Mazatzal Peak Summit • Hike • Arizona • All Triplogs • HikeArizona.COM

Payson, AZ

Hiking		Apr 13 2025
		ScaredyCat • Triplogs 205

Hiking	13.86 Miles	4,274 AEG

Hiking	13.86 Miles	11 Hrs 13 Mns	1.50 mph
	4,274 ft AEG	2 Hrs Break

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Returned 1.5 years after unsuccessful attempt. Met in Scottsdale at 6:30 and did our homework this time. Although I did go out the night before and slept very little.

Also bought a new bag for this outing. Weighed down with food and water, let's do this! Had never been on Barnhardt. WTH is wrong with me? This trail is gorgeous. Continued on this a bit longer than expected.

As soon as you leave the trail the bush wack is immediate and severe. We also quickly pissed off a rattler. Swiftly changed direction. Was relieved when started switching toward scrambling.

Another bush wack before obtaining ridge. Where did the registry others spoke of go?

Ended up taking a steep descent down a gulley for a while. One member of the group hurt his ankle. Slow hike back to TH but he pushed through.

This hike is not for most. I'm quite scraped up today despite being fully covered up. 2+ slow miles each way off trail. Yes I agree, tougher than Ridgeline.

Dec 09 2024

pseudalpine

Guides 59
Routes 1,100
Photos 1,191
Triplogs 1,290

male

Joined Jan 01 2023
Arizona

Payson, AZ

Hiking		Dec 09 2024
		pseudalpine • Triplogs 1,290

Hiking	12.08 Miles	3,955 AEG

Hiking	12.08 Miles	6 Hrs 36 Mns	2.04 mph
	3,955 ft AEG	40 Mns Break

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[ Boulder Mountain ] from Ballantine TH is a tougher hike than this loop.

3 archives

May 25 2024

John10s

Guides 25
Routes 376
Photos 5,897
Triplogs 346

40 male

Joined Mar 01 2018
Chandler, AZ

Mazatzal Peak via Suicide Ridge, AZ

Hiking		May 25 2024
		John10s • Triplogs 346

Hiking	10.20 Miles	4,171 AEG

Hiking	10.20 Miles	6 Hrs 35 Mns	1.88 mph
	4,171 ft AEG	1 Hour 9 Mns Break

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I tried this hike back in October with a friend, but he was hiking on little sleep and coming off a week full of physical activity, so he was dragging that day and we ended up turning around about a mile short of Mazatzal Peak. So I returned solo today to complete the hike we'd planned that day. There were no other vehicles at Barnhardt TH when I arrived, though one pulled up just as I got started on Y-Bar.

After a quick ~2 miles on the trail, I started up a mile-long ridgeline to connect with Suicide Ridge. The first ~0.2 miles of off-trail were the worst, with a lot of catclaw, agave, and cacti on the steep slope. Higher up, the brush transitions more to manzanita with less of the sharp stuff, and I was happy to encounter a lot of clipped branches that I cut in October...big thank you to my past self for the handy pre-clearing

.

It felt like a long mile up to Suicide Ridge, then I worked my way over toward Peak/Hill 7403, where I turned around last time. Lots of ladybugs there again, and I kept an eye out for the glove I lost near there last time but didn't see it. There was some thick brush beyond 7403, but it opened up again, and the hike along Suicide Ridge was very pleasant with a gentler incline and more pine trees on the way up to the summit. I reached the top around 10AM, a little over two and a half hours after I left the trailhead.

An ammo box at the top had two summit register notebooks full of entries dating back to 2010. Lots of familiar HAZ names...it would be easier to list who hasn't been up there

. The most recent entry was from 5/17, just over a week ago. With a strong wind blowing, it was cold at the summit, but I spent almost an hour up there enjoying the views and eating lunch. I've been hiking in the Mazatzals quite a bit over the last year, and after seeing Mazatzal Peak from so many of the other peaks, it was nice to get the opposite perspective.

When I started back, I went over to Peak 7823 first and took a look at the cool geology over that way, then connected with Suicide Ridge again to hike back on the same route. It was another long, slow, brushy mile on the way back to Y-Bar. Back at the trailhead, there were four other vehicles, but I didn't see another person all day. I was done by early afternoon and stopped by the Iron Dike ruins site on the drive back toward Phoenix.

