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| Hiking | 8.48 Miles |
1,415 AEG |
| | Hiking | 8.48 Miles | 4 Hrs 24 Mns | | 2.39 mph |
| 1,415 ft AEG | 51 Mns Break | | | |
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| no partners | | With things heating up in the Valley I was looking for a cooler hike that wasn't too far away, and I figured that a hike to Tule Mesa would fit the bill. I have been wanting to hike to this peak mainly because it is the highpoint of the Cedar Bench Wilderness Area.
I drove 15 miles off of I-17, which took about 1 hour. The road was better than I thought that it would be, and how far you drive depends on how much clearance that your vehicle has. I possibly could have driven further, but I decided to park and hike since starting from where I was at would easily be within my comfort zone for distance and elevation gain. The road got rocky for about 1/2 mile from where I parked, but beyond that the road got good again. On my hike back, about 2.5 miles from where I parked a lifted Bronco came driving by. I imagine that a decent crossover SUV with good tires and a competent driver could get within a mile of where I parked, and perhaps further.
This turned out to be a fairly easy hike. I hiked on FR 68G for about 3.5 miles, and then made a left turn on a jeep road for about 1/2 mile. Then I went off-trail for 1/4 mile to the Tule Mesa highpoint, which is at a benchmark that is on the wilderness boundary. I can't really say that I explored the Cedar Bench Wilderness on this hike, since was only in the wilderness at the summit.
I located the benchmark and both reference marks, all of which were in good condition.
I was the 4th person in 12 years to sign the summit register, so it is safe to say that not many people come out here.
The road walking was pleasant -- it never got very steep, and the tread was mostly good. The off-trail was easy also, as there was no brush and the grade was gentle. I had to weave around a few juniper trees, although there was a lot of lava rock that you have to be careful not to bust an ankle.
The summit area was nice and large, and there were good views that were mostly unobstructed. I found a shady spot to sit and have lunch while enjoying the views.
I returned that way that I came.
There is not much shade on the hike, so this would be a hot hike in the summertime, especially on a sunny day.
Synopsis
I enjoyed this hike, even if it was mostly a road walk. The walking was easy and there were nice views to bad for the entire hike. I thought that the drive was better than the drive to Pine Mountain. |
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Wildflowers Observation Isolated
There was some nice Indian paintbrush here and there, along with a few other flowers in places |
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| Civilization is a nice place to visit but I wouldn't want to live there |
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Route Editor
Route Scout
Route 
He is one of the contacts I made on 40m and is also the only other person to activate Tule Mesa.
in a quick 40 minute "out and back". Brian was able to complete his four need contacts to confirm his Summits on the Air Club (SOTA) first activation points for this remote BM, and I much enjoyed being up close and personal with some rewarding pic set memories of an Arizona Monsoon on our scenic & remote Verde Rim 
