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| | | Did the Doctor Twice: Butcher Jones two ways, AZ | | | |
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Did the Doctor Twice: Butcher Jones two ways, AZ
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| Hiking | 12.57 Miles |
799 AEG |
| | Hiking | 12.57 Miles | 5 Hrs 36 Mns | | 2.26 mph |
| 799 ft AEG | 2 Mns Break | | | |
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| no partners | | With temps flirting with 90F, I was looking for someplace I could go that might be a little bit cooler, or at least have the ability to cool down. Haven't visited Saguaro Lake before, and the Butcher Jones trail looked short enough with maybe just enough variation in terrain to test and evaluate my ankle without bracing. Threw all my gear in the car, and got started a little later than I would have liked, but arrived to find the lot with only 5-10 cars parked.
Headed on down the trail, finding a few folk along the shoreline attempting to fish. Encountered a few others headed back out, and lapped a few groups on my way in. As expected, the terrain varied from well packed dirt to some more rocky patches. The trail is very distinct, as might be expected given its popularity. There are a few use paths that can be followed for shoreline access. Was surprised to pass through a mesquite bosque section, which would be even more enjoyable when the mesquite are leafed out. Followed the trail as far as I was willing to go - it seems the last part of the trail has fallen to disuse, and winds up disappearing into a mesquite thicket. On the way to the end point, there are some really nice views of the lake, the four peaks, and glimpses of the superstition ridgeline.
After picking my way through the mesquite for a bit, I decided to turn back...and was eventually slowed down by a steady stream of hikers coming the opposite direction. Happy to report the ankle seemed to tolerate the hike reasonably well, so maybe I can look forward to fading out my mismatched sock lines soon!
Once back at my car, I swapped out my gear and headed for the water for part two of my day. I can say that even though I had a decently close parking spot, I'm not used to portaging my kayak and gear quite that distance! Once I had everything situated, I launched from the beach and headed for the main channel.
By the time I was out on the water, there were a number of paddle boarders and a few kayaks out, along with a number of speed boats and fishing boats. After crossing the main channel, I headed for Willow Springs Canyon, paddling up until the water was too shallow to proceed before turning around and heading back towards the main body of the lake. Poked into the unnamed cove to the east, then headed up the Salt to pass an arch and Ship Rock to enjoy views of the four peaks near where I had stood on the shoreline while hiking the Butcher Jones Trail.
After catching a few photos, I made my way back towards the beach, slowing down to face into the waves whenever a speedboat passed without slowing enough to not leave a wake (which was often). (I'd learned early on into kayaking that I really don't like being caught laterally to a wake, especially with larger waves.) Wound up covering a bit more distance in the boat than on foot, and was getting a little tired towards the end.
Wildlife: Lots of waterfowl including coot and cormorants, great blue heron, great egret, and several others that I wasn't able to get a good look at. Also spied several lizards, numerous vulture, and a fast scampering ground squirrel. Also saw some fish in the lake.
Glad to have been able to visit during a weekday...I can only imagine how busy things get on the weekend! A friend showed me photos of a crested saguaro that he saw while on a Desert Belle cruise on the lake, but alas, I did not manage to see it (and also I definitely didn't cover the miles that those boats cover). It might be fun to see if I can find a way to paddle as far up the salt as possible, but I think that would require figuring out if I could access some of the other coves on Saguaro further up-lake...a quick skim of the internet leads me to believe some serious 4x4 would be required...so that's probably a nope for me, alas. |
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Wildflowers Observation Isolated
Ocotillo, brittle bush and chuparosa were blooming, but not widespread. |
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Happier when hiking....I may not move fast (and I'm often distracted by wildflowers), but I'll get there eventually  |
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Route Editor
Route Scout
Route 
and he likes off trail 
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as we encountered many other groups of varying size. It actually worked somewhat, anyway a nice breeze kept the temps tolerable despite the humidity. I think I’ll keep this weekend hiking to a minimum.
