Valley Lookout. Sort of fell in love. Saguaro NP East designation means the trails are in tip-top shape, but the lack of access roads, along with the current lack of traffic on the AZT, ensures good solitude for walking under the pines. Started at sunrise and went counterclockwise from Miller Creek TH.

Road to Miller is bumpy, but I made it just fine with low clearance and economy tires. Started with the 2.5 mile road walk to Turkey Creek TH. Temperature was around 20 degrees and felt it in the shade. Warmed up quickly as the road climbed out of the creek bed and up the ridge to Turkey Creek TH. Saw the first people of the day, a few hunters spread out down the trail surveying Turkey Creek just outside the NP boundary.

Trail is pretty tame before the NP boundary and makes it easy to find a rhythm. Starts climbing beyond the gate and gets steeper and steeper. Payoff starts around Mudhole Spring as the trail enters the forest. TC to Deerhead Spring Trail. At this point the trails come in quick succession. There's a nice network on top of Mica.

Switchback Trail is short and leads up to Fire Loop. From this point until after Manning Camp the trails wind through the healthy forest of pines and between the rock outcroppings on the top of Mica Mountain. Trails are superb and cushioned in pine straw. Took Bonita past Mica Meadow to the AZT, which runs right over the top of Mica Mountain. There were three hikers on the summit, so I kept going to Spud Rock and was on top in about 15 minutes.

Down at first toward Helens Dome, but I quickly talked myself out of it and backtracked to Spud Rock Trail and took that to Mica Mtn Trail. Manning camp in no time. Can't say enough about the forest around there and on top of Mica generally. Worth every step.

Manning Camp Trail to Devil's Bathtub. Worst fire damage to be found on the west side of DB. Heartbreak Ridge big views and intermittent pines. Suffered for the fire. Happy Valley LO to soak in the last views of the Northern Rincons and then down to Miller.

Miller is bouldery and drops off the mountain fast. Clear and well cairned. Got down in the shadow of the mountains with two hours of sunlight left having only seen the half dozen or so people.

2 archives

Dec 15 2019

Guides 12
Routes 192
Photos 863
Triplogs 356

42 male

Joined Nov 30 2015
Phoenix, AZ

Tucson, AZ

Tucson, AZ

Run/Jog		Dec 15 2019
		ShatteredArm • Triplogs 356

Run/Jog	26.65 Miles	6,607 AEG

Run/Jog	26.65 Miles	7 Hrs 54 Mns	3.37 mph
	6,607 ft AEG

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Italian Spring Trail #95

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Over a year ago, I started an endeavor to run the entire AZ trail, south to north, in chunks (usually 1-2 passages). Yesterday I finally found a decent opportunity to run the next passage (weather and logistics are the biggest factors).

Quilter Trail to Grass Shack really just has two climbs, interspersed with flattish, runnable terrain. All of the drainages were flowing. Grass Shack was beautiful, much more so than I expected from a place called "Grass Shack". Would be an excellent camp ground when there is water in the creek.

Grass Shack up to Manning Camp was a long, slow beast of a climb. Not extremely steep, but very few flat sections of trail. The views looking back are excellent, and once you hit the Devil's Bathtub junction, you're in beautiful forest. Another creek crossing, a short steep climb, and then I was at Manning. It was cold up there, and there's still some snowpack just upcanyon.

Past Manning Camp was a beautiful flowing creek and lovely woods. I skipped the little out-and-back to the Mica summit because it was cold (and now windy), and I've already been there and know there's not much of a view... Whatever snow was left on the north slope was thin and icy, not much of it but it did require a little attention. Stopped at Italian Spring to top off my water; the seep was pathetically small considering the fact that everything else was flowing (water tasted good though). There's water charging out of the ground where the trail crosses back across the same drainage a mile down the trail...

All the little creeks down low were flowing. Even the wash near Italian Trap had water, and I had to get my feet wet crossing it.

Good little adventure. Gotta be one of my favorite passages thus far (Passage 1 is tough to beat though).

Grass Shack Spring

Gallon + per minute

	Italian Spring	Quart per minute	Quart per minute
	Water tasted good.

	Quilter Trail - 1.35mi Water Crossing	Medium flow	Medium flow
	Plenty of water.

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1 archive

Apr 05 2019

BiFrost

Guides 4
Routes 491
Photos 10,890
Triplogs 1,257

55 male

Joined Nov 20 2012
Phoenix, AZ

Rincon Backpack, AZ

Backpack		Apr 05 2019
		BiFrost • Triplogs 1,257

Backpack	35.20 Miles	10,146 AEG

Backpack	35.20 Miles	3 Days
	10,146 ft AEG

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12 linked trail guides

Rincon Peak

Happy Valley Lookout 7339

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John9L

We did 3 day backpack in the Rincons which John put together. He got permits for first night at Happy Valley campground so we drove up from Phoenix early and started hiking around 9am. Took us only 2 hours to make it to Happy Valley where we setup up camp. Then headed up Rincon Peak for the afternoon. Nice hike with decent trail and carrying day packs made it easier. Took about 20 minute break on the summit which would have been longer except the strong winds kept it short. Hiked back to camp and then enjoyed a relaxing night around the fire.

Next day we backpacked over to Happy Valley Lookout on Heartbreak Ridge trail. The lookout is still very much intact and was open for us to check it out. Cool spot and glad we took the extra 20 minutes to check it out. The eventual goal was to camp at Manning Camp but from there we stopped by Devils Bathtub first to check it out. Good water at Devils Bathtub with some cascades and some pools. Water was the theme of the weekend as we had no issue finding water at any point. From Devils Bathtub we headed to Manning Camp and had some hail and rain but nothing too bad. Arrived at Manning Camp and setup camp around noon.

In the afternoon it was off to day hike the top. There are many trails on top so we made a loop hitting Spud Rock first and then Mica Mountain. Great views on Spud Rock but Mica is just a high point but no views. A few patches of snow lingering on the north facing slopes. Next stop was Reef Rock which is on the east side facing the Galiuro's with great views and the sun came out so we took a fairly long break there. Then it was back to Manning Camp for the night. It was bit colder at Manning which is 8,000 feet as opposed to Happy Valley which is 6,200 feet. Still relaxing night around camp and there were several other groups in the campground.

Last day we hiked out Turkey Creek trail to make it a loop. Turkey Creek trail is steep but it gets the job done and we were at the bottom in 3 hours. However, to make it a loop hike we did have to walk some road past the Turkey trail head and connect with the Miller Creek trail head. Regardless it went fast and we were at the vehicle before noon. Great weekend in the Rincon's and thanks to John for getting the permits!!

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2 archives

Mar 04 2017

DallinW

Guides 1
Routes 105
Photos 1,740
Triplogs 228

33 male

Joined Feb 26 2015
Gilbert AZ

AZT Spring Break 2017, AZ

Backpack		Mar 04 2017
		DallinW • Triplogs 228

Backpack	159.40 Miles	34,237 AEG

Backpack	159.40 Miles	9 Days
	34,237 ft AEG

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Rincon Valley - AZT #8