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| Backpack | 24.67 Miles |
4,850 AEG |
| | Backpack | 24.67 Miles | 3 Days | | |
| 4,850 ft AEG | | | | |
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| no partners | | As Cannondalekid mentioned, I hiked Passage 16 to complete an "assessment" for BLM--something about documenting current conditions to form a baseline for future management/maintenance/etc. Other Arizona Trail Assoc. folks were going to be out on the passage doing maintenance and similar documentation so it was a good time to get all this stuff done.
Monday we drove out to the north end. Grateful as I am for the ride, which saved me a day of hiking, I am glad I didn't have to ride back. Vehicles and other mechanical devices have failed me often enough that the confidence level is pretty low.
I headed south, not quite sure what an "assessment" should look like, so I just took photos and described any trail situation that was less than perfect. While that came to nearly 400 photos over the passage, none were of any serious trail issue. It's all about grade, where the trail slopes the water washes-nothing new or surprising. It was supposed to be "mile-by-mile" but Garmin reads low while on the move so I'm betting the intervals were closer to .80-.90 miles apart. Close enough.
Monday night campsite was about a mile east of the Cochran corner. Red Mtn Seep is full, skanky and not much flow but full and filterable. I pumped 3 liters and headed back to the trail, but not before disturbing a good-sized gila monster.
Aging body parts were dragging so the first flat open area after the corner was home for the night. As darkness fell I noticed cattle bawling and carrying on, kind of odd because they don't usually do that. They do when the calves are separated but that shouldn't be happening out on the range.
Uneventful pleasant night under the full moon, up and on the trail before 7, wondering if I'd be able to make the TH by the end of the day. Shortly I noticed many large prints in the fine dust on the trail, hmmm, kind of big for a dog or coyote. A closer look and I'm guessing mountain lion. The kitty had recently been on the trail because the prints were on top of foot prints from the two hikers I had met Monday. Then, down in next to some trees the smell hit--pretty strong, not quite skunk. Yup, the kitty is out and about, and the hair on the back of my neck stood up. Maybe the kitty had veal for dinner last night, which would explain the bawling cows. Time to move right along, maybe whistle a little.
Shortly a hiker appeared, north bound. Kelley had started March 4 at the border, and said I was the first person she'd seen since Oracle. How can anyone who's been on the trail for nearly 3 weeks be so clean?
The rest of the trip was pretty uneventful. The Gila was the water source late in the day Tuesday, then I added a couple more Garmin miles. A couple mountain bikers who said they were trying to make Seep Spring for the night showed up. That would be a stretch even on a bike as late as it was, maybe they meant Red Mtn Seep. Whatever, I was beat so at the next sandy wash I called it a day. The socks I had were bunching up and irritating and lack of conditioning was pretty evident. The end was not that far but I was out of gas.
Day three, up and on the trail by 6:30, hoping for a quick finish. Not to be, several photo points and other situations to document, completing it the day before would not have been possible. I met three mountain biker pushing bikes up an incline; they were doing the Grand Enchantment trail. Worked my way up to the completion monument, remembering a four-day work event where we made lots of progress on the trail here, and the final day with a hundred or so people at the completion. We drove in! that day and now it's all just trail. The rehab worked out quite well.
Less than a mile to go 7 Parkside Hikers were out for a day, then a fellow with a Go-Pro talking up a storm as he hiked along, doing whatever. Busy place.
Finished up and headed into Kearny for a pizza, but alas, the shop didn't open for an hour. So it was deli from the IGA.
That afternoon I checked in with the Trail Assoc. Ex. Director who had been out near Cochran--we missed each other by probably less than an hour. He was all excited to tell me that he had seen mountain lion tracks on top of what he was sure were my foot prints. He said the cat tracked me for over half a mile, then got off a ways and then back on and followed me some more.
So, some excitement and a good story to tell. |
| _____________________
Shawn
The bear went over the mountain to see what he could see. |
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