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| Backpack | 7.41 Miles |
2,206 AEG |
| | Backpack | 7.41 Miles | 2 Days | | |
| 2,206 ft AEG | | | | |
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| partners | | Joel and Matt set up this overnight trip and Team Buford™ decided to join us.  This is a short overnight, but the destination is worth it.
I had scoped out a route that climbs at a moderate 1000fpm slope rather than the shorter, more direct route that climbs twice as steeply. I figured it would be more pleasant since we were carrying overnight packs. It also avoided any private property conflicts (note on that below).
The moderate ridge route we took topped out at the highest point on the spine, where we proceeded northward to the patio and set up camp. We each set out on our own, but the amount of daylight left prevented me from doing a trip down to the Gila and back. I wasn't in the mood for rushing back to camp after dark. I settled for a trip to the south end of the spine and back. It's interesting how the geology changes south of the high point. It goes from huge solid boulders on the north to pebbly granite and gravel ground cover similar to the Tom's Thumb area on the south end.
Back at camp, we enjoyed the fire and photos before settling in for a very chilly night. In the morning we set out to descend the northern ridge of the spine, but the fall line was pushing us straight west. So changed plans early and headed straight down the northeast slope working our way directly toward the truck, which was in clear view the entire time. It was very steep, and the bouldery terrain mixed with desert flora made travel slow and deliberate. Though longer in distance, the moderate ridge we had used for the ascent is the much preferred route.
In the wash below we found pools of water from the light rain that fell Thursday, and even a trickle of flow through some slickrock sections. There's a spring marked on the map, and some colorful Cottonwood trees, but due to the surface water from the rain, I wasn't able to identify the spring source. We made quick time up the wash back to the truck.
Private Property Access Notes:
Reading the notes and previous triplogs about this area left me unsure of what our route would be. We started at the Asarco fence along the road in the wash. We headed cross country to the east before turning south toward the ridge we ascended, barely clipping Section 30, which is owned by Asarco in it's entirety. On the return trip, we took the direct route. Besides where we parked the truck, there are no posted signs or fences except surrounding a solar powered water pump, four large enclosed water tanks, and two large troughs along the way that are fenced in (cattle can't drink the water!) and signed "No Trespassing" by Asarco. I didn't know mining companies maintain wildlife tanks! It should be noted that both the Pinal Assessor maps and AZland.gov clearly state that their website mapping can be incorrect and are not official. So there's that. |
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Autumn Foliage Observation Isolated
A couple of cottonwoods in the wash and color along the Gila. |
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North Spine Spring |
Dripping |
Dripping |
| | | Didn't find spring source. Occasional shallow pools of water and trickle of flow in places may have been result of rain two days prior. A few cottonwoods indicate regular groundwater. | | _____________________
| I'm not sure what my spirit animal is, but I'm confident it has rabies. |
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