|
| | | |
| |
|
| Hiking | 51.15 Miles |
8,415 AEG |
| | Hiking | 51.15 Miles | 22 Hrs 49 Mns | | 2.24 mph |
| 8,415 ft AEG | | 20 LBS Pack | | |
|
|
| |
| Linked |
|
none
[ show ]
| no linked trail guides |
| Partners |
|
none
[ show ]
| no partners | | TL;DR - Well marked trail (mostly). Beautiful walk. Plenty of water. Very windy at night. Had the trail to myself.
Intro:
This hike has been on my list for years. Since my oldest son first went to Camp Geronimo and I saw the trail crossing the road along Webber Creek just before the gates to the Boy Scout camp, I’ve been planning to come back “some day” and hike across the front of the Rim.
So, with a 3 day weekend (13-15 Jan 2018), nothing on the family calendar and a favorable weather forecast (~60/35) I decided that this was the weekend to give it a try.
The Plan:
- Friday (12 Jan 2018): drop a car at the Pine Trailhead and shuttle to the 260 Trailhead. Hike in a few miles and find a place to camp for the night. 260 Trailhead: https://goo.gl/maps/D2ezMhQghKp
- Saturday (13 Jan 2018): hike as far as I can with only about 11.5 hours of usable daylight (~7am - ~5:30pm).
- Sunday (14 Jan 2018): finish if possible. If not, camp somewhere near Webber Creek (near Geronimo Boy Scout Camp). Pine Trailhead: https://goo.gl/maps/VVqaz9kda1J2
- Monday (15 Jan 2018): finish out, or recover.
My primary concerns:
- Water - I knew I would have plenty of water sources on the Eastern half of the hike, but would there be water between Tonto Creek and Verde River?
- Camping - in the Superstitions, there are tons of little camping sites scatter throughout. I prefer to use a place someone else has used before, rather than making a new spot.
- Hunters - getting shot would really slow me down, obviously.
Details:
Friday -
- I left my car at the Pine Trailhead and got a ride to the 260 Trailhead. I got on the trail at about 4:45pm. The sun was already heading toward the trees, so I headed West with the hope of finding a camping spot near the Drew Trail (291).
- After about 3 miles, I started looking for a campsite, but didn’t find one until I’d gone about 4 miles. The site wasn’t great, but since I was solo and have low expectations, it was good enough.
- Surprisingly, there was still a little snow on the ground and the ground was still a bit sticky from the rain/snow 2 days prior.
- After sunset, the wind picked up and the temperatures dropped pretty quickly. Overnight temps were close to 30 degrees and the wind was gusting hard enough to wake me up a few times. Otherwise, overnight was uneventful.
Saturday -
- Up and on the trail by 6:30 am.
- Passed the Drew Trail (291) turnoff and headed toward See Canyon (https://goo.gl/maps/BQDsccfirK52). The trail was well marked and a nice walk as the sun came up. The gentle downhill into See Canyon was a nice way to start the day.
- Stopped for a bit of breakfast at See Canyon and then headed up hill toward Horton Springs. After a bit of steep climbing, the trail climbs moderately for the next ~4 miles before dropping down a bit to the Derrick Trail (33) intersection.
- I took a right and headed uphill a bit more before dropping down and crossing Horton Creek. The whole area around Horton Springs is beautiful. I stopped there for water and a mid-morning snack before pressing on. While filtering water, I saw the only person I saw all day.
- From Horton Creek, the trail gradually loses elevation as you head toward the Hatchery Trailhead and Tonto Creek. At Tonto Creek, I topped off my water containers since I couldn’t confirm water between Tonto and the Verde River.
- From Tonto Creek, the trail goes up and down on the way to Ellison Creek. During this time, you go through several areas that have obviously been impacted by fires in the recent past. At times, I had to pause a bit to find the trail. However, I found that if I just followed the mountain bike tracks, they always lead me the right way.
- Ellison Creek creek was flowing clear and strong. The area before Ellison Creek is still burned out in places, so I pushed passed the creek and found a small spot for the night. On a personal note, I try not to camp any closer than 600 feet from a water source. The sound of the water is soothing, but I don’t want my snoring to impact wildlife heading down for a drink at night.
- Another note: my personal GPS put me at about 30 miles hiked from the 260 trailhead. But, on the map I was not even 25 miles in. YMMV, but it was a tough pill to swallow as I climbed into the tent for the night.
- Overnight temps were in the upper 30’s but again, the wind was very strong and gusty.
Sunday -
- Up a bit later. On the trail by 7am.
- Overall, the hike on the western half the trail was much easier than the eastern half. The ups and downs were less dramatic and the trail, generally dropped on the way down to Webber Creek (~8 miles from the Pine TH).
- The walk from Ellison Creek over to the East Verde and the Washington Park TH was generally pleasant. The were obvious signs of forest fires, both recent and older - like Dude fire (1990).
- There was water flowing in the Perley, Bonita and Dude creeks.
- At the East Verde, I stopped to fill up my water containers and have a bit of late breakfast. After filling up, I headed saw the second person of my trip farther up the creek. After crossing the paved road to the Washington Park Trailhead the trail continues with small ups and downs through varied landscape before entering a nice pine forest a few miles before Webber Creek.
- The trail into Webber Creek is generally downhill with the trail dropping about 800’ of elevation in about 5 miles.
- I reached Webber Creek at about 2pm (https://goo.gl/maps/eGt41epSCp62). So, with 8 miles left and about 4 hours of sunlight left, I decided to push on toward Pine.
- Under different circumstances, I think the hike from Webber Creek to the Pine Trailhead would be one of my favorites. The trail is easy to follow and the uphill sections aren’t too difficult -- only about 700’ of elevation gain over 5 miles. But after 50 miles in 2 days, I was cursing every up and my pace dropped along with my mood as I cursed the trail builders for this perceived insult.
- About 3 miles from the Pine Trailhead, the trail mercifully headed downhill in a series of gentle, sweeping switchbacks.
- As the sun was setting, I reached the parking lot, relieved to be done. (https://goo.gl/maps/VVqaz9kda1J2)
General observations:
- Not many camping spots along the way outside of the big spots - See Canyon, Horton Springs, etc. And, where their were campsites, they weren’t where I needed them.
- Water was plentiful. Cool and clear.
- Forest fires leave scars for many, many years. But, they also make this a very diverse trail. Notice the types of plants as you walk through and you’ll see different generations of forrest. Also, notice the dirt beneath your feet - on this trail, it is constantly changing.
- When in doubt - follow the mountain bike tracks. They led me to the trail every time.
- Elk were everywhere and they use the trails extensively. There were many more elk and deer tracks along the trail than footprints or mountain bike tracks.
|
| _____________________
| | |
|
|
|
Route Editor
Route Scout
