parkrunner's Triplogs • HikeArizona.COM

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Jun 03 2020

parkrunner

Guides 1
Routes 8
Triplogs 3

71 male

Joined Dec 20 2011
Saddlebrooke, AZ

Drew Highline See Cyn General Crook Loop, AZ

Hiking		Jun 03 2020
		parkrunner • Triplogs 3

Hiking	11.62 Miles	1,990 AEG

Hiking	11.62 Miles	7 Hrs 5 Mns	1.97 mph
	1,990 ft AEG	1 Hour 11 Mns Break

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Highline Trail #31

Drew Trail #291

See Canyon Trail #184

General Crook Trail #140 - Apache SitgreavesNF

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It was a warm early June time frame. We were camping at the Canyon Point campground on the Mogollon Rim at 7700 feet elevation. Thus we wanted to start our hike on the Drew Trail where it crosses a forest road in a campground. No real trail head parking so we parked along the road.

It was about a mile down the Drew trail to the Highline Trail. Great views along the way, but a bit steep on the toes. Sure glad we weren't hiking the other direction and finishing this climb in the hot afternoon. Even though we started a little after 7am, it was already plenty warm when we reached the Highline trail. The Drew trail was in better shape than I expected. Most maps and trail web sites show it as a pretty minor and little used trail. No trail finding needed here.

2.5 miles later we found ourselves at the junction of See Canyon trail, which is along Christopher Creek, a really pleasant, heavily wooded area. A good source of water if you need some. 0.7 miles later is the junction of the See Springs trail. We ventured up there to some small cascades that other people called a falls. So far up he See Canyon trail is was a pretty nice trail. Not long afterward that trail got a lot tougher. And then it got rockier. And then it got steeper. While the last 3 miles on the See Canyon trail may have been only a 1500 foot climb, it was pretty slow going, with several downed trees and slippery rocks.

Once we reached the crest at the General Crook trail we looked for a place to have lunch. The temperature was in the low 80s by now, and probably the low 80s in the last 2 hours as we climbed up hill. The last stretch on the General Crook trail was mostly pretty easy. Not much elevation change, a mix of 2 track and 1 track, due to the nature of it being an old road. But it was a little rockier than I thought it would be.

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Aug 27 2013

parkrunner

Guides 1
Routes 8
Triplogs 3

71 male

Joined Dec 20 2011
Saddlebrooke, AZ

Mount Whitney 14,505

Sierra Nevada, CA

Mount Whitney 14,505

Sierra Nevada, CA

Hiking		Aug 27 2013
		parkrunner • Triplogs 3

Hiking	21.40 Miles	6,700 AEG

Hiking	21.40 Miles
	6,700 ft AEG

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Sorry about the delay in posting this hike log. Woke up at 4:30am in the campground 6 miles from Whitney Portal. Drove to the Trail Head and started the hike at 5:15am with headlamp on. It was well over an hour before Sunrise, shortly after passing by Lone Pine Lake. Sunrise was incredible. Only encountered 3 or 4 hikers that first hour. The trail was very good and fast for the first 3 to 4 miles. After than it was slower, not really a pathway, mostly bare rock. Had to look for a lot of cairns. Started seeing more people along the trail. Very few had day pack, most were camping along the way. Stopped for a break at Trail camp. My water supply was very good so no need to filter any. Clouds are moving in pretty good now. The switchbacks were kinda slow with puddles in a few places. Starting to get a few sprinkles of rain now and then. Reached the saddle point and got a cell signal, but couldn't keep it long enough to call my wife. Sent a text instead. Those last two miles were really quite slow. I'd been hiking pretty fast and had to stop to rest 3 or 4 times. The trail itself was rocky and slow. Some guy passed me with wearing a pack, just carrying a bottle of water. He's the only one to pass me so far. The temperature is really dropping too. About 1/2 mile from the summit I see patches of fresh snow in the rocks. Reached the summit hut at about 11am. Stayed for 20 minutes to eat some snacks. It's pretty darn cold now. Visibility is less than 1/2 mile. I tried to go as quick as I could on the way down but the first two miles were really slow. Hiking poles were slowing me down. I had to put my rain poncho on and off three or four times. It was cold enough that I didn't need to get any water. Finally got a phone call from my wife. She thought I might abandon the hike, because everyone else was due to the rain. She met me a couple of miles from the finish. Reached Whitney Portal at 4:14pm. 10 hours 59 minutes total time. Not too bad for age 59. I think I'm about the 10th person from my retirement community, Saddlebrooke to hike Whitney in one day.

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Mar 07 2012

parkrunner

Guides 1
Routes 8
Triplogs 3

71 male

Joined Dec 20 2011
Saddlebrooke, AZ

North Peak Trail #24

Payson, AZ

North Peak Trail #24

Payson, AZ

Hiking		Mar 07 2012
		parkrunner • Triplogs 3

Hiking	7.00 Miles	3,400 AEG

Hiking	7.00 Miles	4 Hrs 30 Mns	1.56 mph
	3,400 ft AEG

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The NP trail starts at the Mineral Creek Trail Head at 4000 feet elevation on Forest Road 414A. Except for where FR 414 intersects with FR 414A, 0.1 mile from the TH, the route from Payson is drivable by any car. If you bring a shovel or pile up some rocks in the ditch created by the road grader your sedan may be able to access FR 414A from FR 414. Information from reviews and topo software indicate that this trail is 4.5 to 5 miles long, one way.

The trail follows Mineral Creek for a little more than 0.5 mile. In this stretch the trail crosses the creek several times and disappears many times due to wash outs. Look for the cairns. If you don't see the trail, just keep hiking up the creek. After about 1/2 mile start to look for a large cairn on the south/left bank. Here the trail starts to follow a side creek for several hundred yards. Once is crosses the side creek in a difficult spot, you begin a relentless steep climb for almost 2 miles. The next 1/2 mile was very steep and slippery with lots of loose gravel. If you're off the trail, just keep going up, and you'll find it. At the wilderness boundary (missing sign on the post) the trail climbs less steeply and is a visible path.

Next the trail goes along the side of a steep hill. There are several places where a misstep will send you down the side. Having lots of loose gravel doesn't help. At the top of this section you'll reach a ridge that you continue to follow for about a mile. At times the trail is very hard to follow. Once you reach about 5800 feet elevation you'll start to encounter a lot of blown down trees. If the trail was hard to follow before, it's now almost impossible except for the rocks someone has placed on top of some of the downed trees. In a 1/2 mile stretch we probably stepped over or around 100 trees. Just keep going up the ridge looking for the occasional path or rock on the fallen tree. For all but the first 1/2 mile it's a good idea to wear long pants and long sleeve shirts as the trail is overgrown for long stretches.

We made it to the high point on the trail at 6200 feet elevation when we turned around. We reached our 2.5 hour time limit. We had hoped to make it all the way to the Arizona Trail, but ended up about 1.5 miles short. It took us 2 hours to get back down. The big difference in time going up verses down was we spent a lot less time searching for the trail on our way back down. We knew that as long as we stayed on the ridge, when the trail was on a ridge, we knew we would never be far from the trail. In other words, knowledge of the terrain where the trail passed through made a big time difference. If you can average 2mph, put a big red "S" on your chest.

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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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