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| Hiking | 5.20 Miles |
2,064 AEG |
| | Hiking | 5.20 Miles | 3 Hrs | | 2.08 mph |
| 2,064 ft AEG | 30 Mns Break | 10 LBS Pack | | |
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| no partners | | Saturday Feb 22nd
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Late afternoon I got ready to heading out towards lone pine saddle to top out browns peak (the furthest northern peak of the four peaks) in the morning. I decided to do a little camping the night before to set up the trek was in order. When I was leaving phoenix after picking up supplies at the grocery store I got to catch a glimpse of a great sunset.
The sky is just On Fire, one of the cool things about living in Arizona is you get these incredible views. There aren’t a whole lot of obstructions of the horizon looking out from the valley so you get to see the entire horizon, where you can get really stunning sun rises and sun sets.
Driving up the road to four peaks is always interesting in the dark. I forget how long that dirt road is, especially after nightfall. The road was a bit dusty, but it was the usual dodging oil pan busters, ruts, and rocks in the road on the way up, but not too bad. Seeing quite a few people parked off the side of the road made me worry the spot I usually get at the saddle would be taken. The only one way to find out. . . drive on. I reached lone pine saddle and thankfully there was no one in the spot I wanted. There was a group of 3 guys in their early twenties already settled in nearby with a fire blazing. They seemed like cool guys, they had no problem with me setting up shop just above them on the hill.
I unpacked, got the tent set up, kicked up a fire, cooked some hot dogs and cracked a brew. I had been running around the valley all morning and worked a few hours so by the time I got to camp I was beat. I gave they guys below me my last 2 logs, finished my brew, and crashed out.
Saturday Feb 23rd
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Woke up in the middle of the night at 4:30 and saw the big dipper through the top of my tent. When I finally got up to get ready at about 5:30 clouds have moved in and I could hardly see any stars. I grabbed my gear, got dressed, and got ready to set out. At about 6:00am I got to see the first glimpse of the twilight before strapping on my headlamp and starting up the trail. The guys below me were just getting up as I passed, said good luck on their trek and pressed on. The trio told me the night before they planned to take on Amethyst trail where it dead ends at the mine. I told them about the few “interesting” interactions with the miners that I had in the past, and wished them luck.
Hitting the switchbacks through the woods brought me back and forth towards the edge of a down slope where you can catch the sun rising over Roosevelt Lake. As I gained elevation on the switchbacks I got to watch snapshots of the sun gaining strength and color. By this point my headlamp is already off. As the yellow light lit up the trail I saw the brown leaves lining the sides of the trail. I kept on gaining, as the sun came up I got to see some awesome colors and the once silent woods started to come alive with bird chirps. As I gain more, I started to come around the left of one of the mounds where I got the first sight of browns peak, my target for the day.
Continuing on I hit the saddle where I ditched my trekking poles in a nearby bush and put my headlamp back in my bag.. The clouds were still looming overhead as the sun struggled to peak out from behind them. I hope the sun burns them off by the time I summit so I can really get some clear views. There was a tent nearby where someone was stirring, so I snapped some quick pictures and trekked on.
Heading up the trail from the saddle I came across a small fire pit where a trail branches right to the amethyst and the left up to browns. Following the browns trail up a ways I found that turns into a rock path. Looking closely I found signs of a faint trail which pushes you up and to the right side of the mountain. The trail pushes between the mountain and a jetting rock as I rounded the right side. There is a small eight foot drop which you step down and then climbing back up you will see the immense scree chute all the way up to the peak. It always looks worse than it really is at first glance. The rocks in the wash leading to the chute are very loose. As I maneuvered my way up the wash it changed into bolder hopping/climbing. I found that there are two spots in the climb that are a little funny, I just look my time and found the right hand holds, wedging my body between rock faces, and before I knew it I was past them and heading on up the mountain. As I came to the small saddle with a tree growing on the right side, I decided to push left, up the rock face. I found the path of least resistance around and kept trekking until I found the peak.
Even though there was still cloud cover when I peaked out, the view was no doubt gorgeous. The sky was painted with oranges, deep reds, blues, and greens. It was a little misty but I would see Roosevelt and many of the surrounding formations. This is a sight is well worth the trek, every single time, no doubt about it.
At the peak I chilled and ate a PBJ. There wasn't another sole in sight, not on any of the other peaks or trails. After chilling for a bit and taking in the sights, I headed back down the chute to the saddle and eventually the truck.
On the way back from the saddle I rustled up a few birds nesting in for the morning. With a flutter of wings and a streak of white and grey they flew by, low and close to the ground only for a short stint before diving back down and hiding again. It was one of those cool random animal interactions on the trail.
Finally I got back to the truck, packed up camp, and headed back to phoenix. Another awesome trek up one of the four peaks. |
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