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| | | AZT #15 Miles 247-253, AZ | | | |
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AZT #15 Miles 247-253, AZ
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| Hiking | 12.30 Miles |
1,400 AEG |
| | Hiking | 12.30 Miles | 5 Hrs 22 Mns | | 2.40 mph |
| 1,400 ft AEG | 15 Mns Break | 20 LBS Pack | | |
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| partners | | For Tracey's first day off of the new year she wanted a hike of more significance than our local fall-back options. So we looked back over the last few years to see what hikes we had done in the early part of the year. We'd hit up the Southern part of AZT #18 in early 2024 & 2025 so what did we do in 2023?
We hiked three 1/4-length out-and-back chunks of AZT #15, so we decided to start with the middle of the three.
It took a bit of digging through old tracks to find the best route for the drive to the chosen trailhead, and once found I gave it no further thought... until reaching the gate along Florence/Kelvin Road, when I realized the drive could present more than a few issues. Last time we had the 2007 4Runner which had significantly better tires, both in type and tread depth and it already had acquired its full share of Arizona pinstripes.
(The tires on my current 4Runner are at the wear bars and due for replacement in the next few weeks.)
The first part of the nasty 4x4 'road' wasn't too bad and I was able to limit the AZ 'stripes. Upon reaching a junction with a gate to the left and another straight ahead, I had to take a look at the US Topo track on my phone. Unfortunately while I had loaded all the AZ National Forest maps on the new phone, I had nothing for the BLM and/or State Trust lands yet so we initially opened the left gate. But moments after driving through, I realized it was the wrong way. So, back up, re-close the gate while Tracey opened the other, and continue. In a way, it was a a good thing, because during the indecision, a pair Jeeps passed us and just before opening the second gate three ATV's passed by as well.
(The guys on ATV's were bow-hunting for Javelina... ha! Good luck, one needs to get pretty close and the noise of ATV's is enough to scare them off.)
By letting them pass, we wouldn't slow them down while carefully traversing the rough road. At one spot where we caught up to the last ATV, he almost tipped over in an eroded spot immediately after a deep wash. It didn't look good so I got out and scouted it out. The drop going into the wash was steeper than the other side, so I knew the back-end would drag, so I removed the step I usually have in the receiver hitch. I took another look and decided to cross the wash at an angle to reduce the amount of drag. As carefully and slowly as I took it, the rear end dragged harder than expected, but we made it.
At the trailhead I found the bank had contacted the left side of the rear valance panel, breaking a few clips (the other side held so I didn't lose the panel completely like losing the front one in Utah) as well as breaking the trailer light plug, which I use when my bike rack is on the car for additional visibility.
Only during the hike a few hours later did I realize I could have limited the damage by filling the rear spring airbags to full height... which I did after the hike and before the return trip. (More on that later)
Ok, finally, the hike!
Of course, the first 2-3 miles is just a road-walk until it splits off as a Pinal Regional Trail running concurrent with AZT #15. Unbeknownst to me at the time, three years ago our route continued the road walk for the next two miles, which now appears it MAY have been re-routed back then and we missed the turn?
Whatever, only after my watch told me we had gone four miles yet no beep from the GPS did I realize we were almost a half-mile East of the expected waypoint. Oh well, based on signs, we ARE on the AZT so it must be a re-route.
For the most part the tread was in good shape, but the ascents and descents were steeper than I recalled from the other route, and steeper than I cared for on this day... 12+ miles turned out to be at the least two miles more than my left knee cared for.
(As it turned out, the next day, well before the end of a 3.7 mile hike, my left knee was stabbing me at random intervals, seemingly without rhyme or reason whether on flat ground, a very slight increase or decrease, so it appears I'll be paying for this hike for a while.)
Just after the 5-mile point (where the old and new routes were back to one) we passed group of ATV'ers who didn't appears to be hunters with folding chairs, seemingly just chillin'. Once we reached roughly the 6-mile mark, where we turned around three years ago, we scanned around for a spot to sit down for our picnic lunch. With all the prickly pear and cholla it was neither a friendly nor scenic are so we walked over to a slight rise to find a rock to sit on... my back doesn't do well sitting with my legs straight out.
It was nice to set-a-spell and scarf down the great-tasting PB&J on Dave's "Good Seed" Killer Bread along with a DelMonte peach cup, finishing it off with a swig of my usual home-made Orange-Mango electrolyte mix.
Although facing a different direction, nothing about the return trip was spectacular enough to take my mind off the growing pain from the left knee and as much as I consciously tried not to limp, it seemed to be transmitting it to the lower back as I could feel tension in the lower back. I didn't relay my feelings during the hike, but I definitely couldn't wait for it to end. During that time is when I thought about raising the height of the car before the return drive.
Back at the car, I raised the rear up then sought some way to prevent the rear valance from coming off all the way. Duct tape would have come in quite handy, but the roll I usually have in the car was at home, so I used an old thin bungee cord, thin enough to allow closing the rear hatch on it.
Back to the wash crossing... even after raising the rear ride-height by 3-4" ,when we reached the wash crossing from the other direction, it appeared we would need to do a bit of terrain removal to prevent further damage. And of course, no longer doing the regular 4-wheeling like in the past, I had no pick and no shovel... just a machete and a 4x4 block of wood Tracey has under her feet (can't let them dangle now can we?).
We dug as much of the soft part of the dirt bank out as we could before taking one last look to determine the best angle-of-approach. While it should have been easier in this direction, the deep channel of erosion on the approach meant the bank may give way while I'm crossing it. Yup, the bank did, so the front (where the original valance panel USED TO BE) took a bit of a hit, but minus the panel there was nothing else to break off. Now that this 4Runner has been kicked front and rear in the last few months, gained a bunch of AZ 'stripes this trip and is begging for new boots, I guess it's time to give it some love. |
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