Halloweekend Tradition Lives On

Weather:  81°, sunny, hot

About this Hike:  Haunted Canyon has been a Halloween-time tradition for a fourth year in a row now. My pattern is to alternate each year between the lower trailhead and the upper trailhead. This meant that 2023 was the year to visit from the steeper, tougher upper trailhead. My last visit here was in 2021.

I can't say much has changed in two years. The drive up is a little sketchy but not unbearable by any means. In past years I've done this in October. I opted to try it a little later this year to enjoy the brilliant yellow fall color of the sycamores that line creekbeds in this ecosystem. 

There is a segment of this trail that was full of overgrowth and bushwhacking. Despite getting some maintenance this spring, the bushes are growing back. While not impassable by any means, the bushwhack is annoying. I brought my clippers and did some trimming to try and make it a little less annoying. 

I saw plenty of friendly deer—some a little too friendly. Are other hikers feeding them? I also saw plenty of bear evidence, but thankfully no bears. 

The creeks are bone dry this year, although the several spring heads along this hike were dripping. Otherwise I had the parking area, the trail, and the canyon to myself. I never saw another vehicle or hiker on this exceptionally warm fall day. 

Haunted Canyon 2022

Weather:  71°, sunny

About this Hike: Haunted Canyon has become an October tradition now since I first explored the lower trailhead in 2020.  Last year, I explored the upper trailhead.  This is actually one trail, but the convergence point is at a meadow that leads to the abandoned cabin at Tony Ranch.   

Shortly after starting, this hike climbs a ridge above Haunted Canyon. Despite being in high-desert grassland with some juniper/cypress forest, there are some healthy saguaros up on the ridge. It's so cool to see these majestic cacti co-existing in an ecosystem typically outside their range. 

Past what I like to call Saguaro Ridge, the trail dips down into Pinto Creek, which forms Haunted Canyon.  My recollection of the lower trailhead from two years ago is that it was easy to follow and well blazed.  This year was a little different.  Sections of the trail are getting crowded with live oak and catclaw.  Two years ago 2020 had been an exceptionally dry year.  Pinto Creek was dry that year.  This year parts of it were flowing strong, while other parts were dry.  The damp creek beds were full of leafs-of-three, most of which were turning brilliant fall colors.  I definitely brushed my hiking pants against some of these, despite my best efforts to sidestep.  So far no rash and itching...  

At times the trail became difficult to follow and I found myself off trail and getting increasingly aggravated.  I met a large group of back packers, and they were helpful to follow.  

For all the difficulty getting to the junction with the side trail to Tony Ranch, the actual hike into the ranch wasn't too bad.  In past years I've found this side trail very difficult to follow.  I think it's probably getting more action, and therefore becoming well-worn, as more people learn about this historic site and come out to explore it. 

I was so annoyed by the hike in that I considered continuing up Trail 203 to the upper trailhead and then returning to the lower trailhead via FR-287A to form a 13.5 mile loop.  However, the overgrowth is likely bad on the upper parts of 203 as well (it was bad in parts last year).  I opted to just return the way I came, which was a good choice.  The hike back to the trailhead parking ended up being more enjoyable.  I think it was because I was more mentally prepared for the annoying overgrowth.  Despite the flowing creek, I saw next to no wildlife, although there was plenty of bear evidence.  

I'm glad to keep this Halloweekend tradition going for another year.  

Paradise Lost (and Found) + Bull Basin

Weather: 71º, 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: