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12 triplogs
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Dec 21 2022
avatar

 Routes 16
 Photos 177
 Triplogs 12

49 male
 Joined May 07 2016
 Phoenix, AZ
Skull Mesa from Spur Cross THPhoenix, AZ
Skull Mesa from Spur Cross TH
Phoenix, AZ
Hiking avatar Dec 21 2022
CanyonWanderer • Triplogs 12
Hiking12.00 Miles 2,850 AEG
Hiking12.00 Miles
2,850 ft AEG
 no routes
1st trip
Linked   none no linked trail guides
Partners none no partners
Skull Mesa has been on my wish list for a while and I finally got to it on solstice. Quiet day on the trails, a few short distance dog walkers near Spur Cross but only a group of three and another individual hiker out on the trail, both near the top. The trail is in very good shape and not nearly as rocky or rough as that last mile could be, great trail maintenance going on here.
 Culture
 Culture [ checklist ]
[ checklist ]  Ray Bain de Soleil
_____________________
 
Apr 18 2020
avatar

 Routes 16
 Photos 177
 Triplogs 12

49 male
 Joined May 07 2016
 Phoenix, AZ
Kelly trail system through Upper James Canyon, AZ 
Kelly trail system through Upper James Canyon, AZ
 
Hiking avatar Apr 18 2020
CanyonWanderer • Triplogs 12
Hiking6.85 Miles 500 AEG
Hiking6.85 Miles
500 ft AEG
 no routesno photosets
1st trip
Linked   none no linked trail guides
Partners none no partners
Most of the roads on the Coconino NF opened this week so we took a short drive from Flag down to the 700 road to hike some of the Kelly trail system trails before they got too busy. These trails are true multiple use: hiking to motorcycle riding, so I wanted to get out there to walk before the bikes got too heavy. We parked at the trailhead near the junction of the 700 and 236 roads. Three motorcycles buzzed by right before we got to the Rock Rut trail - they were definitely the first bikes of the season on the trails we walked.

These trails were mostly built in the past 2-3 years with some work still ongoing. We took Rock Rut to Interstate and went up the spur to Big Bear viewpoint, which did have some nice views of Coulter Mountain to the east and Smith Butte and East Pocket Knob to the west. It was at this junction we saw four more motorcycles but they turned out to be the only two groups we saw the 3.5 hours we were out there.

After the view, we continued on interstate south before xc-ing to avoid some turkey hunters, eventually reconnecting with interstate down in James Canyon before retracing our steps back to the trailhead.

These are nice, not spectacular trails, and I highly recommend them for a nice walk not far from Flag (and accessible via low- clearance vehicle) and encourage you to visit during the week when there will definitely be fewer motorcycles, especially as the valley heats up and the rvs head north.
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  1 archive
Apr 11 2020
avatar

 Routes 16
 Photos 177
 Triplogs 12

49 male
 Joined May 07 2016
 Phoenix, AZ
Smith Butte, AZ 
Smith Butte, AZ
 
Hiking avatar Apr 11 2020
CanyonWanderer • Triplogs 12
Hiking1.25 Miles 489 AEG
Hiking1.25 Miles      40 Mns   1.97 mph
489 ft AEG      2 Mns Break
 
1st trip
Linked   none no linked trail guides
Partners none no partners
The 253 road was one of the first to open up on the Coconino National Forest this season and I hadn't explored that county at all so we took a spin out there to get the lay of the land. No established trails in the area but several 'bumps' that are worth a short walk when you want to be outside and definitely don't want to encounter any other people. Mission accomplished!

A short, subtle walk up to Smith Butte yields nice (but not spectacular) views of East Pocket Knob, Harding Point, and the upper cliffs of Oak Creek Canyon. You're also "treated" to occasional views of the freeway but in general, it's relatively quiet.
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Nov 13 2019
avatar

 Routes 16
 Photos 177
 Triplogs 12

49 male
 Joined May 07 2016
 Phoenix, AZ
Humphreys Summit Trail #151Flagstaff, AZ
Humphreys Summit Trail #151
Flagstaff, AZ
Hiking avatar Nov 13 2019
CanyonWanderer • Triplogs 12
Hiking5.10 Miles 3,382 AEG
Hiking5.10 Miles   3 Hrs   6 Mns   1.73 mph
3,382 ft AEG      9 Mns Break
 
no photosets
1st trip
Linked   none no linked trail guides
Partners none no partners
I finally got around to climbing Humphreys after living in Flagstaff for ten months, decided to jam it out since it was only a week or so before snow started falling.

I get why this hike is popular, people love high points, but it's a real grind. Not very exciting, not very fun, great views but only for about the last mile and a half or so. Personally, I much prefer Kendrick Peak as a hike.
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Apr 14 2019
avatar

 Routes 16
 Photos 177
 Triplogs 12

49 male
 Joined May 07 2016
 Phoenix, AZ
Slate Mountain Trail #128Flagstaff, AZ
Slate Mountain Trail #128
Flagstaff, AZ
Hiking avatar Apr 14 2019
CanyonWanderer • Triplogs 12
Hiking4.50 Miles 862 AEG
Hiking4.50 Miles
862 ft AEG
 
1st trip
Linked   none no linked trail guides
Partners none no partners
Straightforward walk up Slate today - great views of Humphreys and Kendrick. More people than I expected, two cars when we got there at 1100 and the five more pulled up within a few minutes. Turned out four of them were from a Sunday morning coffee meetup group who decided to go for a hike. They picked a great day for it.

