azbackpackr's Triplogs • HikeArizona.COM

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May 29 2023

azbackpackr

Guides 27
Routes 493
Photos 5,672
Triplogs 858

70 female

Joined Jan 21 2006
Flagstaff AZ

AZT #29 and #30 easy backpack, AZ

Backpack		May 29 2023
		azbackpackr • Triplogs 858

Backpack	7.99 Miles	884 AEG

Backpack	7.99 Miles	20 Hrs 48 Mns	0.38 mph
	884 ft AEG

no routes

Linked

linked

Mormon Mountain Trail #58

Mormon Lake - AZT #29

Anderson Mesa - AZT #30

Partners

none

no partners

This was an easy overnight backpack, a "Shakedown Cruise," I called it. I hadn't been backpacking in almost 3 years. I walked from Dairy Springs to FR 132, and back, on AZT #29 and #30. Gorgeous weather. There are plenty of places to camp along there. I set up in a flattish grove of pines. I saw a few squirrels, a woodpecker, heard some tanagers singing, saw a horned lizard. That's about it for the wildlife. Also of note, I crossed at least three small running creeks.

It was Memorial Day when I started (Monday). I guess that's why it was so crowded... I saw one group of 4 hikers on Monday, plus one trail volunteer. On Tuesday morning I saw two hikers with a cute Queensland heeler. (I used to have one, so I noticed.)

I had a few aches and pains, and wished I'd brought my Thermarest chair-frame thingy, that holds a folded Thermarest pad. Next time I'll bring it, although it weighs 10 oz. My greatest discomfort was not having anywhere to sit. Lying down also hurt, but I took Tylenol and Benadryl and was out like a light. Slept about 10 hours. I entertained myself morning and evening playing the ukulele. Guess it's a good thing there was no one else around.

Since I am so used to packing for kayak trips and car camping these days, it was hard to be Spartan. I brought way too much food, ate almost none of it. I forgot I usually am not very hungry the first couple days of a hiking trip. I am never eating Knorr Pasta again. Yuck. I didn't read the book I brought (although I would have, had I forgotten the Benadryl!) and I didn't write in my notebook.

The morning hike back to the car was a lot more fun. I felt rested and a lot stronger. Maybe there's hope for me, who knows? I think there's still a risk that @chumley will insist I should be renamed "azcouchpotato" but maybe I can turn things around...

Flora

Flora [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Spreading Phlox

Fauna

Fauna [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Horned Lizard

Wildflowers Observation Isolated

	Mayflower Spring	Gallon per minute	Gallon per minute
	Judging by the little creek coming out of the general area of the spring, I'd say it's running at least a gallon a minute, but I didn't walk to the actual spring.

_____________________

There is a point of no return unremarked at the time in most lives. Graham Greene The Comedians
A clean house is a sign of a misspent life.

5 archives

May 27 2023

azbackpackr

Guides 27
Routes 493
Photos 5,672
Triplogs 858

70 female

Joined Jan 21 2006
Flagstaff AZ

FUTS to Skunk Canyon, AZ

Mtn Biking		May 27 2023
		azbackpackr • Triplogs 858

Mtn Biking	10.13 Miles	449 AEG

Mtn Biking	10.13 Miles	2 Hrs 7 Mns	4.90 mph
	449 ft AEG	3 Mns Break

Linked

linked

Flagstaff Loop Trail

Partners

none

no partners

From my friend's house, I followed a section of the FUTS (Flagstaff Urban Trail System) along a city street called High Country Trail, and into the woods. This took me past the airport, and across Lake Mary Road to JW Powell Blvd., and another section of the FUTS. Then I turned off onto a trail, followed part of the Flagstaff Loop Trail, but turned off it to go down Skunk Canyon, which is really fun. Skunk is a seductive ride, very smooth, going ever so slightly downhill. Eventually the canyon narrows, and I knew it would become very rocky (I'd been there once before). I wanted to ride only about 10-12 miles anyway, so I retraced my wheels back to my friend's house. Gorgeous day, Memorial Day weekend, and I saw 5 mountain bikers and 1 hiker. I mostly had the whole trail to myself. On the other hand, I saw there was no available parking at the Elden trailhead, and I imagine that Sandy's Canyon and other named TH's were mobbed as well.

This trail is within a large area, which includes Fisher's Point, Sandy Canyon, Rio de Flag, Campbell Mesa and a section of the AZT, which is set aside as non-motorized, right next to the city!

I promise my next triplog will be actual hiking! My achy hip is a lot better, so I'll try some hiking next, see how it goes.

Limestone Tank

Dry

Two Ace Tank

Dry

_____________________

There is a point of no return unremarked at the time in most lives. Graham Greene The Comedians
A clean house is a sign of a misspent life.

2 archives

May 22 2023

azbackpackr

Guides 27
Routes 493
Photos 5,672
Triplogs 858

70 female

Joined Jan 21 2006
Flagstaff AZ

Ashurst Lake to Anderson Mesa, AZ

Mtn Biking		May 22 2023
		azbackpackr • Triplogs 858

Mtn Biking	10.12 Miles	192 AEG

Mtn Biking	10.12 Miles	1 Hour 51 Mns	6.07 mph
	192 ft AEG	11 Mns Break

Linked

linked

Ashurst Lake

Partners

none

no partners

I had never been to Ashurst Lake before, so I decided to take my kayak and mountain bike for a little two-night car camp there. I paddled around the lake and rode my bike out to Anderson Mesa (the GPS route is included.) I enjoyed it, especially the bike rides. The lake is a bit small for paddling, but it was fun anyway. Saw osprey, great blue heron, but no bald eagles. I was told there is a nesting pair there.

As usual, I had campfires in the very early morning, but not at night. I enjoy watching the sky lighten up and the sun rise while drinking my coffee. It rained a bit Sunday and Monday. I left Tuesday morning.

	Ashurst Lake	76-100% full	76-100% full
	The lake is full.

_____________________

There is a point of no return unremarked at the time in most lives. Graham Greene The Comedians
A clean house is a sign of a misspent life.

4 archives

May 18 2023

azbackpackr

Guides 27
Routes 493
Photos 5,672
Triplogs 858

70 female

Joined Jan 21 2006
Flagstaff AZ

Rogers Lake Kayaking, AZ

Kayak		May 18 2023
		azbackpackr • Triplogs 858

Kayak	4.00 Miles

Kayak	4.00 Miles	2 Hrs 20 Mns	2.00 mph

Linked

linked

Two Spot Trail

Partners

partners

Debz

Here's another lake which usually is just a damp patch or collection of puddles in the middle of a dry meadow. But right now it's a real lake! We had it to ourselves on Thursday. Judging by the appearance of the shoreline, it could actually hold more water. Maybe if we have a second really snowy winter it will fill up all the way?

I brought my folding boat, an Oru Coast XT. It's much easier to transport than my sea kayak, when I'm going with a friend.

We saw some birds: coots of course, plus mallard ducks and eared grebes, who were busy airing their grebances. The rest of us were having fun...

Rogers Lake

76-100% full

_____________________

There is a point of no return unremarked at the time in most lives. Graham Greene The Comedians
A clean house is a sign of a misspent life.

1 archive

May 14 2023

azbackpackr

Guides 27
Routes 493
Photos 5,672
Triplogs 858

70 female

Joined Jan 21 2006
Flagstaff AZ

Marshall Lake paddling, AZ

Kayak		May 14 2023
		azbackpackr • Triplogs 858

Kayak	2.50 Miles

Kayak	2.50 Miles

no routes

Linked

none

no linked trail guides

Partners

none

no partners

Marshall Lake is a real lake right now. Paddling there, with the snowy Peaks so close by, felt other-worldly. It was hard to reconcile my previous knowledge of the terrain with what I was experiencing. It was as if I were in another state, (or state of mind?) Or, as if a beautiful alpine lake had magically appeared where none had been before.

Yes, I know it's had water in it before. But I had never seen it. The weather contributed to the scene. Dark clouds approached, drizzled on us a few minutes, then retreated. When the wind would die down, we'd get the great reflections.

I'm glad I did the Meetup Group thing for this little adventure, because a man sent me two nice photos of myself with the Peaks in the background.

To get to the lake, I opted to take the "back road," heading south from the freeway exit at Winona. FR 128. It's in pretty good shape, except for a few places. Definitely need a bit of clearance. I have a 2006 Honda CRV with all-wheel drive, and it did fine, but a sedan would not make it through the rock piles. I'm told it gets VERY gooey after even a small rainstorm.

Tomorrow I'm going paddling at Roger's Marsh (Lake). Yes, really! Stay tuned.

_____________________

There is a point of no return unremarked at the time in most lives. Graham Greene The Comedians
A clean house is a sign of a misspent life.

May 07 2023

azbackpackr

Guides 27
Routes 493
Photos 5,672
Triplogs 858

70 female

Joined Jan 21 2006
Flagstaff AZ

Elden Environmental Study Area

Flagstaff, AZ

Elden Environmental Study Area

Flagstaff, AZ

Hiking		May 07 2023
		azbackpackr • Triplogs 858

Hiking	1.91 Miles	434 AEG

Hiking	1.91 Miles	1 Hour 25 Mns	1.36 mph
	434 ft AEG	1 Min Break

Linked

none

no linked trail guides

Partners

partners

Debz

A stroll in the woods in which we saw a red-faced warbler (I'm guessing he was pretty embarrassed), Elden Spring with real water in it, Elden Homestead site, a child's grave (little John Elden), tiger swallowtail butterflies, and numerous lichens.

Now as to the child's grave: A sign giving details of the gruesome murder of the child is next to the grave. But as it turns out, that story is a myth, a fabrication, a big fat lie! I will include a link to an article detailing how a historian arrived at that conclusion:
https://www.jackcentral.org/features/th ... 0d06e.html

Flora

Flora [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Alligator Juniper

Named place

Named place [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Elden Spring

Wildflowers Observation Isolated
One Indian Paintbrush.

Elden Spring

Quart per minute

_____________________

There is a point of no return unremarked at the time in most lives. Graham Greene The Comedians
A clean house is a sign of a misspent life.

2 archives

Apr 23 2023

azbackpackr

Guides 27
Routes 493
Photos 5,672
Triplogs 858

70 female

Joined Jan 21 2006
Flagstaff AZ

Mormon Lake Kayak Loop, AZ

Kayak		Apr 23 2023
		azbackpackr • Triplogs 858

Kayak	4.80 Miles

Kayak	4.80 Miles	3 Hrs	1.91 mph

Linked

none

no linked trail guides

Partners

partners

Debz

The day before this, Deb and I had biked around Mormon Lake. After the ride we'd stopped at Lake Mary, and chanced upon a couple of kayakers, one of whom has the same model of folding boat as mine, a 16-foot Oru Coast XT. He agreed to meet up with us the next day to paddle Mormon Lake.

Paddling Mormon Lake is not something you can do any day. Usually it doesn't have much water in it, but this year is different due to the very snowy winter. Even following the shoreline we generally had two to three feet under us. On this day, the snow was still very actively melting off of Mormon Mountain.

One of the photos shows a floating nest with a large egg. This likely was a Canada goose's nest that had been built on dry land, in the reeds, before the lake filled up. Once it broke loose the goose abandoned it. We saw the geese, plus we saw teal, other ducks (I've forgotten which kinds) and coots. I think I was told we also saw a small kind of grebe (not Clark's or Western). You can tell I'm not a great birder. People asked later if we saw any bald eagles. We didn't.

Bike ride around the lake, the previous day: [ photoset ]

_____________________

There is a point of no return unremarked at the time in most lives. Graham Greene The Comedians
A clean house is a sign of a misspent life.

