Trail Life

Today's blog is a short photo collection of life spotted on the Reavis Ranch trail last weekend. 

Woolly Bear Caterpillar Moth climbing up a Desert Globe Mallow

Variable Checkerspot  Butterfly - Not sure of the flower

Short-horned Lizard

Reavis Ranch

Introduction

My trip to Reavis Ranch in the Superstition Wilderness got off to a rough start. Having received the Osprey Xenith pack during the week, I was really looking forward to testing it on the trail, but it wasn't meant to be. After I filled the pack with gear, I found that I could not get a comfortable fit. I paced around the house for an hour making adjustments and feeling it out, but to no avail. I think the torso size may be off, even though it's a medium just like my regular pack. Needless to say, at the last minute I switched packs, not wanting to risk hiking 20 miles in a pack that is causing me pain in the "try on" phase.

My other problem didn't really present itself until I was on the trail. Last Tuesday on a day-hike, one of the insoles in my Merrell Moab's ripped somehow. Procrastinating during the week, I didn't buy a replacement pair of insoles until the last minute. Consequently, within a quarter mile on day one, I got a blister. Considering I have never had a blister in this pair of shoes, I recognized immediately that it was being caused by the new insoles, that may or may not have needed a break-in period. At first, I opted to just cover my heels in mole-skin and keep the insoles, thinking that as I walked the insoles would form to my foot better... Big mistake. By the half-mile mark I was limping from the pain on my heels. I finally took out the insoles, but it was too late, I already had a nickle-sized blister on my right heel. But my feet felt much better without the insoles, so I covered the blister in fresh mole skin and pressed on.

The Hike

Reavis Ranch Trail

Reavis Ranch Trail 109 heads south from a beautiful trail-head overlooking Apache Lake. The hike starts out in typical desert fashion with plenty of sand, rock, and cacti, but quickly changes. This area of the Superstitions is so unlike the Superstitions I'm used too. Its less rocky, less rugged, and filled with plant life I would normally associate with being further north. The gentle grade slowly climbs over grass covered hillsides that offer excellent views of the Superstition mountains and beyond. In fact, I would say the first 3/4 of the 10 mile hike into Reavis Ranch is basically one long ridge walk. There wasn't much shade up there, but the wind did a great job of making the hot day bearable. 

Engelmann's Hedgehog

Although not as dramatic as my Cave Creek trip, everywhere I looked wildflowers were blooming. I saw poppies, scarlet gilia, cactus flowers and many more. And the insect life was busy too. I saw butterflies, caterpillars, beetles, and a ton of ants. In fact I haven't seen so many ants before. I swear there were at least 20 colonies on that stretch of trail.

The Superstitions

 We reached a pass about halfway in, and on the other side, the mountains were covered in trees! I almost felt like I was back in Washington, especially when we reached Reavis Ranch, where I actually pitched my tent among some pines. It wasn't just pine trees either. There was an entire apple orchard down there, and the trees were all in bloom. It was very beautiful.

Apple Blossom

 We spent the rest of the afternoon relaxing in the breeze and exploring Reavis Ranch. Elisha Reavis was a pioneer who built a ranch down here in the late 1800's, where he grew vegetables and fruit. He apparently lived a solitary life, spending his days gardening and hunting. All that's left now is the ruins of his ranch and his apple orchard that still produces fruit. Researching for this blog I found an old obituary. It just illustrates what I love about Arizona... The history! Here is an excerpt.

Elisha M. Reavis 1827-1896 "Hermit of Superstition Mountains" Found dead

from the Star by the Arizon Sentinal, Yuma, Az. May 16, 1896

"Old Man Reavis, the Hermit of the Superstitions" is dead. His body, Half eaten by coyotes, was found last Thursday near his hut in the superstition Mountains, twelve miles north of the Silver King Mine. Whether death was natural or violent is only a matter of conjecture; also the time when it might have occurred, for the hunger of the wolves had not left enough evidence upon which to base an opinion. Of all men as widely known, there was none in Arizona whom so little was known as "Old Man Reavis". Much has been written about him by the few who have visited in his mountain home but it was generally produced by the imagination of the writers. It is said that the old recluse was driven into exile by a disappointment in love, but he never said so and nobody else has been found who could have known the facts..."

That night we saw lots of mule deer in the grass near our camp. I took some photos, but they were just too far away to come out any good. We did spot a short-horned lizard on the way out Sunday. It's actually the second one I've seen since moving to Arizona, and like the first one, it didn't move a muscle, thinking it was camouflaged. They are the neatest little lizards, covered in spines along its back like a dinosaur, but totally calm and relaxed and seemingly pretty docile.

Short-horned lizard

It was a great trip. Other than my feet (which actually took quite a pounding on the rocky trail without insoles), I felt like I could go another 20 miles when we reached the car on Sunday. I'm just chomping at the bit to do a longer trip. I've been looking into The Highline Trail below the Mogollon Rim, and I think its something I'm going to try to accomplish sometime this year... possibly June? The trail is about 53 miles long end-to-end and I would like to thru-hike it in one shot. Anyway, I'll let you know once I'm in the planning stages. Thanks for reading.

