day 1

Distance: 7.82 mi	Points: 250	Calories: none
Total Time: none	Speed: 0.0 mph	Pace: 0:00 / mi
Active Time: none	Speed: 0.0 mph	Pace: 0:00 / mi

day 2

Distance: 6.06 mi	Points: 181	Calories: none
Total Time: none	Speed: 0.0 mph	Pace: 0:00 / mi
Active Time: none	Speed: 0.0 mph	Pace: 0:00 / mi

th

Location: 33.613285, -109.328835

104-0462

Location: 33.613503, -109.328392

panorama 1

Location: 33.607361, -109.326218
panorama 1 goes here

Rain

Location: 33.585655, -109.290657
It started raining at lunch, so we pitched the rainfly and took a nap for about an hour.

ppt 0059

Location: 33.602505, -109.247475
camp

ppt 0060

Location: 33.613255, -109.328499
beer

Camp

Location: 33.602505, -109.247475
We found this horse corral and fire pit, just beggin us to stop for the night: so we did.

Beer

Location: 33.613255, -109.328499
The was probably the best tasting beer I've had all year. Finally back at the car, two solid days behind us.

Lost Lunch

Location: 33.598480, -109.289604
We stopped on the rim for lunch, and to hopefully find our way back to the trail. Spotty GPS coverage along with a topo map that didn't have very fine lat-long marks didn't help, but we knew the trail was along the rim on the way back, so we just headed west and hoped for the best!

Trailhead camp

Location: 33.614414, -109.329002
Since we arrived so late, we had to camp the first night just off the trailhead to get some sleep before an early morning tomorrow.

Trailhead

Location: 33.614029, -109.329002
This area is a primitve (wilderness) area so no mechanical vehicles are allowed past the fence. Many are surprised to find this means no bicycles as well.

Trail

Location: 33.610451, -109.328812
The trail started out nicely...this wouldn't last.

Trail

Location: 33.609676, -109.328323
More trail. Getting a little rougher but still very well defined.

Hwy 666

Location: 33.608807, -109.327362
Highway 666? We were following trail 93, but I found this sign a little odd.

Uprooted

Location: 33.608902, -109.327454
The forest had a fire in 2004, and many of the burt trees were down. This one took quite a bit of earth and rock with it.

Creek

Location: 33.606331, -109.324936
The creek makes an appearance below us. We'll be following it for a while.

Creek bed

Location: 33.605171, -109.323555
Another creek joined up. Very pretty.

Creek bed 2

Location: 33.605171, -109.323509

Strange leaves

Location: 33.603184, -109.321640
What a strangely shaped leaf for a wildflower to have!

Strange leaves 2

Location: 33.602806, -109.321190
More of these strange leaves...

Leaves of three

Location: 33.601379, -109.319878
Let them be! A case of poison ivy just an hour in to a 2 day hike would be bad news.

Creek crossing

Location: 33.597340, -109.316795
MB making her way carefully across the creek. No problem!

Snack break

Location: 33.597294, -109.316772
We stopped for a snack near this picturesque waterfall.

Trail 70

Location: 33.597294, -109.316689
After our snack we continued down trail #70.

Pod Plant

Location: 33.595860, -109.314034
Heres a weird fuzzy pod plant that I thought was cool.

Creek crossing

Location: 33.593826, -109.307533
The first tough creek crossing we made. Lots of fun, just hope we don't fall it.

Waterfall

Location: 33.593048, -109.307251
MB and I stop for a quick timer shot. Too bad I stood in front of the waterfall.

Creek

Location: 33.592014, -109.304001
The creek was just bursting with water all day!

33.59271, -109.30715

Location: 33.592705, -109.307144

Wet feet

Location: 33.590981, -109.302185
Another crazy creek crossing

3 in a row

Location: 33.590202, -109.300896
The third ridiculous stream crossing we had do to in just a couple hundred yards. This picture is great because you can crealy see the trail on the other side, a luxury that would not be present the entire hike.

Scenery Change

Location: 33.590118, -109.298737
After all those crossings, we went up in elevation a little and the poison ive dissapeared in exchange for some new scenery.

33.59004, -109.29874

Location: 33.590046, -109.298737

Twirly Tree

Location: 33.588650, -109.295891
This cool tree was sticking out of this rock face, right next to the hoodoo. What a neat place.

Hoodoo

Location: 33.588566, -109.295799
A very neat rock formation, called a Hoodoo.