Apr 22 2023

azbackpackr

Guides 27
Routes 493
Photos 5,672
Triplogs 858

70 female

Joined Jan 21 2006
Flagstaff AZ

Mormon Lake Bike Loop, AZ

Road Biking		Apr 22 2023
		azbackpackr • Triplogs 858

Road Biking	16.71 Miles	631 AEG

Road Biking	16.71 Miles	3 Hrs 9 Mns	6.51 mph
	631 ft AEG	35 Mns Break

Linked

none

no linked trail guides

Partners

partners

Debz

This paved loop around Mormon Lake is nice early in the season. But this year it was especially fun, because the lake is full! The next day we went there with our kayaks! The snow was melting off of Mormon Mountain. All the little creeks and small drainages were running. You'd have needed a boat to get to Double Springs Campground. The road to Dairy Springs Campground was snowed in.

Deb looked for birds. I brought binoculars, but didn't really "bird." I did see some birds. Now, what were they? I forget. She saw some meadowlarks, a kingbird. Really, I do know the names of a whole lot of birds, but I lack patience. If a bird wants to sit still for me, I'll look at it, but if it's flitting about in the bushes, I probably will not bother trying to see it.

I rode my old mountain bike for comfort. Sometimes my other bikes beat me up since they have no front suspension. The last time I rode this loop, several years ago, the road hadn't yet been widened to accommodate bikes. It's a lot more pleasant to ride now.

Kayaking the next day: [ photoset ]

_____________________

There is a point of no return unremarked at the time in most lives. Graham Greene The Comedians
A clean house is a sign of a misspent life.

2 archives

Apr 19 2023

azbackpackr

Guides 27
Routes 493
Photos 5,672
Triplogs 858

70 female

Joined Jan 21 2006
Flagstaff AZ

Nate Avery Trail - Buffalo Park - FUTS

Flagstaff, AZ

Nate Avery Trail - Buffalo Park - FUTS

Flagstaff, AZ

Hiking		Apr 19 2023
		azbackpackr • Triplogs 858

Hiking	2.11 Miles	77 AEG

Hiking	2.11 Miles	58 Mns	2.69 mph
	77 ft AEG	11 Mns Break

Linked

none

no linked trail guides

Partners

none

no partners

A quick stroll with a local Meetup group, 2 other people. One of them did a second loop. My hip was getting achy, so I did only one loop. Nice enough folks, maybe I'll go again next week. It's convenient to do after work.

_____________________

There is a point of no return unremarked at the time in most lives. Graham Greene The Comedians
A clean house is a sign of a misspent life.

Apr 15 2023

azbackpackr

Guides 27
Routes 493
Photos 5,672
Triplogs 858

70 female

Joined Jan 21 2006
Flagstaff AZ

Christmas Tree - Urban Trail Loop, AZ

Hiking		Apr 15 2023
		azbackpackr • Triplogs 858

Hiking	3.36 Miles	384 AEG

Hiking	3.36 Miles	1 Hour 54 Mns	1.85 mph
	384 ft AEG	5 Mns Break

Linked

linked

Christmas Tree Trail #160

Partners

none

no partners

Walking out the back gate of the RV park, I made my way northwest along a "use" trail to a water catchment unit. A couple of hikers came along and stopped to chat with me. Much younger (and fitter) they planned on 10 miles, whereas I was hoping for 4. They were also full-time RVers (van dwellers, actually), so we had things in common. When we made our goodbyes I decided not to tag along, but retraced my steps a bit, and wandered south. I had a great many choices of use trails, but my goal was to work my way to the Christmas Tree Trail, and the Elden Lookout Trail. I hadn't yet decided which way I'd go to get home.

But when I reached the Elden trail, I was feeling very achy and stiff in both hips, so I took the shortest way home, which was along the Hwy 89 FUTS (Flagstaff Urban Trail.) I didn't link it here, because that section hasn't been posted to HAZ. I could link Fatman's and Elden Lookout trails to this, but I'm not going to.

Fauna

Fauna [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Abert's Squirrel

_____________________

There is a point of no return unremarked at the time in most lives. Graham Greene The Comedians
A clean house is a sign of a misspent life.

