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| Hiking | 8.80 Miles |
2,220 AEG |
| | Hiking | 8.80 Miles | 4 Hrs | | 2.35 mph |
| 2,220 ft AEG | 15 Mns Break | 12 LBS Pack | | |
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| no partners | | Weather forecast was not inviting for hikes to the east, plus wasn’t up for any long drive today. Planned for a destination of solitude but required using typically busy Jacob’s Trail and Siphon Draw Trail ,was hoping a weekday would help.Sacrificed some sleep time for an early start and saw no one until reaching Siphon Draw Trail , spotted two pairs and one trio heading up, concluded they must be younger as they steadily increased their distancing. Wildflowers still fairly abundant but showing signs of fading . Once on the saddle above the basin took a right to the “trail”, first south then west was mostly visible despite the heavy foxtail influx. Had a snack at the summit cairn ,enjoyed the views and increased breeze,explored the ridgeline a bit toward the base of Flatiron, consideration for Spirit Canyon evaporated and started back, surprised by the appearance of a couple at the summit area.Took a different path down from the low point on the saddle ,it’s now more of a bushwhack being almost completely overgrown. Back down to the basin a few other hikers around but not a crowd, small stagnant pool at the base of the waterfall. Now later in the morning the volume of hikers coming up Siphon Draw increased, decided when meeting them to stop ahead and pull way over , as it turns out moving a few feet off the trail and coiling up like a rattlesnake was not the best strategy. The information here sign must have been on , as each family group passed there were questions and lots of them, how far is it, how long will it take, do we stay to the left, are there snakes here, where am I , what’s the meaning of life etc. ](https://hikearizona.com/dex2/images/smilies/eusa_wall.gif "Brick wall") Escaped by finishing on Jacob’s trail and Prospector , patience now left behind new strategy when passing the few hikers I saw , stare at my watch and jog by while muttering, no more questions for the crazy old man. Even the two horses and riders I met eyed me suspiciously. Did enjoy the weather today remained cool and breezy all day, maybe not so good for allergy victims. |
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Wildflowers Observation Moderate
Thistle, hedgehog, stinknet, lupine,Mojave aster,owl clover,brittle bush |
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Route Editor
Route Scout
Route 
Met 7 hikers up to this point, (2 were already heading down), but when I turned off the Flatiron I had the “trail” to myself. Unable to download routes currently, but I was hopeful that I would be able to fine Peak 3845. Trail was pretty obvious once I turned off the Flatiron. There was one solid trail with various threads that seemed to “fray” off the main one as I hiked in. Almost immediately there was a pretty neat rock formation that was worthy of admiration. I ended up going off the main trail and following one of the threads that seemed to gain elevation faster. It soon lost its definition but I did come across cairns as I made my way up through the brush. When I reached the “top” it turned out to be a slope that gradual rose to the base of the Flatiron. Along the slope there were 3-4 prominences. Not knowing exactly where 3845 was, I decided to climb up to the prominences. I ended up stopping just shy of the base. Pretty cool view! The feeling of isolation, however, wasn’t as strong as I would have thought. Sounds from the Flatiron trail carry very well...and it sounded busy! I kept looking around to see who else was out there with me until I realized the noise was coming from the trail. To add to the cacophony someone was flying a drone from the top of Flatiron...probably providing some killer views. So much for solitude. When it comes to elevation, I don’t have much faith in my Garmin. According to it I topped out around 4100ft. On the way down I checked out all the prominences on the off chance they might be 3845. No luck, but they were neat to check out and 1 offered sweet views of the Draw. On the way down I went out to a mildly mounded hill overlooking the valley and sure enough....Peak 3845! 
Decided to make a loop on the way back using Prospector Trail, Treasue Loop and Crosscut to return to the trailhead, was definitely getting warm by time I finished.
