Jason Cleghorn - May 20, 2018 6:54 pm Date Climbed: Nov 27, 2016
One of my favorite Phoenix area hikes...
This is an incredible Arizona day hike. I'd been dreaming about this peak for over a year. So today with in-laws getting on my nerves, other people getting on my nerves, I was looking for something to keep me out of the house much longer than normal. So I dialed this one up...
I parked at the Cave Creek TH at the Seven Springs Campground. Since it was about 5:45 when I got there and pitch dark (and also 40 degrees), I couldn't see well enough to know that I could have parked several other places back down the road, shortening my hike. Oh well. Extra miles and a few AEG.
I did the standard approach. I had originally planned to just assault the Quien Sabe Peak Ridgeline from the 246 trail up what was designated as a wash on the topo, but that looked pretty daunting. Then I changed plans to continue to go Skunk Creek Trail and intersect with the Quien Sabe Trail on the backside of the ridge. Alas, I got impatient and left that plan at a place that looked doable. I made it up to the little prairie and then to the final push to what becomes the ridgeline. After ~30 minutes, I had made the final traverse of the ridgeline and I could see what was going to be the summit.
The summit block is a little anti-climactic but I was very glad to have gained it. It must have been in the mid 30s at the summit and there were so many clouds, I actually was hoping to see a random flake but alas, no.
Then I made a fateful (for my legs) decision. Go back the way I came, which was a known route, not really that steep but would take me ALL THE WAY back down the ridge, OR descend off the summit block down what was the actual wash that leads to Quien Sabe Spring.
Let's see the spring he said. It will be fun he said.
It wasn't.
I was literally crashing and surfing down the thickest catclaw that I have ever seen. My legs don't even look like legs anymore they are so scratched, gouged, and bloody!
Finally, I got down near the spring proper.
It was a :pk: rusty pipe. Not even a spring or any water etc. S O A B.
But, at least I was close to where I had originally hiked and back on the 246 trail.
After that, it was pretty much all downhill from there and I was down near the Cartwright Ranch in no time. If that was a real ranch, I'd like to work there as a ranch hand. That little valley there is beautiful.
So, all in all a GREAT hike. This was a top 5 outdoor experience for me in Arizona. For sure.
mstender - Oct 13, 2014 11:44 am Date Climbed: Oct 5, 2014
Very nice desert hike!
Hiked with surgent. Very nice hike only a little over an hour north of Phoenix but with a very remote feel. Didn't see any other people on this hike and the trails seem to get very little use.
surgent - Oct 13, 2014 2:57 am Date Climbed: Oct 5, 2014
Remote and very pretty
Went with Mattias Stender. This was the first barely cool weekend after months of summer heat, so it was good to get back into the hills and go on a long hike without the fear of death from heatstroke a possibility.
Jason Cleghorn - May 20, 2018 6:54 pm Date Climbed: Nov 27, 2016
One of my favorite Phoenix area hikes...This is an incredible Arizona day hike. I'd been dreaming about this peak for over a year. So today with in-laws getting on my nerves, other people getting on my nerves, I was looking for something to keep me out of the house much longer than normal. So I dialed this one up...
I parked at the Cave Creek TH at the Seven Springs Campground. Since it was about 5:45 when I got there and pitch dark (and also 40 degrees), I couldn't see well enough to know that I could have parked several other places back down the road, shortening my hike. Oh well. Extra miles and a few AEG.
I did the standard approach. I had originally planned to just assault the Quien Sabe Peak Ridgeline from the 246 trail up what was designated as a wash on the topo, but that looked pretty daunting. Then I changed plans to continue to go Skunk Creek Trail and intersect with the Quien Sabe Trail on the backside of the ridge. Alas, I got impatient and left that plan at a place that looked doable. I made it up to the little prairie and then to the final push to what becomes the ridgeline. After ~30 minutes, I had made the final traverse of the ridgeline and I could see what was going to be the summit.
The summit block is a little anti-climactic but I was very glad to have gained it. It must have been in the mid 30s at the summit and there were so many clouds, I actually was hoping to see a random flake but alas, no.
Then I made a fateful (for my legs) decision. Go back the way I came, which was a known route, not really that steep but would take me ALL THE WAY back down the ridge, OR descend off the summit block down what was the actual wash that leads to Quien Sabe Spring.
Let's see the spring he said. It will be fun he said.
It wasn't.
I was literally crashing and surfing down the thickest catclaw that I have ever seen. My legs don't even look like legs anymore they are so scratched, gouged, and bloody!
Finally, I got down near the spring proper.
It was a :pk: rusty pipe. Not even a spring or any water etc. S O A B.
But, at least I was close to where I had originally hiked and back on the 246 trail.
After that, it was pretty much all downhill from there and I was down near the Cartwright Ranch in no time. If that was a real ranch, I'd like to work there as a ranch hand. That little valley there is beautiful.
So, all in all a GREAT hike. This was a top 5 outdoor experience for me in Arizona. For sure.
mstender - Oct 13, 2014 11:44 am Date Climbed: Oct 5, 2014
Very nice desert hike!Hiked with surgent. Very nice hike only a little over an hour north of Phoenix but with a very remote feel. Didn't see any other people on this hike and the trails seem to get very little use.
surgent - Oct 13, 2014 2:57 am Date Climbed: Oct 5, 2014
Remote and very prettyWent with Mattias Stender. This was the first barely cool weekend after months of summer heat, so it was good to get back into the hills and go on a long hike without the fear of death from heatstroke a possibility.