Cabin Loop East, Day 1-2

From Thursday July 7 to Monday July 11, my daughter and I experienced the best backpack trip we have had, and the second best trip I have ever had (the best was my trips in the Sawtooth Wilderness in the Rockies in Idaho). We hiked the full East Loop Cabin Trail on the Rim in Arizona. We had plenty of monsoon rain, and walked through some of the best forests I have seen in Arizona. Our equipment performed flawlessly. After each day, weary and aching, we were revitalized after a night sleeping in our incomparable Hennessey Hammocks wrapped cozily in our cocoons of JrB and homemade down quilts. The hammocks are a major reason I can still backpack like this. The Goal 0 solar panel never failed to provide full power for my smartphone/camera/GPS, considering the daily rain and clouds we enjoyed. Following are some pictures and videos of our trip. Our pack weights for the five days were 24 lbs for Aelin's and 32 lbs for me. I still need to shave off 2-3 more pounds for my five day weight.

The first night we stopped at one of our favorite places at General Spring. The second day, Saturday, we started out at Pinchot Cabin and made our way across several draws, ridges and canyons to our second stop at Dane Spring. We met two pairs of hikers, had a cool conversation with one and prevented the second pair from going the wrong way. We camped at a beautiful spot on a cliff overlooking Dane Canyon at Dane Spring. Saturday was the roughest of the trip, as it had the most elevation changes of the trip. We hiked through several deep canyons and draws that day.

Our first morning, Saturday, at General Springs

can you see the green froggler? Aelin loves these guys, and we listen to their loud chirpings in the evenings after supper

Aelin warming her hands in the long-cold fire at General Springs Cabin

Monsoon season brings out the best

Some moth we found hiding on the trail

From Pinchot Cabin, on the trail toward Dick Hart Draw/Spring

Here Aelin is making obeisance to

the Giant Mullein (mullein leaves are a wild medicinal we have used many times)

The trail down into Dick Hart Draw

Aelin was constantly on the prowl for small crops

of wild strawberries we came across the entire trip

The trail down into Dane Canyon and heading to Moonshine Spring

The spring in Dane Canyon

The trail up to Dane Spring, our second night stop

The cabin at Dane spring

This is on our way into Dane Canyon north

This is about halfway up the switchback out of Dane Canyon north

This is Dane Spring at the top of the west side of Dane Canyon north