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| Backpack | 22.00 Miles |
3,038 AEG |
| | Backpack | 22.00 Miles | | | |
| 3,038 ft AEG | | 28 LBS Pack | | |
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| no partners | | We had a break in kids sports for the weekend and decided on a long awaited weekend backpack into some of the best scenery the Supes have to offer. Having done the direct out and back to the ranch on several occasions, I decided to opt for a more the more adventurous loop from Rogers Canyon through Frog Tanks and into Reavis Ranch from the North.
The road is definitely more worn than when I was there last October. 2WD is still doable with high clearance but a bumpy ride for sure.
We made on the trail just before 9:30 a.m. and enjoyed the nice morning weather as we made decent time down to the ruins for a nice lunch and the tour of history with the boys. Having found pottery shards at other remote ruins our youngest, Zayne (12) was hopeful to come across those fragile bits of history. I informed him that, sadly, all of that was most likely long removed from the site. Much to his excitement he proved me wrong. All told he found nearly 15 pieces buried among footprints, the largest of which was about the size of a silver dollar. This was most certainly the highlight of his trip. He was careful to return them to a secluded spot where some other curious individual might also enjoy the treasures.
After lunch we continued on through the beautiful Angel Basin and began crashing through the headwall that is Frog Tanks Trail. Pruners in hand we stuck to what trail we could find and every once in while stumbled upon a cairn. Travel was slow as we hopped in, out and back and forth across the creek. I hurried forward as much as possible to clear the trail of catclaw as much as possible before the boys caught up. As expected this was only moderately successful as the stinging in our legs continued to increase through the afternoon. Upon arriving at the confluence of fish creek we stopped to recharge for a bit. After fumbling trying to follow the trail for a bit we decided it was more hassle than it was worth and made our way directly through the creek until the trail exited and continued up the hill.
Although grown over we were largely able to stay on the established route as we continued up toward Plough Saddle. With the evening well on its way, Casey (15) and I topped out at about 6:15, nearly six hours after our start. As we waited for Zayne to make his final ascent Casey thoroughly enjoyed a ketchup packet as my wife poked fun.
Nightfall fast approached and we stopped at the first reasonable site we saw near Owen Spring. Like clockwork the rain blessed us with a small preview of what lie waiting for us. Fortunately the weather held off until we were able to enjoy a hot meal and compare bruises and scratches from the day's adventures.
As is typical of the Superstitions the forecast kicked into high gear shortly before midnight. With the full moon now tucked neatly behind the clouds and sheets of rain the lightning began to dance in the distance. The rain fully saturated the already soft soil and the heavy wind gusts gave me the privilege of resetting guy lines and stakes as the storm moved across the ranch. Much to my relief the boys stayed dry under their tarp even if they did lose some sleep to the night-time bowling alley overhead.
After a final explosive wind gust the rain settled into a gentle pitter-patter and left the morning to come entirely too quickly. As I readied to exit the the tent the tic of snow pellets began against the nylon. As we packed up and ate the snow became more consistent and by about 8:00 it was accumulating on the valley floor.
The ranch proper was a ghost town as we passed through only near the southern end was I able to pick up a few tracks mostly buried in the fresh snow. We continued on stopping as little as possible to keep the cold at bay from our wet feet. We encountered a group of through hikers enjoying the variety in the weather. One lady was quite enthusiastic about her Smartwool thumbless mittens.
After posing for a few quick photos with the Monster Juniper we continued on. Shortly after the trail began to climb toward the saddle we encountered an abandoned backpack. No tracks led off trail to indicate a pit stop. Oddly though, there was a fully outstretched palm print that seemed off. After calling out and hearing no reply we pushed up the soupy trail. With the thought of the backpack fully on both of our minds my wife suggested I run ahead to see if they were close as there was little snow built up on the lonely pack. After about five minutes another group of through hikers approached and I enquired of the packs owner. They indicated that it belonged to someone up ahead the was not doing well and left it as an act of self preservation. With that information I dropped my gear and headed back down the hill toward my wife and boys. I let them know what happened and went back for the pack. By the time I made it back to my stuff it was gone. My wife had passed the porter duties to Casey and he carried my pack on his chest until I caught up with them at the saddle. With the extra weight in tow we hurried ourselves down the hill until we caught up to the guy that bailed on his pack. From across the switchback I could see that he was walking with a bit of a limp and quite slow. After making sure they were otherwise ok I told them I would drop the pack at their truck. With that load I was glad the trail was mostly gentle the rest of the way.
Finally back at the truck we dropped the bag with other members of the party and let them know of the situation with the rest of their group behind. They ended up catching back up to us when we were airing back up at the pavement so it was nice to know that they made it out ok.
Water was everywhere and the Supes are just as beautiful as every. Five out of five stars for a weekend adventure. Minus one for the catclaw. ;) |
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Wildflowers Observation Isolated
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