The Superstitions

* Reference for the Elisha Reavis obit: http://www.angelfire.com/fl3/reavisrevis/ElishaMarcusReavis.html

Revelation

We lounged around a campfire one night gazing longingly at the stars, sharing fishing stories with happy endings, and trying to ignore the clamor of a party in the camp next to us. My Uncle Steve looked at me from across the fire and said, "You should come backpacking with me sometime." He told stories of mosquito infested creek-side camps, and spotting bears from afar in the mountains. He painted a wonderful picture of the mystery and majesty of "the backcountry". A place of stunning vistas and quiet solitude. A place to camp alone on a pristine mountain lake with freedom from the throng of urbanites that crowd local lakes and campsites. I was enthralled.

Me and Uncle Steve

The next weekend we hiked into a shadowy canyon full of towering cedars. We reached the river after a long descent. It was low so late in the summer, but still plenty cold. We crossed the ankle deep water barefoot, with our boots tied together hanging from our necks. Our camp near the Canadian border was remote and wild and beautiful. Above all, it was peaceful. We sat around the fire that night under a drizzle of rain, listening to the trees swaying in the wind. We were so deep in that canyon, and the trees so thick, that with the rain clouds above, the forest was pitch-black dark. For the first time in my life, I felt content.

I was experiencing the wilderness in a new way. A way that I knew had changed my life forever. It was a revelation.

I watched my Uncle Steve as he talked about backpacking trips past. His face an orange glow by the firelight. I loved him so much right then, and I felt so grateful to him for opening my eyes to this new world. This sacred world, hidden beyond reach of both the idle and the occupied. I felt like he had entrusted a great secret to me, and I wanted to tell him what this all meant to me... But I'm a man after-all, and my voice normally betrays the true substance of my heart... "Uncle Steve" I said, "Thanks for bringing me out here. This is awesome.”

Among The Wilfdfowers 3

The amount and variety of wildflowers in the desert right now is incredible. I've shot so many flowers in the last couple weeks, and I wanted to share some with you. The top 3 shots were taken at Bartlett Lake. The last shot was near Cave Creek.

Hollowleaf Annual Lupine

Cant ID this one. Any takers?

Desert Marigold

Richardson' Geranium (among California Poppies)

Easter Camp on Bartlett Lake

Okay, I will admit the title of today's blog post is misleading, as our "Easter camp-out" ended up an "Easter day trip".  I couldn't have imagined that so many people would have the exact same idea. By the time we reached Bartlett Lake early Saturday afternoon it was much too late. The multitudes had already arrived. Their tents and RV's packed so tight that even if we found a spot (which we didn't) it would have been right on top of someone else. So we set up a nice little spot on the beach at Rattlesnake Cove (no camping allowed) instead. The water was surprisingly warm, and with a little help from my friends, I quickly got over the disappointment of not finding a camp. So our Easter camp turned into a pleasant day playing at the beach.

Fishing - Didn't go so well.

My beautiful Sarah with her little sister.

Wildflowers were out in force.

Gear Review: Solo Stove

Cooking with the Solo Stove

I find the idea of a wood burning stove very appealing. Maybe because it feels like it brings me closer to the wilderness travelers of yesteryear, cooking as they did... I think fire in general can conjure up those primal feelings in people, and in a way, that's also why we hike. To connect not only with nature, but our past as well. 

You can bet this nostalgic affection for fire played a part in my impulse purchase of the Solo Stove a couple months back. The notion of cooking over an open flame compelled it. I pictured myself, not just a backpacker, but a mountain man... I know, that's really stretching it, but I'm feeling very romantic as I write this.

The stainless steel Solo Stove (according to Solo Stove) is a "natural convection inverted downgas gasifier stove". The double wall design "channels" air through the intakes at the bottom to the fire box, and sends warm air up between the walls, and out smaller holes on the top, and back into the fire box. I know, it all sounds very technical for a wood stove, but what it all means is that it burns and heats very efficiently. 

The Solo Stove is two pieces, the stove, and a removable cooking ring. The ring flips upside-down and fits inside the stove for easy storage. The whole thing is very solid, and seems to be built really well, all thanks to what Solo Stove calls "one piece construction". Which basically means that the stove is built from a very few solid pieces of stainless steel, with the smallest amount of welds and seams as possible. It makes for a very durable piece of equipment.

For a stove, I guess you could say that its big when compared to a canister or alcohol stove, but keep in mind, with the Solo Stove you don't need to carry fuel. That was a big selling point for me. The idea that I not only don't need to carry fuel, but I don't have to worry about running out of fuel either. The Solo Stove will burn just about anything too, especially after its lit. A lot of my hiking is done in the Sonoran Desert here in Arizona, and I found that cactus wood burned just as well as wood from a tree. The firebox in the Solo Stove gets so hot, that just about anything that fits inside will burn.

