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Cabin Loop - Mogollon Rim - 55 members in 195 triplogs have rated this an average 4.1 ( 1 to 5 best )
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Jun 14 2025
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 Guides 94
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52 male
 Joined Sep 18 2002
 Tempe, AZ
Cabin Loop - Mogollon RimPayson, AZ
Payson, AZ
Hiking avatar Jun 14 2025
chumleyTriplogs 1,993
Hiking15.11 Miles 1,555 AEG
Hiking15.11 Miles   6 Hrs   20 Mns   2.95 mph
1,555 ft AEG   1 Hour   13 Mns Break
 
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BiFrost
John9L
Pre-note: The area of this hike is eligible to be sold by the USFS for private development. If you are unaware of this current proposal, read more about it here: [ Congress proposes selling USFS land ... d homes ]

===

I was in the mood for some actual trail miles at cooler elevations and the magic 8-ball determined this would be the answer.

We left a car with the General and Cletus'd our way a few miles down the rim road. The southern 3 miles of HouBros had quite a bit of deadfall that is in need of a chainsaw. And not the little 18-incher you can buy at home depot either. The rest of the loop was in fine shape. We passed 4 sets of other hikers on the day, all of which appeared to be backpacking, though only one group was actually set up for the night with tents near Pinchot Cabin.

Plenty of water most of the way in Houston Draw, some at the Bear Canyon Crossing, and intermittent pools all along Fred Haught. Lots of nice green grass making mid-June look lush up here.

water 1 out of 5water 2 out of 5water less than maxwater less than max Aspen Spring Quart per minute Quart per minute
Nice cold flow from the spring cave

dry Box Canyon Dry Dry

water 1 out of 5water less than maxwater less than maxwater less than max Fred Haught Canyon Pools to trickle Pools to trickle
Intermittent pools. Not a lot of flow so water is turbid.

water 1 out of 5water less than maxwater less than maxwater less than max Fred Haught Spring Dripping Dripping
Some pools in the drainage.

water 1 out of 5water 2 out of 5water less than maxwater less than max General Springs Quart per minute Quart per minute
Plenty of pools in the drainage. No flow so a little unappealing.

water 1 out of 5water less than maxwater less than maxwater less than max Houston Draw Head Dripping Dripping
Plenty of surface water at the seep

water 1 out of 5water less than maxwater less than maxwater less than max Little Hart Spring and Creek Dripping Dripping
Light trickle in the drainage

water 1 out of 5water 2 out of 5water less than maxwater less than max Pinchot Spring Quart per minute Quart per minute
Cold clean flow from spring and plenty of pools in the drainage.
_____________________
I'm not sure what my spirit animal is, but I'm confident it has rabies.
  1 archive
Jun 14 2025
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55 male
 Joined Nov 20 2012
 Phoenix, AZ
Cabin Loop - Mogollon RimPayson, AZ
Payson, AZ
Hiking avatar Jun 14 2025
BiFrostTriplogs 1,257
Hiking15.11 Miles 1,555 AEG
Hiking15.11 Miles   6 Hrs   20 Mns   2.95 mph
1,555 ft AEG   1 Hour   13 Mns Break
 
Partners partners
chumley
John9L
We started from Houston Brothers trailhead after a short setup shuttle from General Springs. Continued down trail passed McFarland Spring and then to Aspen Spring/cabin site for the first break. Ran into several hikers along the way and two at Aspen. After the break it was on to Pinchot Cabin and there was a family camped at the site where we took another short break.

Then followed the trail passed the 95 road wash out and onto the Fred Haught Trail. The trail continues into the Quien Sabe Draw which for some reason is my favorite part of the FHT. Probably the nice Pondo stands and ferns despite there being no water in the section.

Intersected with the AZT and then we followed that up canyon back to General Springs passed some decent pools which are usually there this time of year. Easy stroll back to the vehcle at General Springs.
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May 17 2025
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male
 Joined Sep 13 2019
 
Cabin Loop - Mogollon RimPayson, AZ
Payson, AZ
Hiking avatar May 17 2025
Nobody01Triplogs 35
Hiking17.00 Miles 2,100 AEG
Hiking17.00 Miles
2,100 ft AEG14 LBS Pack
 no routes
Linked   none no linked trail guides
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Did the East Loop, the usual drainages still had water, even after that sorry excuse for a winter. Spotted a weird light shaft in the sky. Neat, I guess.
wildflower observationwildflower observationwildflower observationwildflower observationwildflower observation
Wildflowers Observation Isolated

water 1 out of 5water less than maxwater less than maxwater less than max Aspen Spring Dripping Dripping

water 1 out of 5water less than maxwater less than maxwater less than max Barbershop canyon creek Pools to trickle Pools to trickle
Some areas you can still collect water.

water 1 out of 5water less than maxwater less than maxwater less than max Barbershop Canyon Creek Upper Pools to trickle Pools to trickle
Plenty of water to collect from where the trail crosses the creek.

water 1 out of 5water less than maxwater less than maxwater less than max Barbershop Spring Dripping Dripping

water 1 out of 5water less than maxwater less than maxwater less than max Coyote Spring Dripping Dripping
You can collect at the source but but it's a bit mucky.

water 1 out of 5water 2 out of 5water less than maxwater less than max Dane Spring Quart per minute Quart per minute

water 1 out of 5water less than maxwater less than maxwater less than max Houston Draw Head Dripping Dripping
Some light flow and areas holding water

water 1 out of 5water less than maxwater less than maxwater less than max Pinchot Spring Dripping Dripping
_____________________
  3 archives
Oct 13 2024
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male
 Joined Jan 01 2023
 Arizona
Cabin Loop - Mogollon RimPayson, AZ
Payson, AZ
Hiking avatar Oct 13 2024
pseudalpineTriplogs 1,290
Hiking25.24 Miles 3,174 AEG
Hiking25.24 Miles   8 Hrs   18 Mns   3.16 mph
3,174 ft AEG      19 Mns Break
 
no photosets
1st trip
Route Scout Route Recorded  on Route Scout | Pop | Map | Popup | MapDEX
Kept hoping this forest bath would get better. It never did. Miles and miles of monotony.
foliage observationfoliage observationfoliage observationfoliage observationfoliage observation
Autumn Foliage Observation Light
  2 archives
Oct 13 2024
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 Guides 17
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female
 Joined Mar 11 2002
 Gilbert, AZ
Barbershop Trail #91Payson, AZ
Payson, AZ
Hiking avatar Oct 13 2024
VashtiTriplogs 276
Hiking11.19 Miles 1,409 AEG
Hiking11.19 Miles   6 Hrs   13 Mns   2.17 mph
1,409 ft AEG   1 Hour   3 Mns Break
 
