Canyons of Arizona

The desert is always calling.  Since my first trips as a kid, the deserts, water, and canyons of the southwest have always fascinated me.  In February, I left the beautiful early spring sunshine of Portland to head for snowy winter in Northern Arizona.  My brother had gotten ten days off of work and although we didn't have any particular destination in mind we knew we were gonna have an adventure.  

The Grand Canyon from the flight into Phoenix

It was a snowy morning in Flagstaff, but my obsession with the Grand Canyon led me to drive the quick hour plus to the south rim in hopes that I could see anything.  As I arrived the snow was blowing sideways and the canyon was completely fogged in.  After a couple hours of waiting the fog finally lifted and the canyon opened up in front of me.

Half an hour later, the snow resumed and the canyon sank back into the fog.

The next day was supposed to be clear before a larger storm system rolled through, and Kevin still had a couple days of work, so I decided to go on a quick overnight trip in the Red Rock Secret Canyon wilderness of Oak Creek Canyon and Sedona

Looking back towards the trailhead in Oak Creek Canyon from the top of Sterling Pass

An old burn zone after dropping down from Sterling Pass

Lil' Tryst country

After cruising up Bear Sign Canyon for a few miles I climbed out of the creek bed and found a flat bench to camp on with views all around.  The grey skies finally opened up a bit and I was treated to an awesome sunset.

Yawnny's Vortex 

The next day I continued up Bear Sign Canyon and climbed to the top of this this pass before dropping down to meet the Secret Canyon Trail

Secret Canyon

Small creek along the trail

Once I got back home to Williams, the snow started to fall and it was time for my brother and I to head south for the desert and sun.  We left in a blizzard the next morning heading south for a recon mission in the Superstition Mountains

When we arrived at Canyon Lake, the rain was beginning to stop and the desert around us was bright green.  There is nothing better than the smell of the Sonoran desert after a rainstorm.

As beautiful as the scenery was around us, the Canyon Lake campground was the absolute worst.  This street light would stay on all night.  We managed to enjoy ourselves anyway, drinking whiskey and beers in our desert parking lot.  In the morning we would head to Tucson for the night before driving out to Aravaipa Canyon for the next three days.

The beginning of the trail into Aravaipa Canyon

From the parking lot, you only have to walk about a quarter of a mile before you reach Aravaipa Creek.  From this point forward there is no marked trail, just a creek to follow through a beautiful canyon of cottonwoods, mesquite, and saguaros.

Yucca growing out of the canyon wall

Kevin, lighting up Aravaipa creek near camp

We set up camp near Horse Camp Canyon and spent the next day exploring upstream with day packs.

They are hard to see, but crossing along the lower ridge are a group of about 15-20 Coati, a ring-tailed member of the raccoon family.   I had always assumed they were nocturnal creatures, but apparently they travel in large numbers along the creeks during the day.

Lunch spot

So many Saguaros

A dry wash leading back into Hell Hole Canyon, our destination for the day

As we continued down the wash the canyon gradually became more and more narrow.   Eventually a creek appeared and as we continued back into the canyon there were large sections where the creek would go underground and disappear completely.

The canyon kept pulling us in, but eventually we had to turn around and head back to camp.  Not before filling our bellies with magic creek water though.

Loner

Sun setting near camp.
Still with some energy and another canyon calling us in, we ventured into Horse Camp Canyon before making dinner.

We wandered through some brush, and climbed up the side of a small waterfall and suddenly the canyon changed into a barren basin of slick rock.

As we continued up further, large pools of water began to appear.  We were losing light, so we headed back down to camp with the plan to venture further up the canyon in the morning.





Looking back towards camp from the top of the waterfall we had climbed up next to.  I ate shit on the way back down.

The next morning we ventured as far up the canyon as we could before reaching a spot that would require more technical climbing than we were prepared for.  We headed back down to the pools which were now sitting in the sun and jumped into the cold, dark abyss.

After a cold refreshing swim we headed back to camp, packed up and started to the walk back to the car.

We spent the night in Phoenix and the next morning headed back to the Superstition Mountains for another trip into the desert.  Leaving from Canyon Lake we would head towards La Barge Canyon to commence a four day trip which seemed to consist mostly of scrambling across boulders.

The entrance to the La Barge Canyon "Box"

Looking up out of the canyon

Looking back towards the "box" about to start in on a more difficult section of boulder scrambling.

After a few miles the canyon opened up and the going got easier.  Unfortunately this break only lasted for about a quarter mile before we entered into another narrow boulder strewn section of canyon this time choked with thick thorny brush.  Finally we emerged a little bloodier than when we had entered and found our way back to the trail system and headed to set up camp.

Sun going down near camp

It was a relief to find that the desert was still with plenty of water.

I only have a few cell phone pictures from the next day because it totally kicked our asses.

Morning from the tent.   The plan for the day was to hike along trails for about 6 miles until we reached the Fremont Saddle on the Peralta Trail.  From there we would scramble off trail up across another saddle and drop into the head of West Boulder Canyon which we would follow all the way back down to eventually meet up with the trail system again.

Beginning the climb up and over the saddle dropping us into Boulder Canyon

Looking back up after starting the descent into West Boulder Canyon.  It was here that we fucked up.  There was a clear drainage leading down towards the canyon but the going was slow and full of thorny cat's claw and a myriad of different cacti.  We decided to follow some rock cairns that kept us up on the ridge instead.  As we continued along the ridge we realized the cairns were directing us further and further from where we wanted to be.  Fortunately we were finally able to reach the headwaters of Boulder Canyon but we were much higher up the canyon than we had planned .  As we started to follow the creek bed down we were immediately stopped by a huge boulder choked cliff drop.  After some scouting, we carefully lowered our packs and ourselves around the obstacle only to find another one 50 feet in front of us.  Taking turns trying to stay positive we again negotiated another boulder drop followed by lots of bushwhacking and finally reached some relatively easier terrain.  

We boulder hopped for hours continuing down the canyon into the dark.  Eventually, after obstacle after obstacle, and Kevin rolling his ankle twice we found some flat rocks by the creek and decided to call it a night.  Feeling refreshed and in better spirits in the morning, we laughed about the previous days adventure.  We had one more night to camp, so we decided to hike a couple miles out of the way back to the La Barge "box" we had passed through two days before.  Pressed for time when we arrived there the first day we didn't get to enjoy the fine swimming hole hidden back in the canyon.

Geronimo Head

Boulder bargin' back to La Barge

Sonoran gopher snake hiding out.

Relieved to have a much easier day, we set up camp and headed for some well deserved sun and relaxation at the swim hole

The pools were teeming with creatures.  We were swimming with tadpoles, shrimp, and tapeworms?

Looking into the "box" from camp

In the evening we found a trail outside camp leading up the hill behind us.  The top of the saddle was well worth the hike giving us a view of all the terrain we had just wandered through.

Looking south towards the Weaver's Needle

Hiking back out to Canyon Lake

One last view of the valley leading into La Barge Canyon.

We reached the car, jumped into Canyon Lake and started the drive back north to Flagstaff.  QT fountain sodas in hand, we daydreamed and schemed about future trips into the desert.