1 archive

Apr 14 2023

azbackpackr

Guides 27
Routes 493
Photos 5,672
Triplogs 858

70 female

Joined Jan 21 2006
Flagstaff AZ

AZT #32 Neighborhood Stroll, AZ

Hiking		Apr 14 2023
		azbackpackr • Triplogs 858

Hiking	2.13 Miles	148 AEG

Hiking	2.13 Miles	47 Mns	2.72 mph
	148 ft AEG

Linked

linked

Mount Elden - AZT #32

Partners

none

no partners

I walked out the back gate of the RV park and made my way to the northeast along a wide "social trail" which I knew would connect me to the Arizona Trail, Mount Elden #32. This is the "AZT Flagstaff bypass" route not used much by thru-hikers, or so I'm told. It doesn't make much sense to me why they'd avoid it, because Safeway, where they can resupply, is not far off of this route, and they could avoid the super-urban mess of backpacking through the middle of town. Maybe some of them do use this option, I don't know. I walked through the tunnel under 89, proceeded for a bit, then turned around, taking a route along the Elden Pueblo fence line on the way back. Dozens of these unnamed trails in the area.

I just moved into the RV park a few days ago, and will be here through October 1.

Current goal: My goal is still to walk 3 to 4 miles a day. (I had already walked 1 mile in the morning, while my car was having a quick minor repair.) I forgot to take some ibuprofen before this walk, and an ongoing ache bothered me a little bit, but not much. It sucks to get old. I just turned 70. I wasn't supposed to fall apart just yet.

Weather: It tried to rain on me without much success. Chilly, and a bit breezy.

_____________________

There is a point of no return unremarked at the time in most lives. Graham Greene The Comedians
A clean house is a sign of a misspent life.

Apr 13 2023

azbackpackr

Guides 27
Routes 493
Photos 5,672
Triplogs 858

70 female

Joined Jan 21 2006
Flagstaff AZ

Sandy Seep Ramble, AZ

Hiking		Apr 13 2023
		azbackpackr • Triplogs 858

Hiking	3.05 Miles	243 AEG

Hiking	3.05 Miles	1 Hour 16 Mns	2.41 mph
	243 ft AEG

Linked

linked

Sandy Seep Trail #129

Partners

none

no partners

My first hike of the season. This year I'll be living next to the Mount Elden area. I'll have to start out with easy hikes, due to some ongoing aches and pains. Anyway, I exited the gate behind the trailer park, and headed on the unnamed trail to Sandy Seep Trail. Goal was to walk 3 miles, so I did, using GPS. Although I felt stiff, only one "ongoing ache and pain" was noticeable, and it seemed to work itself out somewhat as I walked. Maybe there's hope for me, who knows?

Trouble with a GPS is they often aren't too accurate as to mileage. I know that mine reads high. So I compensated, and walked until it said 1.61, then turned around. This turned out to be a good guess, because once uploaded, it shows 3.05 round trip.

There was no snow remaining anywhere on the ground along my route. There are still a lot of piles in the shade in town, mostly where the plows piled it up really high. Now it's melting fast, and causing real flooding problems in some neighborhoods in the region.

I posted the photos "as-is" which I rarely do. No fauxto-shopping.

I will be living in Flag until the end of October, so I should be able to do a variety of hikes around here.

_____________________

There is a point of no return unremarked at the time in most lives. Graham Greene The Comedians
A clean house is a sign of a misspent life.

2 archives

Mar 03 2023

azbackpackr

Guides 27
Routes 493
Photos 5,672
Triplogs 858

70 female

Joined Jan 21 2006
Flagstaff AZ

Sabino Canyon Road

Tucson, AZ

Sabino Canyon Road

Tucson, AZ

Hiking		Mar 03 2023
		azbackpackr • Triplogs 858

Hiking	3.42 Miles	233 AEG

Hiking	3.42 Miles	1 Hour 17 Mns	2.70 mph
	233 ft AEG	1 Min Break

Linked

none

no linked trail guides

Partners

none

no partners

It snowed in Tucson yesterday, and melted quickly. I wanted to walk up and see some of the melt coming off the mountain. When I reached the first place where the creek is coming across the road, I stopped to take photos. I started chatting with a woman who reached that spot at the same time, and we ended up walking back to the parking lot together. Just a really nice afternoon. I was very comfortable in shorts and a t-shirt.

