azt – Page 8 – Sagebrush Trails

Stetson’s Gold

AZT 2020 Day 4, March 12, Thursday
Start 3 miles past town of Patagonia, mile 54.1 (passage4mile2.9)
End 1 mile past Kentucky Camp mile 77.7 (passage5mile4.7)
Miles walked: 23.6

The morning followed dirt road, and then one hour of trail in wilderness area, to climb 2k feet over a saddle. Intermittent light rain starts late morning.

Down the other side the trail follows Bear Spring and Bear Spring creek. Several interpretive signs tell the story of a mining operation in 1904 that takes water from Bear Spring 8.5 miles in pipes past Kentucky Camp to hydro-mine for gold.

Patagonia

AZT 2020 Day 3, March 11, Wednesday
Start Middle Canyon mile 31 (passage2mile10)
End 3 miles past town of Patagonia, mile 54.1 (passage4mile2.9)
Miles walked: 23.1

From camp the trail climbs up to a saddle, and one can look back on the east Canelo Hills.

The trail altitude profile shows a gradual descent into town, but the up-and-down rolling hills take a lot more effort than expected.

Canelo

AZT 2020 Day 2, March 10, Tuesday
Start 1 mile north of Miller Peak (passage1mile7)
End Middle Canyon mile 31 (passage2mile10)
Miles walked: 24

Descending the Huachaca Mountains, I meet “Bruise”, Vince, and “Lucy Lulu”.

Farewell to the vistas from the Huachacas, as we follow Parker Canyon down to the Canelo Hills, to 5k elevation.

We pass several streams, pools, and one lake, and the ground is often wet from a recent rain. Vegetation turns to pine forest, and then mixed conifer shrubs and mountain mahogany.

I meet “Butterfy” in the afternoon, a lot faster than me, but we end up camping near each other as the day ends early with rain, that continues through most of the night.