Trans-supes hike early January

[rally_toad]

Well the time is fastly approaching and I wanted to get this thread up. 4 months to work up the details, route, firm dates, and water details.
First what dates work for everyone? I will be back to school on January 20 so it would need to be before then. I will need to ask for time off work within the next month or two to get it off work since that of year time is kinda hectic.

Next What route sounds interesting? of course there is the shuttle possibility and hiking east to west, but I was also looking at the possibility of a super loop starting at Peralta going to Reavis and looping back. Also I heard talk of possible routes through canyons. Im sure there are tons of super loop possibilities.

Whats sounds good on mileage? 35-50 if on trail maybe, probably less if we were doing routes off trail?

[wallyfrack]

The Jan 1-4 is likely to be better for me but pick what works for everyone.

[nonot]

Hmmm, I have to do the west part of Coffee flat, Woodbury Trail, Randolph Canyon, Upper Tortilla Creek, Cedar Basin, and Upper LaBarge Creek. I'll sign up as interested hoping that some of these appear on the itinerary.

[wallyfrack]

Hmmm, I have to do the west part of Coffee flat, Woodbury Trail, Randolph Canyon, Upper Tortilla Creek, Cedar Basin, and Upper LaBarge Creek. I'll sign up as interested hoping that some of these appear on the itinerary.

We could always make some of those trails happen and meet up at camp later. We've split routes before along the way. I've done enough Supes trails that it would be difficult to get lost. Just don't take me to the Mall. That place is scary

[rally_toad]

Hmmm, I have to do the west part of Coffee flat, Woodbury Trail, Randolph Canyon, Upper Tortilla Creek, Cedar Basin, and Upper LaBarge Creek. I'll sign up as interested hoping that some of these appear on the itinerary.

For the Super Reavis loop rout we would be doing the Coffee Flat Trail on the first day, and on the proposed return we would be going on Red Tanks trail through Upper LaBarge Box. Like Wally said, there's always doing side trips on the trails you want to hit up and coming back to camp later.

[nonot]

Sounds good, I'll wait for a date and the final plan, but Jan 2-5 would probably be best. If we go with Wally's dates I'll have to wait to see what my plans will be for the 1st.

Ack, I just realized too, it will probably depend on how much snow there is at Reavis and if I've bought better winter gear by then.

[te_wa]

yeah it would be a good idea to get yerself a good (az) "winter" bag. treat yourself for the holidays and buy a Western Mountaineering Megalite long. If you combine that bag with a TitaniumGoat Ptarmigan bivy, and your tarp as a roof, youre going to be doin just fine. Then again, you have the seedhouse too...
I hope to make some of these trips. Im wanting to do more off trail canyon stuff tho -

[deserttarheel]

New Year's weekend won't work for me. The weekend of the 9th would be best for me. The other weekends are iffy (in the middle of a big project). Even the 9th is iffy. Does it have to be Jan.? My project should be over by Feb.

Any of the routes are fine with me.

[rally_toad]

New Year's weekend won't work for me. The weekend of the 9th would be best for me. The other weekends are iffy (in the middle of a big project). Even the 9th is iffy. Does it have to be Jan.? My project should be over by Feb.

Any of the routes are fine with me.

Well for me it does have to be January. Thats when I have the time off school to do something like this.

[wallyfrack]

There's still plenty of time for an exact date frame and I'll go for at least a few days if not the complete trip. Maybe we can throw around some ideas at Powers Gardens where a least 4 of those listed will be there.

[deserttarheel]

I'll try to make Jan. work. I'm defintely interested.

[SuperstitionGuy]

te-wa -
Did the out and back to Fish Creek Cave yesterday. Following are the coordinates you will want to know:
Fish Creek Cave - N 33 30.026 W 111 16.177 - south side of the canyon
Trail Jct at Fish Creek Canyon - N 33 29.901 W 111 16.627
Trail start at hilltop gate - N 33 29.393 W 111 17.088
Entry gate from where you can park - N 33 29.574 W 111 17.568
Tortilla Ranch house concrete pad - N 33 29.969 W 111 17.945

The old cowboy horse trail is in very very bad condition as much vegatation has overgrown the trail making it difficult to follow. Hikers have been building additional cairns along the route to assist others. The trail is very difficult to find from the hilltop but very easy to find at the junction. Perhaps someone should blaze and record a new trail that is more direct to the old ranch site which would save some milage as well.