Took 180 to FR 191, hiked, then kept going west on 191 and came back mostly via 760 with a couple of side trips here and there. Roads almost totally dry. Sedan clearance to the TH, high clearance required soon after that.
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Dec 24 2018
avatar

 Routes 16
 Photos 177
 Triplogs 12

49 male
 Joined May 07 2016
 Phoenix, AZ
Red CreekCamp Verde, AZ
Red Creek
Camp Verde, AZ
Hiking avatar Dec 24 2018
CanyonWanderer • Triplogs 12
Hiking8.25 Miles 870 AEG
Hiking8.25 Miles
870 ft AEG
 
1st trip
Linked   none no linked trail guides
Partners none no partners
Two humans and two mutts made this trip. We truck camped on the hill on the west side above FR18 right where it makes the big drop off. There was one imported SUV at what I believe is considered the parking area before the road gets too rough. They did a good job navigating that rig up FR18 and spent the night somewhere out there as the rig disappeared in the morning right before we started our hike.

We passed 5 or 6 or 7 4WDs soon after beginning our hike. These were the last people we'd see all day. The walk was awesome. Enough water in Red Creek to make it interesting but easy enough to hop over every crossing (there are lots of crossings.) We wandered down to the Verde River for lunch, then came back via the landing strip compete with picnic table and horseshoe pits.

One bummer of the trip was that we found a still smoldering campfire along Red Creek. I didn't have a cup or anything so used my hands to extinguish it with wet rocks and dirt from the creek bed. I can't believe someone couldn't be bothered to put it out themselves; it wasn't at all difficult since there was plenty of water ten feet away.

I know a lot of folks may skip this one because it's a 4WD route but I'm glad we did it. Amazing desert scenery and plenty of water in all of the drainages. Definitely worth the long drive to get there.

water 1 out of 5water 2 out of 5water less than maxwater less than max Middle Red Creek Light flow Light flow
Plenty of water for drinking and ambiance but easily hoppable by foot.

water 1 out of 5water 2 out of 5water 3 out of 5water less than max Red Creek Rapids Medium flow Medium flow
I didn't ford the river but it looked challenging but doable.
_____________________
  2 archives
Nov 18 2018
avatar

 Routes 16
 Photos 177
 Triplogs 12

49 male
 Joined May 07 2016
 Phoenix, AZ
Mount Peeley SummitPayson, AZ
Mount Peeley Summit
Payson, AZ
Hiking avatar Nov 18 2018
CanyonWanderer • Triplogs 12
Hiking5.00 Miles 1,482 AEG
Hiking5.00 Miles
1,482 ft AEG
 
1st trip
Linked   none no linked trail guides
Partners none no partners
Really nice walk on the Arizona Trail and off trail to the summit of Mt Peeley. The road was easily navigable in a Tacoma, probably could get just about any vehicle out there that you wanted to. Some narrow and very twisty sections of road.

The trails are well maintained; the off-trail section is easy to find your way. There are a lot of cairns but also simple just to aim for the high point.

We arrived at the trailhead at 11am and had a tailgate picnic, then took a leisurely walk for a few hours. Left the TH around 4pm without having seen another person, and only one vehicle on the road in.

Great spot.
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Aug 19 2017
avatar

 Routes 16
 Photos 177
 Triplogs 12

49 male
 Joined May 07 2016
 Phoenix, AZ
Clark Peak Trail #301Tucson, AZ
Clark Peak Trail #301
Tucson, AZ
Hiking avatar Aug 19 2017
CanyonWanderer • Triplogs 12
Hiking6.50 Miles 1,829 AEG
Hiking6.50 Miles
1,829 ft AEG
 no routes
1st trip
Linked   none no linked trail guides
Partners none no partners
Wandered out the Clark Peak Trail since it was one of the few in the area that wasn't heavily impacted by the Frye Fire. The trail is pretty overgrown since the forest has been closed since June but offers great views along both sides of the ridge.
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May 12 2017
avatar

 Routes 16
 Photos 177
 Triplogs 12

49 male
 Joined May 07 2016
 Phoenix, AZ
Pine Mountain Verde Rim LoopCamp Verde, AZ
Pine Mountain Verde Rim Loop
Camp Verde, AZ
Hiking avatar May 12 2017
CanyonWanderer • Triplogs 12
Hiking9.51 Miles 1,829 AEG
Hiking9.51 Miles   5 Hrs   47 Mns   1.91 mph
1,829 ft AEG      48 Mns Break
 
1st trip
Linked   none no linked trail guides
Partners none no partners
Made our first trip to the Pine Mountain Wilderness and had a great time.

It was about 2:15 drive time from Downtown Phoenix, 1:15 from the freeway but I have to go a little slower than most because my dumb hiking dog is afraid of cattle guards so I literally stop at each one and ease across as slowly as possible. It was about 80 for most of the hike while it was 95 in Phoenix so the elevation helped with that.