Exploding mushrooms

Location: 33.586838, -109.291916
I've never seen shrooms like this before.

33.58658, -109.29189

Location: 33.586578, -109.291885

Backwoods

Location: 33.588081, -109.294273
Not really a trail here, so we just follow the creek

panorama 2

Location: 33.586391, -109.291359
pan 2 goes here

Colorful forest

Location: 33.586426, -109.291367
This red vine draped across the green moss on the tree paints a vivid image of the lush forest.

Samson Bridge

Location: 33.586208, -109.291420
MB crosses the creek on a log that I had to use all my stregth to push to its position in this photo.

Chupacabra?

Location: 33.586201, -109.290855
I saw a sahdy figure sitting up in the distance.

Chupacabra Zoom

Location: 33.586231, -109.290886
I was able to zoom in a little closer on the mysterious creature before it dissapeared into the woods in the blink of an eye. Was it the chupacabra?

The "Trail"

Location: 33.587715, -109.266426
After it quite raiing, we started hiking again. We wandered around, lost and looking for the trail. When my GPS came back, we realized we were much farther than we thought. Although the "Trail" is still a little rough.

Across the canyon

Location: 33.587521, -109.266136
A nice view of the cliff ridge to the south.

Found

Location: 33.587521, -109.266235
My GPS picked up again here, and it turns out we were much farther along than we thought. Our blind wandering through the forest paid off!

Alligator Juniper

Location: 33.591789, -109.259155
MB points out a very cool tree - an Alligator Juniper

Another Alligator

Location: 33.591984, -109.259346
Right next to the first one was this large, twisted tree. Very cool, even if a little bit creepy.

South View

Location: 33.591690, -109.259247
Now that we have escaped the twisting river and have gone up a little, the view to the south is spectacular.

Oak Tree

Location: 33.593243, -109.254982
Believe it or not, this bush is actually a type of oak tree. Look at the acorn that fell off of it.

Water

Location: 33.602551, -109.247322
MB took this picture of me down by the creek pumping water. before we start hiking today.

Camp in the morning

Location: 33.602551, -109.247612
Those clothes didn't dry out at all.

Camp creek

Location: 33.602745, -109.247711
This is the creek just north of our campsite that I pumped water from for our hike back today.

One last creek shot

Location: 33.603035, -109.247810
One more picture looking up the creek that ran past the corral we camped at before we head out for the day.

The "Trail" forward

Location: 33.608273, -109.263130
This is the "trail" that we had to follow up this canyon. Looking forward.

The "Trail" backwards

Location: 33.608078, -109.263229
Same place, looking back at where we came from. Pretty rough trail, but it would get worse.

Washed out

Location: 33.607204, -109.271858
You can see where the trail continues about 15 yards up. These trees fell and the rain completely washed out the trail, so we had to climb around.

Trail 74

Location: 33.608219, -109.255157
We're making great time, already at this trail merge.

New Aspen Forest

Location: 33.603909, -109.279419
The forest has a fire in 2004, so the aspen saplings were everywhere. This is one of the last pictures I got before we lost the trail.

33.60179, -109.30113

Location: 33.601791, -109.301132
this is where we found the trail again.

Lost Log

Location: 33.600807, -109.287567
We don't see a trail, so MB decides to take this log in the general direction of the Rim to the south. Hey, it's much easier than fighting with all that underbrush!

The Trail!

Location: 33.602066, -109.301140
We stumbled across the trail after wandering west through the woods for 45 minutes. What a welcome sight!

Chupacabra 2

Location: 33.602940, -109.305794
Our creepy visitor makes an appearance on day two for just a minute before he dissapears into the woods again.

Trying to find the trail

Location: 33.601097, -109.292801
We had to hike through miles of terrain like this before we got lucky and found the trail again. At least all the yellow flowers are pretty.

South View

Location: 33.603909, -109.309578
The view from the top of the rim was beautiful. We were at 9000+ feet, and the mountain tops across the canyon are salted with clouds.

Horny toad

Location: 33.607594, -109.313843
We know we're getting close to the car and the end of the hike, so we take a minute to appreciate some of the smaller wildlife in the area.

Strange fungus

Location: 33.611183, -109.318787
Very cool looking.

MB Crossing

Location: 33.594017, -109.307640
MB Crossing the creek on this log. The water is really running, and MB did a great job of keeping her feet dry...this time.