Bassett Peak • Hike • Arizona • All Triplogs • HikeArizona.COM

Rattlesnake Trail #285

Powers Cabin & Mine

West Divide Trail #289

[ checklist ] Echols Spring Jackson Canyon Spring Kielberg Tank Knothe Spring Powers Cabin

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This one has been high on my list, and just so happens to "finish" off the Galiuro Wilderness trails... though exactly what counts as a trail out here is up for debate

Ash Creek
Trail conditions were fantastic. Lots of fall colors (still!) holding on. Creek was mostly dry until the last 1/2 mile, where the overflow from the upper spring set up some intermittent pools. Switchbacks passed by quickly in the chill morning air, even with my water-laden pack. This might be the best-maintained trail in the wilderness (at least until the junction w/ East Divide, more on that later).

East Divide (Ash Creek -> Rattlesnake)
After a quick hop on the shoulder of 6996' the trail slides down the other side, and I totally missed where and had to play in snow before getting back on tread. And... that was the only mishap. The trail is in RIDICULOUSLY good shape for how little traffic it gets, largely due to its original construction.

From the GPS it looks like this rollercoaster is a squiggly line that dances all over the place. On the ground it's much more tame, designed mostly as straight segments that are easy to follow even when there's minor overgrowth or faint tread. The intermittent switchbacks are well-constructed, large cairns mark directional changes, and the route dances through some downright cool formations.

There was some snow clinging on north-facing slopes that provided minor obstacles, over a week since the storm that had "1-2 inches of accumulation". The switchbacks that climb up the side of 7193' are deceptively numerous and made my hamstrings sad. Near the High Creek junction, along 7490', the overgrowth does get thick (about the same as the upper sections of High Creek Trail, not spiky, just thick). Otherwise, this trail was a complete delight and I'm eager to find an excuse to revisit.

I was running low on energy & water at Paddy's Saddle and seriously thought about bailing down High Creek. The hassle of getting from one trailhead to the next kept me out there. Pushed on through increasing snow to the Rattlesnake Trail, with a few sections getting up to 4" of slush that chilled my trail runners. Dropping elevation for the night was my main goal at this point.

Rattlesnake (East Divide -> Holdout Spr)
For the shade this trail gets, the snow accumulation wasn't that bad, and I made pretty quick time down. That washed out section now had ice & snow, so yeah, I bypassed above again. Otherwise, some overgrowth, mostly not spiky, and then Rattlesnake had intermittent flow, which is always nice to see. Then I was at Holdout Spring and it was time to set up camp.

Opted to do the cave this time. There was a single bat and some shy flies on the wall -- otherwise, no droppings or nasty critters to deter me. Waterfall was trickling, which made for a lovely ambience, and I had a great night of sleep on that shelf.

Rattlesnake (Holdout Spr -> Powers Cabin Connection)
Was braced for this to be a slog, and it wasn't really that bad. The overgrowth isn't nearly as bad as I remembered. There were one or two sections that I opted to boulder-hop instead of haul up a steep slope, which may have skipped the worst of it. Oh, and a large patch of deadfall directly west of Holdout, that was annoying.

Powers Cabin Connection
I was just on this a few months ago so I zipped up quick. It was an easy climb with minimal overgrowth and a few small patches of snow.

West Divide (Powers Cabin Connection -> Jackson Cabin)
Trail down to Powers Cabin was recently groomed, though the person who clipped the catclaw & manzanita left the pieces on trail, which snagged at my pants and was slightly annoying. I tossed the larger pieces to the side. The old cabin showed up suddenly and I paid some quick respects there. It was cool to see, though the catclaw is growing so close around the walls that it's annoying to get decent photos.

After the cabin the trail is almost easier: gentle downhill, less catclaw, and intermittent shade. At the bottom there is a large, grassy clearing with a fire ring where I suspect @ShatteredArm camped last year. Continuing south, there were a number of pleasant water tanks in the tributary below the large dam, and a less-pleasant (but probably more dependable) tank above the dam. There was good tread and a cairn that headed east on a tributary but the trail was supposed to go south, so I went south and picked up the trail after 5-10 minutes.

Things were starting to heat up and I was not looking forward to the exposed sections south of Kielberg Divide, so I made quick work up the climb and didn't pause at Long Tom. Next time. Trail was pretty well defined all the way to the saddle except for one section just below the mine. Dropping south off the Divide was not too bad -- there were no cairns, just plenty of game trails that made for easy switchbacks. Near the bottom the catclaw showed up, by then it was easy enough to use the drainage instead and deal with the occasional deadfall or boulder obstacle.

The area around Knothe Spring was interesting, though the trail was difficult to track, and beyond the bone-dry trough there was a large washout that erased any sign of tread (and looked a bit sketch). Managed to find a rough track with a few cairns that went up and over the hill to avoid it. Trail quickly dropped into the drainage that winds through Cedar Flat, which was a fascinating area. For the most part the trail stayed in the drainage, and I did track it across a few shortcuts. The surrounding hillsides were dotted with junipers and steep enough to block any big view and it felt... both expansive and claustrophobic at the same time.

I assumed that the best way to drop into Redfield would be to stay in the drainage, and boy was that wrong. First I bumped into a 20-30 foot dry fall that might have been possible to navigate around, so I scouted out the eastern bank and picked up a trail. It was very steep and dropped down quickly, and then I saw a 100+ drop in that drainage that I was planning on following. So... guess the trail is it. The last few minutes of the drop got annoying and overgrown.

Redfield, all the way to Hooker Cabin, is an absolute gem. There's some rough boulder-hopping, and the intermittent flow meant a few large pools that made for difficult bypasses, and it's choked with huge logs in sections, and it's gorgeous. Towering rock walls, weird formations, and gargantuan trees felt like I was in another land altogether. I did pass by what might be an alternate route in this area, the marked topo line that climbs up next to 5626', which I'd consider a "highwater" option. Otherwise, by all means, stay in the canyon, it's fantastic.

