View Full Version : Backpacking Near Scottsdale Arizona
Any good areas for a 2 to 3 night January trip near Scottsdale Arizona? I have a work trip and may delay my flight home for a few day to go hiking. 14 to 18 miles per day is my norm.
Thanks
pyroman53
12-04-2012, 18:51
rental car for access? just you? dropped off or picked up?
Spirit Walker
12-04-2012, 18:53
Go to the Superstitions. You can make a loop back to your car. There is usually water there in winter. Beautiful Sonoran desert hiking.
rental car for access? just you? dropped off or picked up?
Car rental or Paid Shuttle. I have no plans except except I would have to be back to Phoenix airport at the end. Just me.
Go to the Superstitions. You can make a loop back to your car. There is usually water there in winter. Beautiful Sonoran desert hiking.
That looks very interesting. Looks like most of the trails follow the creeks also.
HikerMom58
12-04-2012, 19:17
I'm jealous...............:o
I'm jealous...............:o
It's a great benefit of the company I work for. If I have to travel I can add a few extra days after an assignment to play. I have a small chance of going to New York next week to work for about two weeks. I may try to hike a few days in Harriman if I go, as long as the assignment doesn't end too close to Christmas.
That looks very interesting. Looks like most of the trails follow the creeks also.
:) I lived in Apache Junction in 1970 and 71. I hiked all through the Superstitions while I was there. Those creeks are not creeks in the NC sense of the word. You should be able to find water but be ready to dig for it if you need to.
So it will be almost like hiking in coastal North Carolina, except where I live its all salt water which is almost useless. Good advise. I've never hiked in the dessert but figure January is probably the best month to start.
So it will be almost like hiking in coastal North Carolina, except where I live its all salt water which is almost useless. Good advise. I've never hiked in the dessert but figure January is probably the best month to start.
Jan should be good but you need to be cautious. When I was there I was new to the desert and I got myself in trouble a couple of times when I couldn't find water. The area is great and I have very fond memories of the desert. Mesquite wood makes the very best campfire.
HikerMom58
12-04-2012, 19:58
It's a great benefit of the company I work for. If I have to travel I can add a few extra days after an assignment to play. I have a small chance of going to New York next week to work for about two weeks. I may try to hike a few days in Harriman if I go, as long as the assignment doesn't end too close to Christmas.
That's cool... happy for ya buddy! :) When you go play... I mean hike in the desert, I hope you can stay connected to WB, like you did when you were hiking this fall. Maybe you can hike with HB or Coach Lou, if you can pull out the NY trip. :) Good luck with all that....
Train Wreck
12-04-2012, 20:08
So it will be almost like hiking in coastal North Carolina, except where I live its all salt water which is almost useless. Good advise. I've never hiked in the dessert but figure January is probably the best month to start.
I'm pretty sure hiking in the dessert is frowned upon by the health department, as is sleeping with cheesecake.
I'm pretty sure hiking in the dessert is frowned upon by the health department, as is sleeping with cheesecake.
Good catch! I can't spell!
Jan should be good but you need to be cautious. When I was there I was new to the desert and I got myself in trouble a couple of times when I couldn't find water. The area is great and I have very fond memories of the desert. Mesquite wood makes the very best campfire.
Thanks. So treat it like severe draught conditions. 2 or 4 quarts of water?
Thanks. So treat it like severe draught conditions. 2 or 4 quarts of water?
Let me make it clear that I'm not trying to claim to be giving expert advice on hiking in Az. The locals should be able to tell you where the water holes are and how much water to carry. It's been 40 years since I hiked there. I remember not finding water in many of the water holes that were supposed to be wet. One day I went most of the day without water and was helped by a guy in an old army jeep. The Superstitions are very dry a lot of the year.
I would like to add that most of the trails in the Superstition Mountains are day hike type trails. That doesn't mean you can't hike out and camp and hike back but I don't know of any trails that are 30-40 miles of continuous trail. I'm hoping somebody from the area chimes in to help you out.
Turk6177
12-05-2012, 10:46
Check out the Ridgeline trail over the Superstitions Mountains. It is 12- 14 miles long. You can stay up on top of the "flat Iron" which is a plateau from which you can see the whole valley 360 degrees. You will need to carry all your water. That is not exactly multiple days of 14 miles, but it sure is beautiful up there. If you hike up from the north end, the climb is similar to hiking in the Whites in NH. (the difficulty, not the scenery). There was a rip and go in Backpacker magazine regarding this hike if you can find it. Enjoy! Further east, the US 60 crosses the Arizona Trail. You could probably park a car and do an out and back, but I have never hiked that.
Rightfoot
12-05-2012, 11:38
Nestled in the Red Rock Canyons near Sedona, the West Fork of Oak Creek is one of the most beautiful places in Arizona. The West Fork offers the best of both worlds, from hardwood forests of maple and oak in the canyon bottom, to hillsides of agave and cactus, all beneath towering formations of sandstone. Boulders in the creek bed are often the only thing to walk on as pools of water begin to fill the canyon bottom. As you travel through the canyon, you will not only get your feet wet but expect an occasional swim with your backpack.
Drive up Friday afternoon and car camp at the trail head on Forest Road 231 near Flagstaff. Saturday, start hiking downstream 7 miles by bushwhacking, walking in the creek, and swimming. Sunday, continue another 7 miles downstream to the "Call of the Canyon" parking area near Sedona.
This is not a beginner's hike! There are miles of boulder-hopping http://img1.meetupstatic.com/img/clear.gifand many deep pools to be waded which may cause you to be wet most of the time. There are about four short mandatory swims. Dry bags are required.
Rightfoot, that sounds like my kind of hike plus I love hiking in the Sedona area. Any idea what the traffic is like on Forest Rd 231 if I have to hitch to the TH? I probably will not have a car when I go there. That type of swim, wade, scale/traverse around waterfalls, hike etc is just what I look for in Hawaii, Arizona, and southern Utah. It's a bit of hiking, swimming, wading, and canyoneering all mixed together.
gizzy bear
12-05-2012, 14:16
ive hiked red rock in vegas....VERY beautiful....and different from what us east coasters are used to...mainly the scenery...just mother nature's versatility... it is ALL beautiful!!!
Rightfoot
12-06-2012, 10:30
Forest Service road is also locally known as Woody Mtn. road. The trail head is approximately 12 mile in with a pukk off for parking. The road is very washboard but does not require high clearance or 4x4. Hitch hiking would be tough as there is little traffic. An awesome place. Very remote feeling and encountering others would be unusual. It is tough hiking. Also the walls are steep and daylight hours and warming sun are shorter. Make sure you are prepared to be wet and pack in dry bags. Contact the Coconino Forest office at 928-527-3600 for more info. The people in this office are super helpful.