Babe Haught Trail - Hatchery to Knoll Lake • Hike • Arizona • All Triplogs • HikeArizona.COM

Payson, AZ

Hiking		May 04 2025
		astrobrewer • Triplogs 196

Hiking	8.32 Miles	2,000 AEG

Hiking	8.32 Miles	4 Hrs 10 Mns	2.29 mph
	2,000 ft AEG	32 Mns Break

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Started a little before 10am. It was partly cloudy and about 60, perfect hiking weather. The first 2.5 miles are steep and the long sleeve shirt felt like it was going to be too hot.

On the way up there were lots of people coming down the trail. I am guessing they had hiked up on Saturday, camped overnight, and were heading home.

As we reached the top we could see some dark clouds forming. Walking through the forest we could hear thunder running overhead. That was concerning since I forgot to bring a jacket - oops. But no rain, at least not initially. About a mile from the lake we started feeling some drops. Kept walking because what else was there to do. The rain didn't amount to much for the rest of the walk to the lake. That was good.

We got to the lake -- or where the lake was supposed to be at least. There was no water! At least none at the South end of the lake. We walked across what used to be the end of the lake to get a better view. Turns out there was some water at the far end of the lake, but the level was way way low. The beautiful lake in the forest I saw last time is no more. Crazy.

After a leisurely lunch at the lake we started back. The temperature had dropped and it felt very cold when we started. We walked quickly to try to warm up, and that worked. About a mile from the lake we heard and felt something like rain, but it wasn't rain.
It was graupel, little round balls of frozen snow. At first it wasn't much, but then it came down pretty fast turning the ground white in places.

I was a little worried that the walk down from the rim would be wet and cold and windy, but luckily there was no wind or rain. We tried to go fast, and I ended up wiping out when my foot slipped and I went down. Ouch. I hate falling! No major damage. I was much more careful after that. The ground was wet, but thankfully not so much as to be muddy. There were a lot of bushes growing into the trail that we had to push through, and they were all wet and made out pants legs wet. It also started raining lightly for a while, but not enough to get us very wet.

Once back at the car we saw that the outside temperature was 47 degrees. We were surprised because it didn't feel could to us. It was much warmer at the bottom than on the rim. Don't know how cold it was up there.

We definitely got lucky with the rain situation. After pizza in Payson we encountered some serious torrential downpours on the drive back to the Valley. It was so loud in the car I thought there had to have been hail mixed on with the huge drops of water, but we saw no hail. It would have really sucked to be on the trail (with no jacket) in that kind rain. I'm not going to forget to pack a rain jacket next time!

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Sep 09 2024

LindaAnn

Guides 110
Routes 2,248
Photos 8,982
Triplogs 2,602

45 female

Joined Dec 24 2007
Ahwatukee, AZ

High Horton Knoll Babe loop, AZ

Hiking		Sep 09 2024
		LindaAnn • Triplogs 2,602

Hiking	14.26 Miles	2,529 AEG

Hiking	14.26 Miles	6 Hrs 51 Mns	2.47 mph
	2,529 ft AEG	1 Hour 5 Mns Break

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The_Eagle

trekkin_gecko

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Got started from the Hatchery trailhead to pleasant temps. East on Highline. Mostly easy rollercoaster the first few miles to Horton Spring. Plenty of shade. I lost my trekking pole along the way. Kind of bummed, but it was pretty beat up and probably due to be replaced (definitely not from REI) soon.

Took a break at Horton Spring, then headed up the steep Horton Spring trail straight up to the Rim. Steep, loose ground, not much shade, but at least I didn’t get bit by a dog on this trail this time around, so that was a plus. I took a million breaks. Kelly looked bored, but I had the vehicle key, so we all had to pretend breaks and breathing were a good thing.