Flora

Flora [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Agave

Fauna

Fauna [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Ladybug beetle

Culture

Culture [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Benchmark Reference Mark Summit Register Log

5 archives

Nov 12 2023

shmuelic

Photos 11
Triplogs 3

male

Joined Apr 05 2023
Tempe, AZ

Payson, AZ

Backpack		Nov 12 2023
		shmuelic • Triplogs 3

Backpack	11.75 Miles	4,400 AEG

Backpack	11.75 Miles	2 Days
	4,400 ft AEG		25 LBS Pack

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Made an unsuccessful solo attempt to climb Mazatzal Peak. Started late morning November 11 with plans to summit Mazatzal and get down to a comfortable place to camp before walking out the next day. Parked at Barnhardt/Ybar trailhead and set off around 11am down the Ybar trail. I passed only 1 group of hunters glassing for deer. Approx. 2.7 miles up Ybar trail near 34.067314, -111.440939 I turned uphill off trail and walked up the dry wash until it was crowded with vegetation. I picked this spot because I thought gaining the ridge would be easier up the wash. It was pretty tough and choked with manzanita as I turned left out of the wash and directly uphill. It was slow going as the vegetation changed with altitude and small rock steps were interspersed. At some point I came upon a rock step about 35 feet tall and started climbing with my backpack on. The climbing was pretty easy because the sandstone(?) is so ledgy but there is some exposure and some loose rock to look out for. I was about halfway up when I made a move reaching across my face and knocked my glasses off. I watched my glasses fall to the bushes below and tried to see where the landing point was. I left my backpack on a ledge and downclimbed, luckily found my glasses by almost stepping on them and retrieved my backpack and finished the rock step. I kept moving slowly upward usually trying to find the rockiest and therefore least vegetated way through. Only about 800 feet from the top of the ridge around 3:45pm on a fairly easy part of the hike I lost my balance and got stabbed by an agave in my lower left calf. It went pretty numb and I instantly felt cramping. I limped to a seat and continued trying to flex it for almost an hour. As I did I realized I had cell service and googled agave puncture injuries. I learned that agave have toxic sap that can cause the swelling, tingling and cramping I was feeling. The internet said the symptoms would last up to two weeks so I figured I would have to continue without waiting, plus I was losing daylight and didn't want to sleep on the slope. I limped up the last 800 feet to Suicide Ridge finishing just as dark was coming on and set up my tent on a good spot at roughly 34.070224, -111.455008 (spot is easy to find because the ridge is not very wide). Overnight was slightly above freezing but I was comfortable. I could hear the wind ripping through the valley below all night but it was luckily calm on top.

I decided not to attempt the summit from the camp spot the next morning because of my leg. It would have been about 1.5 miles of bushwhacking round trip to the camp spot, probably a bit easier than the way down because the vegetation thinned a bit at the top. I was planning to come down by walking down suicide ridge as far as it could take me and then exiting to barnhardt trail and I figured this would still be the most efficient way to get home. It was a pain in the pumpkin and I was going very slow because of my leg but I'm not sure any other route would have been better. I eventually made it by mid afternoon to within sight of the barnhardt trail but unfortunately was cliffed out and had to backtrack to find my way down a pretty neat rock formation just at the top of the heavy switchbacks on the barnhardt trail near 34.087727, -111.445262. Walking out on the trail was a blessing after having been off trail since noon the day before. There was some water in pools below the barnhardt trail but I had enough water and finished my supply with only a half mile until the car.

My cramping and tingling symptoms lasted for about two weeks time in which I still couldn't walk without limping. I had noticeable decrease in muscle mass in the calf from not being able to use it. Then when I was really starting to worry this was going to go on a long time my symptoms disappeared within 3 days and I was able to run and climb again.

I will probably come back and try this again, perhaps in 1 day instead of overnight, I think scaling the steeper rock bands closer to the Ybar trail instead of beating through so much vegetation would be the more fun way to do it. Thanks for reading and watch out for agave!