After Hooker Cabin the sheen wore thin. There were still cool rock formations and towering walls, though they were muted and withdrawn in comparison of the upper stretch of Redfield. Also, the intermittent flow completely dried up, leaving me with a dry, empty canyon in the fading afternoon heat. To break up the miles of boulder-hopping I tried to follow the tread along the banks a few times, pushing through catclaw and deadfall at times. I was pretty exhausted by the time I reached Jackson Canyon. The trail does clear up in this final section (likely because Jackson Canyon has much larger boulder obstacles) and it was fairly easy work to reach the cabin.

Slept on the floor in the back room. With the windows closed it stayed pretty warm in there, I didn't even put my beanie on until the next morning. Having no water sources along Redfield yesterday afternoon and a bone-dry Jackson Canyon I borrowed a few water bottles from the cabin to get me through the night.

Bassett Peak (Jackson Cabin -> Peak -> East Divide)
Couldn't find where the trail leaves the cabin area so I went cross-country until the tread materialized, and after that things were pretty easy. The trail stays out of the creek, dancing from one bank to the next, and is relatively easy to follow, with a combination of flagging and cairns to help guide through the rough sections. Took a quick stop at the spring area before pushing on to the "steeps".

There was one annoying washout where the drainage ate up the slope which caused some route-finding, think it was around 5330'. After that I was happy to see the tread mostly leave the canyon and start really steeping. The first climb reminded me of YLE, a steady, somewhat defined march up a grassy, rocky slope where it's useful to just aim for a landmark instead of fretting over tread. When the switchbacks finally kick in more than half of the total elevation gain is already behind you, and they are well-defined and make for a solid paced haul up the hill.

I broke up the next few miles into groups of switchbacks, and there was only one that gave me some issue at 6680', when it's easier to go straight up a rocky washout than fight the brush. I'm sure that a little more attention here would have found a tread on one side or the other, just didn't have the patience at this point. Was pleasantly surprised when the trail crested up and over the ridge and turned northwards, with Bassett Peak, the last milestone, looming above, though that last mile absolutely dragged. The trail is in good shape and the views are good, I was just tired.

Quick stop at Bassett Peak and then it was time to descend, where I finally saw my first set of human prints in the snowy northern slopes. Someone else had been out here! I was glad, because the tread was infinitesimally narrow on the steep, loose, and soggy northern slopes, covered with a few inches of slushy snow and ice, and those tracks gave me a bit of purchase. Also, the trail was quite overgrown here, which gave me extra handholds on a few sections. After those nasty switchbacks it was back to the fantastic East Divide vibe with solid tread and creative routing.

Ash Creek
This again. With the exception of a few stops to nurse blisters, guzzle extra water, and chat w/ a lone bear hunter by Lower Ash Spring (the only other human I saw out there), it was a downhill race towards an eventual greasy burger.

Culture

Culture [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Dam - Rock

Named place

Named place [ checklist ]

	Cedar Spring	Dripping	Dripping
	Missed the actual spring, but drainage had intermittent flow for most of the trail.

	Echols Spring	Dripping	Dripping
	Spring had water and there was intermittent flow down to Gold Gulch.

	Holdout Spring	Gallon per minute	Gallon per minute
	Waterfall was flowing, cave was dripping, catchment was overflowing. Plenty of water here.

	Jackson Canyon	Dry	Dry
	Dry at confluence w/ Redfield, dry along trail up Bassett Peak.

	Jackson Canyon Spring	Quart per minute	Quart per minute
	Steady drip coming out of the pipe, full (and very green) plastic trough. Source is more appealing than the trough.

	Kielberg Tank	26-50% full	26-50% full
	Several tanks were flow and trickling due to recent rain & snow, tho they dried up quickly downstream.

	Knothe Spring	Dry	Dry
	Knope water to be found. Dry drainage below the dry trough.

	Mitchell Canyon	Dry	Dry
	Bone dry at confluence w/ Redfield.

	Negro Canyon	Light flow	Light flow
	Steady flow coming out.

	Upper Ash Spring	Quart per minute	Quart per minute
	Dripping out of pipe, intermittent flow from here downstream for 1/2 mile or so.

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Apr 12 2024

ShatteredArm

Guides 12
Routes 192
Photos 863
Triplogs 356

42 male

Joined Nov 30 2015
Phoenix, AZ

East / West Divide south loop, AZ

Backpack		Apr 12 2024
		ShatteredArm • Triplogs 356

Backpack	52.20 Miles	11,700 AEG

Backpack	52.20 Miles	3 Days 6 Hrs 4 Mns
	11,700 ft AEG

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West Divide Trail #289

Rattlesnake Trail #285

Powers Garden

Powers Cabin & Mine

Powers Garden Trail #96

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I've been eyeballing doing a loop through the southern half of the Galiuros for awhile, and the water situation seemed very promising, so I gave it a go. Plan was three nights, starting at Ash Creek, and making a clockwise loop over Bassett, down to Jackson Cabin, then up West Divide, and back via Rattlesnake and East Divide.

Friday

Got to Ash Creek TH at around 9:30am, with temps already in the 70s. Nothing notable, other than the fact that it was impossible to stay dry at the first few crossings. Ash had surface flow about half the way up. We decided to tag the summit since my friend hadn't been up there. Made it to the top of Bassett in about 3 hours.

I was really worried about the stretch of trail down from Bassett, given the FS doesn't have it on their maps, but it actually turned out to be a breeze most of the way down. Someone put a lot of work into building that thing, and the grade is intact in all but a couple of spots. The going didn't really get rough until we were all the way down into the canyon, where the vegetation got pretty thick. Eventually we decided to stop looking for the trail and just go down the wash, and that made things much easier.

Got to a stretch with light flow about a third of a mile before Jackson Cabin, and decided to camp there since I didn't know whether there would be water near the cabin (there was). Warm enough down there to leave the rain fly off.

Saturday

Got up at 6am, left camp by around 8am IIRC. We decided to poke around the cabin for a minute, and seeing water in the cabin and downstream in Jackson Canyon, decided we should've camped there. Stretches of trail in Jackson Canyon were apparent, but it was usually easier to stay in the creek.

When we got to Redfield, it was apparent water would not be an issue for awhile. There was surface flow for all but 100 feet. The walking was easy up to Hooker Cabin; it somewhat reminded me of hiking in Aravaipa Canyon. Took a short break at the cabin. The rest of the canyon got more difficult to move through, but it also got prettier. The upper part of Redfield was the highlight of the trip for me.

At around 1:30pm or so, after a bit of poking around, we found the trail back up to West Divide. A little brush, but not by any stretch the worst. Cedar Flat was really pleasant; the terrain there was grassland and large Junipers. Occasional water in the drainage. The trail was well defined most of the way down to Gold Gulch, where there was intermittent flow and a couple of nice campsites. By now it was after 3:30, so I proposed we camp there, but that would probably put a day hike to Powers Garden out of reach. My friend seemed to want to continue, and proposed we decided by coin flip.

So with less than 3 hours of daylight left, we continued onto what I expected to be the worst stretch of trail all trip. Probably 2/3 of the way up the divide there was no trail to be seen, and half of where there was trail, it was through very thick vegetation. It took us two hours to reach the divide, and I was really worried we'd be bushwhacking in the dark. Fortunately the trail down the north side was well-defined and somewhat clear, so we made it down to Kielberg Tank in short order. Found a corral, with water below the tank, and decided after 10.5 hours or so of hiking, it would suffice.

Sunday

Woke up in the morning feeling good knowing the Kielberg Divide was out of the way. Started hiking around 9am, took a short break at Powers Cabin, then down to Rattlesnake. We dropped packs here and hiked down to Powers Garden and back, and this was the most pleasant hiking of the trip. Warmer than I expected through Rattlesnake, but there was surface flow most of the way. Took about 3 hours to get there and back.

Rattlesnake trail was a lot rougher than I expected, with a lot of brushy stretches. Took a couple of hours to get up to the Holdout Spring area, where we set up camp (we used the flat area along Rattlesnake just east of the spring spur). Walked up to the spring to check it out, but I actually liked the water in the creek better.

Monday

Got up a little earlier so as to get home at a reasonable hour, and started hiking by 7am. The rest of Rattlesnake Trail was in pretty solid condition, other than one bad washout where I thought for sure I was going down (based on the satellite, it looks like there's a way to avoid the washed out area). The climb up to East Divide felt long, but not too bad overall. Got up there by 8:40am.

The first mile and a half of East Divide was outstanding. Trail was clear, and the upper part of Paddys River was pretty. After High Creek we hit our first stretch of thicket, but it was clear sailing for another mile or so after that. About half way through, we passed through one really bad thicket that had me nearly at my breaking point, so we took a little rest. The rest of the way wasn't as bad, with some clear stretches, some climbs, and some brush, but route finding wasn't really an issue at all. Took 5 hours to get from the Rattlesnake junction to Ash Creek trail.

Having closed the loop, we were feeling pretty good, and made good time down to the creek. The last mile or two really dragged, and I think I was running entirely on fat metabolism at that point, which made Ash Creek seem longer than it ever had before.

Overall

This was a phenomenal trip, and an amazing loop, but one that involves a lot of suffering. Highly recommended, but I'll never do it again.

	Cedar Spring	Quart per minute	Quart per minute
	Drainage has intermittent light flow the whole way up to the spring.

	Echols Spring	Quart per minute	Quart per minute
	Not at the spring, but there's light intermittent flow in Gold Gulch along West Divide trail.

	Holdout Spring	Gallon + per minute	Gallon + per minute
	Box is full but just a seep, plenty of water flowing into the pool 20 feet upstream.

	Jackson Canyon	Light flow	Light flow
	Intermittent flow from the uppermost spring down to Redfield.

Jackson Canyon Spring

Gallon per minute

	Kielberg Tank	76-100% full	76-100% full
	Tank overflowing the dam, intermittent flow in the creek below.

	Knothe Spring	Dripping	Dripping
	Nothing in the box. There's a little water in the drainage below the spring.

	Lower Ash Spring	Gallon + per minute	Gallon + per minute
	Lots of water from here all the way down past the FS boundary.

	Negro Canyon	Medium flow	Medium flow
	Looks like it had as much water coming from it as Redfield.

	Powers Garden Spring	Gallon + per minute	Gallon + per minute
	Tons of water, surface flow in most of Rattlesnake.

	Rattlesnake Spring	Gallon + per minute	Gallon + per minute
	Tons of water in the area.

	Upper Ash Spring	Quart per minute	Quart per minute
	Nothing in the box, light flow in the creekbed above and below the trail.

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Nov 21 2023

Mike_W

Guides 104
Routes 256
Photos 16,118
Triplogs 528

53 male

Joined Dec 30 2005
Tucson, AZ

Tucson, AZ

Hiking		Nov 21 2023
		Mike_W • Triplogs 528

Hiking	12.70 Miles	2,588 AEG

Hiking	12.70 Miles	7 Hrs	1.81 mph
	2,588 ft AEG

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I met Brian W. at 7:30 am from Tucson and we left heading for Bassett peak. This would be my first time going to this place and Brian's second time. His first time was in 2014. I heard from a number of people that the trees had nice foliage around this time of year and November is a great time to visit this area. With the holidays coming so many of us were busy so we decided to schedule our hike on a Tuesday instead of the weekend and it all worked out great.

We arrived at the trailhead just before 10 am, and took the Ash Creek road all the way to some camping sites which were located just before the 4x4 portion of the road. From there, we hiked down the 4x4 road and the road got really rugged really fast. I wouldn't take my capable 4x4 on the 4x4 section because of the large rocks right on the road. It seemed impossible to get any vehicle through this unless it had a huge amount of clearance. The road/trail crossed the wash about 6 or 7 times and climbed up through the canyon. Within about 20 minutes we saw some foliage, then we saw some oaks and pines and then up ahead saw more foliage.