Once finally up top, we walked the Rim road over towards Knoll Lake. Took a break at a nice viewpoint at the edge of the Rim. Headed north on some road called Limestone something. Easy walking. Getting from that road over to the south end of Knoll Lake was a bit of an unknown. I had traced a route following an old road west, but wasn’t sure what the final descent down to the lake would look like. Turned out to be a pretty good track—the old road was good, and the final drop was easier and not as steep as expected.

At the lake, we had lunch at a campsite on the southern edge. Enjoyed the shade and watched the birds flying over the water. We finally left once some clouds started building. Headed south on Babe Haught. Cursed the one small climb. The descent off the Rim wasn’t too bad. The trail is very rocky, but okay when dry. We had a few sprinkles of rain, but nothing of concern. Smoke from the Preacher Fire had notably increased by the afternoon.

Good day for this loop, and fun company all the way around.

Fauna

Fauna [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Striped Whipsnake

_____________________

Stop crying and just go do the hike.

Sep 09 2024

The_Eagle

Guides 41
Routes 1,627
Photos 14,983
Triplogs 2,762

69 male

Joined Jan 20 2009
Far NE Phoenix,

High Horton Knoll Babe loop, AZ

Hiking		Sep 09 2024
		The_Eagle • Triplogs 2,762

Hiking	14.89 Miles	2,558 AEG

Hiking	14.89 Miles	6 Hrs 53 Mns		2.55 mph
	2,558 ft AEG	1 Hour 3 Mns Break	12 LBS Pack

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LindaAnn

trekkin_gecko

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Linda put together this track to help us escape yet another 110-degree day in the oven.

Highline Trail #31
Starting from the Hatchery TH (The Hatchery is open again), we headed 4.3 miles east on the Highline Trail, rollercoasting and gaining some elevation to Horton Spring. After a short break, we started on:

Horton Springs Trail #292
From the spring, this trail climbs 1,200 feet in less than 0.9 mile. So it’s a bit steep and a bit of a sweat-fest. This was the big climb of the day. We all marveled at how the runners in the 100-mile Mogollon Monster race could maintain a fast pace going up here.

We caught a breather, walking Trail 300 and then the Limestone Trail #115. Linda had found an old FR on satellite view that we hoped would get us gracefully down to Knoll Lake. It worked out perfectly, with only a short off-trail descent directly to the south end of the lake.

Babe Haught Trail - Hatchery to Knoll Lake
After a leisurely lunch at the lake, we were ready to head uphill 300 feet to cross the road and then descend the Babe Haught Trail. The Preacher Fire had "grown" considerably since earlier in the morning when it was barely visible. The smoke was now dark, unlike your typical fire. Maybe some tires were burning?

The weather was pretty much perfect all day long, with only a few sprinkles. It’s always fun hiking with these two. Thanks for driving, Linda.

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Named place [ checklist ]

Dick Williams Creek @ Highline #31

Wildflowers Observation Isolated

Light flow

Horton Spring

Gallon + per minute

Tonto Creek - Mogollon Rim

Light flow

_____________________

There is a very fine line between "hobby" and "mental illness."
Dave Barry

1 archive

Sep 09 2024

trekkin_gecko

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

67 female

Joined Nov 17 2008
phoenix, az

High Horton Knoll Babe loop, AZ

Hiking		Sep 09 2024
		trekkin_gecko • Triplogs 4,660

Hiking	14.26 Miles	2,529 AEG

Hiking	14.26 Miles	6 Hrs 51 Mns	2.47 mph
	2,529 ft AEG	1 Hour 5 Mns Break

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LindaAnn

The_Eagle

linda planned a nice loop up on the rim
we set out from the fish hatchery at 0730, heading east on highline trail
looked around at horton spring, then up horton springs trail
steep but decent trail, not as bad as i thought it would be
rim road, limestone road, then an old road that linda found on satellite view
checked out a viewpoint along the road walk
a short easy off trail drop to knoll lake
we took a lunch break at the lake
very pleasant temps in the shade
i need to work on my lunch choices
returned via babe haught trail, which was also steep and rocky but had decent footing
didn't need the hiking pole i carried all day
this was a great loop on all new trails for me - hadn't been on this section of highline
good company and good conversation
thanks for the invite and for driving linda
thanks for the new hiking gear, bruce