1st trip
Route Scout Route Recorded  on Route Scout | Pop | Map | Popup | MapDEX
Day 3 of 3 cabin loop: starting near buck springs, at start of barbershop trail/Terminus of u bar trail, going to Houston brothers, to general crook, ending at general springs.

We enjoyed being in some fall colors. Some on barbershop, but lots and lots on Houston brothers.

No water at Coyote springs, but at Bill McClintock draw just past Coyote springs there were pools of water and a very nice campsite.

After climbing out of the draw, the trail goes onto old and current forest roads, or crosses them. It is sometimes confusing where the trail leaves/joins the old roads, but routescout is useful to help with that, and some things are signed with small markers.

Considerable water pools were also in Dane canyon and barbershop canyon.

We had a snack at FR300 then started back towards the car. The official route for general crook trail as part of the cabin loop is not at all accurate. Nor is the general crook route shown on the topo map. The general crook trail follows FR300 almost exactly. You are almost always in direct sight of the road, and the trail is blazed consistly on the trees with silver V markers. The route was useful to pick up the first instance of the trail from road where Houston brothers trail lets out.

A great backpacking weekend! :)
foliage observationfoliage observationfoliage observationfoliage observationfoliage observation
Autumn Foliage Observation Substantial
Mostly on Houston brothers, with some color on barbershop.
wildflower observationwildflower observationwildflower observationwildflower observationwildflower observation
Wildflowers Observation Isolated
Few wildflowers on general crook section only. Mainly thistle and daisies

water 1 out of 5water less than maxwater less than maxwater less than max Barbershop Canyon Creek Upper Pools to trickle Pools to trickle

dry Coyote Spring Dry Dry

water 1 out of 5water less than maxwater less than maxwater less than max Dane Canyon Pools to trickle Pools to trickle

water 1 out of 5water 2 out of 5water less than maxwater less than max Dane Spring Quart per minute Quart per minute

dry General Springs Dry Dry
_____________________
:D
 
Oct 12 2024
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 Guides 17
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female
 Joined Mar 11 2002
 Gilbert, AZ
U - Bar Trail #28Payson, AZ
Payson, AZ
Hiking avatar Oct 12 2024
VashtiTriplogs 276
Hiking8.74 Miles 1,507 AEG
Hiking8.74 Miles   5 Hrs   44 Mns   1.96 mph
1,507 ft AEG   1 Hour   17 Mns Break
 
no photosets
1st trip
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Day 2 of 3 doing the cabin loop clockwise.

Packed up camp and headed out after a cold night. This was no issue for me, but unfortunately one of my sons had a bum sleeping mat, so it was a bit uncomfortable for him at night. :( However, he was a trooper and happy to continue onward despite the debacle.

We headed up and out of the pinchot cabin area. I was happy to have the route loaded, as there are a lot of crisscrossing forestroads in the area as well as a lot of new logging happening, and not everything is well marked. I was happy to be able to look up the correct route when there was no clear way to know which way the loop was. I was surprised at how much time is spent on forest roads during the loop.

We continued through pines and meadows until we hit the fence gate prior to dropping into Merritt draw/barbershop canyon. That is a nicely done trail dropping so steeply. This is also the first Water we saw this day since leacing pinchot. There was a lot of water. Several large deep pools.

After crossing over, it was immediately climbing back up. There is another drainage before heading through the forest and arriving at Dane springs. Beautiful clean water running strong at Dane springs! We met some day hikers that originated at u K springs that said there was little to no water at buck springs. We took that to heart and decided to filter and fill up all our water bladders for the next day as well as carry water to be used that night and in the morning. We were water carrying fools! It was a nice trek through the pine forest until the junction with the barbershop trail where we decided to camp. Not sure why Aspen stands were fenced off along the way, but it looked strange.

At the junction, the forest abruptly changes from conifer to deciduous. It was nice to see the red color of fall maple leaves! No water in the area, so happy to have stocked up at Dane springs. It wasn't an ideal camping spot, but we made do since this was where we wanted to stop for the night.

At night, lots of serenading by singing coyotes! 😊
foliage observationfoliage observationfoliage observationfoliage observationfoliage observation
Autumn Foliage Observation Moderate
Only starting at the junction of u bar and barbershop.

water 1 out of 5water less than maxwater less than maxwater less than max Barbershop canyon creek Pools to trickle Pools to trickle

water 1 out of 5water less than maxwater less than maxwater less than max Dane Canyon Pools to trickle Pools to trickle

water 1 out of 5water 2 out of 5water less than maxwater less than max Dane Spring Quart per minute Quart per minute
Lots of clean water!

water 1 out of 5water 2 out of 5water less than maxwater less than max Pinchot Spring Quart per minute Quart per minute
Lots and lots of water in deep pools all along the canyon by merit draw.
_____________________
:D
  1 archive
Oct 11 2024
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 Guides 17
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female
 Joined Mar 11 2002
 Gilbert, AZ
Fred Haught Trail #141Payson, AZ
Payson, AZ
Hiking avatar Oct 11 2024
VashtiTriplogs 276
Hiking7.78 Miles 789 AEG
Hiking7.78 Miles   4 Hrs   4 Mns   2.47 mph
789 ft AEG      55 Mns Break
 
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1st trip
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Day 1 of 3 doing the cabin loop clockwise starting at General Springs Cabin.

