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| | | Tanque Verde Peak - Ernies - Bridal, AZ | | | |
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Tanque Verde Peak - Ernies - Bridal, AZ
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| Hiking | 25.87 Miles |
5,822 AEG |
| | Hiking | 25.87 Miles | 8 Hrs 25 Mns | | 3.42 mph |
| 5,822 ft AEG | 51 Mns Break | | | |
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| no partners | | I took off from Douglas Spring TH at ~7:30AM--it was busy this morning, with the parking lot nearly full and several groups starting out around the same time. The crowds thinned out quickly, and the trails were empty long before Douglas Spring Campground. Everything up to Cow Head Saddle was familiar territory, having just been through there last month on a hike to Mica Mountain...hard to forget all those steps  .
But the trail was more overgrown than I remembered, though mostly with grasses and minimal pokey stuff. Not much water along the route, but more than last time with a little more water in the drainages and some occasional small pools that would've had plenty for filtering if needed, with a light flow near the campground.
I took the first break of the day at Cow Head Saddle, then finally got into unfamiliar territory starting up Tanque Verde Ridge Trail. Nice to see a new area after several prior trips to Cow Head, and the views to the south opened up nicely along the ridgeline. I passed one other hiker on the way up, and there was a guy at the peak who took off soon after I arrived, so I had the top to myself for a while. The register book in the pedestal/box just below the summit was full of recent entries--clearly a popular peak. [ youtube video ]
The hike out was uneventful and went quickly with downhill most of the way, though temps were on the warmer side, probably mid/upper-80s at the lower elevations. I saw a backpacker hiking in as I approached the campground, and since I was doing well on time, I decided to take two short detours over to Ernie's Falls and Bridal Wreath. No water flowing at Ernie's, just a stagnant pool at the bottom of the dry falls, but Bridal Wreath had a small trickle, enough for a refreshing dunk of the hat.
From there, back to Douglas Spring TH and done a little before 4PM. Although the route doesn't have the most spectacular scenery, it's a pleasant hike, and it was nice to finally get up to Tanque Verde Peak after having that one on my list for a few years. |
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