pink is my color

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hazhole

1 archive

Jun 28 2024

pseudalpine

Guides 59
Routes 1,100
Photos 1,191
Triplogs 1,290

male

Joined Jan 01 2023
Arizona

Payson, AZ

Hiking		Jun 28 2024
		pseudalpine • Triplogs 1,290

Hiking	10.54 Miles	1,992 AEG

Hiking	10.54 Miles	4 Hrs 32 Mns	2.45 mph
	1,992 ft AEG	14 Mns Break

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3 archives

May 23 2024

joebartels

Guides 264
Routes 2,798
Photos 14,514
Triplogs 5,895

55 male

Joined Nov 20 1996

Myrtle - Babe Loop, AZ

Hiking		May 23 2024
		joebartels • Triplogs 5,895

Hiking	18.80 Miles	2,954 AEG

Hiking	18.80 Miles	8 Hrs 46 Mns	2.45 mph
	2,954 ft AEG	1 Hour 6 Mns Break

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General Crook Trail #130 - Coconino NF

Myrtle Trail #30

Myrtle Point 7920

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The_Eagle

wallyfrack

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It was my turn to pick so I found a unique hike we haven't hiked often with an easy 4,288 aeg, breezy enchanting 67.4 -79.82 degrees. We settled on a flat death march in near-freezing conditions with one good ascent.

Highline Trail #31
I enjoy the segment we hiked today in peak Autumn foliage. It is loaded with pines and a good mix of nice oaks. It's crystal clear the AZT does not maintain this portion. Large portions of the tread are in good to very good condition. A few turns are not clear or misleading. Some of the grades flaunt Y Bar tread.

Myrtle Trail #30
This is a wildly nice trail with the best views.

General Crook Trail #130 - Coconino NF
When in Rome. Somebody slipped one past the goalie, it's getting trail maintenance.

Babe Haught Trail - Hatchery to Knoll Lake
The top half challenges my wuss balance, otherwise nice views. I dry heaved after the flat treatment, downed a bunch of cold water, and felt fine. I'll never hear the end of it... lol

Synopsis
Enchanting weather, fun company, pocket lint exciting rim hikes aren't my thing but there were nice portions.

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Named place [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Lost Lake Myrtle Lake Pyle Ranch Spring

Wildflowers Observation Light
Isolated paintbrush, salsify, lupines in the pines, dandy lions (aka dandelions)

	Ellison Creek @ Highline	Light flow	Light flow
	nice and clear

	Lost Lake	76-100% full	76-100% full
	better skiing on Myrtle Lake

	Myrtle Lake	76-100% full	76-100% full
	Ready for water skiing

	Pyle Ranch Spring	Gallon per minute	Gallon per minute
	clear flow

_____________________

- joe

May 23 2024

The_Eagle

Guides 41
Routes 1,627
Photos 14,983
Triplogs 2,762

69 male

Joined Jan 20 2009
Far NE Phoenix,

Myrtle - Babe Loop, AZ

Hiking		May 23 2024
		The_Eagle • Triplogs 2,762

Hiking	19.51 Miles	2,984 AEG

Hiking	19.51 Miles	8 Hrs 43 Mns	2.52 mph
	2,984 ft AEG	58 Mns Break

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General Crook Trail #140 - Apache SitgreavesNF

Myrtle Trail #30

Myrtle Point 7920

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joebartels

wallyfrack

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A beautiful morning/day for a hike. Temps in the low 40's to start, 60's for highs with a nice breeze all day that helped drone out the whining.