The drive down FR300 on Friday morning was harrowing give the number of long, wide logging trucks sharing the road. It is scary to be two abreast in narrow sections of the road with the drop-off a few inches away. :/

No water at general springs, but lots of water as pools in the drainages up until the junction where the Arizona trail breaks off left up the hillside. It was a bit murky, but viable.

We stopped for a snack at the junction Spur to the Fred Haught cabin but decided to not see the ruin. Instead we decided to continue onward to pinchot cabin to set up camp.

I had read that the road was washed out, but I wasn't expecting the enormity of it. Wow! That must have been quite a lot of water as the culvert looked to be quite large and now is mangled. And the drop-off is frightening. Good thing there are barriers, but the note is a bit understated (road unsafe for travel). More truthful would be certain death ahead, lol. Anyway, the foot travel bypass was no issue, and pinchot cabin was not far off.

There were pools of water in the drainages surrounding the cabin that we filtered to get our water. A mountain biker that came through the area later on said that pinchot spring was running, but we opted for proximity over a 0.5 mi trek to get our water.

A nice start to our cabin loop! Not too crowded. Saw one group leaving from pinchot cabin, and a group of two also camped at pinchot that night.

dry General Springs Dry Dry
No water
_____________________
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Jul 29 2023
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 Guides 4
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51 male
 Joined Jul 05 2008
 Gilbert, AZ
Cabin Loop - Mogollon RimPayson, AZ
Payson, AZ
Backpack avatar Jul 29 2023
adeniumTriplogs 697
Backpack17.72 Miles 1,059 AEG
Backpack17.72 Miles2 Days         
1,059 ft AEG
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I finally got my son out for his first, and possibly last, backpacking experience. Cabin Loop is fairly easy but some of the ups and downs get a little tiring, but I figured he would manage just fine as he has thirty years of youth on me.

Technically it was a two day trip, but we got a small bump on Friday afternoon when I suggested we head out a day early and camp at Barbershop Spring, a mere 10 minute walk from the trailhead. This was a good call, and let us get a nice early start on Saturday morning. The first full day of hiking was uneventful and we took it slow, especially on the hills. He did fine, with a nice rest stop at Dane Spring to tank up on water before the final push onto Barbershop Canyon, which seemed like a good place to stop for the first day. It's not a long walk, and we ended up setting up camp about noon - lots of time to relax and read. No sooner had we arrived when it started raining - like REAL rain, not a piddly little "just kidding" rain. We sheltered under my hastily hung hammock tarp for three hours until it let up. The rest of the evening was lovely and damp.

Day two started with a few drops hitting me in the face and waking me, so we hustled to break camp before the skies opened up. It never did rain, but it stayed overcast and breezy for most of the morning. Perfect for me, but the kid was getting over heated toward the end. It was pretty darn humid, after all. I was glad he got to see the upper part of Houston Bros draw - he had only been as far as Aspen Spring before - even if he was starting to have a little trouble.

We had agreed earlier that we would conclude the loop with a 1.5 mile road walk from Houston Bros trail back to the trailhead, rather than continue on the trail. I told him that we'd both be sick of hills by the end, and I wasn't wrong. Since he was overheating, I left him, my pack, and my completely soaked Buff to cool off in the shade while I retrieved the Jeep.

I hope this hasn't put my son off from backpacking. He was talking about doing a Grand Canyon trip with a friend, and I think this was enough of a wakeup call that he's maybe not quite ready for that. Mission accomplished! :D

water 1 out of 5water 2 out of 5water 3 out of 5water 4 out of 5 Aspen Spring Gallon + per minute Gallon + per minute
Plenty of water in the creek

water 1 out of 5water 2 out of 5water 3 out of 5water less than max Barbershop canyon creek Medium flow Medium flow
Plenty of water and large swimming holes.

water 1 out of 5water less than maxwater less than maxwater less than max Barbershop Canyon Creek Upper Pools to trickle Pools to trickle
Murky pools at the trail crossing.

water 1 out of 5water 2 out of 5water 3 out of 5water less than max Barbershop Spring Gallon per minute Gallon per minute
Flowing nicely, with clear pools at the source and just below the trail crossing.

water 1 out of 5water 2 out of 5water 3 out of 5water less than max Coyote Spring Gallon per minute Gallon per minute
Nice flow at the trail crossing

water 1 out of 5water 2 out of 5water 3 out of 5water 4 out of 5 Dane Spring Gallon + per minute Gallon + per minute
Good flow, as always

water 1 out of 5water 2 out of 5water 3 out of 5water less than max McFarland Spring Gallon per minute Gallon per minute
Water in the creek in pools

water 1 out of 5water 2 out of 5water 3 out of 5water 4 out of 5 Pinchot Spring Gallon + per minute Gallon + per minute
Plenty of water
_____________________
 
Jul 01 2023
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 Guides 4
 Routes 93
 Photos 302
 Triplogs 697

51 male
 Joined Jul 05 2008
 Gilbert, AZ
Cabin Loop - Mogollon RimPayson, AZ
Payson, AZ
Backpack avatar Jul 01 2023
adeniumTriplogs 697
Backpack31.87 Miles 7,163 AEG
Backpack31.87 Miles3 Days         
7,163 ft AEG
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This was originally supposed to be a father-son backpack trip of a much shorter distance, but 19-year-olds being what they are, something more pressing came up for the boy. So, rather than waste the effort I put into getting my gear out, I went anyway.

Day One:
I drove up Saturday morning, traffic wasn't too bad. I arrived at my parking space about 9 or so. There was another guy getting set to start his hike. I struck up a conversation... turned out he was planning on doing the same loop, so we walked together for the first leg of his hike to where I intended to camp at Fred Haught Spring. The spring was running, although the water was a little bit murky.

After setting up camp, I hiked around a bit. I went up the canyon a ways past the ruins of the cabin until I was stopped by a big pool and a lot of deadfall. I doubled back and went down canyon. At this point I was just stopped by sore feet. Farther down canyon, it looked like there were several pools with plenty of standing water.

