Sagebrush Trails – Page 80 – Sagebrush personal hiking blog

Superior Views

AZT 2020 Day 13, March 21, Saturday
Start mile 272.5 along Gila River (passage16mile10)
End Picketpost Trailhead mile 300.5 (passage17mile11.7), and then trail angel ride into town
Miles walked: 28

The trees at the bottom of Gila River Canyon, manzanita and willow and some mesquite, are not very green yet like the canyon walls. Perhaps it is the types of trees, or maybe they get less sunlight until the sun goes higher in the season.

The route leaves the Gila River and starts climbing into some truly splendid high canyons. The route is different than on the Grand Enchantment Trail, which explains why it all seems new to me.

Gila River

AZT 2020 Day 12, March 20, Friday
Start mile 244.9, near junction to Ripsey Ranch (passage15mile10.2)
End mile 272.5 along Gila River (passage16mile10)
Miles walked: 27.6

After some road and trail the route goes up a ridge between two great washes, or arroyos as we would say in New Mexico.

At the top are 360 views of mountains, canyons, and a copper mine.

Tortilla Mountains

AZT 2020 Day 11, March 19, Thursday
Start mile 218.6 (passage14mile11)
End mile 244.9, near junction to Ripsey Ranch (passage15mile10.2)
Miles walked: 26.3

Clouds build and threaten in the morning, but eventually the sun gets through part-time.

I saw a javelina in the morning, and several rabbits and jackrabbits through the day, not seen much earlier on the trip. A few cows are grazing, likely kept to a small number on this vegetation. Later in the day the hills flatten out, and vegetation changes somewhat– the saguaros see to prefer slopes, and more thorny bushes grow here.