| |
| Bluff Springs Mountain, AZ | |
|
| | Bluff Springs Mountain, AZ | | | |
|
|
Bluff Springs Mountain, AZ
| | |
|
| Hiking | 11.89 Miles |
3,122 AEG |
| | Hiking | 11.89 Miles | 7 Hrs 4 Mns | | 1.87 mph |
| 3,122 ft AEG | 43 Mns Break | | | |
|
|
| |
| Partners |
|
none
[ show ]
| no partners | | Just before I left work on Friday, I told a coworker that I was going hiking in a valley on top of a mountain. He nodded, then did a "Wait, what?!" I hiked up here once before, but it was overcast and very windy that day. The weather was expected to be much more accommodating today. I had high hopes for a great all day adventure, until my wife told me were meeting friends for an early dinner. I shortened the hike to an out and back to the location of the old Al Reser camp. That turned out to be good enough.
Before going up the mountain on Ely-Anderson, I decided to go to Bluff Spring to check flows. Oddly enough, it was just a trickle when water was plentiful in every creek I passed today. Once on the mountain, I didn't look for routes. I pretty much knew where I was going based on landmarks, so I just picked my poison out and back. I went first to topo point 4041 for a view down into the valley, then continued north from there, angling towards the point where the canyon narrows, eventually arriving at the approximate location of Al Reser's camp.
I took a break there and contemplated a different route back, heading SW towards the summit following a route that other HAZers have taken. That was not the best choice for me. It was a long, uphill bushwhack that wore me out and used up more time than I had budgeted. At the point where I needed to take a steeper angle to reach the summit, I decided to stay on a line towards the saddle and make my way back to the Ely-Anderson trail. Time to end this hike.
The hike out to Reser's camp was enjoyable. The bushwhack out of the valley was difficult and made the rest of the hike somewhat less enjoyable. I do want to come back for more of Hidden Valley when I have time and the days are a little longer. |
| _____________________
| | |
|
|
|
|
|
| |
Route Editor
Route Scout