Day Two:
I rose early and started out, intent on Dane Spring. Within about 10 minutes I started feeling a drip on my legs. Opened to my pack to find I had failed to properly close one of my water bottles and it had emptied all over my gear. Foul words were uttered to one in particular. I decided I would stop in Dane Canyon and dry things out.

The hike after Pinchot Cabin was a bit of a slog for some reason - probably the temps pushing 85 had something to do with that. I stopped, as planned, in Dane Canyon to dry out my stuff and decided it was as a good a time as any to stop and set up camp. It was nice spot after all, and I had admired it on previous trips. A few pools remained at trail crossing, but there was running water up canyon, which is where I first chose to filter water.

Having rested for a bit, I walked down canyon a ways following a game trail until the trail crossed a marshy area. I guess elk are less concerned about getting their shoes wet. So, back I went and grabbed my water filter and bottles and headed upstream again. I went about as far as I could go, before being stopped by - you guessed it - dead fall and big pools.

Back at camp, I came to realized my awesome spot wasn't so awesome. It was in full sun until almost 6. Clouds scudded by and promised to block the sun a bit, but most just moved the wrong way.

Day Three:
Got an early start for the final leg. Ran into a ton of mosquitos after turning onto Barbershop Trail from U-Bar. The final push was, as expected, painful. The ups and downs on this trail really started to wear on me and I was glad to find my Jeep right where I left it.

water 1 out of 5water 2 out of 5water 3 out of 5water less than max Barbershop canyon creek Medium flow Medium flow

water 1 out of 5water 2 out of 5water less than maxwater less than max Barbershop Canyon Creek Upper Light flow Light flow
A bit of flow at the trail crossing, but mostly large murky pools.

water 1 out of 5water 2 out of 5water 3 out of 5water 4 out of 5 Barbershop Spring Gallon + per minute Gallon + per minute

water 1 out of 5water 2 out of 5water 3 out of 5water 4 out of 5 Coyote Spring Gallon + per minute Gallon + per minute

water 1 out of 5water 2 out of 5water 3 out of 5water 4 out of 5 Dane Spring Gallon + per minute Gallon + per minute
Nice flow at the pipe

water 1 out of 5water less than maxwater less than maxwater less than max Fred Haught Canyon Pools to trickle Pools to trickle
Plenty of pools, some of better quality than others.

water 1 out of 5water 2 out of 5water 3 out of 5water less than max Fred Haught Spring Gallon per minute Gallon per minute
Flowing, albeit a little murky.

water 1 out of 5water 2 out of 5water less than maxwater less than max General Springs Quart per minute Quart per minute
Pools and light flow from what I could tell.

water 1 out of 5water 2 out of 5water 3 out of 5water 4 out of 5 Pinchot Spring Gallon + per minute Gallon + per minute

_____________________
  1 archive
Jun 26 2023
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 Guides 21
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 Photos 36,858
 Triplogs 1,570

69 female
 Joined Feb 26 2004
 Phoenix, AZ
Fred Haught Trail #141Payson, AZ
Payson, AZ
Hiking avatar Jun 26 2023
tibberTriplogs 1,570
Hiking7.26 Miles 877 AEG
Hiking7.26 Miles   3 Hrs   51 Mns   2.17 mph
877 ft AEG      30 Mns Break
 
Partners partners
trekkin_gecko
Route Scout Route Recorded  on Route Scout | Pop | Map | Popup | MapDEX
Slept okay I think but my mattress did deflate somewhat which messed with my side sleeping; however, I did figure out a way to work with the air that was left.  It was a nice morning and Kelly made me some delish Ethiopian coffee and I tried a new Grits breakfast meal; perhaps more savory than I thought it should be in the morning.  We took our time packing, still admiring our surroundings.

We crossed the creek in a little easier area this time and headed up the hill, to the TH, and down the hill through the ferns and by the lupine to FR 95.    The scenery on the road was very pretty with cool geology, roses and ferns.  We once again admired the drop off to get around the fallen road and culvert.  It is fairly steep on both sides getting down and then up.  Once you get off the road it levels off for a bit before the climb to the Ridge.  Still complained about there not being one switchback on there as it seems a long climb.

We hung out at a log near the clearing area and had a snack. We could hear the tractor working in the distance to the south of us.  We made our way through the heavily ferned area to Quien Sabe Draw.  We decided to see how long it was; I figured a mile.  It really is a beautiful draw to enjoy with the tall trees and scattered ferns throughout.  A little over 3/4 mile later you arrive at what appears to have been a road at one time.  The temp would get hot once in a while which I thot was surprising for the morning.  Needless to say, when the breeze picked up, so did I :) .

We passed by Fred Haught spring area and saw some hikers across the way. We were going to stop and get water here but ended up going farther.  I wanted to see if the new energy powder I had would help me with my energy level as the previous afternoon, I could have stopped and taken a nap way too easily.  We finally found an area and I loaded my Pina Colada energy powder into my container and took a couple big swigs.  We would stop a little later and finish it off.  I don't know if it helps, but my energy level stayed fairly steady; although my legs were getting a little worn out the last couple miles.

We continued to admire the scenery we had passed through yesterday alongside the water which was now constantly present.  There was one area that we got to do the log balance beam across.  It was easy with the poles.  This time it was Kelly's turn to smell the vanilla.  I saw the perfect 7 foot Xmas tree but my picture didn't turn out very well.  In fact, I didn't like a lot of my photos :( ; the light just wasn't good.  I should be pulling out my Pany when there is such harsh light.  I will have to remember to do that in Glacier.  We had one more uphill to go but not before going through a heavily ferned area.  The hill has a nice enough grade and then you hit that rock area that's so cool.  It's weird that it doesn't last long and then goes back to forest.

Tonto 3 was waiting where we left it; always a good thing.  I got us our beers and we sat on a log that had a small silver metal tag on it that said, "do not remove", how odd.  The area around the cabin was pretty active.  We changed our clothes and then headed west on FR300.  It was a nice drive, though very windy.  The New Mexico Locust was blooming in many places along the way.  There was less traffic so that was good.  We had lunch at Las Casita in Camp Verde and headed back for Phx.

