Backpacking Arizona's Mogollon Rim Country - Highline / AZT / Myrtle Loop
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 24 ต.ค. 2024
- This was a 4 day backpacking trip on the Mogollon Rim in Arizona, April 2020. Starting out at the Washington Park Trailhead, I climbed the Colonel Devin Trail (Arizona Trail) and camped just south of Fred Haught Spring. Then I hiked out and followed a combination of Rim Rd. FR 300 and General Crook Trail to where the eastern Cabin Loop begins along the Houston Bros. Trail. After encountering some deep snow and icy trail conditions I ended up on Barbershop Trail and camped near the spring in the midst of some melting snow slopes. On the 3rd and 4th days I made my way down the rim using Myrtle Trail and followed the Highline Trail west back to the trailhead to complete the loop.
This video is fairly short compared to my other ones, but it was definitely a full on 4 day adventure. This route included parts of the classic AZ Cabin Loop, but I did not actually hike the cabin loop at this time due to weather conditions. Look for a full Cabin Loop video coming later on in 2020. Hope you enjoy!
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Just to let you know watching all your videos they are beautiful good views and good information thank you for taking us with you.uk.
The only way to experience the diversity of Arizona! Way to go!
I love the whole cabin loop area. One of my favorite backpacking spots!
I hiked the Highline Trail a few years back so it was great fun to see the area again. I got turned around once as well but the GPS fixed that problem for me within 1/2 a mile. I hiked mid-Summer when there was little run-off, but most of the rivulets down the rim still had water in them. The Forest Service provided info on water sources before the hike, which gave me relief that I wouldn't run out.
Beautiful area !! Nice to have all that water around this time of year ! Keep the videos coming, great channel !!
Just came across your channel. Great video, I couldn't stop watching. I'm a sixty-one year old long-time backpacker and now you got me fired-up to get out again. That Arizona country looks somewhat similar to my San Bernardino Mountains of Southern California. Right now they're completely snowed in, so no backpacking for probably two months. I sometimes backpack in the desert of Joshua Tree National Park, but they closed that down even to hikers because of covid-19. So for now it's just a few day hikes in the desert and a few short snowshoe hikes in the mountains.
Anyway, I subscribed to your channel and I'm looking forward to viewing some more of your videos. I really felt like I was on the journey with you. I like your edits between hiking the trail and shots of vistas and the close shots of streams and such; nicely done. Also, I really appreciated how you showed your route using the map. I found that very interesting. Just the right amount of narration too. Maybe a few more scenes of camp, cooking, and down time might be cool as well, just to make the journey more personal. Keep up the good work young man.
Thank you! I don't know if it has something to do with the more somber times or what but I wasn't very motivated to do a lot camp chat on this one. Some of my other videos I do like to do that sort of thing. Thanks for checking out my videos. Also, yeah I feel bad for you all in California. Here in AZ - as well as neighboring Utah, backpacking is still quite possible and public land agencies are encouraging people to utilize them not in groups. Almost all my trips are solo, so this is easy for me. I know that if I was in your situation I'd be hurting bad to get outdoors into the wilderness.
Great looking trip-I was thinking of doing Highline after my Canyon trip got cancelled-I enjoy your videos.
Same here I was hoping for an April canyon trip. Thinking of getting out to Kanab Creek Wilderness as an alternative.
Beautiful scenery
Watching this as a family member is slowly dying in banner gateway. Thanks for the distraction, its needed.
I am so sorry, that is terrible. I am also facing the imminent loss of a family member right now and all I can say is that we are all wishing them peace right now.
I found the Highline trail to be a beast of a trail. It looks like it will be flat but you are either going up or down all day. It's deceivingly difficult. Also lots of bear sign, so practice good bear area protocols.
I agree - this is the thing about the AZ highliine. You look at it on a topo map and it doesn't look all that bad, but in person it's nothing but constant up and down. I was seeing frequent bear scat - a lot more below the rim on the highline than up on top. You'd think it would be the opposite. I always carry an ursack and haven't had bear problems on the rim yet.
Been wanting to do the complete high line trail for awhile and was wondering about waters sources.thanks for a peak.