	Barnhardt Creek at Half Moon Trail	Pools to trickle	Pools to trickle
	Standing pools visible below the barnhardt trail

Feb 01 2023

Routes 154
Photos 1,505
Triplogs 266

31 male

Joined Jun 02 2019
Phoenix, AZ

Payson, AZ

Hiking		Feb 01 2023
		LJW • Triplogs 266

Hiking	16.11 Miles	4,045 AEG

Hiking	16.11 Miles	8 Hrs 53 Mns	2.18 mph
	4,045 ft AEG	1 Hour 30 Mns Break

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Barnhardt Creek at Half Moon Trail

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Did this one in the winter and misjudged the melting of the crazy snowfall. The goal was to loop Mazatzal Peak with MDT and Rock Creek and the related falls using the Gila - Yavapai county line ridge to descend back to Barnhardt from the summit. Because of the snow and ice I called it a day after falling behind and without enough energy to get it all done.

The snow above the trail was knee depth or more, and it was covered in a thin layer of ice that I would punch through every few steps. The north drainage and its chutes were iced over along the water and barely passable with spikes. There was deep snow on the banks and for the scrambling up. Absolutely hand numbing. Because the drainage was still mostly frozen the flow wasn't too strong from the falls.

I'd seen cairns in person but nothing online about the county line ridge. It was the last obvious summit route for me to try besides the chutes west of the summit, which I will probably never attempt. Since the ridge gets so much sunlight the snow was only a foot or less. It was the easiest descent I have ever made from Maz Peak, and I would think to summit this way is also relatively easy, though getting to the last mile of Barnhardt certainly adds some distance. It is definitely the least steep approach to the summit. There was no scrambling, minimal bushwhacking. The toughest part, like Suicide Ridge, is the steep and brushy bottom getting onto the ridgetop, though in comparison it's very shortlived. Higher up, there were a couple stands of the best young ponderosa growth in the Mazzies I have seen. What the route makes up for in ease it lacks in excitement. Still awesome views all around inside and out of the mountains, and a good place for some alone time.

It got so frustrating climbing through the snow that I didn't take many pictures, but I'll post what I took if I can find them.

Heavy flow

Medium flow

Hawaiian Mist

Light flow

Mar 26 2022

chumley

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

52 male

Joined Sep 18 2002
Tempe, AZ

Mazzy suicide, AZ

Hiking		Mar 26 2022
		chumley • Triplogs 1,993

Hiking	12.03 Miles	4,343 AEG

Hiking	12.03 Miles	7 Hrs 55 Mns	1.76 mph
	4,343 ft AEG	1 Hour 5 Mns Break

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John9L

It's been a couple of years since I summited the true highpoint of Gila County ;), but the last time I was here Linda and I descended to the north via an unnamed drainage I'll call Suicide West Fork. Along the way, Suicide Ridge loomed off to the east and I put it in the memory bank for a route that looked worth visiting sometime.

I proposed this loop to 9L and he ignorantly decided that it sounded fun. On the drive in we scoped the various options that gain the ridge and chose the one that looked best. This required about 1.5 miles of warmup on the Y-bar, which has received recent trail maintenance. Oh, it's no less annoying than it's always been, only now there are signs of recent disturbances in the dirt.

At about the 4900 foot contour, shortly after entering the wilderness and crossing the first drainage, we headed straight up the adjacent slope. It's less than a mile to reach the ridge, but gains 1800 feet, so it's plenty steep. Abundant desert flora dots the hillside, but rarely provides unavoidable resistance. As the grade moderates near the ridge, some more healthy thickets of manzanita appear, but is rarely more than thigh-high and getting through is nothing any fan of off-trail Arizona desert hiking would consider much of a challenge.

The next stretch following Suicide Ridge to the Mazzy summit was a highlight of the day. Despite poor air quality today, the views are expansive and the final 1000 feet of ascent stretches over a pleasant 2.5 miles.

We took a break at the summit before heading down via the same Suicide West Fork drainage I had done last time. This is always a great route and remnant winter snowpack and plentiful running water made the canyon a treat. That last half mile does make reaching the pristine tread of the Barnhardt Trail a welcome transition.

We stopped at the Suicide Central Fork falls which were flowing lightly before making quick work of the last few miles back to the car, along the way passing the only other hikers we saw all day.

There are no easy ways to gain the Mazzy Peak summit, but I would definitely include this as one of the of options.

