This was the early sun rise this morning as we started at the trailhead. It was to be an early start today because it was going to hit over 90 degrees by late afternoon. Our route was a total of 7.3 miles. It started on Lower Pronghorn Trail to Haynes Overlook and then down Upper Pronghorn to Fern Cave where we planned our lunch break. Then the hike out along Lower Pronghorn to complete the lollypop hike. Sounds so … easy, right? NOT! But dear reader as they say we’ll cross that arroyo when we come to it!
We arrived at the Haynes Ridge Overlook Trailhead eager to start the meat of our hike. We planned to tackle the 967′ of elevation gain right off the bat.
Then we started up and up and up. We had a tall task ahead of us.
Then it was a easy ridgeline hike along the John Haynes Ridge towards Fern Cave.
The coolness and shade of Fern Cave was a welcome break from the already hot ridgeline above. The packs came off, and the chairs came out, along with the snacks and water which helped renew our weary bodies. But we still had 4.1 miles to go.
Making good time we passed the dancing couple outside their castle…almost there.
We were in the home stretch now! Until the next big arroyo in the trail where a large bull bison stood in the middle of the trail. Like the large bronze statue at the park display he stood perfectly still guarding the muddy alkaline pool of water where the trail crossed the mostly dry arroyo. It was the first water we had seen since Fern Cave. What will you do? What will you do?
The heat was emanating from the trail and was rising with every passing minute. We were tired, sore, and low on water. Ethel, Lucy and I sat huddled in the meager shade of a stubby mesquite wondering how we were gong to get around when about twenty yards behind us on the opposite side of the deep impassable arroyo a voice says, “Hey I think we can bushwhack around him and rejoin the trail on the other side of the bull.” It was john Haynes the man … well you know the rest. He lead us through the bush and around the Bull. Getting back to the car we all drank water and rejoiced in the AC of the 4Runner. Later that night we took a booze cruise along the Canyon Rim Trail.!
