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| | | Panther Peak Prophecy Wash Loop, AZ | | | |
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Panther Peak Prophecy Wash Loop, AZ
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| Hiking | 10.60 Miles |
831 AEG |
| | Hiking | 10.60 Miles | 4 Hrs 16 Mns | | 2.88 mph |
| 831 ft AEG | 35 Mns Break | 10 LBS Pack | | |
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| no partners | | | Just about finished with my quest to finish up all the official trails of Saguaro National Park West and a few unofficial. Started early in the morning again at the Ringtail Trail Head near Contzen Pass on Picture Rock Road. I love the early morning in the desert, this particular morning reminded me of the hikes north of Oracle along the Arizona Trail, probably was the cooler mornings and visibility forever. Like most of the trails in the northwest portion of this park the trails can be described by saying sandy, lots of sand. The Cam-Boh and Panther Peak Wash Trails were amazing in the Morning with views to the North of the Ridge along the Picture rocks Road, Panther Peak and what I believe is called Sombrero Peak. The sun was just touching these as I was hiking and they were so colorful and crisp unlike their appearance later in the day when the sun is in full up position. The Panther Peak Wash was very Sandy but I was going downhill so it made it easier. On an earlier post about Dobe Wash I mentioned that the Ironwood trees were the largest I have seen in the park, well I stand corrected the Ironwood trees along this trail are huge, the largest I have seen with the exception of the one in front of my parents house (I have never been to Ironwood Tree National Monument). The Roadrunner Trail is uneventful as it follows along the park boundary to Picture Rocks Road and the Cam-Boh Picnic Ground, at least it wasn't sandy (is heavily used by horses so it had lots of rocks in the trail with lots of opportunities to twist an ankle). Headed north, upstream on the Prophecy Wash Trail (more sand) to its end where it is marked by an end of trail sign at a random location 2 miles upstream. The Picture rocks Wash Trail junction is about .1 miles prior to the end of this trail. The Picture Rocks Trail heads up a ridge to the east of the wash, not very high and continues downhill and dumps into Picture rocks Wash .9 miles later. The trail along here is a bit rocky but is a welcomed relief from the sandy trails. Good views of Picture Rock Peak and the western end of the Catalina Mountains. Picture Rock Wash on it's upper end is narrow and does a lot of twists and turns so it is rather interesting walking. The wash is not real sandy until the junction with the Brittlebush Trail, from this junction to the Ringtail trail it is wide and sandy. Uneventful walking all the way to the Ringtail Trail. I was tempted to head further east at the Ringtail Trail junction to visit the old abandon Yuma Mine but opted to save that for my next hike. Headed back along the Ringtail Trail to the Mule Deer Trail. I took the Mule Deer Trail to Ironwood Forest Trail because I had never been on this trail before but of coarse this means I have to take the .4 mile sandy Cam-Boh Trail back to the start point of my hike. The Mule Deer Trail is very flat walking on hard desert floor so it is a good alternative if doing a loop hike to avoid the sandy Cam-Boh Trail. |
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