Culture

Culture [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Benchmark Reference Mark

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

Mar 02 2022

Routes 154
Photos 1,505
Triplogs 266

31 male

Joined Jun 02 2019
Phoenix, AZ

Payson, AZ

Hiking		Mar 02 2022
		LJW • Triplogs 266

Hiking	20.10 Miles	7,232 AEG

Hiking	20.10 Miles	12 Hrs 18 Mns	1.95 mph
	7,232 ft AEG	2 Hrs Break

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Peak 7571 - Mazatzal Mountains

Sandy Saddle Trail #231

Rock Creek Trail #42 - Mazatzals

Half Moon Trail #288

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Had a few goals for the day:
- Get back on Mazatzal Peak
- Check out the snow melt in the drainage to the north
- Use the same drainage to get down to Barnhardt Canyon
- Ascend Peak 6768 from the south
Started at the Barnhardt TH at sunrise with one car already there. Went clockwise to keep most of the climbing out of the snow.

Followed basically the same track up Suicide Ridge as in 2020. It was much less of a bushwhack this time around, and I managed to avoid the worst of it. It is still as steep as ever to make the ridge. More and more snow climbing up, toward the bottom a few inches with drifts toward the top up to a foot deep. It started to get slippery as the sun got going overhead. Fifth summit and first time ever meeting folks on the mountain above the trail. Talked the mountains for a little and didn't see each other again until 9 hours later for a fireside beer back at the trailhead.

Visibility on top was great, the weather perfect. Sauntered over to Mazzy Peak's twin 7832. Had never made the effort before and now it's unskippable for me. Descended from that peak to the drainage through the forest which had a solid foot of snow nearly the whole way down. There's rocks and boulders hidden underneath and I got to sliding and falling a few times. Strongest flow of water there I've seen, but it was frankly dangerous descending through the steepest parts of the chute. It was covered in deep snow and very slippery to down climb through, especially not knowing what was underneath. The consolation prize was all the cascades and the big water fall up top.

Went straight past the trail and down, and along the way I passed Sandy Saddle Trail's old track, which is now non-existent around Casterson Seep. The drainage is the easiest way down there. After a couple more waterfalls, the canyon cliffs out, so I climbed to the east through bands on 5923. It pretty clear of brush, though tough climbing in the heat of the day. Got down to Barnhardt Canyon where only two massive pines remain.

Climbed through the grass up 6768. Easy to avoid bushwhacking, only a little scrambling, but it is super steep from that direction, short as it may be. Better on a weekend when there's an audience for the effort. Clear blue skies and a top tier view of Suicide Ridge. It's all so much closer together than it seems. Climbed up to 7571, which is a similar story for the terrain. Grassy, though not as steep. Nearing 7559 the snow deepened until it was six inches to a foot descending. Sliding on the snowy jasper is a hell of a workout.

Rock Creek had snow until after the falls. As good of a flow as I've seen there. Started to hustle, being back on trail. Ran out of water on Half Moon and it made for a long 4 miles. Got back with only ten minutes by headlamp.

Named place

Named place [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Mazatzal Wilderness Rock Creek

6 archives

Dec 05 2021

emilystardust

Routes 386
Photos 49
Triplogs 792

43 female

Joined Jun 23 2015
Phoenix, AZ

Payson, AZ

Hiking		Dec 05 2021
		emilystardust • Triplogs 792

Hiking	11.96 Miles	3,833 AEG

Hiking	11.96 Miles	10 Hrs 11 Mns	1.35 mph
	3,833 ft AEG	1 Hour 21 Mns Break

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We went up Y-Bar and then headed to the summit. The off trail stretch from Y-Bar took a pretty long time so we were relieved when it flattened up a bit at the top. According to the book, someone summited the same day before us but we didn’t see anyone except a few backpackers headed down. We went down the drainage to Barnhardt. I think the most intimidating part was heading down what would be a pretty steep waterfall in good rain but we saw there was a way to bypass it once we were down.

That section would be beautiful with flowing water but much easier to pass through with just a few small pools. Barnhardt seemed to drag on at the end but we were happy for an easier hike down to finish up.

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Oct 15 2021

bballard

Routes 1
Photos 356
Triplogs 31

44 male

Joined Nov 23 2007
Tempe, AZ

Payson, AZ

Backpack		Oct 15 2021
		bballard • Triplogs 31

Backpack	11.75 Miles	4,400 AEG

Backpack	11.75 Miles	2 Days
	4,400 ft AEG

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I treated this trip as an alpine overnight, parking and heading out a little after noon. Hardly anyone out on Barnhardt Trail on this Friday. The scramble through manzanita was stressful but doable! Peak and views were gorgeous. The southern descent was challenging in a different way- make sure to find the best option around cliffs and rocky outcroppings, oh and plenty more manzanita jungle. One down climb helped shortcut the journey. Made a pleasant camp on the saddle at dusk. Beautiful morning hiking out. First time up this peak and it did not disappoint! Will have to try Suicide Ridge next time.