Highline Trail #31
Heading CW from the still closed Hatchery, it was 7.5-ish miles of roller-coastering views to the rim. You pass over numerous smooth red-rock areas, through conifers and lush riparian areas as you approach the Pyle ranch area. We missed a turn to stay on the Highline at one point and followed a use trail next to Ellison Creek. Discovering our error, we went cross country to rejoin.

Myrtle Trail #30
Reaching this intersection, we noticed 3 people and machinery, performing trail maintenance just to the west on the Highline Trail. Hopefully they'll get to the east of Myrtle also.

There is still no sign at the intersection with the Highline.
[ photo ] , but the area is recovering from the Highline fire prior to our 2018 hike. [ photo ]
The climb up the Myrtle trail gives you a chance to catch some great views and your breath.
It's a 1 mile, 1100' climb to the top, for the most part a good trail and a steady grade.

General Crook Trail #140 - Apache SitgreavesNF
We used the Crook to make our way over to Myrtle Point. There has been some very recent maintenance to the trail. Someone has flagged and has been doing a great job to bring it back. I'm curious as to who or what organization as well as what sections they are doing.
We stopped at Myrtle Lake for some lunch and were able to take in the views without the Memorial Day boat and water-skiing traffic. We also found Lost Lake.

Myrtle Point 7920
First time out to this point. We took FR300C in and an old overgrown, decommissioned logging road back out to Trail 300. A short break with good views.

Babe Haught Trail - Hatchery to Knoll Lake
We did some cross country to cut off some mileage to the Babe. The Babe is still its typically steep rocky drop back down to the TH.

Good times with the crew, squad, flock or whatever they're calling it now.

Named place

Named place [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Lost Lake Myrtle Lake

Wildflowers Observation Light

Ellison Creek @ Highline

Medium flow

Lost Lake

76-100% full

Myrtle Lake

76-100% full

	Pyle Ranch Spring	Gallon + per minute	Gallon + per minute
	There's a nice flow

_____________________

There is a very fine line between "hobby" and "mental illness."
Dave Barry

Mar 16 2024

chumley

Guides 94
Routes 842
Photos 22,068
Triplogs 1,994

52 male

Joined Sep 18 2002
Tempe, AZ

Snowbabe, AZ

Snowshoeing		Mar 16 2024
		chumley • Triplogs 1,994

Snowshoeing	8.73 Miles	2,146 AEG

Snowshoeing	8.73 Miles	7 Hrs 8 Mns	1.62 mph
	2,146 ft AEG

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BiFrost

Took advantage of some spring storm action to enjoy some babe for the first time this season. Despite the new accumulation, flotation wasn't needed until up on the rim, as we had expected. Early morning sun was not planned and warmed things up into the low 40s down low. Once higher up it ranged from a low of 36 on the day to 39. All was good, but when the sun was out the trees were raining their overnight wares. We were planned for this, but dodging the snow bombs is always an adventure.

Somebody (definitely not an official agency or affiliated group) has decided to reblaze the trail with countless trees skinned of their bark, and other classic blazes now "enhanced" with spray paint. I'm not sure I can understand this kind of thing, but I'd be interested to listen to the perspective from those involved. I'm always open to hearing a point of view different from my own. It's how I learn things.

A few graupel pellets hit us between sun and shadows on an otherwise perfect bluebird day. Looks like the lake level is up about a foot in the past two weeks but still 5-6 feet below full pool. A good snowpack and currently flowing drainages will add to it in the weeks ahead, but neither are as robust as I've seen and without additional precipitation, I don't think the lake will fill completely by the time the summer recreation season starts up this way.

Jumped at a close encounter with a great horned owl and a enjoyed a low flyby of a bald eagle while crossing the 300. And at a distance, an osprey soaring over the lake. A day for the birds.