There were two other trucks at the TH - an older gentleman out for a drive having lunch and what turned out to be two hikers and two hot labs out on the trail.

We took 159 :next: 12 :next: 161 :next: 14 :next: 159. The route is pretty gentle, only remotely steep section is right near the summit of Pine Mountain but even that wasn't too bad. We spent quite a while sitting on the summit of Pine Mt enjoying the views of the Verde River Valley, seems like a great spot to spend a night as well.

Water was running well for the first 3/4 mile of the trail, very good for keeping dogs cool.

We saw two rattlesnakes on the trail: one within 50' of the trail register box and another near the junction of the 14 and the 159 trails. Both seemed very pissed off that we were there, and neither was willing to move off the trail so we did the moving for them.

All in all a great day out in the woods - look forward to spending more time in this area.
 Fauna
 Fauna [ checklist ]
[ checklist ]  Black-tailed Rattlesnake

water 1 out of 5water 2 out of 5water less than maxwater less than max Beehouse Canyon Light flow Light flow
Plenty of water from this area down to the Salt Flat TH. Also plenty of cows dropping biscuits in the water so be prepared.
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Apr 22 2017
avatar

 Routes 16
 Photos 177
 Triplogs 12

49 male
 Joined May 07 2016
 Phoenix, AZ
Aspen Trail #411 - Mogollon RimPayson, AZ
Aspen Trail #411 - Mogollon Rim
Payson, AZ
Hiking avatar Apr 22 2017
CanyonWanderer • Triplogs 12
Hiking5.50 Miles
Hiking5.50 Miles
 
no photosets
1st trip
Linked   none no linked trail guides
Partners none no partners
Like everyone else up there this day, the wife, two mutts, and I hit the rim to get out of the heat. We wound up doing an 8 mile loop, all very pleasant walking with little elevation gain, maybe a couple hundred feet at most.

Carr Lake was pretty full and a great swimming hole for the mutt that loves to swim.

A little noise from the highway and motorized use from the dispersed campsites nearby but only for the first half mile or so, then nobody out there but us.

water 1 out of 5water 2 out of 5water 3 out of 5water 4 out of 5 Carr Lake 76-100% full 76-100% full
Close to full though you could see it's already receded a few feet from its high point. Plenty of water for swimming.
_____________________
 
Dec 15 2016
avatar

 Routes 16
 Photos 177
 Triplogs 12

49 male
 Joined May 07 2016
 Phoenix, AZ
Spur Cross LoopPhoenix, AZ
Spur Cross Loop
Phoenix, AZ
Hiking avatar Dec 15 2016
CanyonWanderer • Triplogs 12
Hiking7.85 Miles 1,258 AEG
Hiking7.85 Miles   5 Hrs   6 Mns   1.58 mph
1,258 ft AEG      7 Mns Break
 
1st trip
Linked   none no linked trail guides
Partners none no partners
I was hoping to hike up to Skull Mesa but soon after starting our hike I realized the wife and one of the mutts wasn't up for that kind of day so we flexed a bit and wandered around the Spur Cross area. We walked up from the trailhead to the corral, then over trail 252 towards Elephant Mountain before returning via Tortuga and Spur Cross trails.

All trails were in pretty good shape, trail 252 is the least travelled and we would up wandering off the trail a time or two but it was easy to reconnect.

Limestone Spring had muddy water and a lot of bee activity.
_____________________
 
Aug 19 2016
avatar

 Routes 16
 Photos 177
 Triplogs 12

49 male
 Joined May 07 2016
 Phoenix, AZ
Abbey's Way Trail #151Globe, AZ
Abbey's Way Trail #151
Globe, AZ
Hiking avatar Aug 19 2016
CanyonWanderer • Triplogs 12
Hiking1.89 Miles 880 AEG
Hiking1.89 Miles   2 Hrs   55 Mns   0.65 mph
880 ft AEG
 no routes
1st trip
Linked   none no linked trail guides
Partners none no partners
After reading a triplog from just a few months ago, I feel like I'm taking crazy pills as I write this about my trip up Abbey's Way yesterday, but I guess a lot of that has to do with hiking in the smolder of the Juniper Fire from two months ago.

The wife and two mutts joined me for this hike but it's a stretch to call it a hike - less than 1/2 mile of the 1.5 miles up to the tower were on trail; the rest were a mix of thorny bushwhack, climbing over a lot of downed trees, and keeping an eye on the still standing deadwood hoping it wouldn't fall as we were passing by it. There was the occasional cairn to follow, and I had downloaded the route to my phone and tried to follow it relatively closely. Most times it showed us standing on the trail and it was almost impossible to recognize, such is the damage from the Juniper Fire. It took us just under three hours to whack our way to the top, a robust 0.5 mph pace!

I suggest waiting until this trail gets some work before attempting it, even better be one of the folks to help clean it up.

To no ones surprise, views from the tower were outstanding. We made it a loop with a leisurely walk down the road to the trailhead.
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average hiking speed 1.57 mph

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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