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| Hiking | 9.00 Miles |
3,250 AEG |
| | Hiking | 9.00 Miles | 7 Hrs 20 Mns | | 1.42 mph |
| 3,250 ft AEG | 1 Hour Break | 10 LBS Pack | | |
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none
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| no partners | | I drove out Friday and camped to give myself more time for this hike, and that was a smart choice given how long the drive takes. I probably could have made it all the way to the TH, but meeting a vehicle going down wash I opted to back up and park in a side spot to let them pass. I then decided that since I might be able to hike as fast as I could drive, and there were some large boulder in the next stretch, I would just park and walk. I was 1.5 miles from the TH according to Todd's mileage in the directions, and my car odometer. After the next section it was really smooth, but I liked the walk. Lots of poppies, too.
Maybe I was tired, or who knows what, but I was surprised that walking down wash I somehow chose the wrong two-track, which seemed impossible, but I ended up going a mile down wash from my car (per my odometer driving out) before I realized I was way past my parking area. I turned back, and found my car easier going up canyon. This error, when added to Ten Ewe's additional stats gives me 5 miles more and 600 additional feet. Except that brush in the wash hid my car, I couldn't believe I did that.
The hike is pretty enjoyable with a well worn trail right now, all the way to the summit of Signal. Clearly, the county high point status must draw them out. No one seems to do Ten Ewe, as that was rougher and there was no obvious trail. I made a nice large cairn in the gully below the tight squeeze. Views were not as good as last time on Castle Dome, low level haze from the breeze may have been to blame. It was cooler or cold, too. Only in the mid-70s in the canyon, so colder on top. Unlike on CD, there was a stiff breeze, too.
This hike feels far different than Castle Dome. I felt like I was in the western Superstitions, but with fewer people. The canyon live oaks in the upper canyon add a feel that is not western desert, in mind. Also, I saw a lot of people camping out here, some ATVers in the canyon, and 2 people coming down from the summit. The massif is really impressive coming in from the north, and it photographs well. However, I think Todd's group hikes account for the greater number of logs for this hike, compared to Castle Dome.
So far, given my December trip, my last trip, and this one, I confirmed that I like the KofA best when hotter, as in the low 90s. Fewer people, and more pleasant for me. |
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Wildflowers Observation Extreme
Poppies and lupines, and lots of colors with no crowds! |
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Indian Canyon |
Pools to trickle |
Pools to trickle |
| | | Upper Canyon seeping and flowing, with a lot of large pools. In the section with oaks. | | _____________________
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Route Editor
Route Scout
" It's a steep one. Pretty good trail/route to the top. The views are awesome. The mountain range just seems to have a lot of character! Throw in the characters I was with and it made for a great hike. We even got to see one Ewe, which was fitting 
. I slept fairly well in a wash in front of a sign next to catsclaw. 
Two were wearing the latest in collar fashion and one had his/hers on back order. The views from 10 were also pretty grand and Chums split his summit beer with me. I felt like such an amateur forgetting we were hitting two peaks. Very successful day in a area where it's tough to make a living and survive.
