Saturday November 25, 39.6km/24.6mi

Woolsey Spring (246.7/1010ft) to Base of Saddle Mountain (271.3/1320ft) (AZ)

We started off at 6:15am, which is noticeably dark now that we are further west.

After 30 minutes we left our dirt road, which was good timing since it was now light enough to easily walk in the wash.

We hiked in a wash or xc all morning, and eventually the sunlight started to reach our little valley between the mountains.

Morning hiking is the best hiking!

We crossed over a little pass, where TopShelf decided to invent an alternate route, so we got a little separated for a few minutes. The descent from the pass was down another wash, but this one had cool little potholes of water in the rocks.

It also started to look a little like a mini-canyon, as we continued down it.

By 10am, we had finished our wash and xc hiking, and emerged onto an old dirt road, which led us to train tracks. Unfortunately, there was also a train parked on them, which made getting across a little difficult.

The train was apparently abandoned, as it looked like it hadn’t been moved in many months, maybe years. We climbed over.

We had a break by the train, enjoying our snacks and beverages. I made crystal light, sometimes it’s nice to have a flavor other than plain water. Afterwards we hiked on roads towards our destination for tonight, Saddle Mountain.

After lunch, we came across some private property next to the road, which had these weird carved signs on the fence.

The afternoon was uneventful, and relaxing on the maze of old dirt roads that led us steadily towards Saddle Mountain. It was relaxing to watch the sunset over the nearby hills.

We arrived to camp at 5:45pm and setup in the waning daylight. Another long but easy day!

Friday November 24, 28.0km/17.4mi

Gillespie Dam Bridge (229.3/760ft) to Woolsey Spring (246.7/1010ft) (AZ)

Roger and Peg dropped us off at the trail at 10am, and we had a nice easy roadwalk for 30 minutes. Immediately after, we entered a huge wash, which was so wide that some people had driven in it.

We followed the wash upstream for an hour, and eventually it started to get a little rocky, and there were even some tiny cliffs.

And by the time we exited the wash, there were some cliffs that presented some thoughtful obstacles.

We passed by our first water source for the day, and it was pretty gross. We had planned to skip this one, bringing plenty of water from town.

We took a snack break nearby, admiring the mountains around us. We had just entered the Woolsey Peak Wilderness, and there weren’t any signs of civilization anywhere. There were some signs of animals though!

From the water source, we followed a very faint old road for a little while. It was almost impossible to see, other than a clearing thru the scattered rocks.

We hiked around this mountain, which didn’t have a name on my map, but it was cool to see it from three sides.

After the faint road ended, we had a couple hours of xc hiking, and it was slow and very rocky. Ugh.

Finally at 5pm we arrived at another old road, and I could look around at the views, instead of staring at my feet. Woolsey Peak was looking big!

And as we walked the road, the peaks ahead of us looked pretty steep too.

The sun set at 5:30, and Woolsey Peak was colored in pink, with a neat line of clouds, and the almost-full moon above it.

We arrived at our water source (and planned campsite) well after dark. The windmill was turning, and pumping out tons of good clear water. Nice!

We filled our bottles and hiked a few more minutes, to be away from the loud squeaky windmill. We setup camp in a shallow wash, which was protected from the wind. A great little camp spot!

Thursday November 23, 0km/0mi

We had a very relaxing day today, doing almost nothing productive. After a great breakfast of eggs, biscuits and gravy, and juice, we watched the usual Thanksgiving parade on TV.

The afternoon was filled with conversations, hanging out by the pool, a visit to the hot tub, and a quick nap.

By late afternoon, the smoker was emitting some delicious smells, as the ribs were almost ready.

We had an amazing dinner of ribs, baked beans, cranberry sauce, stuffing, pie, and ice cream. A perfect relaxing Thanksgiving holiday!

