Weather: 71ยบ, sunny
About this Hike: In October of last year I did my semi-traditional Haunted Canyon hike. Last year I tried the upper trailhead which is accessible past the old iron one-lane bridge and up FR-287A.
As I studied the map in preparation for that hike, I noted that there are a number of other trails in the area. Two more miles up FR-287A (for a total of just six miles from the bridge), there is another abandoned ranch and plenty of trails at the Miles Ranch Trailhead.
The weather was perfect today, and probably won't be like this too much longer. I decided to drive up to Miles Ranch and explore. I plotted out a 10 mile loop hike starting on West Pinto Trail 212 until the junction with Bull Basin 270. At this point I would follow Bull Basin down to Haunted Canyon 203, do a brief jaunt on 203, and then return to Miles Ranch via Paradise Trail 271 plus a brief half-mile on FR-287A.
My map work in All Trails was beautiful. I didn't see any traffic or other hikers until I reached the Miles Ranch Trailhead. The meadow near the old ranch was surprisingly busy with tents and vehicles, this due to a Boy Scouts campout. The scout troop was lining up to go on a hike, and I am glad they went a different way than me—I know from experience being stuck behind a hiking scout troop is a tedious affair.
My hike began on West Pinto 212. An freshly fallen oak tree blocked the path. It took a lot of careful maneuvering, but I got around it unscathed. It was but a foreshadow of what was to come.
The first two miles of Bull Basin 270 were quite beautiful. The trail meanders along a creek, and then begins to climb with dramatic, but not super steep, switchbacks. Beautiful wildflowers were everywhere. Shrub overgrowth on the trail was getting annoying. Much of it was live oak which is a bit prickly, but won't tear you up like cat claw will. Annoying, but manageable. Until about 2.5 miles in when it wasn't manageable anymore. I don't know if a machete would've gotten me through the thicket that was now the trail.
Some people insist bushwhacking is part of the fun. I think it's a good way to get cut up and lose an eye. I decided to turn back and return to West Pinto 212. I explored West Pinto which follows the creekbed of Pinto Creek. The stream was flowing a bit and there were some dramatic cliffs and rockslides. The lush forest gave way to burn damage along West Pinto. Again, I opted to turn back and return to the Miles Ranch Trailhead.
I took a few minutes to explore the old horse stables and other infrastructure at the ranch. Despite the name Miles Ranch Trailhead given by the Forest Service, this ranch was called Kennedy Ranch. Judging from some of the artifacts and the condition of the stable building, I don't think it's been abandoned all that long. I'm hoping to learn more of the history of this place...
I departed Miles Ranch and drove about a half mile back down 287A where there are two pullouts that will fit a few cars. This is the trailhead for Paradise Trail 271. Paradise started out along thickly forested creekbeds, one of which still had some water flowing. I didn't get too close, because I saw poison ivy all around the creek. There was also what appeared to be an abandoned pink tent in one of the clearings. Creepy.
About two miles in and over 1,000 feet elevation gain, Paradise was lost. Overgrowth again became impassable and at this point it was late in the afternoon and I was tired. I opted to turn back the way I came.
While I didn't accomplish the original loop I had set out to do, I can't say I was completely surprised. The few bits of information I was able to find on this trail network warned overgrowth is a big problem in this less-visited area of the Superstitions. In fact, the series of out-and-back hikes that I did was my Plan B if things didn't work out. I was still able to explore all the trails I wanted to see. And the forest in this area is so unique. Made up of mostly Arizona cypress, there is also the occasional pinon pine, along with plenty of live oak and manzanita. A rare saguaro cactus still makes an appearance, seeming to defying the top of the mighty saguaro's range.
I'm sharing a screenshot of my map. You can see the original loop route which would have taken me south and around Government Hill. The colored lines indicate the actual out-and-back hikes that I was able to accomplish:
