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| Hiking | 12.68 Miles |
2,247 AEG |
| | Hiking | 12.68 Miles | 10 Hrs 39 Mns | | 1.65 mph |
| 2,247 ft AEG | 2 Hrs 59 Mns Break | | | |
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| partners | | Today was a return to an old Superstition favorite--I've been up Battleship a few times, but it had been more than five years since my last visit. And it would (hopefully) be a redemption hike for TboneKathy--last time she tried Battleship in March 2017, we ran out of time and didn't make the top, and she took a tumble in the creek bed on the hike out that resulted in a fractured wrist. She hadn't been back since. So the goals today were simple: (1) get TboneKathy to the peak, and (2) don't break anything.
We started ~7AM from First Water TH, which was surprisingly empty for a weekend. This was my first time back there since the fires, and it wasn't great--the area around the trailhead and the first few miles along Second Water were all burned to varying degrees, and the smell of ash and charcoal was a constant until we got closer to Boulder Canyon. There were a few pools along Second Water Trail on the descent, but Boulder Canyon was almost completely dry despite the recent rain.
The use trail leading up to the south end of Battleship was more defined than I remembered and was easy to follow, then we started the fun with the first scramble up onto Battleship and continued north into the obstacles. In March 2017 we turned around just before the bridge/wall not too far from the peak, but TboneKathy was convinced today that most of the top of the ship was uncharted territory for her: "Are you sure I climbed up this before?!" Yes, you did  .
We scrambled through the various boulders and cracks and eventually crossed the bridge and reached the wall, the last big obstacle. With some pack shuttling and creative teamwork, TboneKathy made it up first, and with some further encouragement and some minor complaining through the last few obstacles, we reached summit, goal #1 complete. We had the peak to ourselves, a pleasant surprise given Battleship's popularity. There was no register on top--the pink ammo box that had been up there for years is gone. We ate lunch and enjoyed the views, then took some pictures and started down.
[ youtube video ]
As we reversed through the obstacles on the return, TboneKathy thought she saw a fox or wolf down below on the west side of Battleship, but I never caught more than a glimpse of a tail that looked a lot like a squirrel, so her sighting remains in dispute . We heard voices and saw two guys down in La Barge Canyon, but other than one person coming down on our way up in the morning, we didn't see anyone on Battleship. The views of La Barge, Peak 2830, Weaver's Needle, Malapais, and the Ridgeline were fantastic as always and better than I remembered.
[ youtube video ]
The hike out was blissfully uneventful with no fractured bones, successfully completing goal #2. Weather-wise, the day was just about perfect, and I was happy to see TboneKathy reach the peak after waiting 8 years. Lots of great memories hiking Battleship with friends over the years, and it was fun to be back after a long time away for another memorable day. |
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Either that or I need to get out more often. 
