For Father's Day weekend, John wanted to go backpacking.  He felt that it was important to get one last backpacking trip in before we leave on our Canadian adventure, to make sure that we were going to be in enough shape to tackle the Rockies. 

The big question was, where to go?  There were so many great places that we had already visited - and there were so many places that we had not - that it was a tough choice.  After much consideration, though, John finally decided to take us back to Dane Canyon by way of the U-Bar Trail #28, only this time, we would go in from the opposite direction.  That would give us the opportunity to see the rest of the U-Bar Trail, and we would also get to spend another night in that beautiful canyon, where we had backpacked only three weeks ago.

Before embarking on our backpacking adventure, though, we had to buy a new one-person tent for Mary.  Our old REI Roadster, which had lasted us a couple of years, was ready to be retired - after all, it shouldn't taken two people to set up a one-person tent!  On top of that, the window on the rain fly had popped out, meaning that it was no longer rain-resistant.  Considering our luck with rain, we knew that we needed to replace that tent soon.  That said, we went to REI and bought the Quarter Dome T1, which is the one-person version of our new two-person tent (the Quarter Dome T2).  This backpacking trip would be its maiden voyage.

On Thursday night, as we packed our backpacks, we also looked for ways to reduce the weight that we carry.  For one thing, the new one-person tent was several ounces lighter than the old Roadster; that would help a lot.  We also took the knives out of our mess kits, because we simply never use them.  Additionally, we bought smaller, folding toothbrushes.  To top it off, Mary and I gave John a new backcountry trowel as a Father's Day gift, to replace the heavy one that he usually carried.  We gave him the iPood!, a titanium spade with a hollow handle, in which to store a small roll of toilet paper - a clever tool with a clever name!

In the end, our experiment in weight-reduction did help a little bit.  True, we will never be ultralight backpackers - not when we insist on having a tent over our heads and extra-warm sleeping bags - but every little ounce that we can shave off of our load is a good thing.

Our gear packed and ready to go, we awoke on Saturday morning at the usual time and prepared for our backcountry adventure.  We were extremely efficient that morning, and as a result, we made it out of the house by 7:30 a.m.  It was a good thing, too, because we had a very long journey ahead of us to get to the trailhead.  To get to the trailhead, we took the Beeline Highway (SR 87) north, through Payson, Pine and Strawberry, to the top of the Mogollon Rim.  Once there, we turned right onto Forest Road 300 - the Rim Road - and followed it for about twenty-five miles.

As we turned onto FR 300, we immediately saw that there were barricades blocking FR 218A, at the junction with FR 300.  There was apparently a prescribed burn on the Rim that weekend, and many of the roads connecting to FR 300 were closed for that reason.  Was it possible that we were going to see another forest fire on our hike?  Or worse, were we going to be able to get to the trailhead?

To make matters worse, there was a lot of traffic on FR 300 - and it was slow-moving traffic to boot.  True, some people prefer to go slower on the dirt roads for safety reasons, but common courtesy dictates that you should pull off to the side of the road (when it is safe to do so) to let faster drivers pass.  Apparently, common courtesy did not exist that morning, and we were forced to follow one very slow driver - one who couldn't go more than ten miles an hour - for about three miles.  So despite our efficiency that morning, it was completely wasted after being stuck behind that rude driver!

Around 10:00 a.m., we finally arrived in the area of the Cabin Loop and found that most of the roads connecting to the Cabin Loop Trailheads were closed: FR 145, FR 95, FR 139A, and so on.  John stopped at one of the sets of barricades and read the posted notice, just to make sure that we weren't driving all the way in there for nothing.  He learned that the closure ended several miles west of where we would be hiking, so we wouldn't have to alter our plans after all. 

We soon turned onto FR 137 - which, as promised, was open - and followed that road for about four miles, until we arrived at the Barbershop Trailhead at Buck Springs Cabin.  Instead of parking at the cabin, though, we parked just off of the road, right next to the trailhead sign.  It was a good thing that we did so, too, because we could see that someone was camped next to Buck Springs Cabin; there was no reason for us to intrude on someone else's campsite.

A 10:30 a.m., after gearing up, John and Mary and I shared our traditional trail kisses then started down the Barbershop Trail #91.  As soon as the trail crossed FR 137, it began to descend into a canyon - Yeager Canyon, according to the Forest Service map.  The descent was gentle at first, but then the trail began to drop sharply and steeply into the canyon.  We had to take this section carefully, because it was very slippery.  John showed Mary how to use both of her trekking poles together to help get her down the hill safely; she still slipped and fell on her rear, but it was a controlled fall and she didn't get hurt.

We reached the bottom of the canyon, crossed the creek, and immediately began to climb out of the canyon.  The climb wasn't difficult - it wasn't nearly as steep as it was on the other side of the canyon - and in no time at all, we were out of Yeager Canyon and on top of Dane Ridge.

As we hiked over Dane Ridge, we began to find evidence of fire damage.  It wasn't widespread devastation - not like some of the devastation we have seen from huge wildfires - but it was obvious that there had been a small fire there.  There was enough fire damage that we briefly lost the trail there; we found several paths nearby, but we didn't know which one was the trail.  Had I not seen the Cabin Loop placard on a tree in the distance, we probably would have gotten completely lost.

The hike along Dane Ridge was a very beautiful one.  After crossing over FR 321, we entered a dense, dark forest, full of firs and spruce and pines.  It was lovely and cool - a nice break from the sunshine that had broken through the rain clouds by that time.

The trail soon dropped slightly into a draw, where it connected with the U-Bar Trail #28, at the half-mile mark.  There was a sign at the junction, indicating that Dane Springs was 1.5 miles away on the U-Bar Trail; if we hiked at a good pace, we could make it there by lunchtime.

From the trail junction, the U-Bar Trail climbed back onto Dane Ridge; then, for the next mile and a half, the trail was flat and easy to follow.  It took us through McClintock Draw, which was green and beautiful; it was also scarred with more of that same fire damage that we had seen on the Barbershop Trail.  It was obvious that there had been a wildfire there, but it was not a crowning fire, meaning that it never touched the tops of the tall pines.  Most of the smaller trees - those that were less then six feet tall - were charred skeletons; the medium-sized trees were slightly charred, but the tops were still green.  We knew that the fire had not occurred recently, because the ground was covered with green grass and wildflowers; it was possible that this was the damage done by a wildfire that happened last summer.

As we made our way down the trail, we could hear the sound of a chainsaws in the distance.  At first, we didn't know what to make of it; John suspected that we could be walking in on someone who was cutting wood illegally, and that worried him.  As we approached the area, though, I immediately spied an ATV with government plates, meaning that it belonged to US Forest Service workers; there were five or six of them, working to clean up some of the dead, charred trees.  Upon seeing us, one of them called out to her fellow workers to let them know that there were hikers approaching; she then motioned to John and told him to make sure that we stayed together until we got past the cutting area, to ensure that none of us were injured.

By the time we came to the end of the burned area, it was after 12:00 p.m.  We knew that we weren't going to make it to Dane Cabin in time for lunch, so we stopped at 12:15 to eat.  Had we known just how close we were to Dane Cabin and Dane Springs, though, we probably would have just kept going; we were only five minutes from the cabin!  

We arrived at Dane Cabin - at Dane Springs - just before 1:00 p.m.  Had we not been determined to camp in Dane Canyon, we probably would have just camped there, because the site was very beautiful, and there was plenty of water at Dane Springs.  The springs were being pumped out of the rocks by way of a metal pipe, which dumped the water into a small creek. 

On the other side of the creek were the remains of an old cabin.  John had read that the cabin had once been Zane Grey's hunting cabin, but he wasn't sure if that was true or not.  Whether it was once Zane Gray's or not, there wasn't much left of it. The roof was gone, as were most of the walls, and the wood was weather-beaten and split.  It was neat to see, though.

From Dane Cabin, it was another mile to Dane Canyon.  The first three-quarters of that mile were flat as can be, as we hiked along the top of the rim, above the canyon.  Then, the last quarter-mile switchbacked down into the canyon.  The descent into the canyon wasn't very steep, so climbing out in the morning wasn't going to be too hard at all (not like Yeager Canyon was going to be!)

We arrived at our campsite at 2:00 p.m. As we dropped our packs and started getting everything set up and organized, I noticed that the campfire ring and the woodpile appeared to be exactly as we had left it three weeks ago; it looked as though no one had camped there at all.  We even found the small piece of cord that John had to cut off of our bear-bagging rope the last time we were there, when he was unable to untie the knot; it had never made it into our garbage bag.  This time, we would pack it out...

Once our campsite was set up, Mary crawled into her tent to read, and John did the same.  I, on the other hand, wasn't ready to relax - not just yet - so I went to gather firewood.  I also decided to do a little exploring in the canyon, near our campsite.  The last time we were there, we were so exhausted from the long hike in that we never left the campsite to see what else was out there; now that there was more time, I wanted to see what was around the bend.

I crossed the creek and walked across the bench on the other side.  That was when I found a path that cut through the tall grass along the creek.  I followed it to the other side of the ridge, at the bend in the creek, and eventually had to stop because I couldn't go any further.  That was when I looked up and found a small cave, about ten feet deep, on the side of the ridge.  I managed to find a way to get up to it, but I couldn't go inside because the entrance was swarming with bugs and it was choked with poison ivy.  However, it was a cool find, so I made it a point to bring John and Mary there later in the day.

By the time I returned to camp, Mary was asleep and John was just waking up from a short nap.  I crawled into the tent with him and told him about my find.  He was very interested in seeing it...later.  For now, he wanted to rest...and, of course, play a little, too...

After naptime was over and everyone was awake and rested, we all emerged from our tents and spent the afternoon exploring and playing around our campsite.  First, I had Mary and John follow me so that I could show them what I had found around the bend.  Later, we returned to camp and played in the creek.  We turned that into a small science lesson for Mary; we had brought along her butterfly net so that she could catch bugs and fish.  She didn't catch any butterflies or fish, but she did catch (and eventually release) a dragonfly and a water spider.  The dragonfly was cool; the water spider...ew...

