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| Hiking | 12.00 Miles |
2,500 AEG |
| | Hiking | 12.00 Miles | | | |
| 2,500 ft AEG | | | | |
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| no partners | | This Hike will go into the "What in the h*** was I thinking" Folder. Wrong Loop to do after barely doing anything in the last two weeks.
I can sum this up in 3 sentences.
My Curiosity of this Area has been completely satisfied.
This Loop completely and utterly kicked my pumpkin.
Of the 4 Trails that I used to create this Loop, 3 of them are definitely a One and Done.
I did this Loop CCW. I wanted to get the Rim View Trail out of the way early on and hopefully before it got too hot. Huh.... It was a good Decision for the former at least. I would have hated leaving this one for the back end. It took me so long to do that Trail that I was in it for most of the heat as well. So glad I brought almost 5 Liters of Water. Drank every drop on this Hike and could have drank more. Webber Creek saved me, I was an overheated, bloody mess by the time I got there. If there had been a swimming hole at that crossing, I would have just gone completely in.
Highline/AZT 26
Whenever the AZT comes into play on a Trail, the maintenance is pretty stellar, at least in the places I've experienced. This Section was no different. Just a Dream to Stroll, Hike and just Cruise along. The ATA has done some impressive work here. I'll compare it to a Wedding.
Rim View Trail BSA
Omg...  First, I will tell you that the Highline/Rim View Trail intersection has been moved further north and east. Because of that, the Rim View Trail has been extended and that extension is in great shape. The Trail is marked with green fence poles with the tops painted orange. The first mile or so was great, if the Trail was questionable at all, the poles could usually be found to help with the Route Finding. I'll compare this Section to a Honeymoon. Nice Views and decent Trail. After this Section, the Honeymoon was over. The Vegetation, consisting of Manzanita, Scrub Oak, Locust and even Raspberries, competes with the Love and the Love loses, badly. And so do the Poles. If the Poles didn't completely do a vanishing act in the Vegetation, they were bent or broken to where you still couldn't see them until you were right on top of them. I don't think the rest of this Trail has seen any Love except from the Wildlife, who love it in places, but even they desert it at times and that makes it even worse. If there were new sections of Trail through here, then I guess I was on them, but most of it is gone too. After the 1st hour of basically a bushwack, with some of it actually being on the Trail (which was better), I should have turned around. If I hadn't had a GPS, I would have for sure. But I had gone this far and I was trying to stay optimistic with the chance that at some point, someone had done some work somewhere along here. Besides, turning around meant another hour of crap, just to get back. So I kept going. Someday, my stubborness is going to kill me. The Length of that Trail is roughly 3.6 Miles. With two very short breaks to snack and get some electrolytes, it took me over 6 hours. With the Honeymoon being long over, I was now ready for a Divorce. It was incredibly hard to stay on the Route at all. But I kept trying to stay on the Route, because at times, the Trail was still defined. It was still being taken over by vegetation, but easier to walk through. But those areas would only last 100 feet if I was lucky and then I was trying to follow the path of least resistance that would end, and I would immediately be off Route again. In trying to get back to the Trail, I would try to use some Route Finding and Trail Logic. I was wrong 80% of the time. I soon learned that if in doubt, stay high, and at times, the Route went even higher. But then, Cairns appeared briefly and they went even higher, so I followed and it didn't seem right. I was off Route yet again. No Clue what was up with the Cairns. If Hank and Kyle hadn't put in the Waypoint for the Rock Chute, I'd been hard pressed to find a way down at all. As it was, doing down off that Slope was mostly on my butt. I finally made the Creek. Going into and out of the Creek was the most defined part of the Trail in the last 2 miles. I spent some time sitting in the Creek, cooling down and washing off blood. It was much later than I wanted, but I made the Decision to go for the Spring, up canyon on East Webber. I made it, but it just about finished me off.
East Webber to Spring
There is no defined "intersection" of East Webber and Rim View. No Sign either. But the Trail was nice for a bit at least. And it stayed "defined" for most of the way up towards the Perennial Spring. And there were Pink Ribbons occasionally to help. The Trail is there, but for most of the Hike from the 2nd Water crossing on, it is littered with debris. And when I mean littered, I mean, you can't see the dirt at all. Wood chips, bark chips, wood chunks galore. The Bears are busy in there breaking up and destroying old logs and nobody is cleaning up after them. And let's add quite a few downed trees over the trail. This trail was only about a mile and a half one way, but it became exhausting. It wasn't helpful after what I had just done. The Route shows that you can go up to the Spring, but I never saw it and actually went farther up the Trail before I turned around. The Creek is dry at that point. Note to others. Wear pants on this Section. Most of the Vegetation encroaching on the Trail is Raspberries. I wouldn't do this section again unless I could be sure to hit it at the Peak of Autumn. Lots of Maples in here.
East Webber/Geronimo to the TH
By the time I got back to the Webber/Rim View "Intersection", I was physically and mentally fried. And I still had over 4 miles to go with about 2 hours of light left. I had less than a liter of water left and used it with another electrolyte with 3 miles to go. Needless to say, I just put my head down and got it done. I will say that from that intersection to where the Trail turns into a Jeep road, East Webber was a wonderful single track tread and it almost made me euphoric at that point. Once it became a road and eventually merged with Geronimo, it was just ok, but the Forest and Creek were pretty nice through there. Nice road walk if you're in the area and don't have a lot of time. Geronimo was pretty much all Road Walk until just before the end, where you basically merge with the Highline/AZT for the final 1/4 mile or so.
I could have almost cried when I saw the Truck with less than 30 minutes of light left. I was one hurting mess. A cigarette would have been sweet here, but no, I had to settle for downing a cold Powerade I had in the Truck. I'm about 40 days Smoke Free at this point and as hard as it still is, I simply can't give in. I made a deal with myself. The only way I could afford the truck was to give up the smokes. And I sure do enjoy the Truck. I look at it every time I'm having a lot of trouble with a craving. The Reward is worth it and I seem to be not as winded as easily while hiking, so that's always a bonus. 
Additional Perspective on the Rim Trail. I might do it again if someone paid me, but they would have to dig very very deep. I would recommend this Trail for about a mile as an Out and Back from the Highline, that is all. The rest of it isn't a Trail anymore, it's simply a bushwack. Unless the Forest Service or Boy Scouts come back and say they've completely revamped it or you're simply masochistic, don't do it. And if you're the latter and decide to do it and you want even more punishment, don't take a GPS. You'll adore the Hell you've walked into. |
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Wildflowers Observation Light
New Mexico Locust is in full swing. Other bushy Flowers as well. The Raspberries are getting started. One cluster of Indian Paintbrush. Some smaller wildflowers here and there. |
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East Webber Creek |
Light flow |
Light flow |
| | | Until north of 2nd unnamed Spring just below the Rim. Then East Webber is dry. |
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Geronimo Spring |
Gallon per minute |
Gallon per minute |
| | | At the Trail. Although there was a path to the Spring Box, it's getting pretty overgrown with Raspberries, so I didn't check the Spring Box. | | _____________________
| Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty & well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, totally worn out & proclaiming, "Wow What a Ride!" |
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