maryl's Triplogs • HikeArizona.COM

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May 24 2019

maryl

Guides 1
Routes 9
Photos 119
Triplogs 7

60 female

Joined Apr 04 2016
Chandler,az

Pivot Rock Canyon, AZ

Hiking		May 24 2019
		maryl • Triplogs 7

Hiking	5.32 Miles	973 AEG

Hiking	5.32 Miles	3 Hrs 13 Mns	1.65 mph
	973 ft AEG

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My original plan was to head up Thursday and backpack into the canyon and camp somewhere around the cabin that approximately 3 miles in but the crazy snow storm that rolled through left Thursday cold and rainy/snowy so the plan changed to car camping off of FR 616 and do the loop Friday morning. This isn't a mapped trail but there is a faint single track much of the way. Trail finding or trail "making" is a good way to look at this loop. Some of the loop was following a lightly trafficked trail, part of the hike was on some lightly used OHV trails and part bushwhacking.
Friday morning I hit the trail at 8am and started at the top of the spring on a clear well traveled trail marked by a carin just off FR 616. As fast as I began hiking was just as fast I found the spring with just a trickle from the pipe but good flowing water cascading to the small creek below. They say you can actually crawl into the cave to a vault but I did not have a head lamp. From the spring I headed for the canyon floor and hiked about 1.5 miles and came across an old engine rusting away. A little further up the creek bed was Pivot Rock . I never actually fond the Pivot Rock but the canyon seemed to be laden with what looks like Pivot rock. The hike traversed the lightly flowing creek which was easy enough to rock hop on the multiple crossings. You can stay completely dry if you try. King Solomon, my Doberman, enjoyed the water much of the way. About 3 miles in you come upon an old cabin. This was the area I initially planed on spending the night. There is a meadow which would be an OK settling place for a tent. A bit further up the creek you hit a confluence which seems a bit more notable to pitch a tent.
Continuing up the canyon the creek drys up so your just hiking in a wash. The water comes alive for a brief minute but quickly dried up again. Then its time to head north up a ravine and out of the canyon. I followed a route that someone else posted and quickly found myself bushwhacking up a ravine to get to the rim of the canyon threw Manzanita bushes. As I rechecked my GPS I thought it might be easier to head up from the ravine before my GPSed route but decided to stick with the route I was following. The last .5 -1 mile was simply heading up out of the canyon with no real trail. I managed to find an old ATV trail but it looked like it would just lead me back down into the canyon so I stayed my course up the canyon. AT the top of the ridge I ran into a spur road of FR 616 then back to the trail head.

Flora

Flora [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Indian Paintbrush

Fauna

Fauna [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Arizona Sister Butterfly California Sister

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Jul 27 2018

maryl

Guides 1
Routes 9
Photos 119
Triplogs 7

60 female

Joined Apr 04 2016
Chandler,az

Shadow Mountain

Northwest, CO

Shadow Mountain

Northwest, CO

Hiking		Jul 27 2018
		maryl • Triplogs 7

Hiking	5.34 Miles	1,645 AEG

Hiking	5.34 Miles	3 Hrs 9 Mns	1.72 mph
	1,645 ft AEG	3 Mns Break

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Great Hike! We originally planned for this to be a full moon hike but the weather Gods had a different plan. After some section hiking the CDT from Steamboat springs we decided to head into Grand Lake and check it out. We were pleasantly surprised. We camped at the Green Ridge Campground which is right on Shadow Mountain lake. Nothing great just a typical FS campground. The full moon was looming so we decided we would summit Shadow Mountain and catch the rise. Unfortunately that didn't happen but the hike was stunningly beautiful. The first mile or so is a section of the CDT heading into Grand Lake. This section skirts the lake for about a mile. At the trail junction the trail heads up, up, up. its a steady climb with the only switchbacks at the top. The hike takes you on the face of the mountain then skirts below the ridge through some wicked blow down areas. The Views at the top are pretty and worth the strenuous elevation gain. The fire tower is under construction so it was off limits. The warning tape wrapped the tower tightly. After enjoying the scenery and a snack the weather started to roll in and thunder cracked in the distance. We hiked down enjoying the wildlife on the way. Moose a plenty! Great day hiking. We passed only a handful of hikers and no one at the summit when we were atop! We hiked mid day and the weather was beautiful in the low 80's. Solomon my Doberman enjoyed the hike as well.
There were two small water sources after leaving the lake area.

Wildflowers Observation Light
There were some wild flowers by the lake .