Fish Creek is dry dry dry. But there is a few deep pools that have water, water that is questionable and in my opinion would have to be filtered twice and boiled. The cave itself is four tenths of a mile from the junction and some of the shade trees that were in front of the cave have died (from lack of moisture?) but now would make excellent firewood. Campers have trashed the area around the cave and if I had had time I would have started a campfire and burned all the trash.

I took a few pictures but concentrated on the hike mostly. I will download the pictures today and see If i can figure out how to post a trip report and photoset as well.

[te_wa]

see If i can figure out how to post a trip report and photoset as well.

yeah, 170 forum posts
0 trips
0 photosets
you'd better get crackin'

surprised to hear about the lack of water. last week there was water flowing in the upper la Barge box, which is a rare sight far as i know.
there is a giant pool at the junction of fish creek and frog tanks trail, (just downstream a bit) that should be there still. Have you seen it?

[SuperstitionGuy]

Sorry for the no previous trips or photosets but 99 percent plus of my Superstition activity was before the internet. Been doing the sups since the early 70's and I have been out of the state 90 percent of the time since 2002 doing volunteer work. The pool downstream from Fish Creek and Frog Tanks? I have swam in it, walked over it when it was frozen and climbed around it at least a dozen times. Used to hitchhike up Forest Road road 172(A) and backpack to Fish Creek and the bridge on State Route 88 every fall in the 1980's and early 1990's. Not a Dutchman Hunter but have met many of them. In fact I visited on the trail with one yesterday. Just read his posts and photos on another website this morning and he goes by the handle of somehiker and is from Canada. Hey, keep on doing the sups and keep posting those photosets and trip reports. Lot of interesting country out there and no one person can ever see it all.... :GB:

[te_wa]

99 percent plus of my Superstition activity was before the internet

oh, i forgot. so did they even have chalkboards back then or just cave drawings?


also, I dont rely on GPS so spot-on coordinates are not going to do me much good. You'd be better off to say something like "if you come to the fork in the road, that aint it"

[SuperstitionGuy]

Actually my first posting was in January of 2002 thanks to Fritzki's photoset of Lost Dutchman Mine Jr. :thanx:

[rally_toad]

SuperstitionGuy are you going to be joining us on the trans-supes hike? You know you want to.

[SuperstitionGuy]

Of course I want to, but want to and can do is two different things. It took me 11 hours yesterday just to walk from the Tortilla Trailhead at Apache Trail to Fish Creek cave and back and it was only 12 miles. Of course some of it was bushwacking and rock hopping that slowed me down quite a bit but it dosen't take to much to slow down a solo 68 year old hiker/backpacker with 35 pounds on his back....

But i will go if you all will carry my load for me... :PMIC:

[te_wa]

see te-wa's pack list to end your misery
traditional backpack 6lbs-my backpack 1lb
traditional shelter 5lbs-my shelter 1.5lbs
traditional sleeping bag 3lbs- my sleeping (bag) quilt 15oz

its easy. you can do it.

[JoelHazelton]

see te-wa's pack list to end your misery
traditional backpack 6lbs-my backpack 1lb
traditional shelter 5lbs-my shelter 1.5lbs
traditional sleeping bag 3lbs- my sleeping (bag) quilt 15oz

its easy. you can do it.

You should definitely write up some instructions and submit it in the article section of the site. I know there have been various backpacing threads that you've participated in and talked about how to make ultralight tarps, quilts, etc, but an article would be totally sweet and easier to find than a thread in the forum

Just an idea I think would be cool.

[te_wa]

you got it. ill start on it next week. i gave a demonstration to a group of 20+ seasoned backpackers and it went quite well, despite my concerns that i had never given a talk or demonstration regarding UL philosophy and gear choices*. I'll submit an article that covers all the basics, including my gear and reasons behind my choices.
*i keep getting emails about how to make alcohol stoves, why i like sleeping above ground and not on it, who is to blame for my "gram counting" neurosis, etc...