Hieroglyphic Canyon to Ridgeline Trail

[gps_hiker]

Jan 17 ( Friday ) Decided to scout out this route for possible addition/modification of Superstition Ridgeline hike. (some crazy hikers are planning to do a double Ridgeline hike & thought I might do just a single Ridgeline hike via Hieroglyphic Canyon )

See the following Hieroglyphic Canyon topic for additional info and TH directions. http://www.arizonahikers.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=90

Slept in and didn't get to the Cloud View Road TH till 10am. I was very surprised to find parking area overflowing with 15 cars. ( RV hiker club of 30 people where already having an early lunch at the petroglpyhs )

Note: There was also a survey crew at the trailhead who said the state was going to be moving the TH further east in the next week+ (once they extend Cloud View Road)

Trail to the petroglpyhs was fast and well traveled with only a 500+ foot gain in just over 1.5 miles. Didn’t get much of a chance to check out the artwork since 30 snowbirds had made camp there.

From the petroglpyhs the well-traveled trail disappears and the boulder climbing up the canyon begins. The first ½ mile past the petroglpyhs aren’t bad with some trail markers and a 15 percent grade. The next ½ mile is steeper with fewer signs of any route and a 20 percent grade. From here the climbing really begins and where I lost all signs of any route. So for the next ½ mile I climbed up to the side of the Ridgeline nearly 1,000 feet with a 40-60 grade.

Once on the Ridgeline I was able to find the trail over to and up Superstition Peak via previously saved GPS coordinates pretty quickly. However, once on Superstition Peak, I decided not to push my luck and risk a fall into Hieroglyphic Canyon so I aborted the planned return leg to the TH (where’s my car?).

Instead I reluctantly called the wife and explained the situation and hastily planned a safer return route via the Carney Springs Trail. I was hoping to arrange for SUV pickup at Carney Springs and at a certain time that hopefully would allow me enough time to catch a ride. I was fortunate to have hiked the Ridgeline Trail from Carney Springs to Siphon Draw last year so I guessed it would take at least a couple hours.

Now the fun began as I attempted to hike and make calls to find an SUV taxi since my wife was afraid of getting lost or stuck in our mini-van. So for the next hour I hiked and made several calls to family/friends b/4 reaching my brother. Bro has a very nice 4x4 and jumped on the internet to locate directions to Carney Springs (4x4 is only nice to have for last ½ mile of Carney Springs Rd). My brother was able to find the trailhead with directions from the internet with only 1 wrong turn ( I saw him on Peralta Road from above and he missed the Carney Springs turn by a couple hundred feet b/4 turning back ) and he only beat me by about 10 minutes to the TH.

Summary: Hieroglyphic Canyon best hiked on cloudy day or very early
because there’s little shade…

Temp’s on Friday reached almost 80 degrees which was very
warm for a steep climb in full sun to the the Ridgeline.

Hieroglyphics Canyon is not a good access point or escape route
to/from the Ridgeline Trail unless you are prepared/enjoy 40-60 percent
loose slopes/cliffs with little to no trail.

Final Stats: 7 miles of hiking from Hieroglyphic Canyon TH – Carney Springs TH in about 6 hours of time actually hiking.

[ck1]

Sounds like an adventure!
_________________
-Colin

"The Journey is the Destination"

[Nighthiker]

Did you note that it looks alot steeper looking down then up ?