March 21, 2022
- Start: Radio Towers above Roosevelt Lake (Mile 342.2)
- End: Stealth spot off a forest road (Mile 361.7)
- Distance: 19.5 miles
When Mad Max, Volt, and I set up our tents near the radio towers overlooking Roosevelt Lake last night, the wind was kicking something fierce. None of us bothered to cook dinner given how much town food we ate at the marina. We simply called it a night.
The tempest slowed at 8:30 pm and I was beginning to rejoice at my luck. However, the wind was soon replaced by rain. And then it became gusty again around sunrise, making it almost as hard to pack my tent up as it had been to erect it.
I even decided to forego cooking this morning. I shoved some dried mango into my mouth with my freezing-cold fingers and called it breakfast.
EASTER GOALS
With less mileage under my belt yesterday than I’d planned, I began hiking by 7 am this morning. I wanted to complete the Four Peaks Wilderness in two days’ time to stay on track with my current mileage goal.
My current target was to finish the AZT by April 15th so I could fly back home in time to celebrate Easter with my family. I still had roughly 460 miles to go until the northern terminus, which meant I needed to average roughly 18 miles per day for the remainder of this thru-hike to make that happen.
That’s why I was up so early and hiking before Mad Max or Volt. The guys would either catch me or they wouldn’t, but I was all business today.
The radio towers where we’d made camp weren’t the high point above Roosevelt Lake. Not even close. The AZT merely leveled off for a bit with views of the Salt River here. So the rest of my morning would be spent climbing from 3,100 feet elevation up to nearly 6,000 feet as I made my way into the Four Peaks Wilderness.
Six miles into the morning, I hit today’s first water source of the day – Buckhorn Creek. It was warmer now, and there was less wind, so I stopped to fire up my stove to make a coffee (which I was desperately craving) and eat some hot oatmeal to round out my breakfast.
I was sitting in the dirt near the creek when Mad Max and Volt caught up to me. They’d begun hiking not too long after me, and they’d been working hard to catch me.
I shared how far I planned to go today and hoped they’d join me. But that decision was up to them. Sometimes you want to be social and other times you need to be by yourself. I wasn’t going to draw any inferences either way, but if I’m being honest here, I really hoped to see them tonight.
FOUR PEAKS
After the creek, there was only one more major climb until the Four Peaks Wilderness where the trail would level out a bit. It was hard to believe the mountains that had seemed so far away just a few days ago were right before me.
That final uphill push wasn’t bad either. Not nearly as hard or steep as the climb out or Roosevelt Lake last night. Nor even as difficult as the other climbs this morning. And the views of the jagged peaks ahead of me were gorgeous!
Once I was up at elevation, the AZT spent most of the day on narrow trail following the folds of the terrain around the southern side of the peaks before curving around them to the northern side. Manzanita bushes with pink bell-shaped flowers boxed me in along the narrow dirt trail, and then I hit the wilderness boundary signs. I’d made it!!
As I continued hiking into the Four Peaks Wilderness, I sometimes felt like a mountain goat. The trail was nice, but there was a significant drop off to my right side, driving home how high up I was now. Patches of snow intermittently appeared beside the trail and the only wildlife I saw now were birds. I was definitely no longer on the desert floor anymore.
Mad Max and I kept leapfrogging with each other as our paces varied with our energy levels. We eventually stopped for lunch together in a small sheltered spot just off the AZT. The wind was blowing constantly up at this elevation, which kept me cool, but my lips felt like they were getting more chapped by the minute.
After our break, the trail curved its way around the tall peaks, and the landscape opened up to provide sweeping views of Roosevelt Lake’s linear expanse. It’s hard to believe I was all the way down there riding out a rainstorm at the marina just 24 hours ago. And now that I saw (and felt) how exposed it was up here, I knew waiting out that storm yesterday was the right call.
THE BACK SIDE
Around 4 pm, Mad Max and I reached Shake Spring, our second water source for the day. I’d been expecting a small spring, but this was more like a really robust creek gushing water over small waterfalls and forming giant pools big enough to bathe in.
A southbound section hiker was leaving the creek and he reminded us to look up once we rounded the bend on the north side of the Four Peaks. He promised the mountains would be coated in snow and they looked entirely different once they were behind us.
I plunged my water bladder into the freezing water and hung it from a tree to let gravity slowly do its job. The water was clear and free of sediment, so there was no need to force it through my filter today. I could use the time to relax instead. So I sat there, waiting for this process to finish, wondering where Volt was now.
I’d seen Mad Max repeatedly all afternoon, but we hadn’t crossed paths with Volt since our last water stop nearly seven hours ago. He could be just ten minutes behind us or another two hours back. It’s so hard to tell when you’re out on this trail.
The AZT was filled with easy walking after Shake Spring, and I diligently looked up. The section hiker was right! The Four Peaks looked completely different on their north side. Their silhouette was roughly the same, but they had a more jagged look about them with white snow clinging to the rocks.
MISSED TURN
I zoned out a bit as I put the peaks behind me and hiked further north. And before I knew it, a dull wooden sign announced that I’d made it to Pigeon Spring. This last bit of trail was so easy that I’d hiked the last two miles in just 35 minutes. That was faster than I’d moved in days. The Four Peaks Wilderness was definitely more manageable than the Superstitions in that regard.
Mad Max joined me at the water trough just beyond the sign, and when we were done topping off for the night, we spun in circles, looking for where the trail exited the spring.
I could see where I’d come from, but there didn’t seem to be any trail leading north from here. It was like we were in a giant cul-de-sac with no way out.
Mad Max headed uphill above the spring’s upper trough exploring to see if there was an outlet up there. But that was a complete bust, so we backtracked to the Pigeon Spring sign and opened up our navigation apps to see where the heck we’d gone wrong.
It turns out the AZT made a sharp 90-degree left turn just before the Pigeon Spring sign, and we both completely blew past it. Our focus had been on the sign and continuing straight for water, not making a sharp left turn.
Once we got back on track, the trail took a jog uphill to a well-developed trailhead, and then it transitioned to an improved dirt road that was super smooth and rock-free! More easy walking, but I wasn’t complaining. I still had 90 miles left until I’d get my resupply box with new trail shoes and this road felt like a dream for my tired feet.
WHERE’S VOLT??
Mad Max and I hiked together in the wind and early evening shadows, and then I pulled ahead and lost sight of him. With barely an hour of sunlight left, I made it a trail junction just past a cattle guard.
This was the spot where I’d told the guys I planned on camping that night. Yet, as I surveyed my surroundings, I didn’t like the site. There were a flat spots near the junction where you could theoretically set up some tents, but they were far too exposed once you factored in the steady wind currently blowing.
The temperature was already dropping, and I worried I would be too cold if we set up camp here tonight. I was still up near 6,000 feet, and I didn’t want to spend the entire night awake as I shivered inside my tent.
So, I decided to continue hiking another mile until I reached a random car camping site off the forest road. The spot was wide enough for 10 hikers to set up camp and mostly sheltered, but it had definitely seen better days. There was a fair bit of broken glass strewn around, as well as some trash near a campfire ring.
I dropped my pack and waited until Mad Max caught me, and then I asked him what he thought. The sun was going down quickly now and I wanted to set up camp and start dinner soon. We scouted the surrounding area a bit more – just to see if we could find anything more sheltered nearby, but this mediocre spot seemed to be the flattest and most sheltered option.
I hoped Volt would see our tents here and join us this evening, but the sun went down and he never showed up. What was going on with him? Was he taking longer breaks than me and Mad Max? Was he injured? Or lost?
Volt had been adamant about sharing a ride into Payson tomorrow if we all made it to the highway together. So where the heck was he???
HIGHLIGHTS
- The Four Peaks Wilderness was simply delightful hiking compared to the Superstitions. Plenty of water, nicely graded trail, and views for miles!
- My body felt pretty strong today, and I was surprised at how fast I was hiking at times.
- Although we weren’t hiking together the entire day, I really enjoyed talking with Mad Max during my breaks today. He’s a very cool dude.
CHALLENGES
- I can’t believe I lost the trail at Pigeon Spring. It was a classic example of what happens when you zone out when you’re hiking. At least I wasn’t the only one to make the same mistake.
- My shoes have definitely seen better days. I can’t wait to get to Pine to put on a fresh pair of trail shoes with grip on their soles again. Only 90 more miles to go!