The first 3.4 miles we stayed in the canyon and we made great time because the trail was excellent and easy to follow. All of the foliage areas were in the canyon. Near the end of the canyon portion of the trail we saw a concrete cistern and the trail turned sharply, cut across the canyon, and then there were switchbacks that climbed up the North side of the canyon. After hiking a total of a little over 4 miles we reached the main ridgeline and noticed we were not far from the top of the ridge. The steepness lessened and we continued toward the peak. The wind was a bit strong here as we knew it would be. The weather report predicted winds at 30 MPH and wind gusts as high as 46 MPH. At a certain point we saw some shiny metal objects from a distance which were from a plane crash that we heard about. The trail seemed to go above this area and it would have probably been too steep to hike down to that location.

We continued up some switchbacks and there were some areas where the trail was eroded and very thin passing horizontally across some very steep slopes. There was some brush in the way of the trail, but nothing with thorns. Mainly manzanita, scrub oak, and some small, dry, dead looking trees. After we reached 6.1 miles, we could see what looked like the summit. There was a cairn and here's where the "use trail" started. From here we headed up and arrived at the peak in probably 5-10 minutes. The peak was quite windy. We found a registry in the rocks that was in poor condition. It was a plastic jar with no top which looked like it got run over by a truck. I replaced it with a nice glass jar with a top that should be a lot more durable. Nothing made of plastic seems to last in the desert.

We stayed at the peak for at least 30 minutes, got our photos, then decided to get out of the wind. Just a few hundred feet below the peak, there seemed to be no wind at all. We took a water break here and the weather was nearly perfect. We looked at the clock and determined that we needed to move pretty fast to make it down to the parking area before dark. So we kept moving and got to the canyon around 4:50 pm. We knew we only had roughly 1 hour before it got dark. We kicked it into high gear and set our pace at at least 3 MPH which allowed us to get pretty close to the trailhead by the time it got dark at around 6 pm. Then, we put on our headlamps and walked the final 0.5 mile out. We noticed about a 2/3 moon, which lit the area up at times, but when the canyon was thick, it blocked a lot of the moon light.

All in all this was an incredible hike. The trail was fantastic and well maintained with a lot of dirt and leaves in some areas. There wasn't too much rock except for the wash crossings. The colored leaves in the canyon were some of the best I've seen in Arizona ever. I would do this hike again someday. The only bad part is the drive from the Tucson area was quite long.

Stats:
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Total distance = 12.7 miles
AEG = 2,588 feet
Strava moving time = 5 hrs 44 mins
Strava elapsed time = 8 hrs 33 mins

Autumn Foliage Observation Substantial
Saw trees with many colored leaves - reds, oranges, yellows, etc. Many leaves were already on the ground, so I suspect we're now past the "prime" foliage time period.

_____________________

Michael Williams
IT Professional
Rocky Point Vacation Rentals
Ocean Front Condo in Rocky Point, Sonora, Mexico
www.beachfrontmexico.us

Nov 19 2023

mikemcg

Guides 2
Routes 127
Photos 1,478
Triplogs 129

male

Joined May 07 2019
Tempe, AZ

Tucson, AZ

Hiking		Nov 19 2023
		mikemcg • Triplogs 129

Hiking	12.86 Miles	2,892 AEG

Hiking	12.86 Miles	9 Hrs 19 Mns	1.64 mph
	2,892 ft AEG	1 Hour 28 Mns Break

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Second trip to Bassett Peak. Last year, we spent so much time enjoying the fall colors that we didn't make it to the summit. This time we were determined to do both.

Started at 0930. The weather was perfect, 50-65° over the course of the day, clear and sunny after 1.5 days of rain. Fall colors were intermittent but brilliant and near their peak from 0.5 miles in to about the 1.5 mile point. Beyond that,they were past their peak, brown in some areas, but still very impressive, and we spent a lot of time enjoying them.

After we climbed out of the canyon, we steadily made our way toward the peak. The trail was eroded and pretty sketchy in some areas, especially on the slippery muddy ledges after all the rain. The wind was pretty fierce on the west side of the ridgeline, and became even stronger at the summit. We finally reached the summit, and attempted to sign the soggy paper in the summit ledger. We enjoyed the views and tolerated the wind for a while, then headed back down. JD's Grill in Safford was a perfect spot for dinner.

Great day. Absolutely beautiful. Weather was excellent. Surprisingly, we saw no other people the entire day. Definitely will do this again.

Named place

Named place [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Bassett Peak

Meteorology

Meteorology [ checklist ]

Autumn Foliage Observation Substantial

1 archive

Nov 10 2023

namasteron

Routes 3
Photos 9
Triplogs 4

62 male

Joined Feb 25 2013
Tucson, AZ

Tucson, AZ

Hiking		Nov 10 2023
		namasteron • Triplogs 4

Hiking	11.50 Miles	3,084 AEG

Hiking	11.50 Miles
	3,084 ft AEG

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Jsaltzman

Fall colors were brilliant on this hike, yes in southern Arizona! 3 miles of color with very little climb and then to the top of Basset Peak with really cool views. While hanging at the peak we met one of the more prolific hikers and contributors to hikearizona. And of course keeping the youthful spirit crawling around in the rock formations. This will become a yearly fall hike. Post hike we satisfied our carnivore urges at Big Tex in Willcox.

Meteorology

Meteorology [ checklist ]

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Nov 09 2023

joebartels

Guides 264
Routes 2,797
Photos 14,494
Triplogs 5,894

55 male

Joined Nov 20 1996

Tucson, AZ

Hiking		Nov 09 2023
		joebartels • Triplogs 5,894

Hiking	8.38 Miles	1,919 AEG

Hiking	8.38 Miles	5 Hrs 11 Mns	1.90 mph
	1,919 ft AEG	47 Mns Break

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JuanJaimeiii

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There are two sprigs of catclaw just after the defunct gate then it's catclaw free. Color greeted us soon after.