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

1 archive

Mar 16 2024

BiFrost

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

55 male

Joined Nov 20 2012
Phoenix, AZ

Snowbabe, AZ

Snowshoeing		Mar 16 2024
		BiFrost • Triplogs 1,257

Snowshoeing	8.73 Miles	2,146 AEG

Snowshoeing	8.73 Miles	7 Hrs 8 Mns	1.62 mph
	2,146 ft AEG

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chumley

The Babe was fine on this day. We had spring conditions and mash potato snow. Great for building a snowman! Hiked in the usual from the fish hatchery up Babe Haught Trail. The climb up was fairly quick with only about 4 to 6 inches of snow.

Once on the ridge the snow was deeper so we put on showshoes for the remainder. Another mile to FR 300 and crossed over into the drainages leading to the lake. Snow is always great in the drainages to the lake and today was no exception!

Reached the lake and took a nice break. Weather was still good with intermittent clouds and pleasant temps. Chumley built nice snowman before packing up and showshoeing back out the same way.

Slightly uphill until we got back to FR 300 but still not nearly as steep as the climb from the fish hatchery. Clouds were breaking up a bit coming off the rim so the views were pretty sweet! Made it back to the vehicle about 4pm. Great to get in another snowshoe before the season ends

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2 archives

Mar 02 2024

tabledude

Routes 1
Photos 52
Triplogs 3

53 male

Joined Jun 04 2006
Mesa, AZ

Payson, AZ

Hiking		Mar 02 2024
		tabledude • Triplogs 3

Hiking	3.84 Miles	1,498 AEG

Hiking	3.84 Miles	3 Hrs	1.28 mph
	1,498 ft AEG

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Day hike from Hatchery to Knoll Lake. Trail clear of snow from Hatchery to Rim. From rim to FR300, trail is about 50% snow covered. Trail is relatively easy to follow if you have hiked this before when it is snow free and know which way to go. Follow blazes on trees - some are old and overgrown, some are newly made, rock cairns, and depressions in snow). From FR300 to lake, the trail is 100% snow covered still. Again, fairly easy to follow if you have done it before and know what to look for. Look for same markers. Once you start dropping down, the blazes are with white paint on trees. I did it to the lake without snowshoes, but be prepared that there will be major postholing (sometimes up to 2'). Bring an extra pair of dry socks and shoes. I used snowshoes on way back out and it was so much easier, I wish I would have just put them on after crossing FR300. I don't expect the trail after FR300 to be clear of snow for at least another month. All the creek crossings have running water. At the last creek crossing, you may need to get wet. There was a snow bridge that I was able to use, but it will probably be gone in 1-2 weeks depending on weather.

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Jun 23 2023

pseudalpine

Guides 59
Routes 1,100
Photos 1,191
Triplogs 1,290

male

Joined Jan 01 2023
Arizona

Myrtle Point Loop, AZ

Hiking		Jun 23 2023
		pseudalpine • Triplogs 1,290

Hiking	18.45 Miles	3,046 AEG

Hiking	18.45 Miles	6 Hrs 25 Mns	3.02 mph
	3,046 ft AEG	19 Mns Break

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General Crook Trail #130 - Coconino NF

Myrtle Trail #30

Myrtle Point 7920

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Next time, I'll hike this starting from Campo Cinco, since now I'm familiar with the route. If I'd realized there was a ridiculous register, that trash would have been hauled out.

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[ checklist ] Lost Lake Mazatzal Wilderness Myrtle Lake Roberts Mesa

2 archives

Jun 17 2023

adenium

Guides 4
Routes 93
Photos 302
Triplogs 698

51 male

Joined Jul 05 2008
Gilbert, AZ

Payson, AZ

Hiking		Jun 17 2023
		adenium • Triplogs 698

Hiking	9.00 Miles	1,845 AEG

Hiking	9.00 Miles	4 Hrs 29 Mns	2.01 mph
	1,845 ft AEG

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I finally got to complete this one. My son and I had attempted this one a couple of years ago. We almost made it to the top, when my son received an urgent Code Brown, and he admitted he really wasn't feeling well. So we bailed.

