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| Backpack | 61.00 Miles |
8,245 AEG |
| | Backpack | 61.00 Miles | 28 Hrs 21 Mns | | 2.51 mph |
| 8,245 ft AEG | | 20 LBS Pack | | |
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| no partners | | Highline Trail #31
Did this trail west bound starting at the 260 Trail head on 5/23/2024 and completed the afternoon of 5/25/2024.
The goal was to get to Tonto Creek on day 1 then Washington Park day 2 so I could finish at the Pine trail head on day 3.
Mission Accomplished
Total Milage was 61 miles, both all trails and my garmin inreach were pretty close on miles walked. The last section that shares AZT has been transformed and rerouted in conjunction with the AZT association and from Washington Park Trail head over to just west of Ellison Creek it had been regraded and routed as well. This trail is shaping up to be a beautiful trail once all this work gets done and I did see their equipment so I know they are still headed east.
(This is the site for the restoration initiative)
https://www.nationalforests.org/regiona ... initiative
Day 1
The trail starts out your typical red dirt and manzanita with ponderosa pines and runs along the bottom of the Mogollon Rim fairly smoothly until you drop down into See Canyon/Christopher Creek at about 7 miles in. This creek is a rock solid water source you can count on, so the water carry is fairly easy. The creek has a drive up trail head so you will probably see day hikers and such and they do also have a privy that will be your last opportunity to not have to dig a cat hole.
The hike out of See canyon brings the first substantial ups for about a mile or so and then you start to roll through some nice views and cool slick rock formations that have that space ship or cow patty look you may see in places like Sedona. Somewhere around 13 miles you pass the Derrick Trail junction and this is where day one’s biggest challenge is. You’ll have some rugged trail and steeper grades for about 2.5 miles before dropping down into Horton Creek for your next rock solid water source and a good place for camping day one if you wanted.
There are several camp sites up by the spring itself just off to the left and one bigger one at the junction of the Horton Creek trail and Highline. If you follow down the Horton trail or the creek itself you will see tons of dispersed sites so not a problem finding spots close by.
I chose to keep going to Tonto to set up a good day 2 but was willing to settle for Dick Williams (18.5 miles) if it presented a nice spot and was flowing.
Dick Williams was flowing very well but I didn’t really see any decent camp sites, maybe I missed them, but nothing that was evident from the trail so I kept going to Tonto.
At about 20.2 miles I arrived at Tonto which again is a rock solid water source and chose to camp here. Tonto was not what I expected and camp sites were virtually non existent but I found a little flat spot just off the trail to set up just past the creek crossing.
Day 2
Started with a small up to get us back onto the red rock shelves and for a couple miles it’s a nice flatish walk on the slick rock guided by cairns but easy to follow. After a few miles it starts to become much more rugged and rocky, like walking on scree surrounded by 6-8’ shrubs, the section around the derrick trail junction is a similar vibe but worse than that. You will spend a few miles just running puds. There are a few smaller water sources but unless you’re pretty early in the season probably not reliable.
There was water in what I believe was labeled as the “Tonto west fork” on HikeArizona but was barely a trickle and then again at Pyle Ranch Spring which was actually flowing nicely (Around mile 26.4) but even if this is dry you are only 2 miles from Ellison which hasn’t been marked dry in 6 years for what it’s worth.
After Pyle Ranch Spring you turn sharply north and begin a nice steep up for a mile or so until you reach Ellison Creek which should almost always be a solid water source.
I stopped here for lunch and to filter water, there’s a nice little spot to sit on a rock and chill. This place does have camp sites maybe 3-4 spots for 1-2p tents, it’s not epic but it works.
After lunch I headed on and almost immediately began another steep up of scree and manzanitas with lots of sun exposure, but it was only about 2 miles until that was over. Once you reached the top there’s a short drop down to a meadow and off to the right along the ridge line was where I could see they are rerouting the trail which looks to be a much nicer route with much better views. This is right where the Highline intersects the Myrtle Trail #30.