Phenomenal color up to about 2.3 mi turning away from Ash Creek into Upper Ash Creek. The oaks were about a week past. The colors heading up Upper Ash Creek are more of a Thanksgiving hue. They come back strong at the Aspen finale.

4 days ago a quadricep whack made it difficult to stand for the next two days. Yesterday I did a test hike. Much better at lifting my knee to waist level, yet 30% slower on the descent. So I turned around at the East Divide junction. That first step down clarified it was not JJ speed. Lackadaisically wandering thru Autumn color with crunchy leaves is good therapy!

The apple-deprived bears have dropped logs and scattered chutney-free piles. Light accentuating color was best in the lower canyon early on then it switched to the upper canyon heading down.

Synopsis
JJ's Disneyland jumbo-sized sweet tart hikes were phenomenal. Lemon drop hikes are cool too! JJ treated to BK Tacos. Worthy of the day trip in itself!

Meteorology

Meteorology [ checklist ]

Autumn Foliage Observation Substantial
As good as it's going to get.

Wildflowers Observation Isolated
Isolated, in the extreme sense. One flower.

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- joe

Nov 09 2023

JuanJaimeiii

Routes 596
Photos 9,604
Triplogs 2,400

58 male

Joined Jan 30 2011
Chandler, AZ

Tucson, AZ

Hiking		Nov 09 2023
		JuanJaimeiii • Triplogs 2,400

Hiking	11.68 Miles	3,130 AEG

Hiking	11.68 Miles
	3,130 ft AEG

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joebartels

Headed out of town a little before sunlight and we were at the trailhead around 9am. Bassett always scores high on my list of favorite hikes but especially during this time of year. Just a great hike and when you add in the Fall colors it is a solid 10 in my book.

The colors this year made a solid showing and are close to in their prime. If you are considering making the trip I suggest you go soon as they will probably be gone in a week or so. It was nice to see leaves still on the aspens and some color up in that canyon as well. I continued on to the top and met Jane and Company from Tucson. After having a nice chat with them and showing them where the plane crash was I cruised back down and met back up with Joe. Many of the colors on the way down were even better than on the way up.

We grabbed some tacos in Tucson on that way home and were back in Phoenix a little after 7:00pm. Solid day!

Autumn Foliage Observation Substantial

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Nov 19 2022

emilystardust

Routes 386
Photos 49
Triplogs 792

43 female

Joined Jun 23 2015
Phoenix, AZ

Tucson, AZ

Hiking		Nov 19 2022
		emilystardust • Triplogs 792

Hiking	14.13 Miles	2,998 AEG

Hiking	14.13 Miles	7 Hrs 13 Mns	2.16 mph
	2,998 ft AEG	41 Mns Break

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Great fall colors up to the spring. We didn’t quite have enough time to check out the plane wreckage but saw it from across the way. Maybe next time

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Nov 18 2022

azdesertfather

Guides 16
Routes 81
Photos 1,269
Triplogs 1,144

51 male

Joined Apr 30 2008
Tucson, AZ

Tucson, AZ

Hiking		Nov 18 2022
		azdesertfather • Triplogs 1,144

Hiking	13.10 Miles	2,920 AEG

Hiking	13.10 Miles	5 Hrs 56 Mns		2.41 mph
	2,920 ft AEG	30 Mns Break	20 LBS Pack

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MountainguyAZ

Took my wife and a couple of friends to Bassett. Road a little rough at the end, high clearance needed unless you want to hike an extra mile.

Colors nice, going up the canyon the first half of the hike. Tried to get to the B24 but the terrain nearby was too steep.

Incredible views from the top… from Dos Cabezas and the Chiricahuas in the east to Baboquivari in the west, and from the Pinals and even Armer Mountain in the north (near Roosevelt Lake), to Cerro San Jose in the south in Sonora, a distance by air of nearly 200 miles. Beautiful, clear day!

Autumn Foliage Observation Substantial

Upper Ash Spring

Quart per minute

_____________________

"I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived." — Henry David Thoreau

Nov 13 2022

JuanJaimeiii

Routes 596
Photos 9,604
Triplogs 2,400

58 male

Joined Jan 30 2011
Chandler, AZ

Tucson, AZ

Hiking		Nov 13 2022
		JuanJaimeiii • Triplogs 2,400

Hiking	12.88 Miles	3,134 AEG

Hiking	12.88 Miles	5 Hrs 18 Mns	2.53 mph
	3,134 ft AEG	12 Mns Break

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My friend Sabine sent me a note a few weeks ago that she would like to go see some fall colors. She had never been to Bassett so this fit the bill perfect. On the way in I was happy to see another long time Hike Arizona friend out enjoying the colors as well. (Great seeing you Letty). Sabine and I had a nice hike up and then she ate a sandwich and a banana at the summit while I froze in the wind. The aspen leaves are already down and I would say another week of color before it is all gone. Bassett is always a great hike in my book anyway color or not. Stopped in Globe for some Mexican food at Irene's. Good stuff!

_____________________

Nov 12 2022

chumley

Guides 94
Routes 840
Photos 22,055
Triplogs 1,993

52 male

Joined Sep 18 2002
Tempe, AZ

Basshett, AZ

Hiking		Nov 12 2022
		chumley • Triplogs 1,993

Hiking	12.77 Miles	3,231 AEG

Hiking	12.77 Miles	7 Hrs 17 Mns	2.03 mph
	3,231 ft AEG	1 Hour Break

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BiFrost

We camped around the corner to avoid the mess on ACR ... but making the drive in to the trailhead in the morning we saw only one group past the gate and a handful of day hikers parked at the end of the road.

As we wandered around enjoying the colors, we got separated. Ryan and I took an extensive break at the spring hoping Karl was behind us, assuming there was no way he would pass this point if he was ahead of us. A couple of other hikers told us there was no single hiker up ahead, so I made the decision to head back down to try and find Karl, presuming he had some kind of issue that prevented him from continuing up.

Just as we were starting back down a pair of hikers coming downhill reported that indeed a lone hiker was up ahead looking for the two of us and murderdog.

Knowing Karl was up ahead -- and after our lengthy wait probably near the summit by now -- we climbed as quickly as we could, making it in just over an hour. Cell signal finally strengthened and we were able to connect via text and get on the same page.

After a summit break the rest of the day was uneventful as we took a leisurely pace back down enjoying the colors despite the lack of sun-provided backlighting.

Autumn Foliage Observation Substantial
Perhaps a little duller than I've seen previously, but timing was pretty spot on. Some ground litter, but plenty still above. Aspens had mostly blown bare.

_____________________

I'm not sure what my spirit animal is, but I'm confident it has rabies.

1 archive

Nov 12 2022

BiFrost

Guides 4
Routes 491
Photos 10,890
Triplogs 1,257

55 male

Joined Nov 20 2012
Phoenix, AZ

Basshett, AZ

Hiking		Nov 12 2022
		BiFrost • Triplogs 1,257

Hiking	12.77 Miles	3,231 AEG

Hiking	12.77 Miles	7 Hrs 17 Mns	2.03 mph
	3,231 ft AEG	1 Hour Break

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chumley

Always a fun hike in fall. As Chumley mentioned we got separated and somehow I passed them on the ascent (I blame it on the foliage). It was not ideal time wise but it all worked out in the end. Encountered a few groups on the mountain but in all not that busy compared to years past.

Autumn Foliage Observation Substantial

_____________________

2 archives

Nov 06 2022

mikemcg

Guides 2
Routes 127
Photos 1,478
Triplogs 129

male

Joined May 07 2019
Tempe, AZ

Tucson, AZ

Hiking		Nov 06 2022
		mikemcg • Triplogs 129

Hiking	11.76 Miles	2,289 AEG

Hiking	11.76 Miles	7 Hrs 25 Mns	2.11 mph
	2,289 ft AEG	1 Hour 51 Mns Break

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Route Recorded on Route Scout | Pop | Map | Popup | MapDEX

First time in the Galiuros. Left Phoenix later than planned, and Google Maps took us to the wrong spot, so we arrived at the trailhead around noon.

1st mile: Flat terrain. Creek had light-moderate flow. Fall colors were sporadic, but very bright and intense. All the colors were represented.

2nd mile: Flat. Creek had light flow, then became dry. Fall colors rare, almost absent during this stretch. It was beautiful and green, but only green.

3rd mile: Minimal ascent. Creek dry. Fall colors everywhere, just off the trail. We took numerous detours off trail to explore and take pics of the delightful fall colors.

4th mile: Mild, steady ascent. Fall colors EVERYWHERE, completely enveloping the trail. This stretch was an absolute wonderland of fall colors, and we were super impressed.

5th mile: No fall colors. Moderate ascent with many switchbacks and nice views of the canyon.

6th mile: Ridgeline. No fall colors. Mostly flat and easy, with occasional manzanita clusters crowding the trail, with sick views of the canyons on both sides. We jogged most of this because we were running out of time.

We stopped just short of the switchbacks to the peak because we had run out of time. We had spent hours enjoying the fall colors, and had to get back to real life, so we didn't reach the peak. Next time.

What an excellent day. Temperature was perfect (60s-70s). Sky was perfect. The fall colors were sporadic in the first mile, and almost absent in the second mile, while the 3rd and 4th miles more than made up for it, with ubiquitous color. The entire area was beautiful regardless of whether the leaves were green, yellow, orange, pink, or red. The views of the canyon from the ridgeline were magnificent. This is one of my favorite hikes now, and will definitely be back.

Named place

Named place [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Bassett Peak

Meteorology

Meteorology [ checklist ]

Autumn Foliage Observation Moderate

Wildflowers Observation Isolated

2 archives

Oct 30 2022

LindaAnn

Guides 110
Routes 2,246
Photos 8,982
Triplogs 2,600

45 female

Joined Dec 24 2007
Ahwatukee, AZ

Tucson, AZ

Hiking		Oct 30 2022
		LindaAnn • Triplogs 2,600

Hiking	11.52 Miles	2,860 AEG

Hiking	11.52 Miles	6 Hrs 58 Mns	1.84 mph
	2,860 ft AEG	43 Mns Break

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joebartels

trekkin_gecko

Route Recorded on Route Scout | Pop | Map | Popup | MapDEX

Got started with Joe and Kelly around 0830. Cool temps and no breeze, but amazingly the three of us were in agreement that the weather felt nice.

Easy hiking for the first three miles or so. Trail was a little vague in places, but we stayed on track. Minimal fall color, but the little we did get was still nice. Apparently, the area is an Arizona white oak (or something like that) wonderland, and we all took pictures of the glory.

Once we passed the promised aspen grove, the trail turned and headed more steeply uphill, away from the creek. Kind of like a whole new hike—scrubby vegetation, steep rocky trail, neat rock formations. Walking up along the ridge was my favorite, with great views in all directions.

The switchbacks near the top had a few loose, narrow sections to grab your attention. And the final push to the summit was easier than anticipated. Took a nice snack break at the top, then headed back down. I took a more southerly route back down, I called it the stupid route, the peanut gallery questioned my directional abilities, but we still popped out on the trail in one piece.

Fairly easy hike back down. Trail was still vague in a few places. But the miles ticked by quickly. Only saw three other people, not far from the finish. Good to hike with Joe and Kelly again.

The road in is high clearance for the last mile or so, especially past the gate. There are places to park before the road gets bad.

Autumn Foliage Observation Light
Color is mostly just starting

_____________________

Stop crying and just go do the hike.

