|
| | | Goldfield Helmet Rock and Arches Loop, AZ | | | |
|
|
Goldfield Helmet Rock and Arches Loop, AZ
| | |
| |
|
| Hiking | 7.80 Miles |
1,574 AEG |
| | Hiking | 7.80 Miles | 6 Hrs 54 Mns | | 1.80 mph |
| 1,574 ft AEG | 2 Hrs 34 Mns Break | | | |
|
|
| |
| Partners |
|
[ show ]
| partners | | We had a limited amount of time today, so I planned a shorter route in the Goldfields to see some of the arches, based on a combination of the @adilling loop from 1/10/21 and the @johnlp and @trekkin_gecko route from 3/10/19. This was the second weekend in a row starting at Willow Spring Trailhead--we were there last weekend for a hike to Black Glass Canyon and Triple Arch...it's a beautiful area and short drive from the east valley. There were no cars in the lot when we arrived, and it was in the 50s but very breezy as we got going, with nice views of last nights full moon.
We hiked the loop clockwise, the reverse of adilling's route, so our first main destination was Checkmate Arch. We had great views of the Superstitions and Weaver's Needle as the sun came up, and I headed off the route early in the hike to go up on top of a large ridge/butte that johnlp and trekkin_gecko explored on their hike. The south side is sheer cliffs, but the north side has a much gentler slope. I didn't quite get to the high point on the eastern end...there was a deep, narrow drainage that looked difficult to cross to get over there, but there was a tall cairn at the high point, so people obviously climb up there. I settled for reaching the smaller "consolation cairn"  on the near side of the drainage, but the views up there were great, especially with the long morning shadows. [ youtube video ]
Next up was Checkmate Arch, and I approached from the east side on the "overly-cairned" route that adilling mentioned in his triplog. Along the way, I checked out a tall, shallow cave that looked intriguing but didn't have anything interesting inside. Checkmate is a unique arch that's formed by a large boulder wedged between two other rocks, surrounded again by plenty of nice landscape. [ youtube video ]
From there, we bushwhacked west along a wash and then took the short spur with a well-defined trail to Anniversary Arch. That one was even better up close than it first appeared as we approached. It's a narrow opening in a short alcove, and the ceiling is a little higher right by the arch and forms a small room. The views of the Goldfields and Four Peaks looking through it were great, and we took a snack break in alcove before continuing. [ youtube video ]
We headed toward Quartz Crystal Arroyo and left the trail to hike up through a narrow passage in the rocks, then explored a small cave just south of Helmet Rock. We saw the first of three Golden Eye mining claim sites nearby, and I tried climbing up Helmet. Some of the triplogs made it sound pretty treacherous. I didn't find it too bad until the last ~15 feet, and between strong wind and the steep, pebbly slope, it didn't seem like there was much more to see that was worth the risk to climb that last 15 feet, so I came up just short. [ youtube video ]
We headed north and saw the second mining claim and explored the cave/tunnel/arch nearby. I'm surprised that one doesn't have a name--it's a really beautiful spot with the a window in the rock and a large arch in the passageway. [ youtube video ] We circled around to Golden Eye Arches and pushed through some thick brush past a third mining claim and back down to the trail. On the way, I noticed a bird overhead and zoomed in for some pictures, and we later confirmed it was a bald eagle, which was nice to see.
With just over a mile left to go, we hadn't seen anyone all day but ended up passing a few groups of hikers, some off-roaders, and quite a few people in the parking lot over the last mile. This was another fun hike in the Goldfields, and a great lower-mileage option with a lot of unique points of interest along the way...with four arches in under eight miles, that's less than two miles per arch, if such a measure exists . |
| | |
|
|
|
Route Editor
Route Scout
Route 
How hard can it be to hike to a "line"/(track) on your garmin. For me, apparently very hard. Went in on the Gold Eagle Nugget and then about .4 miles on the Golden Eye Mine Trail. Came to the wash, pulled out my garmin and took off in the direction that I thought would connect me to the track. Pulling it out numerous times had me "Z'ing" across the landscape. Ended climbing up......down......and then up some of the high points in the area, including the "helmet". And actually got somewhat distracted with all the fun scrambles that were available in the area. After the "helmet" I ended up stumbling on the Arches as I was crossing a wash/canyon from one high point to another. I usually like following trails/tracks to consider them done, but I'm going to count this hike as "win" seeing as how I not only found the arches but had a great time playing around on some of the high points in the area. 
Incredibly windy out there. I bet wind gusts hit 30 or more. Nearly blown over a couple of times and my hat was more of a hindrance than a help. Disappointed in the flowers. A light sprinkling of purple flowers, (Dichelostemma capitatum?), but that was it. Bunch of fox tails and lime green lichen added some additional coloring to the landscape. Saw some hikers on the Golden Eye Mine Trail while I was on the "helmet", but otherwise had the Goldfields to myself. No wildlife.
Since I was solo on this trip I wasn't planning on going to the top of the Helmet however before I knew it I was there. Took a couple photos and then basically scooted back down as I locked in my heels to avoid slipping. Did some exploring on the upper and lower sections as this area has a lot to offer and then made my way back to a now empty parking lot. Great day outside.
