Hike Mazatzal Peak via Barnhardt and Y Bar Basin Loop Tonto National Forest, AZ

May 01, 2021 — Mazatzal Peak made it on my to-do list years ago and I was always daunted by the potenial bushwhack, which ultimately wasn't bad at all. I finally got a chance to give the peak a shot, but really wanting to make it into a loop. Most people approach Mazatzal Peak from the Barnhardt Trail and descend the same way, but there is another option via the Y Bar Basin Trail, which I used as my descent. I would recommend you just do the hike as an out-and-back via Barnhardt. The second half of my loop was far less intersting and had more bushwhacking. The Barnhardt and Y Bar Basin Trail also apparently make for a nice loop, but this loop doesn't make it to the summit of Mazatzal Peak. I passed a couple of backpackers along the way who seemed to enjoy it.

From the Barnhardt Trailhead (accessible by any vehicle), I started along the very pretty and somewhat popular trail, which parallels Barnhardt Canyon. It winds around the lumpy hillside slopes as many Arizona trails do, slowly gaining elevation and therefore improving views into the drainage below. The trail eventually curves away from Barnhardt Canyon and heads south along the slopes of a side-drainage and introducing some tight switchbacks. Some more walking on the nice trail led to a quick detour to Barnhardt Falls, a pretty little falls in a very short slot canyon. The trail became a little less interesting after the falls, just following the slopes and heading generally south.

I left the Barnhardt Trail at a rocky drainage, which provided some Class 2 boulder-hopping and avoided brush for a good quarter mile. Soon the drainage became a bit more choked by encroaching bushes, so I headed onto a minor spur ridge and continued south. I was pleasantly surprised at how little brush there was, fully expecting to be miserable for the remainder of the hike to Mazatzal Peak. Aside from just being a steep slope, the approach was actually pretty pleasant. I won't say it was brush-free, but certainly clear enough to bring my mood up significantly. As I continued up this spur ridge to the main ridgeline above, I noticed some very heavy brush, easily avoidable by making an ascending traverse rather than going directly to the ridgeline itself. Once on the ridgeline (which is really more of a slope and less of a true "ridge") I had to dodge a bunch of trees, but the bushwhacking was over. I chose to stick as close to the rim as possible, my goal being the false summit that I've labeled Peak 7823. This false summit introduces some fun Class 2 scrambling and nice views to the west. Alternatively, you can skip all the scrambling and views and ascend to Mazatzal Peak just to the left (east) of the rim on easy terrain. The traverse from Peak 7823 to Mazatzal Peak was pleasant and pretty, and the views from Mazatzal Peak were really wonderful.

I debated briefly heading back the way I came, but decided to give the loop a go. I headed east and zig-zagged through thickening manzanitas until the solid ground turned into cliffs. I dropped to my right onto a brushy slope nestled between some rock outcrops and fought with manzanitas for the next 15 minutes. I did note cairns as I descended, but they were sporadic and really only served as a guide since there was no discernable social trail. Generally I would recommend sticking to a minor ridge rather than the slopes to get more Class 2 and less bushwhacking, but don't expect to find some magic route or avoid the unpleasantness. Halfway down the descent ridge, the manzanitas eased up, but I was faced with a couple of cliffs, avoidable on the left (north) side of the ridge via a steep slope. I lost all sight of cairns (if there were any) and found myself bushwhacking again to get to the Y Bar Basin Trail, located at a saddle below. 

The Y Bar Trail was in good shape, though quite a bit more rocky than the Barnhardt Trail. The views were minimal at first, the trail mostly just taking me through a forest. A couple of miles later the Y Bar Basin Trail skirted the slopes for the remainder of the hike, offering some slightly better views to the east. Along the way, I passed the head of Shake Tree Canyon, a tempting canyoneering adventure I'd get to a year later. It also included some additional ups and downs to get over the main ravines the trail passes over. Really the second half was a bit of a letdown, but I always enjoy making loops regardless.