Thanks to Kelly for helping me practice for my trip.  I'm so glad I did the backpack trip, but didn't feel like I did very well; so I was a little dejected and was wondering if I could do the full six-nites at Glacier.  We shall see. It could turn into a 3-nite trip in the Belly River and 2 nites in the Cut Bank Valley... due to bear activity and I think secretly, I'd like that. My pack is 40 lbs :o including a litre of water. (A lot of the weight is my electronics, and food of course)


Video from our hike from Pinchot campsite to Gen'l Springs Cabin: [ youtube video ]

Watch from the north end of Quien Sabe Draw to TH 9:49AM-12:18PM, 4.55 miles, 7270-7515 elevation.  132 avg bpm/150 max.  28% zone 5 max, 54% zone 4 anaerobic, 16% zone 3 aerobic burning 982 calories. 
Watch from campsite to Quien Sabe Draw 8:26-9:31AM, 1.75 miles, 7150-7439 elevation. 127 avg bpm/151 max burning 393 calories.
Temp 83.8 sunny and 9% humidity, little to no breeze.
 Culture
 Culture [ checklist ]
[ checklist ]  Tree Tags
 Named place
 Named place [ checklist ]
[ checklist ]  Fred Haught Ridge
wildflower observationwildflower observationwildflower observationwildflower observationwildflower observation
Wildflowers Observation Light
LOTS of ferns, a couple Heal All/Self-Heal among others I couldn't quite ID. We saw some Fleabane and of course, the Flagstaff Ragwort on the AZT part.
_____________________
For me, sometimes it's just as much about the journey as the destination.
Oh, and once in awhile, don't forget to look back at the trail you've traveled.
  1 archive
Jun 24 2023
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 Guides 94
 Routes 840
 Photos 22,055
 Triplogs 1,993

52 male
 Joined Sep 18 2002
 Tempe, AZ
West Cabin Loop and Stuff, AZ 
West Cabin Loop and Stuff, AZ
 
Hiking avatar Jun 24 2023
chumleyTriplogs 1,993
Hiking17.14 Miles 1,914 AEG
Hiking17.14 Miles   7 Hrs   35 Mns   2.44 mph
1,914 ft AEG      34 Mns Break
 no routes
1st trip
We set out on a modified ccw west cabin loop that cut off a couple of miles by dropping into Bear Canyon for some offtrail things before climbing up and over into HouBros to complete the rest of it on trail.

I was surprised to find bear cyn to be dry, but that changed as we moved downstream. It was all water after the west junction, and flowing nicely after east joined in.

HouBros has seen some recent chainsaw clearing, and the winter snows put an extra nail in the coffin for the longevity of the barn at Aspen Spring. Good water flowing all along the draw with Pinchot truly gushing. But Aspen was chilly, with temps down well over 20 degrees from up above.

They're thinning along the ridge along the north end of FH, so it'll be interesting to see how that looks when they're done. The 95 washout has probably eroded a little bit more after the enhanced spring runoff this year. Curious if they'll ever fix it. Encountered a handful of others along the way, but generally a pleasant day in the woods.

Kudos to Kathy, who fought through the day far more than 17 miles on a surgically repaired knee!
 Named place
 Named place [ checklist ]
[ checklist ]  Bear Canyon

water 1 out of 5water 2 out of 5water 3 out of 5water less than max Aspen Spring Gallon per minute Gallon per minute
Cold! Great source.

water 1 out of 5water 2 out of 5water less than maxwater less than max East Bear Canyon Light flow Light flow

water 1 out of 5water 2 out of 5water less than maxwater less than max Fred Haught Canyon Light flow Light flow
big pools and light flow most of the way between FR300 and AZT exit junction. A few short dry spots.

water 1 out of 5water less than maxwater less than maxwater less than max Fred Haught Spring Dripping Dripping
Didn't check spring source, but plenty of flowing water and pools where trail meets up.

water 1 out of 5water less than maxwater less than maxwater less than max General Springs Dripping Dripping
Plenty of water in the draw below, but no noticeable flow at the source point. Just a stagnant pool. Better options just downstream.

water 1 out of 5water less than maxwater less than maxwater less than max Houston Draw Head Dripping Dripping
Not sure the flow, but plenty of water in clear cold pools

water 1 out of 5water 2 out of 5water 3 out of 5water less than max McFarland Spring Gallon per minute Gallon per minute
Great flow from the spring. Cold and clear.

water 1 out of 5water 2 out of 5water 3 out of 5water 4 out of 5 Pinchot Spring Gallon + per minute Gallon + per minute
Gushing. Possibly better measured in CFS!

dry Quien Sabe Spring Dry Dry
no sign of surface water

water 1 out of 5water 2 out of 5water less than maxwater less than max West Bear Canyon Light flow Light flow
_____________________
I'm not sure what my spirit animal is, but I'm confident it has rabies.
  1 archive
Jun 24 2023
avatar

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

55 male
 Joined Nov 20 2012
 Phoenix, AZ
West Cabin Loop and Stuff, AZ 
West Cabin Loop and Stuff, AZ
 
Hiking avatar Jun 24 2023
BiFrostTriplogs 1,257
Hiking17.14 Miles 1,914 AEG
Hiking17.14 Miles   7 Hrs   35 Mns   2.44 mph
1,914 ft AEG      34 Mns Break
 no routes
1st trip
Kathy and I joined 9L and Chumley for West Cabin Loop. My longest hike so far after knee surgery so it was a good test. Didn't have any issues so that was good. Starting off we hiked near FR 300 through the forest over to the drop in for Bear Canyon. Then down Bear Canyon on some off trail with some decent pools along the way.

Eventually we exited the canyon and onto Houston Bros trail. Nice stretch of trail and we had lunch at Aspen Cabin and spring. Took a long break before continuing down trail to Pinchot Cabin.

After Pinchot we hiked through the washed out section of FR 95 which was interesting. What will be more interesting is if they ever fix it....it's a huge washout and looks like a ton of work. Leaving FR 95 we hopped on the Fred Haught trail briefly and then the AZT back to General Springs and our vehicle at FR 300.
_____________________
  1 archive
Oct 02 2022
avatar

 Guides 1
 Routes 262
 Photos 864
 Triplogs 266

51 male
 Joined Mar 24 2021
 Tucson, AZ
Cabin Loop - Mogollon Rim Arizona, AZ 
Cabin Loop - Mogollon Rim Arizona, AZ
 
Backpack avatar Oct 02 2022
JackluminousTriplogs 266
Backpack29.69 Miles 3,922 AEG
Backpack29.69 Miles   45 Hrs   40 Mns   0.80 mph
3,922 ft AEG
 
1st trip
Route Scout Route Recorded  on Route Scout | Pop | Map | Popup | MapDEX
Two nights and three days on the Cabin Loop with Philip and Steven. Drove up from Tucson Friday morning and parked at General Springs Cabin. Took the AZT north to do the Loop clockwise, and I immediately felt sad.

I had originally wanted to backpack in the Chiricahuas that weekend but thunderstorms were cropping up and between lightning and flooding potential the Chiricahuas seemed a bit dicey. The Rim wasn’t forecast to be wet, so we decided to head north instead. But I’d been longing for something wild and rugged, and while the AZT segment is gorgeous I just wasn’t feeling it. No catclaw overgrowth, deadfall, steep scree slopes, or washed out burned trail to contend with, so no type 2 fun. :(

Took the spur trail to Fred Haught, then continued to Pinchot. The trails are easy, well marked, and immaculate. Finally got a little drama at the old road that was washed out just before Pinchot, necessitating a steep bypass down through the drainage and back up the other side.

Stayed overnight at Pinchot Cabin. In the morning we continued on U-Bar, which is not as well signed and cross-crossed by many logging roads and is itself a logging road at times. On two or three occasions I had to check my GPS to confirm we were on the right trail.

By this time I had gotten over any feelings of disappointment and was free to just enjoy the beauty all around. U-Bar had more varied terrain that kept getting better the further along we went. Had lunch at Dane Spring, which was flowing nicely. Continued on Barbershop, which is even more beautiful. Barbershop was easy to follow, though not as well marked.

We made it to Houston Brothers and were getting tired, so we made camp on a ridge. Probably wasn’t the best spot but it worked. I was worried about noise from camping close to roads and other dispersed car campers, but I didn’t need to be concerned about people. It was the elk who were partying all night with their incessant bugling. :lol:

Sunday morning we packed up and continued down Houston Brothers to the Rim Road, aka General Crook trail. Route Scout showed a track more or less parallel to the road and claimed that was General Crook; we just took the road to get the great views off the Rim. Once the road pulled away and was just a road, we peeled off to find the “trail” identified as General Crook.

There was no trail. We were really close to the car and I needed a solid dose of type 2 fun, so we proceeded to follow the track on Route Scout anyway. It led us down and up steep ravines, then down a drainage with lots of debris before dumping us out in the swampy field behind General Springs Cabin. Perfect!

On the way home we stopped at Pie Bar in Strawberry. We were expecting pizza and beer, or maybe strawberry pie, so we were surprised to find that they serve empenadas. Really good ones, too.

While the Cabin Loop was definitely smoother and more manicured than what I was originally hoping for, it is absolutely gorgeous and a delight to do.
 Named place
 Named place [ checklist ]
[ checklist ]  Bear Canyon  Dane Spring
 
Sep 02 2022
avatar

 Triplogs 1

female
 Joined Aug 29 2022
 Tucson, AZ
Cabin Loop - Mogollon RimPayson, AZ
Payson, AZ
Backpack avatar Sep 02 2022
cjvg79Triplogs 1
Backpack29.93 Miles 5,615 AEG
Backpack29.93 Miles3 Days         
5,615 ft AEG46 LBS Pack
 
no photosets
1st trip
Linked   none no linked trail guides
Partners none no partners
Route Scout Route Recorded  on Route Scout | Pop | Map | Popup | MapDEX
1.25 miles - 10:52 am
Creek is flowing

2.77 miles - 1:47 pm
Meadow is a perfect place to camp!
wildflower observationwildflower observationwildflower observationwildflower observationwildflower observation
Wildflowers Observation Light
 
Aug 13 2022
avatar

 Guides 12
 Routes 192
 Photos 863
 Triplogs 356

42 male
 Joined Nov 30 2015
 Phoenix, AZ
Cabin Loop - Mogollon RimPayson, AZ
Payson, AZ
Run/Jog avatar Aug 13 2022
ShatteredArmTriplogs 356
Run/Jog22.50 Miles 3,327 AEG
Run/Jog22.50 Miles   5 Hrs   59 Mns   4.01 mph
3,327 ft AEG      22 Mns Break
 
no photosets
Originally was gonna go camping but was too lazy, so I headed up to Washington Park to run a cabin loop with some friends. Probably have done this one at least a half dozen times, but it's always worth another go. Started at around 8:30 am hoping to get done before the storms hit, but wasn't confident in that.

I always like to get the Rim Rd section over with first; luckily with the recent rain it wasn't too dusty. Tried to follow the Gen Crook trail tread a couple of times, but it's spotty.

Everything is nice and green now, some of the small drainages on Houston Bros had water, but surprisingly there wasn't any more water at Aspen Spring or Pinchot Cabin than there was a month or so ago. Started hearing thunder at Bear Canyon or so, but the storms seemed to be moving in a favorable direction, and we managed to avoid them. Didn't get any rain until after we left the trailhead.
_____________________
  1 archive
Jul 16 2022
avatar

 Guides 12
 Routes 192
 Photos 863
 Triplogs 356

42 male
 Joined Nov 30 2015
 Phoenix, AZ
Cabin Loop - Mogollon RimPayson, AZ
Payson, AZ
Run/Jog avatar Jul 16 2022
ShatteredArmTriplogs 356
Run/Jog17.01 Miles 2,362 AEG
Run/Jog17.01 Miles   4 Hrs   5 Mns   4.22 mph
2,362 ft AEG      3 Mns Break
 
no photosets
Partners none no partners
Creative juices ran dry after last week, needed some miles on the legs, so decided to go with something close(ish) and familiar. I've done this loop about a billion times now (three, to be exact), it's always worth coming back to. Saw ~3 backpackers, two runners, and a couple of UTVs on the Dick Hart ridge.

