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| Hiking | 9.70 Miles |
1,996 AEG |
| | Hiking | 9.70 Miles | 5 Hrs | | 2.16 mph |
| 1,996 ft AEG | 30 Mns Break | | | |
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| no partners | | SPECIAL NOTE: This hike was done on Sunday, August 31, 2014. Oddly, the HikeAz calender wouldn't let me select that day.
This was our plan B hike, having been unable to camp at Lockett Meadow, we decided against driving in to hike the Inner Basin Trail. We had a feeling that we were doomed to failure from the beginning but that didn't mean we couldn't enjoy the adventure. We know from previous experience that the two of our bodies are not optimized for hiking at altitude so we just hiked as far as we could go, by the time we reached the saddle just connecting Darton Dome to O'leary we were spent but we pushed ourselves on rounding the first switch back before quitting prolly round about .5 miles from the top.
We at lunch commiserating over our decision to quit, but only for a short time. Then we lifted our eyes and just enjoyed the views
The obvious spectacles were of course the lava flows below and the Sunset Crater beyond, but I was more drawn to the lesser hills nested between Darton Dome and Sunset Crater. I couldn't help but think of being inside one of the paintings of one my favorite local painters Philip C. Curtis. I couldn't help but be certain that he had been here and seen these oddly blackened hills bathed in sunlight, and dotted by pine trees whose own shadows were visible only set against their own fallen midden. I dont know that I have ever been to a more surreal environment.
Though we never summitted we were still uplifted as we came back down amongst the shade of the pines, and their cool embrace. We passed a lot of people who knew had no plans to even leave the shade of the pines, and why would they, in truth I shouldn't neglect the walk along side the lava flows. Aspen's grow along side the blackness of the flows, their white bark never whiter. Yellow flowers, mostly Blackeyed Susans blanket the few hill tops that aren't capped in cinder.
Amazingly zen place, maybe one of my favorites.
A little tip for those who dont mind adding another .25 mile or so to both legs, and also who are also camping at the Bonita Campgrounds. Not too far west of the amphitheatre is a path that takes you up to the TH. The path is not distinct but just follow valley where the amphitheatre is, west and it will be obvious what to do. |
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| The Tree of Understanding, dazzling, straight, and simple, sprouts by the spring called Now I Get It. - Wislawa Szymborska, "Utopia" |
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