Mike and I did a little Mountain Biking on the 50 Year Trail in Catalina AZ. while I waited for the Van parts to come. This included a few hard miles on the return loop due to Mike’s flat rear tire.
Got the new Links installed and we are off to the Muleshoe Ranch Preserve after a stop at the Growler Filling Station for a nice Black IPA.
We took the Redington Pass dirt road east from Tanque Verde outside of Tucson.
At Redington Pass we crossed the Arizona Trail.
Lots of hiking, MTB, Moto, ATV and Horse Trails up here a hour from Tucson.
We then turned south on the Cascabel road. South of Cascabel, just as you hit blacktop, take a left on E3 Links dirt road. Finally take a left on Muleshoe road.
This took about three hours or more on rough dirt roads. Finally some shade in a small wash for a lunch stop.
The Nature Conservancy has bought the Muleshoe Ranch and has casitas you can rent for a stay at the Hot Springs.
But we are headed in the 14 mile 4X4 road to access the Redfield Canyon Wilderness and the Galiuro Wilderness around Jackson Cabin. No $$$ Casita and Hot Springs for us.
Just past that gate the Whoops start.
Sections of nice dirt road with some rough rocky climbs and descents thrown in to keep you going slow. that far ridge is where we are headed.
Signs of the old ranch.
After two hours we were within a couple of miles of Jackson Cabin.
The road dropped steeply down a rough area to the wash below.
We decided to stop here and hike on down the road. I could easily get down this in Bullet but coming back up would take some speed with the gearing I have now. The road was too rough to try to go that fast coming up and going slow would fry the clutch. Don’t need to tear anything else up this far from civilization.
This is the Redfield Canyon Wilderness
Thats quite a interesting ridge up there.
Solar powered water pump.
And some wildlife.
Moonrise over the Galiuro Mountains
Sun is getting low in the west and the light is fabulous.
Back from the hike and decided to camp here tonight.
After some Black IPA, and dinner we decided we might try to climb that ridge tomorrow.
Sounds like a great idea.
This is going to be fun Paleface. And so we began.
Cactus
Rough Rocks
And everywhere are Shin Stickers. (Agave Schottii)
But it is beautiful up here.
Getting steep. Are we having fun yet?
We found the best way to deal with the Shin Stickers was to use them like stepping stones.
Thats the Chute we were headed towards in the upper right.
Finally got to the base of the wall after two hours of climbing.
It would take another hour to get up to the crest and we were a little low on energy, among other things.
So we topped out here and decided to explore to the west to find another way down into the gorge.
Pretty cool place up here.
After some dead ends, we found a way down into a large wash that lead out to the trail.
Where there is a Cottonwood, water is near.
The wash road out.
And there was Blood, but it was a great hike and fabulous view from up there.
We went up the right side, East, of this pic and crossed over to top out at the red arrow.
Then we worked our way left to the west till we found a way down off that lower bluff.
IDIOPATH2018 