Threatened to rain for the last ~6 miles, but it never really materialized. No energy the last few miles, so lots of walking at the end there.

water 1 out of 5water 2 out of 5water less than maxwater less than max Barbershop canyon creek Light flow Light flow
_____________________
 
May 14 2022
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 Guides 41
 Routes 1,626
 Photos 14,983
 Triplogs 2,760

69 male
 Joined Jan 20 2009
 Far NE Phoenix,
Long - Bear - Quien - Houston - Rock Crossing, AZ 
Long - Bear - Quien - Houston - Rock Crossing, AZ
 
Hiking avatar May 14 2022
The_EagleTriplogs 2,760
Hiking14.32 Miles 1,693 AEG
Hiking14.32 Miles   6 Hrs   5 Mns   2.64 mph
1,693 ft AEG      40 Mns Break14 LBS Pack
 
1st trip
Route Scout Route Recorded  on Route Scout | Pop | Map | Popup | MapDEX
I received an invite to hike with the Moe, Curley and a couple of their friends Ryan and Hillary.

I met them at their campsite just south of CC Cragin at the crack of 8:30am. After setting up the shuttle, we started hiking a bit after 9:00am. 9L, Ryan and Hillary were just doing Long Draw, General Springs Canyon with us. They were going to float around on the lake after that.

Chums and I headed up Bear Canyon. We'd actually seen quite a bit of bear sign to this point. We opted to add a couple of miles and hike up Quien Sabe Draw (Translated - Who Knows Draw) to the Fred Haught #141 at the spring.

After lunch at Pinchot cabin, we headed down Houston Draw. Easy walking to begin with, and the draw turned more canyonlike the closer we got to the lake. The only semi tricky portion was the 100 yards when the lake started, on the sidehill traverse to get to the ridgeline going up.

Chums took a dip in the lake and chatted up the campers fishing there.

Up Telephone Ridge from the lake for the steepest climb of the day. Down Rock Crossing 8C to 8B and up to FR123 to finish a fun day in Rim Country.
 Named place
 Named place [ checklist ]
[ checklist ]  Well Tank
wildflower observationwildflower observationwildflower observationwildflower observationwildflower observation
Wildflowers Observation Light

water 1 out of 5water less than maxwater less than maxwater less than max Bear Canyon Pools to trickle Pools to trickle

water 1 out of 5water 2 out of 5water less than maxwater less than max Quien Sabe Spring Quart per minute Quart per minute

water 1 out of 5water less than maxwater less than maxwater less than max Well Tank 1-25% full 1-25% full
water report recorded in the field on our app Route Scout
_____________________
There is a very fine line between "hobby" and "mental illness."
Dave Barry 🦅
 
May 11 2022
avatar

 Guides 47
 Routes 96
 Photos 850
 Triplogs 385

81 male
 Joined Dec 24 2005
 Phoenix, AZ
Cabin Loop - Mogollon RimPayson, AZ
Payson, AZ
Backpack avatar May 11 2022
MEWhitemanTriplogs 385
Backpack26.37 Miles 4,564 AEG
Backpack26.37 Miles3 Days         
4,564 ft AEG22 LBS Pack
 no routesno photosets
1st trip
Tom and I decided to do another backpack after only a 3 week break from our last one to keep up our conditioning. The cabin loop on the rim was appealing because of the cool temperatures and our desire to return to the rim for more hiking; it had been over 10 years for each of us. I always had the desire to do the loop as a backpack ever since GPSJoe and Grasshopper introduced me to it.

Planning the trip was a little confusing since different sources gave very different results for elevation gains for the same distance and direction of travel. We decided to hike counter-clockwise from Pinchot Trailhead and deal with whatever the gains were.

Day 1: Fred Haught Trail from trailhead to General Crook Cabin. 7.12 miles and 1,247’ aeg. A great hike along a shaded trail with streams full of water and numerous campsites. We camped in the vicinity of the cabin on a very windy night. A few AZT northbounders passed by the cabin while we were there. Morning temperatures were about 30 degrees.

Day 2: FR300 (Rim Road), Houston Brothers Trail and Barbershop Trail to Coyote Spring. We couldn’t locate the track north of Rim Road so opted for a road walk which turned out better in my view. The forest north of the road had a lot of dead trees. The road walk offered great viewpoints and a gradual 4.5 mile uphill climb. The short segment of the Houston Brothers trail had a lot of blowdowns to navigate. The Barbershop Trail also had a lot of blowdowns and three canyon crossings. 10.96 miles and 2,075’ aeg. We camped near Coyote Spring which had plenty of water. The morning temperature was about 30 degrees.

Day 3: UBar trail to Pinchot TH. This was a really nice hike with gradual ups and downs until the Dane Canyon crossing. It was mostly shaded and there was plenty of water in the springs and crossings, There were fewer blowdowns until about a mile from the end where numerous trees were down in the same area. We met a party of 3 backpackers doing the loop in the opposite direction at the blowdowns. We had planned on spending the night near Pinchot Cabin and day hike on Saturday, but opted to call it a trip and head back to Phoenix. We were both tired and I was catching a cold plus I didn’t sleep well both nights. We also hadn’t spent much time planning for the day hike.