Culture

Culture [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] HAZ - Hike HAZard

Named place

Named place [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Mazatzal Peak

	Y Bar Spring	Gallon per minute	Gallon per minute
	Flowing good.

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May 22 2021

BiFrost

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

55 male

Joined Nov 20 2012
Phoenix, AZ

Payson, AZ

Hiking		May 22 2021
		BiFrost • Triplogs 1,257

Hiking	12.42 Miles	3,974 AEG

Hiking	12.42 Miles	7 Hrs 45 Mns	1.60 mph
	3,974 ft AEG

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John9L

Fun to do this loop again. It’s been a few years but we had the old track and it followed pretty much the same as before. Taking the Y Bar trail to the saddle we continued off trail up the east ridge. Some sporty scrambles on the ridge keep things interesting but we made the summit before lunch. Took a break and then continued down the north slope to a cool lunch spot in the pines. After lunch we followed the route down the drainage on the west side which has the most sporty off trail scrambling of the hike. Really enjoyed the rocky slabs and poor offs that we hiked around. Some small occasional pools of water that would be fine for filtering if needed. Eventually we hit the Barnhardt Trail and then it was just an easy cruise back out to the trailhead. Very cool to do this hike again and good one to hit every couple of years!

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Mar 27 2021

DixieFlyer

Guides 99
Routes 1,486
Photos 16,077
Triplogs 1,376

male

Joined Jan 07 2017
Fountain Hills,

Payson, AZ

Hiking		Mar 27 2021
		DixieFlyer • Triplogs 1,376

Hiking	12.90 Miles	4,134 AEG

Hiking	12.90 Miles	9 Hrs 46 Mns	2.19 mph
	4,134 ft AEG	3 Hrs 53 Mns Break

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[ checklist ] Big Kahuna Falls - Mazatzal Wilderness Four Peaks Mogollon Rim Mount Ord

Shake Tree Trail # 44

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It had been a while since I had been on Mazzy Peak, so I decided to do this one once again.

This time we headed up Barnhardt and came back on Y-Bar.

We stopped at Big Kahuna Falls and hung out for a while. There was decent water flow there, but not as much as a few weeks ago.

We went up the drainage on the north side to the normally dry falls. By the time we got there we were dealing with some snow and ice. Once past the falls, we headed up for a ridgeline. The climb was crazy steep and I would not do that again. Being on the north side, there was some snow in places.

There are great views at the summit. We stayed for a while but then it started to get cold and windy, so we made our descent down to the Y-Bar Trail. It is a lot easier going down than coming up in that direction.

The Y-Bar trail was miserable as ever, but at least it was not overgrown. The Barnhardt Trail is going to need some trail maintenance in places before too much longer.

Culture

Culture [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Benchmark Bushwhack

Named place

Named place [ checklist ]

Meteorology

Meteorology [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Icicle Snow

Medium flow

_____________________

Civilization is a nice place to visit but I wouldn't want to live there

Feb 27 2021

clayncallaway

Guides 1
Routes 168
Photos 384
Triplogs 161

32 male

Joined Aug 13 2017
Tempe

Mazatzal Peak, AZ

Hiking		Feb 27 2021
		clayncallaway • Triplogs 161

Hiking	10.71 Miles	4,186 AEG

Hiking	10.71 Miles	9 Hrs 21 Mns		1.30 mph
	4,186 ft AEG	1 Hour 5 Mns Break	10 LBS Pack

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First time out in the Mazatzals and we decided to knock the peak out first. After reviewing all the triplogs I decided on Suicide Ridge for the up and Y Bar the down.

Suicide ridge is pretty wild. I didn't see signs of human activity or cairns at any point on the ridge. The route is very direct but more than doable. Snow was present on top of the ridge. Ord and Four Peaks came into view. Mazatzal Peak was great. Summit register, lady bugs, Geo disk, the whole thing.

My Ambit 3 started giving me some directional issues when we started the descent. This resulted in some minor issues getting started down Y Bar. After 15 minutes or so we found a beautiful cairn. It's funny how much joy a pile of rocks can give you. I personally would not want to be in this area without GPS. The brush on the descent was unpleasant. At some point an agave got the better of me. At this point, we decided to change the name of the route to "Why Bar" instead of Y Bar.

