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| Hiking | 8.90 Miles |
1,073 AEG |
| | Hiking | 8.90 Miles | 5 Hrs 45 Mns | | 1.87 mph |
| 1,073 ft AEG | 1 Hour Break | 15 LBS Pack | | |
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| no partners | | I carefully drove my Jeep Cherokee from [ Swansea Ghost Town ] down to the Bill Williams River. There is a narrow corridor of non-wilderness carved out for this road, and when you get to the end of the road, you are already surrounded by the wilderness. The register at the road end suggests some visitation there, but it seems to be people mostly hiking or driving the road, and not venturing off into the wilderness from there.
I had planned a loop route down the Bill Williams, then up a wash to the left and down another wash back to my car. As soon as I started checking out the plan along the river, I realized that the edges are choked with mesquite and other tangled brush, and that was a bad plan. Had I brought the right shoes, I think I could have made it with multiple fords of the river, but I wasn’t prepared for an Aravaipa-type experience.
Instead, I walked up a dry wash, into the heart of the wilderness, and climbed a peak that commanded a great view to the east. The walking up the wash was easy, often following burro tracks, and the summit was an enjoyable lunch spot. It was very quiet at the summit, except for the vague rumble of OHVs beyond the ridge to the west.
It looks like the ridge tops as well offer ample opportunities for rambling. I might have returned by a ridge top route, but I generally stick to my planned route as much as possible.
Parts of the road in offer no long visibility to on-coming traffic and no place to pull off which is a little nerve-wracking. When I was coming out, I was fortunate that I had just completed the most nip-and-tuck such section on slickrock when I met an OHV coming the other way. I would not have wanted to back up on that! Other than that one I saw no other vehicles beyond the ghost town. |
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