The Solo Stove is supposedly designed to fit in most cook pots for easy storage. Since I only own one pot, my Solo Stove rode in my GSI Pinnacle Soloist pot, and it was a perfect fit. Although I would recommend against using this pot, as the large flames from the Solo Stove has the potential to melt the plastic lid and rubber coated handle of the Pinnacle Soloist pot. What I did was just adjust the position of the pot on the stove if I saw a flame getting too close. I didn't have any melting, but the orange rubber coating on the handle did turn black in places.

Firing up the Solo Stove is really easy. First, collect some wood and/or other organic materials from around your camp. You need a lot less than you think. To start it, I found the best way is to take off the cooking ring, place a layer of small sticks on the grate, and place your tinder on the sticks. Once the tinder is lit, put the cooking ring back on, and start feeding it smaller sticks. If you have fire building experience, this process will be quick and easy. Once you have a good flame, place your pot on the cooking ring. From here on out, its just a matter of feeding the stove to reach a boil, but you have to pay attention. The Solo Stove is not a stove you can light and walk away from. It needs to be fed. The firebox gets so hot, that neglecting the stove even for a couple of minutes can result in the fire going out because the wood inside has burned up. At the opposite end, overfeeding the stove can smother it, but once you have it figured out, keeping the fire burning is easy. My first use with the Solo Stove, I reached a boil in 5 minutes. I have cooked for 2 with no problem, and have sustained a boil easily for 15 minutes... All using fuel that I found on the forest floor. 

That is really the best thing about this stove. Its easy. Its simple. Its minimalist.  No mechanical, or electrical parts. No gas lines or fuel cans. In short, nothing that could fail, because as Murphy's Law states, "what can go wrong, will go wrong", and when you're in camp after a long day on the trail, you want your stove to work.

Not that everything is perfect with the Solo Stove. For starters, its relatively heavy at 9 ounces. For me, the weight is fine, but for the ultralight crowd, its probably too heavy. Clean-up can be a pain too. You'll have soot build up at the bottom of your pot that will need to be cleaned before you pack up (unless you want soot in your pack). I would recommend carrying a small camp towel for this purpose. Since its an open flame, you wont be able to use it in some places (like Glacier National Park for example) that don't allows fires in the backcountry. There may be some places in the backcountry where you just cant find any fuel. I don't know where those places are, but I'm sure they exist. Finally, in a very wet environment  you will probably have difficulty with this stove just like you would building a fire. To what extent I don't know, since all my tests were in dry conditions (I live the desert remember?).

Overall this as badass little stove. Its easy, simple, efficient, and fun to use, and will work excellent for your backcountry cooking needs.

Solo Stove set-up. You need a pile of small sticks... And notice no smoke coming from the stove.

Cave Creek Colors

I have decided Spring time must be the best time for desert hiking. I've hiked along Cave Creek between Seven Springs and Spur Cross before, and frankly there isn't much color to see; just a dead sea of drab. But in the Spring everything is different... Everything is growing... The flowers are blooming. The sea of drab is now a variety of browns and greens, and the California Poppy has painted the hillsides gold. It is a beautiful sight indeed.

Climbing into the Cave Creek trail system.

We started on the Skunk Tank trail with a little climbing. A slight breeze kept the scorching sun at bay. Not that we have reached summer temps yet, but just hiking under direct sunlight minus any shade can be tough (at least for a north-man like myself). But the wind was nice, and we made short work of the climbs. My new friend Dave Creech (aka Wilderness Dave) came along for the trip, and I had a fun time picking his brain. The talk was mostly about blogging and photography, and It made for some really cool conversation.

Enter the poppies

Things turned serious really quick when we hit the poppy fields. The wildflowers were everywhere, and they turned the hills gold. It made for some excellent photo opportunities.

Covered in poppies 

Golden hills near Cave Creek

Eventually, after a little backtracking, we found a camp for the night. It was a pretty grass-covered spot on the banks of Cave Creek. The water was clear and blue and delicious, and it was surrounded by gold-painted poppy-covered hills. It was all very beautiful. 

Cave Creek camp

Opposite direction view of Cave Creek near our camp.

It was an excellent, but short trip. I am always grateful to get out backpacking, even if its only an overnighter. The wildflowers really add a whole new dimension to desert hiking, and I encourage everyone to get out right now and enjoy them while they are in full bloom. They truly are a beautiful sight, and my photos don't really do the scene justice.

I tried out the Sawyer squeeze filter for the first time. It worked as advertised, but I haven't developed an overall opinion yet, so keep an eye out for the review sometime down the road.

Also used the Solo Stove again. Worked awesome. I'll have a review for it later this week.

 One last note, I did manage to slip on a rock and fall in the creek during one of our many crossings on the way out Sunday. I kept my feet underneath me, so I only got wet up to the knees, but it could have been disastrous, as I had my Nikon on my hip, in the camera bag, with the lid ajar for easy access.