Oct 30 2022

joebartels

Guides 264
Routes 2,797
Photos 14,494
Triplogs 5,894

55 male

Joined Nov 20 1996

Tucson, AZ

Hiking		Oct 30 2022
		joebartels • Triplogs 5,894

Hiking	12.34 Miles	2,860 AEG

Hiking	12.34 Miles	6 Hrs 56 Mns	1.96 mph
	2,860 ft AEG	39 Mns Break

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LindaAnn

trekkin_gecko

Route Recorded on Route Scout | Pop | Map | Popup | MapDEX

Joined the Bassett Virgins through the woods, over the ridge, to the peak n back.

Drive
Navigating to the trailhead is documented turn-by-turn on the guide page along with a GPS route by the famous Shulhauser before he vanished somewhere near the Bursera Triangle. It's a long haul for a day hike from the Valley but not as long as google drive times suggest.

Galiuro Forest
Gal-ur-oh or drunken slurs suffice in referring to this often neglected range for 344 days of the year. Starting at the end of the double-dashed FR600 on topo, we crossed paths with a good-sized band of Blue Jays 1.2 miles into the pleasant temp morning hike. Never saw the pair of circular troughs further up, just one in the first mile. I often tell stories that are unfollowable so it's par for the course.

Nobody shared my love for the magnificent Arizona White oaks nearly choked out by monster-toothed maples, so we continued. Autumn color is just getting into the rhythm of irresistible glee, but you can always count on poison ivy to usher in the party of death.

Up up n Away
The rock on the ridge is a complete 180 from the aspens below. The rhyolite? has semi-sharp edges and sort of sounds like walking on broken glass in the gravel stretches on the harder surface.

Higher Ground
Encroaching brush along the trail far below was not promising but the final leg to the peak through typically scary live oak was a breeze. Heading back down, we were en route to Mexico. It self-corrected to the nicest stretch of trail I've been on out here and opened the door of curiosity. Dropping into Jackson Canyon likely turns into a blood-sucking adventure but it's always nice to dream of proverbial rainbows.

Synopsis
Pleasant weather and babbling all day. Although I've been on several hikes with Kelly they must have been quick-paced, windy, or dominated by a loudmouth because I was dumb-founded to realize this was our twelfth hike, thinking it was the fourth! Snuck into this range in `06 and should have stayed.

Flora

Flora [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Beechleaf Frangula

Autumn Foliage Observation Moderate
It's just getting underway.

Wildflowers Observation Isolated
a couple of independent, long-stem, multi-flowered drooping penstemons

	Upper Ash Spring	Quart per minute	Quart per minute
	A little flow coming out of the broken tubbing to the spring box. There is a newer line that either hooks up underground or dead-ends after miles just ten feet from the source. In either case, the LNT method utilized is similar to junkyard ethics.

_____________________

- joe

Oct 30 2022

trekkin_gecko

Guides 10
Routes 673
Photos 7,281
Triplogs 4,660

67 female

Joined Nov 17 2008
phoenix, az

Tucson, AZ

Hiking		Oct 30 2022
		trekkin_gecko • Triplogs 4,660

Hiking	12.00 Miles	2,880 AEG

Hiking	12.00 Miles	6 Hrs 57 Mns	1.91 mph
	2,880 ft AEG	41 Mns Break

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joebartels

LindaAnn

linda's fall plans included a bassett peak hike
i had not been to the galiuros before, so of course i was in
we got to the trailhead around 0830 and set off up ash creek
first few miles followed ash creek through the woods
pockets of maple color mixed in with arizona white oak and random ponderosa
a few aspen where the trail turned to head up to the ridgeline
great views of surrounding mountain ranges, interesting rock formations and bits of color in the creek
overall good trail with a few narrow scree sections and some brushy areas
we took a break at the summit and enjoyed perfect temps, no wind and beautiful scenery
the return went quickly with good conversation
while not prime color, enough to entertain
would like to explore more of this range
bassett was a great peak
love the sky island terrain, even the grasslands
thanks for planning and driving linda
good to hike with joe again too
splitting the difference between joe's and linda's stats

Autumn Foliage Observation Light

_____________________

hazhole

1 archive

May 29 2022

RockinronnieF

Routes 15
Photos 128
Triplogs 16

male

Joined Mar 20 2022
Safford, Arizona

Galiuro Hike Basset Peak-end of may 22, AZ

Hiking		May 29 2022
		RockinronnieF • Triplogs 16

Hiking	11.62 Miles	2,898 AEG

Hiking	11.62 Miles	9 Hrs 43 Mns		1.41 mph
	2,898 ft AEG	1 Hour 29 Mns Break	10 LBS Pack

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Route Recorded on Route Scout | Pop | Map | Popup | MapDEX

Basset Peak is in the Galiuro Mountains, an extremely isolated sky island in the middle of nowhere. But, is a beautifully carved long trail in otherworldly Galiuros. I got up at 530 but started trail at 9. The first 2 miles is little gain in a covered Evergreen forest type road. The climb starts in forest conditions,steep, but never very steep, as hike is well stretched.You get ticked off a little, as it's hard to out hike the black water tube which finally finds the spring around 6200 feet. Here there is a clear pool off water where I found 15 Arizona Sister butterflies bathing and eating. The breakout is big views and Arizona type bright rock swithbacks. You enter a small Aspen type forest again before the "Gigantic View" super ridge. The east divide it's called I believe. WOW!! You've hiked 4.1 miles. The ridge calls your resting gene, overwhelming sites both sides. But now you face the very unique 1.4 mile Bassett peak run. The 1st mile is flat 'ledge', crazy spire rocks in your view. Just stay on ledge,on course. There are 2 more earn your hike's. Pretty steep up through the forest,but with switchbacks and, a bushwack the final 120'. This is a hikers hike-variety packed and a challenge. 11.5 out and back.

