Weather: 61ยบ, sun
About this Hike: It's been nearly three years since I last visited Mount Peeley. A 55 mile drive from where I lived in the valley at the time, surely it would be closer now that Payson is home.
Technically it is, but there's still a 30 mile drive south on AZ-87 before the turnoff at Sycamore Creek Road. Then there's the ~1 hour drive up the winding dirt road to the Peeley trailhead.
This time I opted not to summit Peeley. Instead, I wanted to explore more of Mazatzal Divide trail. Last time, I was intrigued by the forest and sweeping views. My return visit did not disappoint. Much of the Mazatzal Wilderness is known for overgrown trails and fire damage. This area of Mazatzal Divide is still in great shape and has beautiful stands of ponderosa pine and fir mixed in with juniper.
The total hike was 9 miles, which translates into 4.5 miles along the Mazatzal Divide, since this was done as an out and back. There were views into Horseshoe Reservoir, views up to the Mogollon Rim, and views of Weaver's Needle in the Superstitions. I concluded that summiting Peeley is hardly necessary if all you're after is the views. That said, summiting Peeley just to say you did it is a worthwhile endeavor unto itself.
The funny thing is that according to my blog post from 2022, I went about the same distance along Mazatzal Divide, although much of it looked new to me. I would love to explore a little deeper in the Mazatzals, although I know the other trail conditions are often not good. Mazatzal Divide is part of the Arizona Trail, so it gets frequent maintenance.
I'll probably have to take up backpacking if I want to get further into the Mazatzal Wilderness. The deepest trails aren't easily reached via trailheads. But let's face it: I'm more of a day-hiker than a backpacker.
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