If you’re looking for some high-elevation adventure, the Crest Trail is a good choice. The trail extends approximately four miles between 8,000- and 9,400-feet elevation along the Santa Rita ridgeline from the summit of Mount Wrightson to Florida Saddle. The trail is ideally suited for completing long loops or cross-mountain hikes because it can be accessed from both sides of the Santa Rita Mountains using eight different trails. The route is well marked, well maintained, and easy to follow traveling in either direction. This column describes the hike traveling from Baldy Saddle to Florida Saddle. (The section from Baldy Saddle to the summit of Mount Wrightson was described in last month’s column.)
Heading north from Baldy Saddle, the Crest Trail climbs steeply for the first 250 yards and then gradually levels off when it enters a pine forest. Approximately 0.6 miles north of Baldy Saddle, where the trail turns a corner and begins losing elevation, look for a small grove of quaking aspen trees on the left side of the trail. For a short side trip to the summit of Mount Ian, leave the trail on the left a few yards past the aspen grove and bushwhack up the steep slope through what remains of a once thriving pine and Douglas fir forest. Continue up the slope until you reach the crest of the ridge. The slope has a few cairns; however, if you miss them, make your way to the ridge and locate the high point. Just before the final scramble to the summit, look for a small notch in the rocky surface with a tree inside. Either scramble directly up the notch or go to the right on a natural switchback that ends on the colorful summit of Mount Ian. The rocks on Mount Ian are a distinct shade of pink.
Once on the summit of Mount Ian, enjoy a splendid nearly 360-degree view. Actually, the view is 360-degrees counting Mount Wrightson, which prevents you from looking directly south beyond the Santa Rita crest. Probably the most unusual view from Mount Ian is the view of Mount Wrightson. After all, where else can you appreciate a close-up view of that peak from 9,146-feet elevation? Mount Ian is approximately half a mile almost directly north of Mount Wrightson. The only other locations with similar views are Josephine Peak, approximately 1.5 miles south of Mount Wrightson, and another peak a little farther north on the Crest Trail with the unofficial name 88-MAC.
Return to the Crest Trail and continue walking north along the seemingly endless trail. The path drops into a burnt-out saddle approximately 1.5 miles north of Mount Ian. The unofficial name for this location since the 2005 Florida Fire is Burnt Pine Saddle (formerly called Pine Saddle). The saddle is nestled between 88-MAC to the north and Davis Peak, at a little over 8,500 feet, to the south. During the summer months, the saddle is covered with deep grass and a variety of wildflowers. Because most of the Crest Trail is on the east side of the ridge, the most salient feature of Burnt Pine Saddle is the views to the west into Madera Canyon and beyond. Although no trail exists, an unofficial route descends the west side of Burnt Pine Saddle to Shovel Saddle on the Four Springs Trail.
The prominent peak just north of Burnt Pine Saddle is the 8,853-foot high 88-MAC. Presumably, the 88 in the name is for the elevation but the MAC part of the name is a mystery. The peak is not labeled on the United States Geological Survey topographical map; however, the elevation is shown.
Over its final mile, the Crest Trail drops almost 750 feet to Florida Saddle, where the trail follows a narrow shelf below the east side of 88-MAC, often overgrown with tall grass. The trail passes the turnoff for the Armour Spring Trail, approximately one-third of a mile south of Florida Saddle. The Armour Spring Trail continues past the spring to a point that serves as the takeoff for McCleary Peak and the upper end of the Four Springs Trail. From the turnoff for the Armour Spring Trail, the Crest Trail is especially steep while passing through a dense growth of Apache and ponderosa pine and Douglas fir. Once on Florida Saddle, return the way you came or continue on the Florida Canyon, Sawmill Canyon or Cave Canyon trails. The Florida Canyon Trail drops off the west side of the Santa Rita Mountains, whereas the Sawmill Canyon and Cave Canyon trails descend on the east side.