I had never done an out and back of the Wilderness of Rocks Trail from the Marshall Gulch Trailhead – beautiful, and more strenuous than I expected! There is flowing water – but as you head west towards the junction with the Lemmon Trail the flow has stopped and only pools remain.
I often avoid the Marshall Gulch Trailhead – often uncomfortably jammed with cars and sometimes an inspiring but overwhelming number of people – but it does quickly take you to an amazing area of the mountain – Aspen Trail up and back today.
The Box Spring Trail appears on many maps – but it is fading back into the mountain. The sign that used to mark the junction with the Box Camp Trail is gone, the start of the trail has been obscured and the original track no longer exists.
The first part of the Box Spring trail is very overgrown, but it is still somewhat reasonable up to a small (rather nice) saddle (where you leave the trail for Brinkley Point) – below the saddle you can follow a path and cairns, but the trail quickly becomes much more aggressively overgrown, the footing loose and the route obscure. Eventually the route starts to follow a rugged drainage.
Sections of the drainage are filled with debris, part very overgrown and occasionally it is filled with Poison Ivy – barely a route except for the cairns I suppose… but the reward…
Sabino Canyon! The Arizona Daily Star reported today that Sabino Creek stops flowing 3 weeks earlier than last 2 years at Sabino Dam – but here, high in Sabino Canyon, there is clear water, pools and flow…
The gray overcast sky was a surprise and a delight when we looked outside – the temperatures have started to soar, reminding us of summer, but today was quite cool. Summerhaven was not as crowded as I expected for a holiday weekend and we were alone at the Mint Spring Trailhead. We hiked slowly – our friend was testing out a new pack and had it loaded with his overnight gear – savoring the views, watching birds and enjoying the clouds. We turned onto the Marshall Gulch Trail – plenty of water here – and eventually took the road back to the car.
In the evening I met a friend and we ran/hiked up Blackett’s Ridge catching a great sun set from the ridge – a lovely trail with superb conversation – a perfect way to end the day!
It was cool at the trailhead and for a few minutes I contemplated switching to a long sleeve shirt, but I am glad I did not – it was hot in the sun! Butterfly Trail to start and then onto the Crystal Spring Trail – such a lovely shaded forest start to the trail – the Keebler Tree came more quickly than I expected today, but I continued on without taking a real break. Ferns and other plants are starting to grow along the trail – already almost covering it in tiny sections – but still plenty of brown.
Some of the (many) drainages were dry – but I was glad to see Alder Canyon, the next small falls and the pools/falls just before the Control Road all had some flow.
At the Control Road I turn around and head back – in the burned sections of the trail it is hot – a nice day to be higher on the mountain!
While driving down the mountain I spot a Mountain Biker sitting by the side of the highway in a small patch of shade waving a water bottle – I pull into the Bug Spring Trailhead to make sure I have a little water left and then drive back up to add a little water, ice and soda to his supplies. He is appreciative and friendly – another car pulls up so I don’t hang out and chat, but a few miles down the mountain I think about the cue sheets on his handle bars… and at home I find Aaron among the 2014 AZT750 racers!