November 24 - 27, 2011

Manning Camp, near the top of the Rincon Mountains, is one of two great campsites we'll be using during this extended-weekend outing. Please join me for this wonderful three-night backpacking trip in Tucson's backyard.

The Plan

We'll drive around to the east side of the Rincon Mountains on Thanksgiving morning, November 24th. Leaving our vehicles at the trailhead, we'll hike up to Happy Valley Campground by way of the Miller Creek Trail and set up our first camp. We're going to be here for just one night. Last time I was here I saw a young mountain lion. You never know what might happen! Especially under a new moon!

On Friday we'll pack our stuff, have breakfast, then head up to Manning Camp. Getting there involves a relatively tough hike across the aptly-named Heartbreak Ridge. The ups and downs on that trail can drain your energy quickly. Fortunately, there are several good places for breaks. We'll relax at Manning Camp on Friday evening, knowing we have a day of hiking ahead of us. If the cabin is occupied by the Park Service, we might be able to drop in and say hello to some old friends.

On Saturday morning, we'll get up and have breakfast, perhaps say hello to the rangers if they're around, then head off for a day of hiking above 8,000 feet. There are several different looping dayhikes we can do, and we'll figure that out once we're up there. We'll spend a second night at Manning Camp that night.

On Sunday morning, we'll pack up camp and head out for the trailhead. The first part of our exit hike will involve a bit of uphill, as we climb to the east and head for Spud Rock Spring campground. We'll probably pause near there for a break, then head down the Turkey Creek Trail. This will be a long downhill trek, but it will be nice to head out into the sunny valley as we descend. At the bottom of the trail, there are a couple miles of road to lead us back to our vehicles. We'll be sure to leave Manning Camp early enough to get to the trailhead by early afternoon, which will allow us to get back to Tucson relatively early.

The Prep

This trip is planned for up to eight people. There are three campsites available at Happy Valley and many campsites at Manning Camp. Each of those campsites can hold two or three tents.

Depending on the level of interest, I will reserve as many as three campsites at each location. The National Park Service charges $6.00 per night per campsite. At a minimum, the total charges will be $18.00 for the group. At most, the total charges will be $36.00 for the entire group. That's a very inexpensive three-night trip!

You'll need food for three dinners, three breakfasts, and three lunches, plus snacks.

Water and Weather

I have no clue what the water situation might be at Happy Valley or at Manning Camp. We'll have to play it by ear and hope for some Autumn rains or early Winter snows to help us out. Of course, I'll contact the rangers at the Visitor Center a few days before the trip to see what they can tell me. Water at Manning Camp isn't generally a problem, but the little pond up there has gone dry once over the past few years and may do so again. We'll have to be prepared to carry enough water to Happy Valley to get us most or all of the way to Manning Camp.

I also have no idea what the weather might be like in the Rincon Mountains in mid-November. I'll guess that the daytime highs will be in the 50s or low 60s with nighttime lows in the upper 20s and low 30s. Remember that our lowest campground at Happy Valley is at 6,100 feet, and Manning Camp is at 8,000 feet. I'm fairly certain we'll need colder weather sleeping bags.

One nice thing is that we are allowed to have a fire at our campsites. That will make the evenings a bit more pleasant if it's very cold. Perhaps we'll have s'mores!

The Hike

day	miles	elev gain	destination
Thursday	0.0 / 0.0	0 ft / 0 ft	Miller Creek Trailhead
Thursday	1.5 / 1.5	400 ft / 400 ft	Park Boundary
Thursday	2.9 / 4.4	1600 ft / 2000 ft	Heartbreak Ridge Trl Jct
Thursday	0.6 / 5.0	400 ft / 2400 ft	Happy Valley Campground
Friday	1.8 / 6.8	800 ft / 3200 ft	Happy Valley Lookout
Friday	4.2 / 11.0	800 ft / 4000 ft	Devil's Bathtub
Friday	1.6 / 12.6	500 ft / 4500 ft	Manning Camp
Saturday	5.0 / 17.6	1200 ft / 5700 ft	Mica Mountain Dayhike
Sunday	2.0 / 19.6	500 ft / 6200 ft	Spud Rock Spring
Sunday	0.6 / 20.2	200 ft / 6400 ft	Deer Head Spring
Sunday	4.6 / 24.8	400 ft / 6800 ft	Turkey Creek Trailhead
Sunday	1.6 / 26.4	200 ft / 7000 ft	Road's End
Sunday	0.9 / 27.3	400 ft / 7400 ft	Miller Creek Trailhead