The big guy lives in that area 👀👍😁
Nice video
My favorite place in Arizona to backpack
I love it up there. With the roads closed there were zero people on the rim.
@@WildlandExplorer my last trip up was when I took the Highline to Washington Park out and back. When the virus hit, I was one of the first laid off (restaurant GM), so I had almost two months off and did a bunch of backpacking. I changed fields, and am now managing at Fry's, so, back to work, LOL. Hopefully I can get another trip in before it heats up too much!
Oh damn. That’s some bad luck but I’m glad you’re back on your feet. I’ve been lucky to weather the storm with my job (online university). I had the same plan if/when I found myself out of work it’s just another opportunity to get outdoors.
I just got furloughed. So I'm grabbing my pack and planning a much needed break.
@@WildlandExplorer probably heading back up to the rim tomorrow morning and going to knock out the Barbershop, U Bar and Houston Brother's section of the Cabin Loop. I did the other side earlier this week, and the weather is perfect
Looks like you have a Duplex Zpack tent and an Osprey backpack. My son just bought the Osprey bp you have, and I bought an Osprey women’s 58 lt. We are looking into the tent. Do you like it?
Hi there, yes Duplex is a great tent. You won't regret buying it, especially in the southwest where condensation isn't a big problem. Just be aware you have to wait a few weeks for Zpacks to make it once you order. Honestly don't have anything bad to say about it, other than maybe you have to be more careful of how you pack it away because dyneema is more sensitive to abrasion than silnylon. I just wrap my puffy jacket and/or packed clothing around the tent in its stuff sack to deal with that.
Awesome video! Where did you get that map?
Thanks! It's the National Geographic Trails Illustrated Map #855 for Mogollon Rim & Munds Mountain. I get most of mine from REI or amazon.
Where can I get the trail map that is shown in this video at about the 9’30” mark in the video?
There's a National Geographic Trails Illustrated #855 map. You can get it at REI or any local hiking store or Amazon. There's a couple Nat Geo maps that show the Mogollon Rim area so you'd want to check the Nat. Geo. site for coverage of the area you want to hike. The one I listed above works good for the Cabin Loop area. The further east you go along the rim - you'd instead want the Hellsgate/Sierra Ancha map which actually covers really good detail of the trails along the eastern rim.
How do you know your way back ? Lol
In your opinion what would you say the water sources along the cabin loop trail might be like in mid June?
I've only been in early fall and late spring so I couldn't say for sure. But it looks like they should be good right now. HAZ will show the best water reports - if there's nothing current I see if there's historical reports for the same season: hikearizona.com/map.php?QX=9279
Thank you for your reply and the link. That will help a lot!!
I have a question maybe you can help me with. I went to HAZ and registered to that site. I did the donation thing but I'm still not seeing the same water report your link here is showing. Im not seeing where others have reported how the water source is / was when I sign in to HAZ.
Whats the best months of the year to hike the rim in your opinion?
The secret is there's a short window between mid-April until early May when the dirt roads up top are still closed to vehicle traffic. The only people you'll see at that time are other hikers and you probably won't see any. That's the time to head up and get a wilderness feel. There can still be pockets of deep snow, like in this video but it's better than listening to an RV stereo from the opposing side of a lake. After Memorial Day till late Aug when kids go back to school from summer vacation, I try to only head up when rain is forecast. Any adverse weather drives the crowds away.
@@WildlandExplorer thank you SO much for your thoughtful reply and for these videos. They have been such a comfort and inspiration to me. I lost a close family member recently and your videos have been a haven. Much love to you
where did you park overnight?
There's a few spots below the main Washington park trailhead. Less than 0.5mi. But honestly any car can make it when the roads are dry. There were a few spots on the road to where I decided to park lower but I could have made it myself.
What map did you use?
That one was a while back but I believe the one I brought was National Geographic Trails Illustrated Map 855: Mogollon Rim, Munds Mountain. Thanks for checking it out!
No trekking poles??
Not a fan of trekking poles in recent years but I used to use them. Strength training and slowing my pace a bit helped with ditching them. I use my camera tripod as a hiking staff and wrap velcro around the legs to keep them in place when doing tricky descents.
@@WildlandExplorer Ah, I see. Makes sense.