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| | | loop hike including Black Mesa 241 in middle, AZ | | | |
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loop hike including Black Mesa 241 in middle, AZ
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| Hiking | 9.00 Miles |
1,050 AEG |
| | Hiking | 9.00 Miles | 3 Hrs 5 Mns | | 3.09 mph |
| 1,050 ft AEG | 10 Mns Break | 15 LBS Pack | | |
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| no partners | | Wife and I getting in shape for backpacking trip in Washington, Olympic park come July. Figured this nine miler would be great to simulate a one day trek in terms of elevation gain and distance. Obviously scenery and trail conditions will be quite different. Headed SE from first water trailhead parking lot. Heading south by south east on Dutchmans number 104 through Parker pass to the intersection with Black Mesa Trail number 241. Headed north by north east onto 41 until the intersection with second water trail 236 until I met back up with Dutchmans trail 104 back into the first water trail head. Ie counterclockwise loop 104:241:236:104.
Trail conditions great (thanks to all that maintain this trail). Uneventful 9miler except for the ascent up black Mesa trail where wife nearly stepped on a nondescript non-rattler. Scared both she and the snake. Last hospitable mid day hike for likely quite awhile. Saw no one on loop except for two couples near trailhead inception.
104:dutchmans affords rare beautiful glimpses of weavers needle until you hit east end of parkers pass. Not a huge fan of the tall grass due to snake cover. Oh well. The beginning of black Mesa 241 is the most strenuous part but still not at level of scrambling. With black Mesa to your east (right) the path becomes very rip rap heavy and much caution not to turn an ankle there. Toward the end of 241 turn around and look south. Gorgeous view of Weavers from here. The small plain you are in between black Mesa and the Mesa to the west is dotted with great saguaro on the western slope of black Mesa. Also the flat terminus before meeting up with second water is a site from an African plains except for the abundance of tall cholla. Very cool landscape here.
Second water trail 236, back meets with a neat canyon drop in climb out. After that, short jaunt back once you meet 104 dutchmans again
Great hike: two nonrattlers, plenty of small squirrels, many lizards small to fat. One thing though, being a newb: what animal makes the everpresent 2-3inch turds that are deep brown to black and look like poorly digested acorn shells. My dogs will make similar turds when they eat fallen acorns from my souther live oak trees.
No usable water on this loop at this time |
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Wildflowers Observation Isolated
Mostly saguaro and barrel and prickly flowers at this time. Much dry grass |
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