|
| | | |
| |
|
| Hiking | 6.00 Miles |
1,884 AEG |
| | Hiking | 6.00 Miles | | | |
| 1,884 ft AEG | | | | |
|
|
| |
| Partners |
|
none
[ show ]
| no partners | | Storm Chasing Weekend (or how the storms chased us):
Our camping and hiking destination was Mount Ord, as weather forecasts looked better than other areas, with less storm activity. One downpour has cleared the summit of Ord as we arrive at Colcord Spring where I thought we'd camp. No flat spots for a tent to be found among the trees. I begin hiking up the Little Mount Ord road and get chased back to my truck by another storm cell's arrival. We continue driving up Mount Ord, thinking the storms will move on by the time we reach the summit. We are near the end of the road and electrical fury breaks out above, with heavy rain below. Scratch Mount Ord, it looks better up toward Peeley!
We start driving up FR 201 like I've done dozens of times over the last 20 years, but my truck starts to slide off of the hill from slick mud near Pine Mountain. I very carefully back down 201a ways, turn my truck around on a rocky curve, and head for Payson instead. We end up camping in the pines south of Verde Glen off of the Control Road for the night.
Sunday morning, we pull up at the Washington Park Trailhead, see the AZT-mobile, and chat with AZT section stewards. Unfortunately, we miss Shawn. Shauna and I hike up the newly re-routed Colonel Devin/AZT route through beautiful and very humid forest, passing old Elmer Pieper's vinca covered fish hatchery site along the way. This new section is shady, well constructed, and beautiful, as it follows the upper East Verde River. The new route rejoins the old power line road route and we continue up.
Thunderstorms are starting to peek over the Rim, and we turn onto the Railroad Tunnel Trail. A nice new sign directs hikers to the tunnel spur. Rain begins to fall as we enter the historic tunnel of the Arizona Mineral Belt Railroad, and we keep our visit brief. The rain soon stopped but the clouds grew more menacing. Two uncomfortably close lighting strikes on the slope above us in the last half mile make us both happy to reach the safety of my truck.
With a thunderstorm making it unsafe to hike to the "spaceman petroglyphs", we opt to visit Shoofly Ruin instead before voyaging into Payson.
The heaviest rain I've ever seen and more close lightning strikes make the drive out of Payson a bit intense. Globe ramps it up even more. Evil looking clouds greets us at Wheatfields along with torrential rain and spectacular lightning all around. A triple bolt hits both sides of the highway simultaneously as we roll toward downtown Globe. I stop to examine the Pinal Creek channel, which had flooded recently, while a deafening lightning bolt hits the radio tower across the street. We leave town and head for Winkelman at this point, stopping a few miles later to watch the summit of the Pinals boil in surly, steadily rumbling clouds.
The thunderstorms we encountered this weekend were pretty intense, but very exciting. No Mazatzal camping this time, but a great trip nonetheless. |
| _____________________
| "…you never know when a hike might break out" -Jim Gaffigan |
| | |
|
|
|
Route Editor
Route Scout
Route 
While Little Mt Ord is about 1,000 feet lower the hike over has several ups and downs so total AEG was only 100 feet less? The feel on FR 1688 is more like a trail and it was a nice change. A nice little hike to adds some miles and AEG.
](https://hikearizona.com/dex2/images/smilies/eusa_wall.gif "Brick wall")
The Hill going up was covered in Manzanita and Scrub Oak... 
Luckily, enough curious Cows and Deer have wandered up there, leaving various 6" wide paths so I only got "light" AZ Pinstriping. Thanks to the local Fauna, I only donated a little bit of blood to the cause... 
). I climbed it then went back up Mt Ord and then took the road down. A boring training hike turned into a fun combo climbing off-trail day.
