Day 1

October 24, 2021

Toroweap to Burro Canyon


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Today's Route Stats:

   Distance:  4.9 miles

   Elevation Gain:  100  feet

   Elevation Loss:  350 feet

 

We knew today would not be a long day, so we didn't rush to get going.  Besides, it always takes a while to pack up and organize everything on the first day.  We drove from the campground to the trailhead.  It is only a mile, but the road is very rough. 

We each started out carrying about a gallon of water, just in case we didn't find any.  The first 3.5 miles follow an old dirt road.  The hiking is as easy as it gets.  After about 2.7 miles we accidentally turned off on a spur road that leads to a mine.  Within a 100 yards or so, we came to a large, conical pile of rocks.  Upon closer inspection, it looked like it must have had something to do with the mine -- perhaps a smelter.  It was large, perhaps 7 feet tall, and well constructed. 

 
View from Toroweap. Ben and Rich at Unknown Structure. Our Campsite Overlooking Burro Canyon.

 

We found several potholes with water, so we were now feeling much more confident that we would find more.  After we left the large rock structure and heading the next small side canyon, the "trail" veered off from its location on some maps.  So we ended up heading NE instead of N until we came to the rim of Burro Canyon, where we found potholes.  We decided to stop there for the night. 

I always load a couple of audio books on my iPhone to listen at night.  This time I listened to Stephen King's latest novel, Billy Summers.  I'm not a huge Stephen King fan, mostly because I'm not crazy about the supernatural, but this book had none of that.  Very entertaining and well written. 


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