Mark's Scenic Arizona

Hell's Hip Pocket Ridge = September 20, 2011

A VERY slow & rough drive in (6 miles @ 3 mph)

Followed by a 9 mile hike over very uneven terrain

Four Peaks from Forest Road 401
Purple mountain majesties...
Saguaro Lake on the left
Goldfield Mountains
Superstition Mountains
Sheep Mountain
Wider view of Sheep Mtn & Superstitions
Four Peaks from along FR 401A
Four Peaks from along FR 401A
Corrugated tin shanty near the Cane Spring trail head
Looks like an old bunkhouse
Rear view of the shanty
Departing shot of the shanty
Near the trail head
Near the trail head
Gila Monster
Cane Spring trail head sign is missing
Rock cairn marking turn to Hell's Hip Pocket
The trail goes up to the right
Four Peaks from the trail to HHP Ridge
Colorful coyote scat
FR401A can be seen rear center & left
Four Peaks from the HHP Ridge trail
Spire to the south
Superstitions from the HHP Ridge trail
First view of Canyon Lake
Four Peaks from the HHP Ridge trail
Closer view of Canyon Lake
Flat spot in center is about halfway
Hike zig-zags along the ridge
The worst pincushion encounter of the hike
Barely one of the Four Peaks
Hill to climb on the return
An area to check out on the return trip
Cairn along a high point of the ridge
Four Peaks from the same high point
Four Peaks close-up
Outcropping in Blue Tank Canyon
Future spot to check out in Blue Tank Canyon
Wie-angle of Blue Tank Canyon
Very uneven terrain was the theme
I came over the hill just right of center
Another future destination
Four Peaks
Canyon Lake
Canyon Lake
On the ridge forever and STILL not there
Large cat scat?
View north from HHP Ridge
Group of six Big Horn Sheep
Big Horn Sheep - the straggler
Checking me out with the evil-eye
Last shot of the Big Horn Sheep
Horseshoe Dam area
Horseshoe Dam SRP compound
Black Cross Butte in center
Coronado Mesa is over the mountain
Superstitions from Hell's Hip Pocket Ridge
View from Hell's Hip Pocket Ridge
View from Hell's Hip Pocket Ridge
View from Hell's Hip Pocket Ridge
View from Hell's Hip Pocket Ridge
View from Hell's Hip Pocket Ridge
Another close-up of the SRP compound
Future exploration spot?
View from Hell's Hip Pocket Ridge
View from Hell's Hip Pocket Ridge
Canyon Lake from Hell's Hip Pocket Ridge
East across the canyon
View from Hell's Hip Pocket Ridge
View from Hell's Hip Pocket Ridge
Near the Horseshoe Dam itself
Water pump Saguaro?
Looking down toward Canyon Lake
View form the ridge-edge cliff
View along the drop-off
Canyon Lake
Don Quixote comes to mind
Another angle
Black Cross Butte & the Superstitions
Larger deer scat?
Old antler
Your's truly
Future exploration site
Ocotillo forest
Canyon Lake shot on the return trip
Four Peaks
Another shot of Canyon Lake
Ready to explore the rock formation
Taken from the gap in photo 3 back
Another shot from the gap
Another shot from the gap
Another shot from the gap
I took previous shots from that boulder
I'll be hiking up and over here
Raven at top had been buzzing me for over an hour
Climbing up to the right
Looked like initials from a distance
Hiking along the side ~200' below the ridge
Hiking along the side of the ridge
Hiking along the side of the ridge
I continued along the edge ahead
More of the same below the ridge
Hip bone of a small deer
Previous shot at full zoom
I hiked down and over to the right
I started to drop down here
Heading to the gap in the center
A cairn on the saddle??
Reasonably fresh kill
Continuing along the side of the ridge
Continuing along the side of the ridge
Continuing along the side of the ridge
Heading down to the left
Farther down
I hoped for more but this was it
An extra 500' to climb back up just for this??
Canyon Lake barely visilble from here
Climbing back up now
I thought it was a slug or cocoon
Four Peaks on the return trip
Four Peaks on the return trip
Sandy area near the trail head
Sandy area near the trail head
Last shot of Four Peaks
Headed west on Forest Road 401

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