It was a great trip and we plan to return to the area, car camp and hike many of the other hikes described in guides on this website. HAZ puts some iPhone apps to shame.
wildflower observationwildflower observationwildflower observationwildflower observationwildflower observation
Wildflowers Observation Isolated
Mostly dandelions

water 1 out of 5water 2 out of 5water 3 out of 5water less than max Barbershop canyon creek Medium flow Medium flow
Water flowing

water 1 out of 5water less than maxwater less than maxwater less than max Barbershop Spring Dripping Dripping
Dripping where trail crosses spring runoff. Better flow up the hill from the trail.

water 1 out of 5water 2 out of 5water less than maxwater less than max Coyote Spring Quart per minute Quart per minute
Water flowing

water 1 out of 5water 2 out of 5water 3 out of 5water less than max Dane Spring Gallon per minute Gallon per minute
Steady stream from pipe

water 1 out of 5water 2 out of 5water less than maxwater less than max Fred Haught Spring Quart per minute Quart per minute
Flowing stream

water 1 out of 5water 2 out of 5water less than maxwater less than max General Springs Quart per minute Quart per minute
Spring itself was full but water was light brown. Water was somewhat clearer and flowing at the north end of the fence north of the cabin.

_____________________
 
Aug 20 2021
avatar

 Photos 20
 Triplogs 2

53 male
 Joined Jul 08 2021
 Surprise, Az
Cabin Loop - Mogollon RimPayson, AZ
Payson, AZ
Backpack avatar Aug 20 2021
JimGerHikesTriplogs 2
Backpack29.00 Miles
Backpack29.00 Miles2 Days         
32 LBS Pack
 no routes
1st trip
Linked   none no linked trail guides
Partners none no partners
Did the trail CCW, started at General Springs, although the Rim is nice and worthy of some good pics and views I didn’t want to end it with a 4.5 mile road walk, and when we finished I think that was a good decision. First day we made it to Dane springs and camped, there are several camp sites and even a decent tree to hang your food if you are bear hanging. The pipe by the cabin was pushing probably 3-4 liters of water a minute. Total miles was about 14 miles, all trails navigation and iPhone were pretty close but the all trail map itself said it was only 12 miles.

Day 2 started early we continued up through McClintock draw which was our goal for day 1 originally had all trails map been accurate. If you can plan accordingly this is a great spot to camp, I will come back just to camp this site. The hike down in and out of this spot was kinda a butt kicker but very beautiful. From there went to Pinchot cabin and stopped for lunch, beautiful place to stop and a good campsite as well. Coming out of Pinchot onto Fred Haught we passed the road wash out, yes there is a way around just FYI the west side is pretty steep so mind your footing. After leaving this spot there’s one more elevation push and then it’s pretty smooth sailing from there down the AZT/Fred Haught, this section is kind to you and runs you down though the valley the rest of the way back and for the last 4-5 miles takes you on a beautiful stroll along the river back to General Springs cabin. This day All trails navigation said 14 and Apple Watch said 15? I’ve seen people say it’s 30-33 miles but we clocked it at about 28-29 total.

Campsites
There are literally established campsites just about everywhere I wouldn’t stress you’ll find something that matches your desired daily distance

Water
Barbershop had plenty of water not as clean as I expected but totally drinkable with a filter

Coyote springs was flowing nicely.

Dane springs was flowing great and easy access

McClintock draw had tons of water

Pinchot cabin area had plenty of water

Water flowing at the road washout, I forget the name of this creek but just a mile or so past Pinchot spring.
The last 3 or so miles heading south run through General springs canyon along the river with plenty of water.

There were many other smaller sources that may be due to the rains in the last couple weeks but the above seem to be pretty solid sources to count on for now.

We each carried 3 liters on us but other than the general springs to barbershop spring we probably would be fine with 1 or 2 liters (2.2 lbs a liter) but do you.

Wildlife
Didn’t see any bears or scat
Heard a pack of coyotes at dusk
Saw a few elk and lots of elk track/scat

This is a great trail and we highly recommend it has a great variety of terrain and is gorgeous currently after the monsoon rains
I am 49 and my wife 42 and we did it in 2 days we originally planned 3 days 2 nights but decided to punch it, totally doable, Have Fun!
wildflower observationwildflower observationwildflower observationwildflower observationwildflower observation
Wildflowers Observation Moderate

water 1 out of 5water 2 out of 5water less than maxwater less than max Barbershop Spring Quart per minute Quart per minute

water 1 out of 5water 2 out of 5water less than maxwater less than max Coyote Spring Quart per minute Quart per minute

water 1 out of 5water 2 out of 5water less than maxwater less than max Dane Spring Quart per minute Quart per minute

water 1 out of 5water 2 out of 5water less than maxwater less than max Fred Haught Canyon Light flow Light flow

water 1 out of 5water 2 out of 5water 3 out of 5water less than max General Springs Gallon per minute Gallon per minute

water 1 out of 5water 2 out of 5water 3 out of 5water 4 out of 5 McClintock Spring Gallon + per minute Gallon + per minute

water 1 out of 5water 2 out of 5water 3 out of 5water 4 out of 5 Pinchot Spring Gallon + per minute Gallon + per minute

water 1 out of 5water 2 out of 5water 3 out of 5water 4 out of 5 Quien Sabe Spring Gallon + per minute Gallon + per minute
  1 archive
Aug 15 2021
avatar

 Routes 181
 Photos 901
 Triplogs 259

50 female
 Joined Mar 09 2010
 Chandler, AZ
Cabin Loop - Mogollon RimPayson, AZ
Payson, AZ
Hiking avatar Aug 15 2021
azlaurieTriplogs 259
Hiking7.44 Miles 627 AEG
Hiking7.44 Miles   23 Hrs   43 Mns   1.81 mph
627 ft AEG   19 Hrs   36 Mns Break22 LBS Pack
 
Linked   none no linked trail guides
Partners none no partners
Route Scout Route Recorded  on Route Scout | Pop | Map | Popup | MapDEX
_____________________
♥ Timing is Everything ♥
 
average hiking speed 2.25 mph
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WARNING! Hiking and outdoor related sports can be dangerous. Be responsible and prepare for the trip. Study the area you are entering and plan accordingly. Dress for the current and unexpected weather changes. Take plenty of water. Never go alone. Make an itinerary with your plan(s), route(s), destination(s) and expected return time. Give your itinerary to trusted family and/or friends.

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