It was nice to finally reconnect to the actual trail section. After that, it was trail all the way back to the car.

Peak bagging is always a treat.

Culture

Culture [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Benchmark

_____________________

1 archive

Dec 21 2020

Routes 154
Photos 1,505
Triplogs 266

31 male

Joined Jun 02 2019
Phoenix, AZ

Payson, AZ

Hiking		Dec 21 2020
		LJW • Triplogs 266

Hiking	17.29 Miles	4,586 AEG

Hiking	17.29 Miles	8 Hrs	2.38 mph
	4,586 ft AEG	45 Mns Break

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Mazatzal Divide Trail #23

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Have made a habit of heading into the Mazatzals for my last hike of the year. Dreamed this one up during the summer and saved it for to finish off 2020. Started at Barnhardt around 8am and took the loop clockwise.

If I've ever driven to Barnhardt when the road was in poorer condition, I can't remember it. Took Y Bar to the first ridge, and it looked clear enough, so I went up. It was a little rough in spots, but there was enough clear ground to gain between the bushwhacking to hold my optimism. It's real steep and climbs a while before reaching Suicide Ridge. Once on the end of the ridge, the views open way up.

The hardest part of the hike was getting up to Suicide Ridge. Once past 6958 the terrain opens up. Only got caught in two sections of manzanita and brush. The views are huge in every direction and similar to the summit proper. Compared to taking the N drainage up, it is impossible to forget just how big the mountain is. It's a fantastic ridge walk with more and more pines as the summit nears. I was glad that I didn't take this route my first time, as the views from Suicide Ridge are so good they surely diminish the wow factor of approaching from the north where the expanse really only opens up at the summit.

Shortest way to the summit and was on top in three hours. Good day for visibility. You can see it all up there. Felt warm nearly the whole way up, but on the summit it was windy and cold. Had a look over the way I came, the way I was going, took some pictures, and after a short while headed down.

The summit is a reminder that the world is beautiful and wide; the descent to Y Bar offers no such reassurance. Fourth time heading down that way, and I had the easiest time yet finding the route. Less of a bushwhack than on previous trips, but it's always slow going. I will never attempt a summit from that side. Took me well over an hour to get down.

Rest of the loop was on trail and easy going. Headed west to the Divide Trail and then toward Barnhardt. Always enjoy the expanse out toward the Western Mazatzals and Horseshoe Lake. The views toward the summit aren't bad either. Doesn't take long to descend between the trails on MDT. It was the warmest part of the day.

Barnhardt back down. Great place to be when the sun is setting. Cold in the canyon. Last of fall color at the bottom. Got back to the trailhead and there were several cars there, but I didn't see anyone on the hike.

Autumn Foliage Observation Isolated
Creek bed in Barnhardt Canyon finishing up

Dec 13 2020

ShatteredArm

Guides 12
Routes 192
Photos 863
Triplogs 356

42 male

Joined Nov 30 2015
Phoenix, AZ

Mazatzal Peak - Suicide Ridge approach, AZ

Hiking		Dec 13 2020
		ShatteredArm • Triplogs 356

Hiking	10.67 Miles	4,133 AEG

Hiking	10.67 Miles	5 Hrs 24 Mns	2.01 mph
	4,133 ft AEG	6 Mns Break

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Shake Tree Trail # 44

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A couple years ago when summitting Mazatzal Peak for the first time, I noticed on the topo map that Suicide Ridge could be a potential route to the summit. Finally got around to trying it out.

I figured correctly that once gaining the ridge, there shouldn't be any major obstacles. The question was the best way to get up there. There was a ridge that, from the parking lot, looked completely unbroken, so decided to shoot for that one. Once there, we weren't sure we were at the right one, since the next one (not visible from the TH) looked better. We took the next one. It was about a 1,700 foot climb in less than 1.2 miles to gain the ridge, but overall it wasn't too bad, with no scrambling and reasonably kind vegetation.

Suicide Ridge itself did not make for too difficult travel, with maybe three manzanita groves to wade through. It was also cold up there, and the summit actually provided a little warmth.

Decided to head down to Y-Bar on the way out, and despite having done this route before, route finding was more difficult than I remembered.

