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| Hiking | 12.94 Miles |
4,825 AEG |
| | Hiking | 12.94 Miles | 9 Hrs 14 Mns | | 1.40 mph |
| 4,825 ft AEG | 3 Days 14 Hrs Break | 35 LBS Pack | | |
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| partners | | This is actually part of a two-day backpack, I split it into two triplogs because I wanted to keep track of monthly mileage.
Last weekend we did Rincon Peak, which got us into a mood to explore more of the Rincons. Plus what a better way to follow-up one tough hike than with a tough backpack!
We car camped at the trailhead on Friday night so that we wouldn't have to get up really early to start hiking. In the morning we were greeted by a few turkeys - which is appropriate since the Trail is called Turkey Creek. The first half of this hike is in juniper/grasslands and a burn area with scrub oak and manzanita. Therefore, it can be quite hot. We lucked out because it was windy this weekend which kept the heat at bay.
The first 1.5 miles is on a jeep road which has several steep sections as well as uneven tracks which means we didn't want to take our Outback on it. Instead we hiked. Once the road ended we headed off on the trail which followed a ridge line and the skirted around a hill to the Saguaro National Park boundary (3 miles). After another quarter to half mile, we signed the Park registry and then started the steep ascent. For about another mile, we were in the old burn area, so we didn't want to take a break. We waited until we finally reached some tall trees and then we rested for a bit. From there it wasn't too far to Mud Hole Spring, which surprisingly had about an 1-2 inches of water in the catchment. From there it is a very long and steep 1 (or 1.2) miles to Deer Head Spring through juniper and pine forest. Deer Head Spring did not have any standing water. There was no catchment, which might explain why there wasn't any standing water. The ground was slightly wet. From there it was just a little bit up to the Deer Head Springs Trail which we took to the cut-off for Spud Rock Springs Campground.
Spud Rock Springs Campground is one of my favorite in the Rincons. Both times we've stayed here we haven't encountered other humans. Campsite #1 is great for larger parties. However, it is close to the toilets. The old one is still in operation, while the new one might be ready to go if you don't mind exposing yourself to your companions. This particular site has many nice flat areas and you could easily get far enough away from the toilets to enjoy the peacefulness of the campsite. The other two sites are near to the spring but the do not have many flat areas. The Spud Rock Spring catchment did have water in it - about 12 inches.
After we assembled our camp, we decided to for-go lounging around camp. Instead, we did a loop day-hike going up the Switchback trail to the Fire Loop trail. From there we took the shortest route to Manning Camp. We saw a few deer near the pond and then later they were in the mule corral. We took some time to play with the rope swing. From there we headed over to the Devil's Bathtub. This was the lowest I had ever seen the water and we actually could really make out why it has it's name. There is a tinaja which is as large as a bathtub, but it's right on the edge of a cliff. You'd be playing with the Devil if you decided to take a dip. From the Devil's Bathtub, we continued on taking the shortest routes to Spud Rock Campground.
As we approached camp, we found several colonies of Tent Caterpillars in which the caterpillars were actually outside of their tents. The larvae of the tent caterpillars construct silken tents on branches that are used for shelter and molting during the daytime. At night, caterpillars feed outside of the tents. Source: http://www.fs.fed.us/r3/resources/health/field-guide/fid/tent-caterpillar.shtml
We did finally get to lounge around camp. We made our dinner - mine was a burrito filled with rehydrated carnitas and veggies. Yum!
What a wonderful way to spend a Saturday in Southern Arizona! |
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Wildflowers Observation Isolated
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Devils Bathtub |
Dripping |
Dripping |
| | | Water is present but not much flow over the edge. |
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Spud Rock Spring |
Dripping |
Dripping |
| | | It's impossible to say exactly how much water is coming out of the earth - however, it was at about 12 inches which concurs with reports the NPS had from mid-March and April 21. | | _____________________
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