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| Hiking | 5.00 Miles |
1,400 AEG |
| | Hiking | 5.00 Miles | 2 Hrs 30 Mns | | 2.00 mph |
| 1,400 ft AEG | | | | |
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| no partners | | The cave trail is an excellent return option for those of you who want to leave the over beaten path of Peralta trail. This was my second time on the Cave Trail. The first time was in the middle of the summer and I ended up dehydrated, delirious, and almost halucinating. I went through over six liters of water on that hike. So, I would recommend trying this for the first time in the winter.
We hit Peralta trail at about noon. I can't even count the number of times I have been on the Peralta trail, and it still stumps me every time. I love looking at all the different rocks up through the canyon, and of course, the breathtaking view of Weaver's Needle can't be beat. Whenever I take newbies on the trail I don't tell them about the needle, so they come around the corner at the saddle and see the big surprise.
One thing that was great about this trip is that I had actually read some history of the canyon and the Peralta family in "Arizona Legends and Lore." It is a great book - I had a very difficult time putting it down. It was fun going in this time with a little background.
We reached the saddle in a little under and hour, and stayed up there for about 30 minutes taking in the view. The saddle was pretty crowded that day, as we had expected. After re-energizing we took off for the Cave trail. The access to the cave trail is a little difficult to find. Head Northeast along the ridge. Stay high. Eventually you will get to the end of the high ridge (there is actually a lower portion of the ridge that continues out further with a lone tree on the edge of it - this is not where you need to be). Once you get there back track a minute or so and look for cairns and a trail heading down the Southeast side. It has taken me a few minutes to find this both times, but keep looking and it will be there.
There seemed to be a lot more Cairns than I remember and the trail was much easier to follow than before. It seems that its popularity is growing, and pretty soon the trail might lose its adventure. There are places where the trail branches off in different directions, we generally stay high.
The most challenging part of this trail for me is The Fortress, which is basically a huge steep rock you have to get down. People do technical climbs up it. I am not exactly the most coordinated person, so I always take extra care to get down. You will know you are there when you are on a very steep, fairly long all rock surface, and the only thing you see on either side of you is rock. Tip - as soon as you have a clear view of the trail beyond The Fortress, start looking up and to your right for a cairn. This seems to be the best way down, although you do have to do a short climb up the rock to get to the cairn.
After I made it past The Fortress I was much more relaxed knowing that it was over with. The first time I took the trail I wasn't exactly mentally prepared for it, which made getting down seem even more difficult.
There will be a couple more times when the trail drops down, and goes back up in a steep incline. Don't expect the trail to be all downhill, because you will be in for a surprise. Most of the elevation is lost in the last mile of the trail. You will know that you are about to head down when you find yourself in what I like to call "a wonderland of boulders." Just a tip, don't go too high or too low here, and you will find your easiest route. How is that for vagueness?
Before you know it, you will be on the descent. After descending for a couple minutes, the Bluff Springs trail will come into view. The Cave Trail dumps you off on this trail. I know its exciting, but there are a lot of loose rocks here, so try to pay a little bit of attention to the trail.
Once on the Bluff Springs trail you have about 3/4 mile left to go. You will get several tempting glimpses of the parking lot, but don't forget to stop and take in the view. The final descent is down what is referred to as "Cardiac Hill," and it will dump you right onto the Dutchman Trail and then right into the parking lot.
When all was said and done we traveled about 5.5 miles in 2 1/2 hours. This time, I only went through two liters of water, even though it was unseasonably warm on the hike.
So, definitely do the Cave Trail, but make sure you wear good supportive shoes, do it in the winter, and if you are not a very experienced hiker I would not do it alone. |
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