Got back to the TH right around sunset. Good day, shredded legs, and honestly enjoyed the Suicide Ridge route more than the Y-Bar approach.

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Oct 09 2020

Jim

Guides 73
Routes 176
Photos 10,174
Triplogs 2,324

46 male

Joined Sep 08 2006

Payson, AZ

Hiking		Oct 09 2020
		Jim • Triplogs 2,324

Hiking	14.25 Miles	4,300 AEG

Hiking	14.25 Miles	8 Hrs		1.90 mph
	4,300 ft AEG	30 Mns Break	10 LBS Pack

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Pretty good day to do this. Air quality is relatively good, so view from Montezuma Sleeping to Mount Baldy, Humphrey, Union, Pine Mt, Signal, and Aztec, and everything in between, were nice to see. Might be the best summit in the state for viewing peaks. The hike or route is getting to feel familiar, even if it is still rather hard. Still, not likely to return for a couple of years, again. Wish I could spend more time on the summit, but its a long one, too.

Not much color to be had. The drought is taking it's toll.

Because: [ youtube video ]

Autumn Foliage Observation Isolated

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1 archive

Jan 23 2020

Routes 154
Photos 1,505
Triplogs 266

31 male

Joined Jun 02 2019
Phoenix, AZ

Payson, AZ

Hiking		Jan 23 2020
		LJW • Triplogs 266

Hiking	12.86 Miles	4,080 AEG

Hiking	12.86 Miles	9 Hrs 4 Mns	2.12 mph
	4,080 ft AEG	3 Hrs Break

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Friend had never been to the summit of Mazatzal Peak, so after admiring it from the Mazatzal Divide trail two weeks ago we headed back for a pretty conventional loop: up from the north via Barnhardt and then south down to Y Bar which we took back to the trailhead.

The snow has melted off the Barnhardt Trail. The flow of water in Barnhardt Canyon and all of the drainages that feed it are flowing the strongest they have probably since the snow in late December. Both falls along the trail had as much water as I've seen in them. Lots of waterfalls besides those running down the creeks.

The N drainage had been dry the past two weeks but when we went had a strong flow of snow run off. It made the route a lot trickier but much more interesting. Had to do a lot more scrambling to avoid getting wet, and this was more difficult because we had a small, 35lb dog with us. We took turns raising her up the small climbs to one another which took a lot of time, but there was consistently a route around the water that we could all work our way up. The waterfalls that are usually dry were running fast and strong, and it was really cool to see. Endless cascades and waterfalls running down the drainage made up for the increased difficulty and slower pace, and the added scrambling was more fun than a traditional, dry climb up.

Water slowed a little once we were through the steepest parts, but there was still a lot flowing in the creek. Started seeing a lot more snow and ended up soaking wet. Bushwhacking up and down the creek was more involved in order to avoid the water. Took a lot of energy to push through the snow working up slope to the peak.

Made it to the top in almost 5 hours and hung around for about 2. Visibility was solid, could see all the way to the White Mountains. Hundreds of ladybugs clumped around the peak. Two pairs of fighter jets passed by us and headed down Deer Creek while we were on top.

Route down to Y Bar was rough a bushwhack through the Manzanita but was over quickly. We were happy to be back on a trail by the time we made it to Y Bar, but the tread is torturous. Didn't see any one all day and no cars at the trailhead at the start or finish.

Fauna

Fauna [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Ladybug beetle

Heavy flow

Hawaiian Mist

Medium flow

1 archive

Oct 30 2019

Routes 154
Photos 1,505
Triplogs 266

31 male

Joined Jun 02 2019
Phoenix, AZ

Payson, AZ

Hiking		Oct 30 2019
		LJW • Triplogs 266

Hiking	20.07 Miles	4,662 AEG

Hiking	20.07 Miles	9 Hrs 12 Mns	2.69 mph
	4,662 ft AEG	1 Hour 45 Mns Break

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Mazatzal Divide Trail #23

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Second time to the summit of Mazatzal Peak. Kind of a weird route this time because I wanted to hike around the peak on sections of Y Bar and the Mazatzal Divide Trail that I hadn't done yet. Went up Barnhardt and the north drainage, down the south face to Y Bar, then back around to Barnhardt on Mazatzal Divide.