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4 archives

Jul 24 2018

maryl

Guides 1
Routes 9
Photos 119
Triplogs 7

60 female

Joined Apr 04 2016
Chandler,az

Lake Elmo Steamboat Springs, CO

Hiking		Jul 24 2018
		maryl • Triplogs 7

Hiking	7.63 Miles	971 AEG

Hiking	7.63 Miles	6 Hrs 2 Mns	1.67 mph
	971 ft AEG	1 Hour 28 Mns Break

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We wanted to road trip to CO to camp and back pack a bit. We decided Steamboat Springs would be our landing spot. Home of big Agnes! after a stop in at Big Agnes ( BAPS) to pick up/rent some gear( 20 bucks to rent gear. no constraints no questions asked just great gear) we headed for Dumont lake. We left the Dumont Lake campground around 7 am for the 7 mile trek up hill to our destination of Lake Elmo. Walking through wildflowers and lush vegetation for a few miles was serene. About three miles in you hit base camp trail head. My research told me that it was a high clearance area to get to the base camp trail head so we chose to hike it rather then skip the first few miles. When we reached base camp there was a few cars so I was bummed I opted not to try and get to this trailhead with my Rav 4. This would have left more time for the CDT and our original plan to do this section. However trail life is good so plans change quickly and we decided to camp at Lake Elmo in the most secluded beautiful campsite right off the CDT. We passed a handful of Thru Hikers and had some great CDT Conversation. Lake Elmo is a few miles from the top of the Steamboat Springs ski area and it is a popular backpacking loop. Now that we have seen the area I would opt for the loop from Rabbit ears pass to the Ski Area rt continue on to finish the section. Many opportunities many trails. We camped, relaxed fished and explored.

Culture

Culture [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Camp-fire

Named place

Named place [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Lake Elmo

Wildflowers Observation Moderate
Beautiful

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Aug 25 2017

maryl

Guides 1
Routes 9
Photos 119
Triplogs 7

60 female

Joined Apr 04 2016
Chandler,az

Minaret Creek Trail 26E21

Sierra Nevada, CA

Minaret Creek Trail 26E21

Sierra Nevada, CA

Hiking		Aug 25 2017
		maryl • Triplogs 7

Hiking	16.00 Miles	2,500 AEG

Hiking	16.00 Miles
	2,500 ft AEG		35 LBS Pack

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Minaret Lake was a spur of the moment trip as I was coming back from Tahoe and wanted to get one last trip in before heading back to the heat of AZ. I stopped at the Welcome Center at Mammoth Lakes to scope out the permits and a campsite for the night before departing the next morning on the 8 mile trip up to Minaret Lake. I had zero problems getting a permit to hike in on Friday morning leaving out of Reds Meadow. After picking up a bear can, permit and map I headed to the Shady Rest Campground which is one of the first campgrounds in Mammoth. It was clean and the hosts were super nice. Friday morning I drove into Devils Postpile and parked at the Backpackers parking lot. Most will have to shuttle down to the trail head but I have an all access pass so I was able to make my way all the way down to Devils Postpile. I left the trailhead at 730AM and hiked south about 1 mile to see Devils postpile. Once I saw that crazy rock formation I began my accent to Minaret Lake via the PCT/JMT. Approximately 1.5 miles I met the first of 3 water crossings. This one was thigh high for me ( I am 5 feet tall). The water was moving but easily fordable. After replacing my dry hiking boots. I continued on. The trail was clearly marked and maintained well. Soon the climb began. The next crossing had a downed tree and the third was a trickle. The whole accent the roaring falls accompanied us. Water was fairly accessible a good amount of time. The first 5-6 miles were a light workout. The landscape slowly turns to granite,the trail gets rocky and the steep switchbacks begin. The last two miles are a good workout but the beauty far surpasses any struggle. At 9600 feet and on up there were patches of snow still. The dog had a blast and it was a refreshing snack. I was a bit heavy at 35 lbs but I was only going overnight so I opted for luxury. Finally about 7 hours in I reached the spectacularly beautiful Minaret Lake. There were a handful of people. The whole day I saw 6 hikers. I camped lakeside tucked in behind some granite. No fires. Did a bit of fishing, cooked some dinner, relaxed and turned in for the night. No wind and about 50 degrees made for beautiful sleeping weather. Awoke to a mirror lake, had some coffee and soon the much awaited decent would begin. We hiked out in just about 4 hours. This area is so beautiful with so many opportunities Its tops my favorite list. At 9 hours away its a keeper.
I hike with a service dog. Dogs are allowed. I saw at least 5 other dogs. One couple had 3

