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| Hiking | 16.24 Miles |
1,968 AEG |
| | Hiking | 16.24 Miles | 9 Hrs 15 Mns | | 2.09 mph |
| 1,968 ft AEG | 1 Hour 28 Mns Break | | | |
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| no partners | | I've been getting in a lot of miles with fellow volunteer Dave. Our hikes usually involve surveying trails to provide information to the volunteer network that helps with trail maintenance, but we like to have fun too. He wanted to stretch the mileage this week so we opted for the long, but relatively easy Marsh Valley loop in a CCW direction. It was a good choice. The only thing missing was water. I love all the creek crossings when it's wet out there.
We got started at 0710, still a little chilly out, but it was expected to warm up in the afternoon. I wore shorts and short sleeves from the start. The sun was up soon after we started.
The Dutchman trail is in decent shape all the way out to the junction with Bull Pass. From there until you get to the Peralta Junction, it's a little tight in there with catclaw nipping at you from time to time. It could use some trimming. We stopped at the rock outcropping that provides stellar views of Weaver's Needle for a short break and a snack. There are pools of water in the creek there, fuzzy on the surface, but clear beneath. Dave (a backpacker) says it's good enough to filter.
From there until you reach the Terrapin trail, the tread is good with nothing prickly to grab at you. Once you reach Terrapin, welcome to the jungle. From Terrapin until you reach Bull Pass, it's brushy with a fair amount of prickly stuff, though easily avoided. That section needs some attention. There are several nice camp sites through that area, but no water to support them. You'll need to pack it all in.
Once we reached the Cavalry trail and Marsh Valley, the whole dynamic changed. That trail, in my opinion, is one of the nicest remaining in the western superstitions. At about the half way point, we stopped for lunch in a creek crossing underneath some cottonwoods. A beautiful Arizona Cardinal added a special touch to our lunch, posing for us for a good minute before flying off. Back on the trail, we came up over a rise and saw a road runner in the middle of the trail. It looked at us, then turned and raced up the trail faster than anything I've seen before. It stopped about fifty yards away, looked back at us, then sprinted off again. Mee meep!
The Boulder Canyon trail is holding up well, probably due to the number of hikers headed to Battleship Mountain. We thought we might see some hikers heading to/from Battleship, but we passed through around 2pm, a bit late in the day for that crowd.
We turned the corner at Second Water, headed up to the big camp site just below Second Water Canyon and took our final break of the day. As we started back up the Second Water trail, we observed several large pools of water in the reeds at the confluence with Second Water Canyon. The water there looks good enough to filter if you need it.
We made our way up to and through Death Valley. I heard they used to call it Garden Valley. From there until the end of the hike we were just counting down the miles until the finish. It was my longest hike in the Supes in a few years. 16 miles out there, even with a low elevation profile, will wear you down. Very nice hike, though. Water in the creeks would have made it spectacular.
We saw a total of seven people today. One solo hiker from Michigan doing the Weaver's Needle Loop from Peralta. We crossed paths near the Terrapin junction. We saw a father-son duo, also from Michigan, during our break on Second Water trail. As we were approaching First Water Creek in the last mile, we saw a father with a son and daughter, maybe twins, about three years old. It was clear the little ones were having a great time.
The weather was absolutely perfect. High in the mid-70's, a decent breeze when we needed it, clear blue sky. A long day, but Dave and I go at a nice pace that facilitates good conversation throughout the hike. Nothing wrong with that. I made it through the entire hike with just a couple of minor scratches. Great day to be out. |
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East Boulder - Weavers Viewpoint |
Pools to trickle |
Pools to trickle |
| | | A few decent pools near the Weavers View. A bit of green on top, but reasonable clear underneath. |
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Second Water Canyon |
Pools to trickle |
Pools to trickle |
| | | Several large pools in the reeds along the trail. | | _____________________
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