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| Tour de Anca (version), AZ | |
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| | Tour de Anca (version), AZ | | | |
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Tour de Anca (version), AZ
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| Backpack | 16.00 Miles |
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| | Backpack | 16.00 Miles | | | |
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| no partners | | Directly inspired by [ triplog ] 
2022-01-13 to 2022-01-14 - a bit rushed, bit locust thorny, the post-holing at the end wasn't great - but a really neat shoulder season feeling trip. The mix of AZ vegitation & vistas while crunching up snow was an interesting visual mix.
This was meant to be a two night trip, but mechanical issues Wednesday made a short 1 night trip.
FR487
The gate was open - we parked below it. A couple of muddy tire ruts through snow patches on the way up, with the road getting properly snowed over on the sinuous curves near workman creek falls. We met a snowbird on an ATV making his way down (we had a midday start), and then two guys in an OHV that bailed a bit before the Peterson TH due to things being too slushy. No issues hiking up in boots, the tracks had nicely compressed snow like a groomed nordic ski track.
Parker Creek Trail #160
Lightly snowed in from the junction to the pass, saw either some bobcat or coyote tracks (claw tips or tufty hair?). Trail pretty clear (of snow and obstacles) from the pass down to the 139/160 junction - I tested out my new Silky folding saw on some new mexico locust trunks that were getting too close to the trail and it worked admirably.
Rim Trail #139
No significant snow here - springs were dead as far as we could tell, but plenty of little snowmelt in gulleys that we could use. We carried 2.5-3L of water each and always had a solid reserve.
We were able to stay on trail for the bit that eagle lost it (we were uncertain at his back on trail point but quickly were back on it as evidenced by cairns and cut logs). There's a large cairn on a slickrock drainage shortly before the trail was marked lost that we went up to meet, and we found ourselves below his route. Other than that his track was spot on, and far more accurate than USGS & OSM. We lost the trail ourselves a few times after that in snarls of new mexico locust trees. Some great viewpoints, but there was one section I called "barbed hellcsape" and my partner named "hellsnarl". For the most part it's faint single track / game trail with cairns and some nice views through grassy areas. I cleared a few limbs blocking the trail at one point.
Devil's Chasm and the "Coon Creek Canyoon Overlooks" were great. It would have been nice to see this area with some more tree cover, as the areas that still had canopies kept the locust thorns away.
Murphy Ranch Trail #141
The first part of this was pretty straightforward, and in better shape than 139. Once it widens up the locusts begin to close in a bit, but it wasn't anything as near as bad as 139 and 151. Once in the shadow of Aztec Peak we encountered enough snow that I was postholing up it a bit. Not too terrible, but we were looking forward to being on an "easy" fire road after all the bushbashing. Heh.
FR487a
Slooow going. Was postholing up to my midcalves most steps up to the junction (step, wait, fall, lift, repeat) where the road was mostly melted out. After a turn or two it was snow covered but consolidated and with some previous footprints to follow in. Made it up to the peak shortly after sunset. 
Abbey's Way 151
The upper part would be great with more light, nice views. The switches going down were pretty clear - no significant downed trees but the locust was creeping in a bit in places. Jogging down the snow was kind of fun, and it was a warm evening so we hopped off of the path we were on to wander peterson meadow by moonlight (headlamps off) and then dropped back onto the main trail shortly before the Peterson TH. We wandered over to the ruins marked on eagle's route and found a functional looking weather monitoring station.
FR487
A few more OHV/ATV users had tried to get up the road during our trip and failed - I saw a few spots where people had turned around on the way up. Tracks had frozen over, which made for treacherous footing, but we avoided them and enjoyed the moonlight on snow before putting on our microspikes as we got near workman falls. Once past that it was an easy walk down and the snow below that on the road was almost completely melted out. |
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Hunt Spring |
Dry |
Dry |
| | | No sign of water from the trail - didn't venture off of it due to a hellscape of thorns. Plenty of snowmelt creeks nearby. |
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Mud Spring |
Dry |
Dry |
| | | No sign of water from the trail - didn't venture off of it due to vegetation. | | | |
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