August 19

I did my new favorite hike again today.  I hiked the Bradford Ridge Trail to the springs, then on to Bowen Ranch and then back.  A good work out.  I got an early start to avoid the heat leaving Highway 173 at 5:30am.  It was a nice cool morning and the hike in was very pretty once the sun came up.  It was still dark when i started and I needed a headlamp for the first 1/2 hour or so.

The springs were pretty busy.  There were at least 8 folks camping at the springs in the trees near the Arizona Pool and on the beach.  There was also a tent downstream and one quite a way upstream.  The beach area across from the springs was pretty trashed, although the springs themselves didn't look too bad.

On the hike up to Bowen Ranch it became obvious that it had rained pretty hard yesterday. A good amount of water had run in the small creek along the upper part of the trail and there were rivulets in the trail. There is a lot of graffiti on the trail to Bowen.  Much more than when I hiked this a month or more ago.

The  burn area is starting to recover and there was quite a few green sprouts around.

The sun finally hit me as I was hiking up the last steep part to Bowen Ranch. I got to Bowen around 7:15 or so to find at least 5 tents and people rousing out.  Some were packing up, some getting ready to hike down.  

I hiked back down to the springs and it seemed like everyone was up and around.  As best as I could tell I was the only one enjoying the springs naturally, except for a young women down stream (at the tent) who was sunning topless on large rock. There were probably at least 20 folks at the springs by 8:30.

Started back toward Highway 173 around 8:50am and passed a hiker coming down as I was hiking up the ridge.  It was starting to get warm by then and I saw no one else all the way back to my truck (arriving about 10:00).

I am starting to look forward to cooler weather in the fall when you can hit the springs with smaller crowds and actually enjoy the hot water in the springs.

Nice hike, but not much soaking. See you at the springs (or on the trail).