You walk a mile ish through the meadows and it drops you into Moore creek and this is where the trail becomes all brand new and regraded and routed and continues on until the end of the trail. It does use and leave some existing parts so you’ll see some older section and think “they should have redone those” but not many and to my recollection they were mostly between Washington park and Webber creek.
So I continued on passing Hells Gate and Perley Creek, which were both dry, and although the trail was VERY nice it was still hot and exposed with nothing but shrub growth and an occasional shady spot until we got to Bonita creek which was flowing well and another rock solid water source for this trail you should be able to always count on.
Bonita creek is a beautiful little riparian area with shade and water, was a nice stop for an early afternoon snack and to filter some water and camel up. There was a decent camp site that I saw with plenty of room for a couple tents best one I’d seen since Horton.
After a little break I headed out, back up to the exposed red rock and shrub trail that day 2 has mostly been but In only three miles came across Dry Dude Creek and Dude Creek that offered some shade and trees and both had water flowing very solid. Dry Dude is not as reliable as Dude Creek but Dude is another that is a fairly safe bet, but as always, do your homework before you go.
I personally found the section from Dry Dude Creek to Washington Park TH to be very beautiful and fun to walk, the trail was very nice and had a lot of interesting rock features and landscapes to keep me occupied.
Arriving to Washington Park TH was very satisfying after a long day to have back to backed 20’s. The Verde River is also a slam dunk water source and camp sites are available here. If you go right at the junction it takes you up the rim on the AZT and also to the Cabin Loop Trail.
I spoke to a gentleman who was section hiking the Pine Th to Washington Park for a while and decided I was going to go to Washington Park (the community) which was about a mile further down the trail to set up camp. In hindsight I wish I would have stayed there because there was no real camp sites and I could have used a sweet campsite after 2 long 20 mile days back to back. Washington Park the community had no “campsites” I ended up pitching in a blocked off section of the road that had been rerouted due to flooding so it wasn’t ideal, but I guess it was flat so that was a win and I was right next to the creek (Mail Creek) which was flowing nicely. Sleeping was rough due to some cars coming in and out and lights directly on my tent, not to mention hearing two guys talk trash about me tenting there …. lol
Day 3
Started out about 7am with a few hundred feet of elevation gain right out of camp much more tree cover today and shade and mostly stayed like this until Webber creek. At 1.2 miles out of camp I ran across what is called “the easternmost branch of Chase Creek” this did have water flowing well, at 2 miles was “east fork of Chase Creek” and then at 2.5 miles was Chase Creek proper. Chase Creek
Proper had a sweet campsite and strong flow and would say this is a pretty solid water source the other 2 branches had good flow as well but don’t think they have the staying power into the summer months. Sycamore Creek, East Bray and Bray creek all were flowing, I’d say Bray creek is probably the most likely chance of water as it heads into summer but all were flowing well with plenty of water to collect. This part is a little more exposed than the previous miles from camp but once you are about 2 miles from Weber you dip back into tree cover for the ride into Webber Canyon/ Geronimo TH.
Stopped at Webber Creek for lunch and to camel up and filter my last couple liters for the home stretch, this is a bustling TH with lots of day visitors and plenty of places around to camp, I didn’t explore much but according to maps there are lots of camp sites available. This is a guarantee water source and 9 ish miles from the end so easy water carry.
Fuel and rest up here if you can because the next 7 miles is a slog upward and only the first mile or so has any real tree cover. Once you pop out of the trees of Weber canyon it’s back to running high on the side of the rim in manzanitas and shrub mostly, dipping in and out of some short tree coverage here and there.
At about 58 miles or 3 miles out you hit the downhill into Pine Th where I picked up my pace to a fast walk and hit turbo boost to get her done . Arriving at the TH was fantastic, checking off this trail I’ve wanted to knock out for several years. Pine TH is nice and has a privy so a good place to wrap it up at. Best part is that you are about a mile down the road from THAT Brewery which upon being picked up by my wife we immediately went to for elk burgers and cold AZT Ale! |
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