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Going Back to Bag the Peak

4/20/2018

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This picks up where I left it from the prior post.  I was low on fluids, having underestimated this hike, so upon reaching the base of Bushmaster Peak (so named after an army regiment) I went off trail, back to the parking lot.  I returned to complete the journey.  At the start, a lone hiker stands atop a boulder, looking to the west.  
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Soooo, at the saddle where previously I went to the right and down canyon, I headed up and slightly to the left.  Kind of a cocktail of emotions for some reason.  I think partly it is knowing now in late April, rattlesnakes are active, plentiful, I was unsure of the route but hey, with my experience, I knew one or another, I would overcome, kind of, sort of.
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Wow.  I climbed and found myself on a plateau with grand views in all directions and what appeared to be a not too difficult final climb to the peak.  Yayyyyy.
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OK, it wasn't all that easy.  Once I mounted the peak in the previous image, there was another yet finally I made it and looked back to where I had come.  Damn, it was so dramatic and so absent from the image.
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A black helicopter flew beneath me over Gates Pass but I could not find it in this image. Hey!  There is my car in the parking lot, way below me. 
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Although I had reached the peak, there was still a lengthy ridge to navigate and that was great fun.  Narrow in spots with lots of exposure.  Gawd I love this and the thrill of finding my way.  I would be less thrilled if I fell, of course.  On a windy day, I would not want to be hopping from boulder to boulder.
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Let's assume you have found this page while looking for info on this hike.  Little has been written about it and allow me to point out an important tip; DON'T KEEP FOLLOWING THE RIDGE WHEN YOU GET TO THIS POINT!!!  If you do.....
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....the ridge dead-ends with a view into the abyss.  Plus, it requires some maneuvering to reach this point.  Instead, just prior to the final knob, you may see a painted white line with an arrow pointed to the right.  I looked at that and it did not look promising.  So, I scouted to the left and sure enough.....
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....there was a series of cairns (man made piles of rocks) headed toward the canyon there to the right.  How about that and now I was feeling more confident I was going to make it off this rock.
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I descended and looking back, whoa, really steep.
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I reached a saddle and while the cairns ran out, the way forward was obvious.  Hang a right and head down canyon.  It is odd that while the way to the peak is a fairly worn trail, once beyond the peak, not so much.  Just pick your way through the mildly brushy areas and boulders.
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Nearing the bottom of the canyon, I look back.  It was not all that hard but wish I had worn long pants.  My legs were shredded and bleeding but a band-aid or two and I would be good.
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Now it was simply navigating through the typical Sonoran landscape, watch for snakes and while a couple of Javelinas startled me, ok, scared me, I got through ok.  3.5 hours to travel 3.5 miles.  Unreal.
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    Mark is a long-time cyclist, hiker, golfer and plays some table tennis...ok, it's ping pong.

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