While Mary and I played in the creek, John decided to climb up the ridge to see what was up there.  It wasn't a difficult climb (even though he wasn't wearing hiking boots); getting down, though, was another story.  He stood on the top of the ridge and looked for a better way down, and that was when he discovered that he was only fifty feet from the trail!  What luck!

As he made his way down the trail, he encountered a pair of hikers - a father and his forty-something son - who were hiking down into Dane Canyon.  They appeared to be out on a day hike, but John learned that they were actually backpackers; they were camped near Dane Springs but were out exploring.  The father was looking for a place to backpack with his six year-old grandson sometime during the summer.  He told John that he had once backpacked into Dane Canyon with one of his sons when he was six years old; that son was now forty!  What a nice story to hear along the trail!

Soon after the other hikers left, we got our campfire going and started dinner.  Around the same time, the nighttime chorus of wild turkeys began echoing through the canyon.  Later, they were joined by the "hoo-hoo's" of an owl; and after the sun went down, we could hear the squeaks of the bats that flew overhead.  The song died down at about 8:30 that evening, around the time that we all went to bed; and after that, we didn't hear anymore animal sounds for the rest of the night.

The next morning, John awoke at the crack of dawn - at 5:00 a.m. - and I was up nearly an hour after that. It started out as a lovely morning - not too cold and very peaceful.  Then, around 6:30, a cold wind kicked up.  It wasn't until the sun rose over our campsite - around 7:30 - that it warmed up enough for us to begin packing up.

At 8:30 a.m., we started our return hike on the U-Bar Trail.  Our hike, of course, began with the short climb out of the canyon, to the top of the rim.  Although the hike itself only took us fifteen minutes, we ended up spending an additional five minutes adjusting Mary's backpack, which just wasn't riding well that morning.  We would have to adjust it several more times during the day; we weren't sure what had changed about her pack, but she just wasn't doing well with it.

It took us nearly an hour to make it to Dane Springs.  While we were there, we took an extended break and filled up our water bottles with spring water.  The water had a slightly metallic flavor to it, but at least it was fresh and clean.

After leaving Dane Springs, we entered the burned area again.  Mary wasn't doing very well during this part of the hike - mainly, because her pack was still riding badly - but I managed to distract her from her problems by pointing out the holes in the ground.  Within the burned area, there were many holes in the ground where there had once been trees; these trees had burned down to the roots, leaving behind big gaping holes.  Some of these holes were very deep; as I passed by one of the deeper holes, I said to Mary, "Watch out for that hole!  That one would swallow you up!"

And she giggled like I had just told her the funniest joke in the world!  I used that to my advantage and continued to show her the various holes in the ground.  I'm not sure why this amused her so much, but as long as it kept her hiking without whining, I didn't care!

Soon enough, around 11:00 a.m., we arrived at the trail junction with the Barbershop Trail...and as we came down the path, I could hear a thundering noise coming from the trees nearby.  We had startled a herd of elk as we approached, and we arrived just in time to see the last few disappear into the trees.  They reappeared a few minutes later, while we were sitting at the trail junction, taking a break; the elk no longer considered us a threat, so they emerged from their hiding spot and walked across the trail to return to their grazing.  It was an amazing sight!

From the trail junction, it was only a half of a mile back to the trailhead, but most of that half-mile involved climbing out of Yeager Canyon.  This part of the hike was incredibly steep - so steep that we had to take it slow, in twenty-foot increments.  We would hike twenty feet then stop and catch our breath before continuing.  During one breather, though, Mary and I found ourselves standing on an ant hill, and she soon had several large black ants crawling on her legs.  She didn't get bit, but it sure was creepy!

At the top of Yeager Canyon, we finally found ourselves back at FR 137, where the 4Runner was packed.  As we unloaded our gear, we noticed that there was a lot of movement at Buck Springs Cabin below us; it appeared that there were a lot of people camped down there.  Now we were curious, so we drove down there to investigate.  We were surprised to find that there were about thirty vehicles, twenty large tents, and port-a-potties near Buck Springs Cabin!  That was when we realized that they were probably Forest Service workers, and they were using Buck Springs Cabin as their base of operations while they were working to cut wood and to do their prescribed burns.  We would see one other camp like it at the base of Baker Butte, towards the beginning of FR 300. 

Getting out of the forest via FR 300 proved to be a challenge; once again, we were faced with slow-moving vehicles in front of us, and they would not move over.  One finally turned off; the other one we passed while the road was wide enough for us to do so.  It surprised us to find so many people - three in one weekend - who didn't possess an ounce of common courtesy!  What is this world coming to?

On the way home that afternoon, we stopped for lunch at our favorite bar in Pine - Sidewinders, where we have eaten many times in the past.  This time, since it was Father's Day, lunch was my treat.

After a nice lunch, we started towards home.  We didn't get there until 3:30 p.m. - once again, much later than planned.  We were supposed to be at the Guckenburgs' house by 4:00 p.m. to welcome Bill and Erika home from their four-month RV tour, but we didn't make it there until 4:15. 

But...at least we made it, and we had great stories to share...  It had been another great Verley adventure!

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