Wildflowers Observation Isolated
Cactus flowers

	Little Bull Tank Number Two	Dry	Dry
	Only water is at a spring at 6200'

10 archives

May 28 2022

RockinronnieF

Routes 15
Photos 128
Triplogs 16

male

Joined Mar 20 2022
Safford, Arizona

Tucson, AZ

Hiking		May 28 2022
		RockinronnieF • Triplogs 16

Hiking	11.50 Miles	3,084 AEG

Hiking	11.50 Miles
	3,084 ft AEG	1 Hour 30 Mns Break	15 LBS Pack

no routes

no photosets

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Basset Peak is in the Galiuro Mountains, an extremely isolated sky island in the middle of nowhere. But, is a beautifully carved long trail in otherworldly Galiuros. I got up at 530 but started trail at 9. The first 2 miles is little gain in a covered Evergreen forest type road. The climb starts in forest conditions,steep, but never very steep, as hike is well stretched.You get ticked off a little, as it's hard to out hike the black water tube which finally finds the spring around 6200 feet. Here there is a clear pool off water where I found 15 Arizona Sister butterflies bathing and eating. The breakout is big views and Arizona type bright rock swithbacks. You enter a small Aspen type forest again before the "Gigantic View" super ridge. The east divide it's called I believe. WOW!! You've hiked 4.1 miles. The ridge calls your resting gene, overwhelming sites both sides. But now you face the very unique 1.4 mile Bassett peak run. The 1st mile is flat 'ledge', crazy spire rocks in your view. Just stay on ledge,on course. There are 2 more earn your hike's. Pretty steep up through the forest,but with switchbacks and, a bushwack the final 120'. This is a hikers hike-variety packed and a challenge. 11.5 out and back.

Wildflowers Observation Isolated
Cactus Blooms, much butterflies

1 archive

Nov 26 2021

markthurman53

Guides 187
Routes 989
Photos 12,068
Triplogs 864

72 male

Joined Jun 27 2015
Tucson, Arizona

Ash Creek, AZ

Hiking		Nov 26 2021
		markthurman53 • Triplogs 864

Hiking	8.18 Miles	1,504 AEG

Hiking	8.18 Miles	4 Hrs 47 Mns	1.72 mph
	1,504 ft AEG	2 Mns Break

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mamakatt22

On Black Friday we headed south on highway 191 (Highway 666, devils highway) and took highway 266 to the Galiuro Mountains. Once again I was going by my memory of how to get there from Google Earth that I had viewed the day before. We arrived at the trail Head to the Bassett Peak Trail around 10:00. We planned on hiking in 4 miles to where the trail peaks out on the ridge that heads up to Bassett Peak. Fall colors were still going strong but half of it was on the trees and the other half on the ground. It was still a beautiful hike.

The trail was in really good shape which surprised me for being so remote and not an easy trail Head to get to. Ash Creek Road was in better condition than I expected with a few rocky spots where it crosses the creek. We parked about .2 miles from the trail Head even though the road while rough was doable with a high clearance vehicle. Only saw 3 other people in one group heading up the trail to camp. There was a tent at the ridge where we turned around, probably someone hiking the interior trails of the mountain. I will have to consider doing that if I want to hike the other trails in the Galiuro mountains. Other than a hike on the west side of the mountain back in the 70’s this is the first time in these mountains. They have been on my bucket list for a long time.

_____________________

Nov 13 2021

chumley

Guides 94
Routes 840
Photos 22,055
Triplogs 1,993

52 male

Joined Sep 18 2002
Tempe, AZ

Tucson, AZ

Hiking		Nov 13 2021
		chumley • Triplogs 1,993

Hiking	12.52 Miles	3,604 AEG

Hiking	12.52 Miles	7 Hrs 32 Mns	1.66 mph
	3,604 ft AEG

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	adilling	Jonnybackpack
	MyRudy	Pivo
	richardkwebb	Trodriguz

It's been a couple of years since I've done the whole enchilada and really do enjoy this summit. The view from the top includes iconic landmarks you might not think of when you're this far south including Picacho, Flatiron, and Browns. Not to mention the rugged beauty of the Galiuros that you can see best from its highest point.

It was a treat to enjoy yet another "last big hike ever" with the miracle that is wilderdog Daisy, who continues to impress.

We encountered a gaggle of recognizable names and faces from across the hiking community. It was a pleasure to share a few steps on trail and some conversation with Andy and his wife Lynne, to try to out-sarcasm Richard Webb, and to finally meet in person FB hiking guide extraordinaire Tom Rodriguez. Somehow blackout alluded us, though who knows, perhaps we passed each other without realizing it?

Despite the numbers, there were rare moments that lacked solitude. The exception was at the upper spring, where a group of 15 Tucson NOLS hikers at the end of a weeklong backpack had stopped for a break at the same time a group of seasoned hikers from Green Valley arrived. A couple from the trod group had stayed behind and I enjoyed a nice conversation with Michael Houseknecht, who it was also great to finally meet in person.

Leaving the drainage resulted in much warmer sun exposed climbing and the already irritating gnats and flies reached next-level. Must have been the ample summer rains as I've not experienced that here previously. Reaching the crest, a trio of backpackers on a multiday trip stopped as a recognizable Asian woman poked me in the chest with her hiking pole and exclaimed "I know you! I met you before!"

Always a pleasure to run into a Fan 3992 of mine ;)

I set a goal for the summit time in order to return to camp by sunset, leaving Jon and Daisy up top to enjoy the end of the day's light and set up to capture a scene. I had about a 15 minute window to enjoy the views.

On the way down I stopped at Fan's backpack camp for a quick visit before arriving back at Pivo's hot pizza camp in time for dinner and requisite libations. In the morning, the hiker parade continued as I peered out of my sleeping bag to see Letty driving by. A few others sauntered in as we packed up camp, but I decided against any further adventures and called it a satisfactory 4-day weekend in the islands.

My first introduction to Bassett was back in the late 00s when the original (but unofficial) fall hazfests occurred. I looked at the mileage and elevation and declined the joe n friends invite, doubtful I was capable of doing it (or at least keeping up). But some of those 06+ triplogs remind me of the "look who else is here this weekend" experience I enjoyed this year.

Always a great peak to bag, but definitely an extra notch up at this time of year.

Meteorology

Meteorology [ checklist ]