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| Hiking | 9.10 Miles |
3,408 AEG |
| | Hiking | 9.10 Miles | 6 Hrs 8 Mns | | 1.48 mph |
| 3,408 ft AEG | | | | |
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| no partners | | First time up to 5057. Went up with my wife and a couple of my kiddos. Great hike! Gorgeous views! Wonderful solitude--We had the trail essentially to ourselves. Only saw one other hiker the entire time! I was tempted to add 3 Sisters to the trip, but was worried that the extra mile and elevation gain might turn an awesome, challenging hike for my kids into a death march, so I resisted the urge and will have to bag that one on another trip. It was the right call, as was the celebretory trip to Culver's afterwards for concrete mixers! 
I plan to add some detail to the hike description in an effort to help others avoid a few pitfalls associated with this one (copied below, as well). I'm ready for the entire ridgeline now, but not sure I'm going to have the time before it gets too hot; may have to wait till the fall . . . .
Update and additional helpful hints:
[See photos from my March 29, 2014 triplog for additional assistance in trip planning: http://hikearizona.com/photoset=29498]
Finding the TH: There is no signage for the TH pullout, but it's fairly obvious if you get to the right area. It's essentially 6.3 miles from the turn off onto Peralta Rd from the US 60. The pullout is on the left of the road and is ringed by metal pillars, linked together with metal cable in a yellow sleeve.
At approx. .6 mile, you will cross through a fence, which runs along the perpendicular Lost Goldmine trail.
At approx. .75 mi., you will reach a critical, yet fairly indistinct fork in the trail. As many of the triplogs attest, it is very easy to make the wrong choice here and veer left. I say it's easy because (1) the trail to the left is more distinct at this point, and (2) because the "wrong" trail actual goes in the exact direction of the peak itself; thus, folks are naturally inclined to follow it. Doing so will lead you to the Wave Cave, but does not provide trail access to 5057. So, resist the urge, and veer to the right. It seems that you are actually going away from your ultimate destination (and you are, slightly) but your access to the peak is via the next drainage to the east! Probably the best landmark to look for this critical juncture is a good-sized boulder (about 3 ft tall, and fairly round) which sits almost directly on the trail. The key fork in the trail is approximately another 15-20 yards further. If you are looking for it, you'll see the trail and cairns off to the right. On the other hand, if you're being casual, well ... enjoy your unplanned trip to the Wave Cave!
At approx. 1.5, you will have started to "earn your ice cream," (as I tell my kids when we start gaining some significant elevation), and will reach a "false" saddle. There's still more to climb, so don't get too excited 'cuz you're not to the real saddle yet. That said, the false saddle makes a nice place to take a breather and refresh for the continued climb. Throughout this section (and for much of the trail), you'll need to employ your route finding skills. The trail is pretty well cairned, but the trail itself can be pretty indistinct at points. As long as you keep your eyes peeled for the cairns, you shouldn't have too much trouble.
At 1.8 miles, you reach the saddle and the oft-photographed "Carney T.H. 1.8 mi." sign. At that point, your destination (Peak 5057) will come back into view, but seems forever away! Never fear, just keep hiking!
At 2.5 miles, after some up and down hiking, you will cross a wash. It's easy to see where to cross as you are heading out to the Peak, but not so easy to locate the crossing on the way back. The path is well-cairned, but everything tends to blend in among the rock formations. So, pay close attention to where the "exit" is for your return hike. If you're not paying attention on the return, you're likely to follow the wash SE and get yourself into a real bushwhack.
At approx. 3.5 miles, you come to the juncture with the 3 Sisters offshoot trail. It does not present any navigational confusion, as by that point you can clearly see Peak 5057 looming up in front to your right (and the 3 Sisters trail backtracks and veers off to the East and then South), but if you are up for an additional side trip to the 3 Sisters, it'll tack on another 1.0 mile roundtrip from that point.
At approx. 4.0 miles, you are pretty near the summit when the Ridgeline trail diverges off to the right, and skirts the peak around the east side. keep to your left and head up to the peak. The trail to the peak at this point is a bit hard to follow and consists of a lot of slick rock (which makes it hard to establish one "trail"), though there are some cairns that provide some reasonable help in locating a recommended path to the peak.
Once on top, enjoy the 360 degree views; Zoom in on the masses on Flatiron and enjoy the fact that you've got even better views where you are at and don't have to share the space with the masses (though you may have to share them with flies, gnats, and other critters that seem to enjoy the summit view as well)! |
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