	Minaret Lake	76-100% full	76-100% full
	August 2017- Flowing great Lake full

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Oct 06 2016

maryl

Guides 1
Routes 9
Photos 119
Triplogs 7

60 female

Joined Apr 04 2016
Chandler,az

Escalante River Trailhead, UT

Backpack		Oct 06 2016
		maryl • Triplogs 7

Backpack

Backpack

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We(a virgin backpacker and myself)hiked past the famed Natural Bridge and archway in Escalante Utah. My original mapped route was to enter the Escalante River via the Cemetery on the east end of the Town of. I GPSd' a 7 mile route that followed the River and a base camp about 7 miles in. After speaking to a few locals I was encouraged to enter the river area from the Escalante River Trail head on the far east end of the River. I was told that this might be more palatable for a first timer. The trip was great but far under exceeded my expectations. I should have stuck to my original plan which was confirmed by the Backpackers we encountered. Take note. If you are going to do this trip enter from the cemetery.
We pulled into town Thursday Oct 6th.My plan was to tent camp at the Escalante Outfitters. 18 bucks for a site, hot showers and some good ole conversation was thwarted by the expectation of mid 30 degree weather that night. I caved to the request and we ended up renting a cabin up the street at Canyons RV Park for a warm bed before our hike in. Clean and spacious I would recommend this place. With our early arrival we decided to do a quick hike to Zebra Slot which is a short 2.5 mile hike in from the trail head. The hike was pretty. A different kind of desert hike (if you live in AZ you can relate). With just about .5 mile to go, we ran into some hikers on their way out. They said that Zebra was totally full of water secondary to recent rain and you couldn't get in at all. I should have changed courses and went to the Tunnel Slot which had water but was wadeable. We decided to continue on to Zebra. A few minutes later we perched ourselves on a mountain of stone for a break. I wanted to explore but my partner was beginning to tire and wanted to return. I caved to her request and we turned around and hiked back to the truck. There is no water on this hike. I imagine that this hike is brutal in hot weather. The weather for the day was low 80's and a beautiful sunny day. The trail was very recognizable. No chance of losing yourself in these mesa's. I did find that the washes were an easy flat workaround.
When we returned to town we stopped at a local outdoor store Utah Canyons. There we picked up some new digs that were on sale. The locals were getting ready for their winter hours so much of the wares were on sale. Yay!!! I bought a map and we ran thru my GPS route. It was then I was encouraged to take another route. I agreed that it would be an easier approach to my perceived base camp. It was getting close to dinner so we headed over to Circle D Eatery. Their menu was pretty expanse and everyone I spoke to raved about the food. The burger I had was pretty tasty.
We were encouraged to go to the Kiva Coffee House about 14 miles outside of town. There we enjoyed a bagel breakfast and the last bit of wi-fi. (local wifi is a must. Service in this area is very spotty) I turned on route scout and airplane mode before we drove the last mile to the Escalante River Trail trail head. Registered for an overnight permit and we were off to hike past the Natural arch and make camp somewhere around the sand creek confluence. Much of the hike in was on well tread trail. Crossed the river a few times. Ankle to calf high water. We hiked past the natural bridge and the arch. The scenery was stunning. There has been a lot of rain recently so there were times that the trail evaporated. The river was an easy gauge to re-finding your route. We hiked to the Sand Creek confluence and from there it became a crap shoot. On our way out we passed a group and they said it was an easy find and ample campsites. Both of which I found not to be total truth. I wanted to throw down the packs and find the route but my partner had other ideas. She whined a bit and I caved again. We just decided to find a suitable campsite despite my goading to push on. We hiked a few circles and found no real suitable sites. I encountered a lone hiker and he said to keep following the river and we would run into a few sites. My co-hiker had no intention of continuing on. My frustration with her was building. I simply started backtracking till we got to the arch and a nice sandy flat spot next to the river. This would be home for the night. The day temps were in the 80's and night weather warmed up with temps 40-50 this night. I was plenty warm in just my bag and shells. The next morning I caved again when my virgin backpacker decided that she wanted to head back to town. The few mile hike out left me contemplating my next move. Here I am in Gods country and I have seen more of the town of Escalante Utah than I cared too. I wanted to be on the River. My hiking partner was clearly struggling so I caved again. So in 3 days I day hiked and back packed over night. Not my kind of trip.
What I learned was perhaps I should have soloed this trip and took a virgin on a local overnighter. What I can tell you is that the Escalante River approach from the Cemetery is the route to take. we passed a duo who hike end to end in the day and their recommendation was I should have stuck to my first route. They related that the hike was beautiful and ample camping. One thing we did encounter in the water was "quick sand" perhaps not the most accurate name but their is a lot of silt in the water so when you step on a "silt only" area you sink quickly. After a while you get to know what your looking at before you step. If you do step in this silt your shoe gets sucked in but easily removed with a small amount of effort.
Despite my mishaps I would highly recommend this trip. I will be returning to this area for sure.