Wednesday November 22, 3.5km/2.1mi

East of Gila Bend Canal (227.2/790ft) to Gillespie Dam Bridge (229.3/760ft) (AZ)

We had a short hike this morning, barely over an hour to get to our planned pickup spot at Gillespie Dam. We started at 6:45am, and it was nice to walk in daylight.

After a few miles near the powerlines, we hiked next to the Gila Bend Canal, which was mostly dry.

When we got to the crossing point of the canal, the little bridge was gone. Since it was dry in the bottom, it was easy to scramble down/up the slanty concrete sides of the canal.

We then crossed the Gillespie Dam Bridge, an ancient truss bridge over the Gila River.

The retired Gillespie Dam was just upstream.

Roger picked us up at 7:30, and we drove to the nearby town of Buckeye, where we ate a diner breakfast. I stuck with the softer foods, ha.

After a frustrating visit to the Buckeye post office (incompetent employees), we rode an hour to Roger’s house in the Phoenix area. I had met Roger and Peg last summer, and TopShelf has known them for a long time. It was a nice break to be indoors for a couple days – a bed, refrigerated beverages, and the friendly dog Jenny!

We had a productive afternoon of grocery shopping, and REI trip, showers, and laundry. Everything has to be done today, since most things will be closed tomorrow for the Thanksgiving holiday.

Tuesday November 21, 34.0km/21.1mi

N of Rainbow Wash (206.1/1060ft) to East of Gila Bend Canal (227.2/790ft) (AZ)

We got a late start, knowing we had less miles to cover today. A friend is picking us up Wednesday morning, at a spot that is only 24 miles away, so we have lots of time to get there. When I started hiking, it was already very light.

After following an old road for an hour, I turned north to walk under some power lines. While these little paths are perfectly straight, they are also a little hilly.

Just before I crossed a freeway, I started seeing signs for the Maricopa Trail. Everything around here is named Maricopa, including the county itself, so I’m not sure where the trail went.

TopShelf caught up and we crossed the divided freeway, probably the most dangerous part of the trail so far! On the other side was the Robbins Butte Wildlife Area, a neat little county park.

When we saw a picnic table and a trash can, we stopped for another quick break in the shade. It wasn’t hot, but being in the sun all day is tiring.

The rest of the day was mostly xc travel, either on donkey trails….

…or just straight across open terrain.

After lunch, we climbed a little pass, gaining 400ft while walking up a rocky slope. It was fun!

After we easily reached the top, the trickier part was descending thru a maze of washes. We eventually figured it out, sometimes walking a narrow gravel ridge between two adjacent washes.

We had to take a short side hike to get some water from a guzzler, which was up a rocky wash. It was slow going, and when we got there, there was minimal water and it smelled like sheep poop. Gross.

After that horrible water, we hiked down a wash for a couple of hours.

It was easy to navigate, and relaxing to walk in the cool shade of the wash. Before we knew it, we had arrived at the powerline strip, which we followed for an hour until finding a random campsite under the buzzing wires.

Tomorrow is a short day, only a few miles to our pickup spot!

Monday November 20, 36.4km/22.6mi

North Maricopa Mountains Wilderness (183.5/1580ft) to N of Rainbow Wash (206.1/1060ft) (AZ)

I’m awake at 5:15 to cook breakfast, which I usually never do. But this week I’m only allowed to eat soft foods, so I made oatmeal for breakfast.

The first 15 minutes of hiking were by headlamp, and then the morning light arrived in the desert.

It’s a little cold, so I hike with a warm hat until 8:30, when it finally warms up. It also helps to be walking in a wide sunny valley, instead of a shaded cold wash.

We take a break at a trailhead, which has a toilet and picnic tables! I love finding random picnic tables in the mountains.

We hike for a few miles along an old road, until we reach a guzzler. The next water is only an hour away, so I grab only one liter. There is a fun little xc section next, with a scrambly pass with rocks.

It was short but fun, and reminded me a bit of the Hayduke from this spring. We make it to the next water source, and enjoy a lunch break in the shade of a little Palo Verde tree. There are more dirt roads after lunch, and I see a little critter that’s trying to cross the road.

Gross. A good reminder of why we sleep in tents! After a few more hours of hiking on roads, we finally left the Sonoran Desert National Monument, which we had been hiking in this entire section. There is a fun little xc section….

… which leads to one more little dirt road.

After the sun sets, and the twilight time of 5:45 approaches, we keep our eye out for camping spots.

We easily find some flat spots on a hilltop, and spend a few minutes clearing rocks out of the way. These days feel like they are getting easier!

Sunday November 19, 37.0km/23.0mi

South Maricopa Mountains Wilderness (160.5/2120ft) to North Maricopa Mountains Wilderness (183.5/1580ft) (AZ)

I woke up at my usual time of 5:30am, and had this amazing view from my tent. Twilight Saguaro!

We made breakfast, packed up, and hiked out at 6:15. Now that we have been hiking west for a few hundred miles, the sun rises noticeably later. Gotta love physics.

After ten minutes, we joined a wash, which was very easy to follow in the dim light.

Eventually it was bright enough to turn off our headlamps, and we enjoyed the tangerine sky, while hiking xc thru some Saguaros.

Occasionally we would hike in a wash, which is easier for navigation, but sometimes more difficult with narrow corridors and overgrown vegetation.

After a couple of hours, we left the South Maricopa Mountains, and followed an old road. There were some odd tracks in one of the sandy ruts.

By noon we had reached a paved road, and a set of well-used railroad tracks.

We crossed both, and then had lunch by a trailhead. While we were eating, a train went by, and it took awhile since it was so long. Glad we weren’t stuck behind that train! After lunch we entered the North Maricopa Mountains Wilderness, and had a fun time hiking in another wash.

The little forests of Teddy-Bear Cholla always look cool, but they are a minefield to hike thru. They drop little balls of spikes, which get picked up by your shoes, which then brushes against your opposite leg and embeds the spikes in your calf. Ouch.

Pretty soon we joined a National Historic Trail, which was also an overland mail route from 1858 to 1861. Cool!

Towards the end of the day, we came to our first water source for the day. It had two troughs, only one of which had clear water. The water level was pretty low, so TopShelf was in there pretty deep.

Right after that, we hiked for the last hour of the day on the Brittlebush Trail.

It’s nice to be hiking on a real singletrack trail!

There must’ve been some thin clouds to the west, because the sunset looked extra unique today.

Eventually the trail joined a wash, and we hiked along until we found a spot to camp.

It’s a peaceful spot in the valley, and I hear coyotes in the distance.

Saturday November 18, 39.3km/24.4mi

Base of Black Mountain (136.7/2100ft) to South Maricopa Mountains Wilderness (160.5/2120ft) (AZ) +0.6mi to Tabletop Guzzler

There were some heavy rainstorms that moved thru last night, and we spent some extra time this morning packing up our wet tents. We finally departed at 6:15am, which is now noticeably darker than it was a week ago.

After a mile, the sky was much lighter, and we were able to switch off our headlamps.

As we hiked along all morning, I noticed that the clouds were building up, and rain looked imminent.

Sure enough, at 9:30 it started raining…hard. it was easy to see the line of rain moving across the open desert, so I already had my pack cover and umbrella ready. It rained steadily for about an hour, and just as we approached this creepy old defunct ranch, it stopped.

The ranch had a few outbuildings, which felt no less creepy.

The skies cleared, and by 11am it was sunny. We hiked an easy xc section, and had lunch by the interstate.

We spent almost an hour eating and drying out our stuff, hanging it all over several nearby bushes. It must’ve looked like an odd site to the passing drivers. It dried quickly in the strong desert sun, and we crossed under the interstate.

For the rest of the afternoon, we hiked thru the South Maricopa Mountains Wilderness. It was nice to be away from the loud freeway, and enjoy the dry sunny weather.

We walked across a mesa for a mile, with heaps of views in every direction.

Occasionally we would follow a faint old road, barely visible after 25 years of disuse.

Sometimes the puffy clouds would cast neat shadows onto the nearby mountaintops.

We arrived at a guzzler at 4:30, and refilled our bottles. All the rain from last night and this morning meant that the trough was overflowing.

It was a long 21 mile stretch to the next reliable water, so it was heavy to carry all the water we would need for the next 24 hours. The pink clouds and sunset were a nice distraction though.

We hiked another hour on a very faint old road, and camped just before we entered a wash. After I finished setting up my tent, I could see the stars start to show up, and I’m looking forward to a dry night.

Friday November 17, 37.2km/23.1mi

Santa Rosa Canal exit (112.2/1385ft) to Base of Black Mountain (136.7/2100ft) (AZ) -1.4mi Alt shortcut

We had some rain overnight, and woke up to a wet tent. The humidity was very high, so there was plenty of condensation inside the tent. We finally departed camp at 6:15, and hiked into the cloudy morning.

Table Top mountain, which I had staring at for a few days now, was barely visible thru the humidity! Bizarre. We hiked along the boundary of the Tohono O’Odham nation for an hour, in a wash with a bunch of trash. People really need to stop buying balloons, they always end up someplace they shouldn’t be.

Eventually the wash ended, and we crossed a road where there was a welcome sign for cars.

We didn’t enter the nation’s lands, and instead followed some power lines for an hour, entering the Sonoran Desert National Monument. Cool.

We stopped for lunch at a guzzler, filled our water bottles, and then immediately entered the Tabletop Wilderness.

The clouds had begun to clear, and we could see Tabletop more clearly now.

We followed a very old abandoned road, which was probably closed in 2001, when this area became a national monument.

Along this cross-country section, I came across a very old Huffy children’s bike …weird.

The sun was fully out now, with only a few clouds to give us shade. The nearby volcanic peaks were pointy!

We arrived at the Tabletop Mountain trailhead, which surprisingly had picnic tables and a toilet. Nice spot for a break!

For the rest of the day, we hiked on the Lava Flow trail. It was a very nice singletrack, a rarity on the WTH!

After watching the sunset behind the Saguaros, we started looking for a camp spot.

The whole area was pretty flat and non-rocky, so it was pretty easy. We settled in to our spot, as the setting sun turned the surrounding hills a nice orange color.

There is more rain forecast for tonight, but for now I’m sleeping with my tent door open.

Thursday November 16, 5.0km/3.1mi

Santa Rosa Canal at Joaquin Road (109.1/1380ft) to Santa Rosa Canal exit (112.2/1385ft) (AZ)

I slept in late at the motel, recovering from yesterday’s events. Finally at 7:45, my stomach reminded me I was hungry and I started making food. I looked out the window and saw a neat license plate, from the neighboring state of Sonora.

After breakfast, I did laundry and took a shower, and sorted my resupply food. Sadly, I wasn’t going to be able to eat any of these hard bars this week, so I had to leave them behind.

We had a relaxed morning, and eventually left our nice motel room at noon. It was a surprisingly nice and spacious room for only $70.

We walked a few minutes down the street to the Safeway, where I bought a few more things for the next week of hiking. We had lunch next door at Beyond Bread, a local Tucson chain of soup/sandwich cafes. Roasted red pepper and tomato soup, with multigrain bread!

I had contacted Jake earlier, and he very generously agreed to give us a ride back to the trail. He picked us up at 3:15, and with some traffic, we were back at the trail at 4:30pm.

We had a few more miles along the canal, which was an easy way to end the day.

At 6pm we found a spot to camp, and it also started to rain lightly. That’s a first! I hadn’t seen rain (or even clouds) since our second day on the trail, over 5 weeks ago. I made dinner, took my medication, and eventually fell asleep to the sound of rain.