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Trishness The Snake Charmer
Joined: 21 Sep 2003 Posts: 2530 Location: Apache Jct, AZ
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Posted: 1/3/2011, 7:28 pm Post subject: Kicked off 2011-Full Dutchman |
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What better way to kick off the New Year than 18 miles in the Superstitions? Elizabeth (AzBackpackr), Susan (SuzAZ) and me decided to do this hike again this year. It was pretty darned cold when we arrived at Peralta TH at 7:30 AM. <INSERT A BIG THANK YOU TO MY DAD, who shuttled us>. I think it was around 32 degrees. We layered up, packed up and headed up the Dutchman. Got to Coffee Flat intersection by 8:30 and then started the ascent to Miners Summit. Too windy and cold at the summit so we took a break on the trail just below there and rested for a while. ONWARD! Made great time to Red Tanks intersection about 8 miles in and it was 11:30 AM where we ran into Deborah and her group from Tucson backpacking club. What a great surprise! Saw a group of trail runners in the section between Bluff Spring and Red Tanks. Lots of water at Bluff Spring and Labarge Spring with many ICY pools along the way. Passed Peter's Trail and dipped down into Charlesbois.......still lots of water there too. Everything is looking lushly green.
Met up at Cavalry Trail where Suz was takin' a snooze. By now it is 50+ degrees and I'm sweatin' buckets so I peel layers off. Off to the next intersection 1/2 mile up....Big decision time...do we take Bull Pass or stay on the Dutchman? We follow the Dutchman with those great views of Weaver's Needle. Get to Aylor's camp around 3:00 where we take a break. I'm feeling pretty wiped out at this point, can't feel my feet and think "it's only another 4.5 miles"......got out by 5:30.
We saw very few people on the trail. We ran into two backpackers heading down the Dutchman near Peters trail and then saw no one until we descended from Upper Black Top Mesa to Peralta.
As always this was a great hike. Lots of water out there which made it so worth while. We were treated to an absolutely gorgeous red, purple and yellow sunset on the drive out from First Water but I had no energy left to get out of the car to take a picture.
_________________ ~~~Trish~~~
"Eastward the dawn rose, ridge behind ridge into the morning, and vanished out of eyesight into guess; it was no more than a glimmer blending with the hem of the sky, but it spoke to them, out of the memory and old tales, of the high and distant mountains." � J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of The Rings. |
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azbackpackr Hi Tech Wizardess
Joined: 31 Dec 2005 Posts: 3639 Location: Needles CA
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Posted: 1/3/2011, 7:35 pm Post subject: |
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Thanks again, Trish, for making this happen so smoothly, and of course, thanks again to your dad for driving! (And for reminding us we were nuts to be doing it! I think we knew that already! )
It was great hiking with both Trish and Susan, both of whom I had met only once before. We were quite a team as we hiked across and through and over and between the mountains! |
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Trishness The Snake Charmer
Joined: 21 Sep 2003 Posts: 2530 Location: Apache Jct, AZ
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Posted: 1/3/2011, 7:48 pm Post subject: |
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Yeah...awesome team. Meet ya at the next intersection!
TT _________________ ~~~Trish~~~
"Eastward the dawn rose, ridge behind ridge into the morning, and vanished out of eyesight into guess; it was no more than a glimmer blending with the hem of the sky, but it spoke to them, out of the memory and old tales, of the high and distant mountains." � J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of The Rings. |
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Deborah
Joined: 06 Oct 2008 Posts: 297 Location: Tucson
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Posted: 1/4/2011, 8:40 am Post subject: |
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So from where we met you to the Parking Lot on the Dutchman was 8 miles. I knew it felt longer.
We hauled butt, but I was totally exhausted hauling 45 lbs . We had about a 45 min. break at Miner's Summit and got out at 5 PM.
It was only 5.6 in on the Bluff Springs Trail. _________________ Those who dwell among the beauties and mysteries of the earth are never alone or weary of life. - Rachel Carson |
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azbackpackr Hi Tech Wizardess
Joined: 31 Dec 2005 Posts: 3639 Location: Needles CA
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Posted: 1/4/2011, 8:42 am Post subject: |
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The whole thing as we did it came to 19.4 miles on my Garmin. I don't know why it disagrees by almost 2 miles with the map and guidebook. And the thing is, having done a few 20 milers in my day, it did feel like closer to 20, not 17.6 as the books say. So, I am confused. Is my GPS wrong, or are the books wrong, or did the guidebook writers go out via Bull Pass (which we did not.)? |
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Trishness The Snake Charmer
Joined: 21 Sep 2003 Posts: 2530 Location: Apache Jct, AZ
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Posted: 1/4/2011, 6:38 pm Post subject: |
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When we did this last year, Ambika had her GPS with her and it registered 17.9 miles. Weird how your GPS registered 19.4.....it's not like we wandered far off trail. But if you look at the Beartooth Map (second edition) and add up the miles between junctions it does come out to 17.6. I'm sure the guidebook writers did not go out via Bull Pass because then it would not have been a "Full Dutchman".
Those last four miles almost killed me this year and I now understand Susan's level of delirium from last year. _________________ ~~~Trish~~~
"Eastward the dawn rose, ridge behind ridge into the morning, and vanished out of eyesight into guess; it was no more than a glimmer blending with the hem of the sky, but it spoke to them, out of the memory and old tales, of the high and distant mountains." � J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of The Rings. |
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azbackpackr Hi Tech Wizardess
Joined: 31 Dec 2005 Posts: 3639 Location: Needles CA
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Posted: 1/4/2011, 7:40 pm Post subject: |
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Well, GPS's can be off. Mine seems to read high lately. Wonder if I have it set wrong? |
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wanderingsoul
Joined: 19 Jul 2004 Posts: 2285 Location: Gilbert AZ
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Posted: 1/6/2011, 5:04 am Post subject: |
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Sounds like a y'all had a good hike again this year. Glad you got to do it again. Seeing all the water last year was pretty, I'd never seen much water in the Supes before that. We even saw that little waterfall. Per chance any pics to post of those ICY pools. Those would make some pretty pics _________________ Wanderingsoul (Michelle)
Positive Thinking Is the Spark that Makes Dreams Happen~~~Unknown |
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Trishness The Snake Charmer
Joined: 21 Sep 2003 Posts: 2530 Location: Apache Jct, AZ
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Posted: 1/9/2011, 10:45 pm Post subject: |
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Got a few pics in the gallery......I stopped taking them at mile 14 due to delirium setting in.
OH BTW we are going to start calling this hike the FAT dutchman. I lost 4 pounds this week and Suz said we need to do it every week for the next 5 weeks so I can shed the 20 pounds I've been complaining about. The DUTCHMAN can have them LOL _________________ ~~~Trish~~~
"Eastward the dawn rose, ridge behind ridge into the morning, and vanished out of eyesight into guess; it was no more than a glimmer blending with the hem of the sky, but it spoke to them, out of the memory and old tales, of the high and distant mountains." � J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of The Rings. |
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azbackpackr Hi Tech Wizardess
Joined: 31 Dec 2005 Posts: 3639 Location: Needles CA
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Posted: 1/10/2011, 4:05 pm Post subject: |
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Like your pics!!
OK OK I need to get mine up, and also my Aravaipa ones. And also the ones from yesterday, when I hiked Bright Angel to Tonto to South Kaibab. Etc. etc. |
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wanderingsoul
Joined: 19 Jul 2004 Posts: 2285 Location: Gilbert AZ
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Posted: 1/13/2011, 9:00 pm Post subject: |
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Nice pics with lots of people shots to remember your day
I liked angle of the Big Saguaro and to see the size compared against actual people height. Shows just how Big it is!
Interesting Ice shot too _________________ Wanderingsoul (Michelle)
Positive Thinking Is the Spark that Makes Dreams Happen~~~Unknown |
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