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| Hiking | 4.11 Miles |
1,315 AEG |
| | Hiking | 4.11 Miles | 2 Hrs 30 Mns | | 2.06 mph |
| 1,315 ft AEG | 30 Mns Break | | | |
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| no partners | | This is day two of my re-conditioning program to get into shape for another winter of hiking. I selected the Siphon Draw Trail for its elevation gain to strengthen my legs and knees, as well as the altitude changes.
I parked my truck at the Mining Camp parking lot, which is close to the McKellips trail head but better roads and parking (plus, if it's a hot day, it's a good watering hole).  I reset my GPS and left the parking lot at 7:00. I wasn't too sure just how far up the draw I was going to go, it would just depend on how my legs felt.
The trail is so well marked that you could find it in pitch dark, and as you get into the draw itself, there are painted markings on the rocks as a guide (idiots, if someone can't find their way up a hill, they shouldn't be there). Along the trail, the Forest Service has installed some nice new benches so you don't have to sit on the hard rocks to take a break. 
I made it to what's called the "Slick Rock Basin" and scaled the slick surface to a rocky saddle above the 'basin'. At this point I was just an hour into my hike, the GPS indicated that I had gone 2.0 miles and the elevation at this point was 2,146 feet, so I took a break to evaluate the condition of my legs.
I kept looking up at the Flat Iron and thinking how close it now looked and how bad I wanted to get to the top. But my legs were feeling a little rubbery and I'm reminding myself that I still had to go back down. Common sense prevailed and reluctantly, I set a waypoint into the GPS, turned around and began my descent, knowing I can always return another day.
The weather isn't sounding too good for the next couple of days, so I may just hike Silly Mountain a few times to keep building up my endurance. Old age can be hell, the spirit is willing, but the body keeps telling me "in moderation Jack". If I had known I was going to live this long, I would have taken better care of myself when I was younger (but then I remind myself that I'm the dummy who volunteered to go Airborne when I was drafted in '63').
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| On every trip into the Superstitions, I find another Gold Mine. Today the mine was filled with Memories. I can not wait for the next trip. |
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