Today was good. I wasn't feeling my best starting out and the climb to the rim kicked my butt. But once on top in the cool air and on gentler slopes, I caught a second wind.

At the lake, I explored a bit on the east side, but decided to head back once I came within range of other peoples' music. The lake is quite full. I was hoping to see the sinkhole on the south end, but it was submerged.

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May 20 2023

astrobrewer

Guides 1
Routes 209
Photos 1,231
Triplogs 196

male

Joined Mar 14 2015
Phoenix, AZ

[ checklist ] Duck Greater Short-Horned Lizard Mourning Cloak Butterfly

Payson, AZ

Hiking		May 20 2023
		astrobrewer • Triplogs 196

Hiking	8.42 Miles	1,848 AEG

Hiking	8.42 Miles	5 Hrs 48 Mns	1.69 mph
	1,848 ft AEG	49 Mns Break

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Weather forecast showed chance of showers along the rim, so I carried a windbreaker with a hood to be prepared. Arriving at the trailhead at the Hatchery it was sunny and warm, so coming prepared once again changed the weather. The top of the rim looks very high from the trailhead, especially considering it's less than two miles of trail. The trail is pretty steep, but unlike the Promontory Butte trail that we did a couple weeks ago it's pretty decent footing and much easier despite similar elevation profile. That's a relief! The steep hike up was in the sun and worked up a sweat. Lots of lizards on the trail. The views along the trail were great with no tall trees blocking the view. It didn't take too long before we reached the top.

At the top we were in a pine forest with mostly medium sized trees. No real tall ones. Passed a woman with a dog heading back down. They had been trying to get to Knoll Lake but took a wrong turn and gave up. I recommended the Route Scout app to her and explained that not only does it let you download a map of your route to your phone, but it also warns you if you get too far off the route. She thanked me and we continued on. There were definitely spots where the trail faded out, and it helped having multiple people to figure out the right way to go. We managed to stay on the trail and Route Scout didn't have to warn us.

As we approached the road we started hearing gunshots which was a little unnerving. Through the trees we could make out people at a pickup truck at a turnout not far from the trail doing the shooting. We made some noise to let them know that hikers were passing through. They didn't acknowledge us, but they didn't shoot us either so that's a win. Crossing the road the trees are much older and larger. The trail crosses streams that were flowing with water a few times. We also saw a few patches of snow which was a little surprising.

We stopped to let a couple of hikers going the other direction pass us just before reaching the lake, and it turned out to be a large group of about maybe 20 people. When we got to the lake we had the place to ourselves! Knoll Lake is super pretty! We walked around the short clockwise around the lake and found a nice spot next to the water for lunch. From there we could see other people setting up a campsite across the lake from us, a guy fishing in an inflatable boat, a handful of kayakers, and a group with several kids fishing from the shore. Even though we could now see other people, they were far enough away not to take away from the feeling of privacy on the shore. I really enjoyed the beauty of the place and look forward to coming back again.

Fauna

Fauna [ checklist ]

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May 13 2023

ShatteredArm

Guides 12
Routes 192
Photos 863
Triplogs 356

42 male

Joined Nov 30 2015
Phoenix, AZ

Knoll Lake lasso, AZ

Run/Jog		May 13 2023
		ShatteredArm • Triplogs 356

Run/Jog	11.50 Miles	2,526 AEG

Run/Jog	11.50 Miles	3 Hrs 57 Mns 56 Secs	2.90 mph
	2,526 ft AEG

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Couldn't think of anything fun to do at the last minute, and wanted to check out the continuation of Babe Haught north of FR300, so I decided to head up to the Fish Hatchery TH and go to Knoll Lake from there. The Babe Haught climb was nice, poked around a couple of little side trails. One of my favorite rim climbs.

Once on the rim, it was actually slightly chilly, and there was still a decent amount of snow in the canyons. The trail was surprisingly easy to follow all the way to the lake.