Road in to the trailhead was a little rocky but good. Temperature was 35 degrees when I started. The trees in the lower sections of Barnhardt Canyon are just starting to change color. Once higher, the trees on the north side of Suicide Ridge are all pretty yellow. The north drainage had a good mix of colors: light green, yellow, orange, and red. It was much less overgrown than I remember, once past the initial climb the miles came pretty easy.

Made it to the top and it must have been around freezing in the wind. Still a lot of ladybugs hiding out from the cold. Stayed for about an hour. Reading the register it would seem only ~15 parties of hikers have been up on the summit since I was there in November of last year.

The traverse down to Y Bar wasn't as bad as I remember either, though it's still a solid bushwhack that I enjoy more going down than up. Easier to take on the manzanita when gravity is on your side.

Was happy I added the Mazatzal Divide Trail as it affords great views of some of the most beautiful country in the state. Really enjoyed the views west and back toward the peak. Trail was in great shape. Two fighter jets passed below the peak to the south, would've been cool to be up there for that.

On Barnhardt out I passed the only people I saw all day: an ACE crew that was going to start work on the Davenport Wash Trail.

Autumn Foliage Observation Moderate
Barnhardt still green in lower section. Above 6000ft in N drainage colors are good. Divide trail has pockets of good color.

4 archives

Oct 28 2018

trekkin_gecko

Guides 10
Routes 673
Photos 7,281
Triplogs 4,660

67 female

Joined Nov 17 2008
phoenix, az

Payson, AZ

Hiking		Oct 28 2018
		trekkin_gecko • Triplogs 4,660

Hiking	11.96 Miles	4,092 AEG

Hiking	11.96 Miles	8 Hrs 27 Mns	1.67 mph
	4,092 ft AEG	1 Hour 17 Mns Break

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chumley

LindaAnn

linda invited me to do this one and todd decided to join in
met up early off the 202 and headed up the beeline
road to the trailhead was dry with a few ruts
first hiked the same route five years ago with ----
up y bar to the saddle - think mike and i cut up a bit sooner
seemed like more brush this time; not sure i remember correctly
a few scrambles but not bad off trail
i like the last bit to the summit - more moderate grade, nice flat bedrock
enjoyed the views, checked out the summit register, took photos and had a snack
headed down the drainage
substantial flow made for even slower going for me but it was fun to downclimb around the water
good fall color along the drainage
nice to hit barnhardt after all that and the last five miles seemed to go quickly
fun to be up there again, and nice to hike it with linda and todd
views from picketpost to the valley to humphreys were excellent
weather was perfect
next time i would like to take another route down, maybe suicide ridge
saw two people on barnhardt and that was it
good times!

Culture

Culture [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Benchmark

_____________________

hazhole

3 archives

Oct 28 2018

chumley

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

52 male

Joined Sep 18 2002
Tempe, AZ

Payson, AZ

Hiking		Oct 28 2018
		chumley • Triplogs 1,993

Hiking	13.03 Miles	4,348 AEG

Hiking	13.03 Miles	8 Hrs 24 Mns	2.03 mph
	4,348 ft AEG	1 Hour 59 Mns Break

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[ checklist ] Big Kahuna Falls - Mazatzal Wilderness

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LindaAnn

trekkin_gecko

Linda and I had a competition for who could complain more. She won.

Otherwise it was a great day. This is such a fantastic peak with views of dozens of recognizable mountains 360 degrees around. Harquahala? Yup. Turnbull? Mmmhmmm. Picketpost? Yessir. BillWill, Sit, Ken, Hump? Of course! Etc.

I'd never gone down the north drainage and it was a surprise autumn treat. The mountain is still soaked with running water, seeps, pools and waterfalls all over the place. Nobody else out here today. That was one thing none of us could complain about!

Named place

Named place [ checklist ]

Autumn Foliage Observation Light
North-facing drainages had some impressive maple showings

Barnhardt Creek at Half Moon Trail

Light flow

Light flow

Hawaiian Mist

Light flow

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

Oct 28 2018

LindaAnn

Guides 110
Routes 2,246
Photos 8,982
Triplogs 2,600

45 female

Joined Dec 24 2007
Ahwatukee, AZ

Payson, AZ

Hiking		Oct 28 2018
		LindaAnn • Triplogs 2,600

Hiking	13.03 Miles	4,348 AEG

Hiking	13.03 Miles	8 Hrs 24 Mns	1.96 mph
	4,348 ft AEG	1 Hour 45 Mns Break

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