Weather: 55°, sunny
About this Hike: It seems like in December / January I often end up hiking in the upper Mazatzal Mountains. If you luck out with weather, it can be reasonably warm during the day, but not overly hot this time of year. The temperature plummets quickly once the sun is behind canyon walls and then sets for the day. An added bonus is rain / snow in the mountains can make for flowing springs. Today was just such a day.
Back in March when I explored Mt. Peeley and Mazatzal Divide, I noted more trails across a distant valley. I did some research and learned this was likely Y Bar Trail #44. In fact about five years ago I explored Barnhardt Trail, which splits with Y Bar to form a loop around the circumference of Mazatzal Peak. Both trails are accessed from the same Barnhardt Trailhead.
While I had no plans to complete the entire nearly 15 mile loop, I did want to explore the Y Bar side of the mountain. I had observed Douglas firs in the old-growth forests along Mazatzal Divide. I was hoping to find some similar foliage along this hike, and Y Bar did not disappoint. The forested areas began after several miles of climbing. The entire elevation gain for this hike can easily be 3,000+ feet. However, Y Bar trail is well-worn and seldom overly steep. The elevation gain is steady, but not grueling. The rockiness of the trail does require some extra care with footing, especially on the way down.
The Mazatzals reach higher than the Superstitions. The canyons and valleys are every bit dramatic, and the views are composed of wrinkly mountains covered in green foliage. There aren't as many rock spires and needles as the Superstitions. Some of Y Bar trail traverses old rock slides. These are made of what looks like the most beautiful landscaping rock, but it was landscaped by mother nature. There are narrow canyons that feel like nature's refrigerator, with cold, moist air seeping out all around. There are sun-drenched ridges of manzanita that are often a welcome warm-up after hiking through the aforementioned icebox canyons.
An observation we made five years ago on Barnhardt was the lack of wildlife. Even birds chirping was a rarity. The Y Bar ecosystem seems to also mirror this theme. You would expect this to be bear and mountain lion country (and I'm sure it is), but evidence of these animals is almost non-existent on the trail. The scariest encounter I had was with a fighter a jet. Airmen from Luke AFB must've been practicing over the Mazatzals. This extremely loud sound of thunder filled the canyon I was in. I covered my ears in pain and crouched down--as if this would've done any good. Panicked, I looked skyward to see a fighter jet crest over the ridge and then zoom away. I had to take a break to stop shaking. With how volatile the world is right now, this incident gave me quite a panic. Or, it could have been one of those aforementioned rockslides...either way, not good.
We traversed some beautiful, thick old-growth forest. The smell of pine hung heavy in the air. This was by far my favorite part of Y Bar. Like most Arizona forests, these sections of dense tree cover never lasted long enough. We reached a seasonal spring that was flowing a bit. There were impressive views of Mazatzal Peak and down into what I believe was Shake Tree Canyon. This marked the turnaround point.
Last December we explored not-so-far-away South Fork Trail 46. In comparison, Y Bar was a far better hike in my opinion. A big gripe about South Fork is that it is active cattle ranching land. The herds of cattle and all their cow pies made parts of this hike unpleasant. I'm also very fearful of livestock--more so than wild animals. Cows can kick. Bulls can charge.
Last night we wrapped up about 30 minutes after sunset. We were prepared for this and had headlamps. Speaking of wildlife, we scared quite a few birds that were roosting in trees for the overnight. Getting back to the trailhead after dark and observing the star-studded black skies away from the valley is always a treat. It was a great day in the Mazatzals.