Decided to circumnavigate the lake, which was far more difficult than I expected. Not really any trail, and the slopes are so steep that you have to either be side-hilling or a couple hundred feet above lake level - which I didn't learn until I was on the 2nd half. That's a one and done for me.

Got back to the car, and decided against adding on any bonus miles on Highline.

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May 11 2023

pseudalpine

Guides 59
Routes 1,100
Photos 1,191
Triplogs 1,290

male

Joined Jan 01 2023
Arizona

Payson, AZ

Hiking		May 11 2023
		pseudalpine • Triplogs 1,290

Hiking	10.13 Miles	1,958 AEG

Hiking	10.13 Miles	4 Hrs 11 Mns	2.58 mph
	1,958 ft AEG	15 Mns Break

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The lower section of Babe Haught has been worked on some since I'd last did this hike. Every other section is the same. Once crossing the rim road and descending toward the lake, there are a bunch of new deadfalls and still quite a few big snow patches. Passing through each of the Eastside camps made me somewhat abashed to be a human. WTF is wrong with people that they can't carry out their own garbage, pathetic! Rednecks with riffles, I suppose. The lake was essentially full with every side drainage still seeping into the basin. At the north end, water was spilling over the causeway where a lot of flotsam and jetsam has accumulated. Took a quick break near the boatramp to enjoy a banana and cold beer. When we crossed back over FR300, a lone motorcyclist passed us, so I'm assuming the road is now open. We saw nobody else on the entire hike.

2 archives

Mar 24 2023

chumley

Guides 94
Routes 842
Photos 22,068
Triplogs 1,994

52 male

Joined Sep 18 2002
Tempe, AZ

A late snowbabe, AZ

Snowshoeing		Mar 24 2023
		chumley • Triplogs 1,994

Snowshoeing	8.95 Miles	1,928 AEG

Snowshoeing	8.95 Miles	6 Hrs 27 Mns	1.57 mph
	1,928 ft AEG

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Jaxbe22

The winter that keeps on giving just keeps on giving! Here in the valley, the weather has been somewhat placid, but in the high country, little impulses of energy keep dropping a couple inches of snow everyday. Mixed with some warmer spring weather and rain, the snowpack is nicely consolidated. It's also holding a ton of water. But it makes for an enjoyable snowshoeing surface, and that's really all that matters.

I figured it would be a dry hike to the rim before we could float. Another overnight snowfall left a fresh coating on the trees for scenic views. The trail was muddy and we postholed through deep old snow along the oak traverse. No reason for flotation though as the exposed ridge still had plenty of rocks. Around the rim crest we switched to skyfeet and pressed on from there.

The drainages were flowing lightly as a result of the warmer weather and a briefly rainy Tuesday. That was no problem as several inches of fresh powder had fallen since. But the snowpack is so deep that getting down into the creek crossings was a challenge, but not nearly as difficult as getting back out of them! We picked the best lines and made it work though.

I completely buried my pole trying to measure the snow depth on the rim road. After digging out a little bit, I was finally able to hit the ground -- 58" down. Not too bad for the last week of March! I wonder when the road will open?

The lake is full, and I was surprised to find it frozen and snow covered. With so much snow there was no way to gauge the ice thickness and I had zero faith in it being safe at this point in the season, so we attempted to make our way around the shoreline. I fell through to my knees and that put a quick end to that adventure!

.