Autumn Foliage Observation Light
The "change" was clearly beginning to happen

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May 26 2016

maryl

Guides 1
Routes 9
Photos 119
Triplogs 7

60 female

Joined Apr 04 2016
Chandler,az

Hetch Hetchy Reservoir Waterfalls

Sierra Nevada, CA

Hetch Hetchy Reservoir Waterfalls

Sierra Nevada, CA

Backpack		May 26 2016
		maryl • Triplogs 7

Backpack	33.04 Miles	8,025 AEG

Backpack	33.04 Miles	3 Days 13 Hrs 42 Mns
	8,025 ft AEG		45 LBS Pack

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I got to the Mather Ranger Station on Wednesday to obtain my permit for Thursday 5/26-5/28. Stayed in the backpackers campground Wed nite. Thursday AM I left the Hetch Hetchy Dam at about 7AM. Made it to Rancheria Falls about 2pm- the Trail was well traveled, the falls were booming and the footbridges were clear of water. There were plenty of campsites at Rancheria falls. Mosquitos were noticeable but not unmanageable. Day two- on to Vernon Lake. Day two- getting out of camp was a bit troublesome. It took me about 15 minutes to find the trail to Tiltill Valley. Once on the trail the hike was a moderate climb to Tiltell Valley. The valley was a bit muddy for about 100 yards. One creek crossing, lunch and water refill then it was time to Ascend Mount Gibson. That climb lasted most of the afternoon. It was difficult but being that it was nestled in the pines it was a bit easy on the legs. Once I summit-ed Mt Gibson I was met with just a trace of snow for about 50 yards. the trail was still well traveled and an easy find. Then the decent into vernon lake. Absolutely beautiful. The switchbacks down were all granite stairs. It took me about 10 hours to hike from Rancheria to Lake vernon. about 7.5 miles. I pushed it while a couple that left behind me decided to camp ontop of Mt Gibson. Vernon Lake- took a zero day, fished a bit- No Luck. The campsites were all really nice. Either on granite or sand. The next day my plan was to hike to Laurel Lake but was told by some hikers that it was very muddy and Frog Creek was a difficult crossing. So I opted to skip the lake and just take it easy and camp in Behive Meadow. I reached Behive meadow in no time and was faced with the decision to camp or push it back to the dam. 10 miles. I pushed it and made great time since most if this hike was all downhill. It took me about 10 hours to hike out from Lake Vernon.
I had my doberman Zeus ( service dog) and he enjoyed this trip as well. There are no dogs allowed in Yosemite so unless you have a service dog leave fido home. The ranger was really cool she just asked if he was a service dog and a head shake yes was all she needed.
Bear canisters are a must and fires are allowed.
I thought this was a good loop- at first I thought I should have went the opposite route but the downhill hike on the way out was super easy.
the last leg from Beehive meadow to the dam is actually an old logging road so it was pretty easy.

Wildflowers Observation Moderate

76-100% full

Heavy flow

Medium flow

Heavy flow

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1 archive

Apr 09 2016

maryl

Guides 1
Routes 9
Photos 119
Triplogs 7

60 female

Joined Apr 04 2016
Chandler,az

Jordan Hot Springs - Gila

Southwest, NM

Jordan Hot Springs - Gila

Southwest, NM

Backpack		Apr 09 2016
		maryl • Triplogs 7

Backpack	8.20 Miles	850 AEG

Backpack	8.20 Miles	6 Hrs 54 Mns		1.19 mph
	850 ft AEG		45 LBS Pack

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Great overnighter. I think it would be tough to do the whole trip out and back in one day . From the trailhead at TJ Corral hiked up about a quarter of a mile to the first Junction . Take a right and head towards Little bear Canyon . This part of the journey is via a well worn trail Hiked up through the meadow and up to the ridge and then down into little bear Canyon restart to see a trickle water . Follow the water all away down and you run into the Gilla. That first leg was about. 3.5 miles . No water so make sure you have H2O. Once I hit the River I went right and then quickly realized that I was going the wrong route because I was using my Route Scout app! The first of many river crossings. There's 15 river crossings in total . The crossings are marked fairly well with Carins. You just have to pick and choose where you want to cross. The current was moving fairly well so I opted to go for the more shallow of the crossing. I would recommend you not doing this trip without trekking polls . The riverbottom rocks are very very slippery . Trekking poles made my crossings way more bearable. I didn't hike all the way to the spring. Stopped and made camp about a mile before Jordan then hoofed the last mile for a dip after I made camp. Water was warm and felt good after a long day of backpacking. Ran into a few hikers but not overly populated.
The hike was beautiful.

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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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