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| Hiking | 11.75 Miles |
4,400 AEG |
| | Hiking | 11.75 Miles | | | |
| 4,400 ft AEG | | | | |
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| no partners | | GPS Route Posted: [ gps route ]
On 3/3 there was certainly some snow on the barnhardt side and near the peak, but not as much as we expected as a result of the dry winter. I think this was about my fourth time up the mountain, all ascending from the Y-Bar trail, whereas most people appear to start at Barnhardt and descend Y-Bar, so I think our route is a better ascent. Over the years my hiking partner Brett and I have discovered a great route up to the summit that we've got pretty decently cairned at this point. Found most of our cairns from prior years on the way up and reinforced them. Our route doesn't follow the popular ridge up, but it isn't too overgrown.
Once you reach the saddle after climbing the Y Bar Trail, level out, and just start to descend, you make a right turn off the main trail to start your traverse through some old white trees burned out by a wildfire. You continue the traverse across and uphill below the base of the cliff area but rather than climb up the ridge that others do, continue west through the wide horseshoe drain and go up a narrow chute on its west side before getting to the cliffs. Always stay east of the cliffs and continue to scramble up a second and third chute that gradually transition from loose scree and dirt into better rock stair footing.
After the third chute, keep your eye open for some cairns and an incredible little narrow pinch between two large rocks. Go into the pinch and with two steps up you can hoist yourself about 8' onto the top and you're out of the chute area. Traverse
along the light path slightly below and west of the ridge you are on and then it's just a short and more gradual hike up north and west to the summit. Proceed east and north down to the Barnhardt trail to complete the loop.
Great hike, and loved spotting a bunch of agave filifera on the way down barnhardt, since they're rare in AZ and we'll be planting some in our yard soon.
-mrbeermug |
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