It snowed steadily during our lunch break and fresh accumulation blurred our tracks on our afternoon return. Despite a fantastically adventurous day, we opted for more entertainment with a first-ever stop at Pete's Place ... because yolo

Named place

Named place [ checklist ]

_____________________

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

Jan 18 2023

chumley

Guides 94
Routes 842
Photos 22,068
Triplogs 1,994

52 male

Joined Sep 18 2002
Tempe, AZ

Snowbabe, AZ

Snowshoeing		Jan 18 2023
		chumley • Triplogs 1,994

Snowshoeing	8.68 Miles	1,908 AEG

Snowshoeing	8.68 Miles	7 Hrs 19 Mns	1.38 mph
	1,908 ft AEG

Linked

linked

Turkey Creek - Mogollon Rim

Partners

partners

Jaxbe22

As snowpocalypse 23 winded down overnight, I knew today would be one I wanted to get out and enjoy. Snowtel readings, webcams, and official NWS reports showed a range of snowfall across the high country ranging from a foot or so to over four feet. This part of the rim is typically at the high end of things and we prepared for a day of misery breaking trail through very deep snow.

We chatted with the plow driver at the hatchery for a bit as we got geared up. I wasn't sure how things would look down low, but it was snowshoes from the getgo. The consistently cool weather has prevented a lot of the normal snowmelt on lower and south-facing slopes and there was nothing but good snowpack even in the manzy maze.

The oak traverse was especially grueling, with deep drifts across the steep slope and each step needed to be carved. Up on the ridge, the snowpack became more stable. I'm not sure if it was wind or a warm day last week, but conditions were about as good as it gets. Fresh powdery snowfall of 6 or 8 inches sat on top of a well consolidated base several feet deep made travel almost pleasant. Flotation worked to perfection!

I lost the route more than ever before as there was not even the slightest sign of a bump where cairns exists, and many of the trail markers and blazes were at or below the snow level. So we meandered down to the lake and took a lengthy break on the west side after a using the deep snowpack to help spread our weight as we crossed the definitely-not-thick-enough ice.

The snow pack on the rim is as deep as it has been on any of my previous trips here. There's some water running lightly in spots, but it's been cold enough that most of of the liquid remains frozen. The lake is about 10-feet from full, but I feel good about what it will look like by April.

With snowpack conditions as good as they are now, I hope to have a chance to make another trip or two up here before it warms up too much.

_____________________

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

3 archives

Sep 17 2022

hikerdw

Routes 268
Photos 2,969
Triplogs 541

66 male

Joined Aug 16 2009
Mesa,AZ

Turkey Creek - Mogollon Rim

Payson, AZ

Hiking		Sep 17 2022
		hikerdw • Triplogs 541

Hiking	12.83 Miles	2,547 AEG

Hiking	12.83 Miles	6 Hrs 22 Mns	2.33 mph
	2,547 ft AEG	52 Mns Break

no photosets

Linked

linked

General Crook Trail #140 - Apache SitgreavesNF

Partners

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no partners

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

Started from the Fish Hatchery TH and hiked across on the Highline Trail, then up on the steep but enjoyable Horton Springs Trail, then headed out to the Turkey Creek area. Located an old hunters platform complete with ladder. Hiked down the creek a bit then climbed out, using some old FR's to make our way to the General Crook Trail, and then down on the Babe.

Along the way we saw some turkey and one very large elk.

Great day.

Tonto Tank

51-75% full

_____________________

Expect to self rescue

Sep 04 2022

MikkiD

Triplogs 12

female

Joined Feb 06 2022
Mesa, AZ

Payson, AZ

Hiking		Sep 04 2022
		MikkiD • Triplogs 12

Hiking	8.58 Miles	2,122 AEG

Hiking	8.58 Miles	8 Hrs 54 Mns	2.28 mph
	2,122 ft AEG	5 Hrs 8 Mns Break

no photosets

Linked

none

no linked trail guides

Partners

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no partners

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

This trail supplies fantastic views with a decently quiet lake to reward you at the end. A friend of mine and I were on the trail by 8am, ate lunch under a tree next to the lake, and it was so nice that 5 hours just slipped away and we realized it was time to go back down the rim to our car

Needless to say, it was enjoyable.

Aug 27 2022

BiFrost

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

55 male

Joined Nov 20 2012
Phoenix, AZ