What are the pros and cons of using the alternate route versus the official route? The alternate looks to be a couple of days shorter but is there a trail or is it bushwhacking? Water availability? I’ve got a GPS, bearcreek’s maps, and waypoints so navigating won’t be an issue.
bowlegs
The Ley route alternate from Bear Creek to the Gila near Sapillo Creek is a relatively easy route to follow. I was out on Bear Creek a couple of weeks ago and there was still a trickle of water. The route is a mixture of trail and forest road. I never found it hard to follow until you get to the Gila River. Once in the river navigation isn’t hard, but the river does change with flow and so does the trail. On the plus side for this route, it is well west of the fire so you should be out of any residual smoke and well beyond the fire lines.
PDP
The Gila River routes are a beautiful oasis in the midst of the desert. Cool, wet, interesting hoodoos and a chance to see 1000 year old cliff dwellings and rock art. It is also much shorter and better watered than the official route. There are a couple of nice hot springs. The down side is that this is a route, more than a trail. You follow the river, criss crossing it as needed. There are use paths, but thanks to flooding and fires, they change constantly. It’s a rough kind of hiking, somewhat slow because you are crossing the river more than 100 times. But it is fun too. A very different kind of hiking than you’ll get on other trails.
Ginny