Mark's Scenic Arizona

Sierra Ancha - Horse Canyon Ruins = May 18, 2011

First real hike 12 days after torn meniscus knee surgery

Challenging but very rewarding hike and I felt great!

On this day it was in great shape
Ominous look just before starting our hike
View across to Mountt Ord
Juniper Mountain
Tracey dressed for a COLD hike
Setting off on our non-existent-trail hike
Likely the brightest colors on this overcast day
Easy enough traveling to start off
Nice going here...
Witchy-looking tree
More weird shapes
Following the dry creek-bed
View from our route down the ravine
View from our route down the ravine
View from our route down the ravine
One of the spots we climbed down
On our route down the ravine
View from the ravine
On our route down the ravine
View from the ravine
Close-up
View from the ravine
View from the ravine
Our resident scat-ographer Tracey
Relatively easy hiking through here
Leaving the ravine
An open section of our route
More open area heading into some Manzanita
First glimpse of our destination
Tattoos on the rock?
In the saddle just below our destination
A massive old tree guarding the path
Looking back to the ridge end.
Scat-on-a-rock
Peak 5356 just west of the ruins
More of the ominous weather moving in
The ruins summit
Random ruins photo
Random ruins photo
Random ruins photo
Random ruins photo
Random ruins photo
After a careful search I found two matching pottery shards
Peak 5356 again
Photo 1 of 360 degree tour of the summit
Clockwise summit tour - Photo 2
Clockwise summit tour - Photo 3
Clockwise summit tour - Photo 4
Clockwise summit tour - Photo 5
Clockwise summit tour - Photo 6
Clockwise summit tour - Photo 7
Clockwise summit tour - Photo 8
Clockwise summit tour - Photo 9
Random rock photos 1
Random rock photos 2
Random rock photos 3
Clockwise summit tour - Photo 10
Clockwise summit tour - Photo 11
Clockwise summit tour - Photo 12
Clockwise summit tour - Photo 13
Clockwise summit tour - Photo 14
Clockwise summit tour - Photo 15
Clockwise summit tour - Photo 16
Clockwise summit tour - Photo 17
Clockwise summit tour - Photo 18
Clockwise summit tour - Photo 19
Clockwise summit tour - Photo 20
Clockwise summit tour - Photo 21
Clockwise summit tour - Photo 22
Clockwise summit tour - Photo 23
Clockwise summit tour - Photo 24
Clockwise summit tour - Photo 25
Clockwise summit tour - Photo 26
Clockwise summit tour - Photo 27
Clockwise summit tour - Photo 28
Clockwise summit tour - Photo 29
Clockwise summit tour - Photo 30
View east from ruins summit
Lonely Century Plant
Tracey climbing up from an outlook
Ridge across to the north
Starting our return trip
Our return route
Tree skeleton just below the summit
Looked like a scary creature from a distance
Pin cushions in bloom
Another group of pin cushions
One of many 'topped' Century Plants
Another topped Century
A pair of topped plants
Closer view
Scratches indicate an animal was the cause
This one (albeit slightly out-of-focus) provided the answer
The saddle below the ruins summit
Our intended return direction
Branches look like capillaries
Terrain we avoided
5060-5080' elevation was the sweet spot
Plenty of openings to hike thorugh
Back into the ravine for most of the return trip
We chose rock hopping over fighting brush
Lower part of tall Jack Pine
Upper part of tall Jack Pine
Close-up of Jack Pine
Scat pile
Tree giving birth?
Vertebra of a large animal?
Our route up the ravine
View from the ravine
Plenty of boulder climbing to test my knee
Lush greens along the ravine
Rock formations along the ravine
Just found one of these beauties
Opening up for the last jaunt
Within 200' of the car now
Our wildlife for the day
Eskimo face?
Last deer for the day

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