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metalman390 
Group: Members
Posts: 52
Joined: Dec. 2010
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Posted on: Jan. 24 2013, 2:39 pm |
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I've got some time in early March that I am looking to spend hiking somewhere relatively "warm", compared to Michigan anyways. I'm looking at Arizona, more specifically the Superstition Wilderness or the Sedona area. I will have 6 days, and am looking for a longer trail that I can hike as a loop. High mileage is ok, I am looking for a challenge. MUST be scenic!
Suggestions?
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MetalBackpacker.com
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| Post Number: 2
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big_load
Group: Members
Posts: 21841
Joined: Jun. 2004
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Posted on: Jan. 24 2013, 9:18 pm |
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The Superstitions are perfect at that time of year. One of the Charelbois loops is a good start, and you can tack on side trips to stretch it out. Check out HAZ for a lot of detailed trail info and trip reports.
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| Post Number: 3
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red dog
Elev 2,180'
Group: Members
Posts: 6635
Joined: Nov. 2003
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Posted on: Jan. 25 2013, 3:09 pm |
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Absolutely, do the Supes
Here is a source of easy to read trail maps:
http://www.superstition-sar.org/maps.htm
 Edit: Just noticed your mandate “Must be scenic”
It will have you covered in that category
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Arizona
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| Post Number: 4
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SW Mtn backpacker
Born to hike, forced to work ...
Group: Members
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Joined: Jul. 2006
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Posted on: Jan. 26 2013, 3:20 pm |
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+2 on the Superstitions. Looping in and out of the Reavis Ranch area should be about perfect (the Reavis Falls are not on any official map btw). In January the falls are usually icy but should be great in March.
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Usually Southwest and then some.
In wildness is the preservation of the world. - Henry Thoreau
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| Post Number: 5
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metalman390
Group: Members
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Joined: Dec. 2010
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Posted on: Jan. 27 2013, 7:05 pm |
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Thanks for the replies. Looks like a pretty good time of year to go, but being so close to Phoenix, will it be "crowded"?
Regarding campsites, anybody care to share your favorites?
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MetalBackpacker.com
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| Post Number: 6
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big_load
Group: Members
Posts: 21841
Joined: Jun. 2004
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Posted on: Jan. 27 2013, 9:08 pm |
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(metalman390 @ Jan. 27 2013, 7:05 pm)
QUOTE Thanks for the replies. Looks like a pretty good time of year to go, but being so close to Phoenix, will it be "crowded"?
Regarding campsites, anybody care to share your favorites?
There are a small set of trails that get a lot of dayhiker traffic, mainly those from the First Water TH and Peralta TH, and really just a subset of the latter. Reavis Ranch gets a lot of backpacker/horse traffic, mostly from the southern approach and mostly on weekends. The ranch has vast areas suitable for camping, so it rarely feels crowded.
Reavis Falls gets very little traffic. The Charlebois loops get some, but I've never seen more than one or two groups in a day, and often none.
I can say more when you narrow in on a hike, if its somewhere I'm familiar with.
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| Post Number: 7
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metalman390
Group: Members
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Joined: Dec. 2010
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Posted on: Jan. 28 2013, 12:12 am |
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(big_load @ Jan. 27 2013, 9:08 pm)
QUOTE There are a small set of trails that get a lot of dayhiker traffic
Cool. I figured as much, but you never know.
Well, I'm thinking of beginning at Canyon Lake TH and hiking a big loop, something like this:
I plotted this track in Garmin Basecamp, it's 53 miles, 15,370ft in total elevation gain. I want to see the falls, but the same route modified to include the falls was 73 miles. So I'll have to think about that.
How's the water situation in early March?
**Edit** The picture came out pretty small, but if you right click it and click "view image" you can view a much larger version of it.
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MetalBackpacker.com
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| Post Number: 8
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big_load
Group: Members
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Posted on: Jan. 28 2013, 1:50 pm |
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There's enough detail to see where you're going. Hackberry Spring looks like your first water stop. Others may disagree, but I think it's really hard to find, although there are often small pools in that area. You don't hit high-reliability water until Charlebois, which is likely to be on the second day. You can hit water early on the first day if you go to LaBarge Box (lower, not the one that's prominently marked, which the upper box), but that's a slightly different route.
LaBarge Spring is the only other really good source I know of on that route, so it's as much as three days from there back around to Canyon Lake. There will be some slow going on this trip. I'd probably break it into two pieces, and shorten the longest dry stretch as much as possible. (I'm not familiar with the sources beyond the Upper LaBarge Box on that route, but that's generally pretty dry. I would definitely check the Spring Reports at HAZ. A lot of springs found on the map are seasonal, and after plenty of dry years, some aren't even seasonal any more).
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| Post Number: 9
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metalman390
Group: Members
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Joined: Dec. 2010
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Posted on: Jan. 28 2013, 10:31 pm |
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Thanks again for the info. I just joined over at HAZ after browsing the site for the last week. It took me a while to find the spring reports. Lots of good info on this site, I'm checking out the water sources now.
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| Post Number: 11
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Rics
Group: Members
Posts: 172
Joined: Mar. 2006
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Posted on: Feb. 02 2013, 5:57 pm |
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Another oprtion wold be the Arizona Trail which begins near Patagonia and runw north to the Utah border.
Rics
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Rics
www.trekkerman.com
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| Post Number: 12
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null
Group: Members
Posts: 615
Joined: Jul. 2006
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Posted on: Feb. 06 2013, 7:14 pm |
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Quick note. Reavis Falls is not a loop, it's an out-and-back. It's pretty sweet though.
If you do a loop in that area, try to loop in Reavis Ranch and the Labarge Box.
Steve
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Lose Weight Backpacking
http://www.fitpacking.com
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| Post Number: 13
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Survival Skills 101 • Eat Better