I didn't see any wildflowers.

I just returned from Oregon, a place where, when the highway crosses a bridge, you expect to see a creek or river with actual water in it.

	Sabino Canyon	Medium flow	Medium flow
	68 cfs this afternoon, according to the USGS data page.

_____________________

There is a point of no return unremarked at the time in most lives. Graham Greene The Comedians
A clean house is a sign of a misspent life.

1 archive

Feb 21 2023

azbackpackr

Guides 27
Routes 493
Photos 5,672
Triplogs 858

70 female

Joined Jan 21 2006
Flagstaff AZ

Tumamoc Hill

Tucson, AZ

Tumamoc Hill

Tucson, AZ

Hiking		Feb 21 2023
		azbackpackr • Triplogs 858

Hiking	3.03 Miles	765 AEG

Hiking	3.03 Miles
	765 ft AEG	6 Mns Break

Linked

none

no linked trail guides

Partners

none

no partners

My first time up this hill. I strolled up with a friend, who is working on getting his hiking legs back after new knees, etc. Great views. Glad I brought a rain jacket, because it cut loose just as I was walking along the street to my car.

_____________________

There is a point of no return unremarked at the time in most lives. Graham Greene The Comedians
A clean house is a sign of a misspent life.

Feb 13 2023

azbackpackr

Guides 27
Routes 493
Photos 5,672
Triplogs 858

70 female

Joined Jan 21 2006
Flagstaff AZ

Topock Ramble to the marsh, AZ

Hiking		Feb 13 2023
		azbackpackr • Triplogs 858

Hiking	1.94 Miles	224 AEG

Hiking	1.94 Miles	1 Hour 2 Mns	2.16 mph
	224 ft AEG	8 Mns Break

Linked

linked

Havasu National Wildlife Refuge

Partners

none

no partners

Still trying to work through a hip injury, went for a walk in Topock (Golden Shores) on the Arizona side of the river. My friend and I walked down to a small beach at Topock marsh. {At this point, we'd walked into the Havasu National Wildlife Refuge, from her neighborhood.) I had been to the beach before, via kayak. I've been doing lots of short walks lately, mostly about 3 miles. I discovered the cell phone zoom is pretty lousy (see photo of white pelicans.)

Flora

Flora [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Brittlebush Desert evening primrose Sand Verbena

Fauna

Fauna [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] American White Pelican

Named place

Named place [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Chemehuevi Mountains Sacramento Mountains Topock Marsh

Wildflowers Observation Moderate
Brittle bush, scorpion weed, sand verbena, evening primrose.

_____________________

There is a point of no return unremarked at the time in most lives. Graham Greene The Comedians
A clean house is a sign of a misspent life.

3 archives

Dec 27 2022

azbackpackr

Guides 27
Routes 493
Photos 5,672
Triplogs 858

70 female

Joined Jan 21 2006
Flagstaff AZ

Douglas Spring-Carrillo-Wild Horse Cyn Loop, AZ

Hiking		Dec 27 2022
		azbackpackr • Triplogs 858

Hiking	5.95 Miles	921 AEG

Hiking	5.95 Miles	4 Hrs 5 Mns	1.70 mph
	921 ft AEG	35 Mns Break

Linked

linked

Douglas Spring Trail

Carrillo Trail - Saguaro NP

Wild Horse Canyon Trail - Saguaro NP

Partners

partners

Athena

A fun hike with two old friends. They know these trails much better than I do! I had never been to Wild Horse Tanks, and had no idea about the swimming holes up there. Of course, it was too cold to swim on this day. I tried to include some photos without us in them, haha!

Starting out, the parking area was packed, and there were a lot of people on the trail, mostly hiking out (since we got a late start.) Once we turned off onto the Carrillo Trail, we saw very few people the rest of the hike.

_____________________

There is a point of no return unremarked at the time in most lives. Graham Greene The Comedians
A clean house is a sign of a misspent life.

4 archives

Dec 20 2022

azbackpackr

Guides 27
Routes 493
Photos 5,672
Triplogs 858

70 female

Joined Jan 21 2006
Flagstaff AZ

Mallard Cove / Mockingbird Wash Loop, AZ

Hiking		Dec 20 2022
		azbackpackr • Triplogs 858

Hiking	4.07 Miles	378 AEG

Hiking	4.07 Miles	2 Hrs 25 Mns	2.12 mph
	378 ft AEG	30 Mns Break

Linked

linked

Mallard Cove / Teal Point Trail

Partners

none

no partners

I had hiked to the lake from this trailhead about 5 years ago, and decided to revisit it. I ended up doing a somewhat different loop. It turns out the "Mallard Cove/Teal Point Trail" listed on the "GoLakeHavasu" website is a jumble of somewhat ill-defined routes. In the photos, I will include a hand-drawn map from that website. So, looking at that map, this time I went down the East Rim Trail and came back up via Mockingbird Wash. For future hikes here, I could vary the route every time. In 2017, I did this loop: GPS :: Mallard Cove / Teal Point Trail

This would make a pleasant, easy overnight backpacking trip, because of the comfy BLM boat-in campsite by the lake, which has a picnic table with shade structure, BBQ, and a pit toilet. The lake water is very clear, can be filtered. There's an iron ranger to pay. It's $10 if you just stay overnight and leave by 9 a.m., or $5 if you have a geezer card.

I go to Lake Havasu City once a week for a "Field Notes" group, which meets at a picnic ramada in the park. They make drawings and paintings of birds, etc., to create journals and notebooks. I'm no artist, but I want to get better at IDing the "little grey birds." Drawing them helps me to remember the smallest details about them. I will include a couple of my drawings in the photoset. I'm starting with the most common small birds of the region.

_____________________

There is a point of no return unremarked at the time in most lives. Graham Greene The Comedians
A clean house is a sign of a misspent life.

4 archives

Nov 17 2022

azbackpackr

Guides 27
Routes 493
Photos 5,672
Triplogs 858

70 female

Joined Jan 21 2006
Flagstaff AZ

Caruthers Canyon Trail

Inland, CA

Caruthers Canyon Trail

Inland, CA

Hiking		Nov 17 2022
		azbackpackr • Triplogs 858

Hiking	2.04 Miles	164 AEG

Hiking	2.04 Miles	1 Hour 3 Mns	2.07 mph
	164 ft AEG	4 Mns Break

Linked

none

no linked trail guides

Partners

none

no partners

I have decided to do some exploring in the Mojave National Preserve over the next few months. It's not far from where I'm wintering. I had been sick for a couple of weeks (bad cough, not Covid) and this was my first foray since climbing out of bed. So, I didn't hike very far, didn't hike the entire trail (which isn't very long, and is basically a Jeep road.) I drove my '06 Honda CR-V as far in as I thought it safe to go, although I think I could have gone another half mile. The CR-V of that vintage has pretty good clearance, and of course, the all-wheel drive.

This is part of the New York Mountains, an area full of granite spires. The elevation is high enough to support a healthy forest of pinon pine and live oaks.

I'm not sure I have enough info to write a proper description, so maybe I'll save it for later. For instance, I'd like to find out if there is water in the drainage, as I heard there might be. Also I want to hike to the end of the trail.

Wildflowers Observation Isolated
A lot of rabbitbrush, which would have been spectacular a couple of months ago.

_____________________

There is a point of no return unremarked at the time in most lives. Graham Greene The Comedians
A clean house is a sign of a misspent life.

1 archive

Sep 24 2022

azbackpackr

Guides 27
Routes 493
Photos 5,672
Triplogs 858

70 female

Joined Jan 21 2006
Flagstaff AZ

Sinclair Wash with new Surly Trucker, AZ

Road Biking		Sep 24 2022
		azbackpackr • Triplogs 858

Road Biking	15.18 Miles	448 AEG

Road Biking	15.18 Miles	3 Hrs 47 Mns	4.18 mph
	448 ft AEG	9 Mns Break

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Sinclair Wash Urban Trail

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On impulse, I bought a new Surly Disc Trucker, which is a touring bike suitable for long distance travel on pavement or gravel. At least one person in my family can't let me forget they think it was a stupid choice. Surly bikes are steel, and thus heavier than either of my aluminum bikes. This little bike weighs a whopping 29 pounds. Surly has kind of a cult following, "Steel is real," etc. I bought it because I was looking for a touring bike, and this one actually fit me. It's hard for a 5'2" person to find a traditional touring bike right now. Supply chain problems, and blah, blah, blah. (It's all the fault of Bidentrumpputincovidglobalwarmingkardasiansanalbeads, I'm certain.

) I wanted to see a new Trek 520 disc, but none are to be found, especially in a small size.

This was my first ride of more than 10 minutes on the bike. The Sinclair Wash Urban Trail is much longer than the current HAZ description, and I may soon get around to updating that. The description says it's 1 mile, whereas the actual mileage is about 7.5 one way, from behind Sam's Club (end of Babbitt Drive) to Fort Tuthill County Park.

I did enjoy the ride. The bike fits me, and I didn't notice anything bad about it. I like the traditional three sprockets on the crank. Very nice granny lows, and I'm old school. I've been riding road bikes since I was 10. That's 60 years.

It was a bluebird day. Lots of flowers. Although a beautiful Saturday in Flagstaff, it wasn't very crowded at all.

My family member seemed unhappy to hear that so far I like the bike and the mismatched groupset it comes with. So, hahaha!! I haven't toured with it yet, though.

Wildflowers Observation Moderate
Lots of Arizona sunflowers.

_____________________

There is a point of no return unremarked at the time in most lives. Graham Greene The Comedians
A clean house is a sign of a misspent life.

Sep 18 2022

azbackpackr

Guides 27
Routes 493
Photos 5,672
Triplogs 858

70 female

Joined Jan 21 2006
Flagstaff AZ

Spanish Bottom Trail to Dollhouse, UT

Hiking		Sep 18 2022
		azbackpackr • Triplogs 858

Hiking	6.20 Miles	1,432 AEG

Hiking	6.20 Miles	6 Hrs 33 Mns	1.19 mph
	1,432 ft AEG	1 Hour 20 Mns Break

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Spanish Bottom

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A very interesting hike at the end of a flat water river trip, starting from the river camp at Upper Spanish Bottom and hiking up into the Dollhouse, in Canyonlands National Park. I had not done the hike before, although I'd been to that river camp several times. In the past, I didn't bring hiking boots and poles, which these days, I actually need. This time I brought those items. It was worth the effort, and a much easier hike than I'd been given to believe, once you have beaten through the brush and tall grass down in the flats. This was not there last time I hiked along the flats. The trail past the old camps of Middle and Lower Spanish Bottom has basically disappeared.

We did this on a layover day, our last day, after paddling 5 days down Meander Canyon of the Colorado River, from Potash Landing (aka Jackson Landing) to Upper Spanish Bottom. Here's a link to the paddle trip: [ photoset ]

The start of the trail is also the same place you camp when waiting for the jetboat to take you back upriver. This is whether or not you came down the Green River (Labyrinth and Stillwater Canyons) or down the Colorado (Meander Canyon).

It's easily possible to hike to a granary (Granary Trail) or to Beehive Arch. We didn't want to hike that far. I've seen a bazillion granaries. As for the arch, that is quite a bit longer hike.

The jetboat service is Tex's Riverways. It's expensive, but worth it. Backpackers can also use this service to access the Dollhouse and other points along the Colorado River.

_____________________

There is a point of no return unremarked at the time in most lives. Graham Greene The Comedians
A clean house is a sign of a misspent life.

3 archives

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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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