Having now completed this enjoyable new loop hike we now have three different Mogollon Rim hike options available within Bear Canyon, each with a different FR access road-TH Start available:

Bear Canyon (Middle) - Mogollon Rim.. http://hikearizona.com/decoder.php?ZTN=16667
Bear Canyon (Upper) - Mogollon Rim... http://hikearizona.com/decoder.php?ZTN=16669
Bear Canyon Upper - West Bear Canyon Loop.. http://hikearizona.com/decoder.php?ZTN=16685

These three new overview hike descriptions including picsets with captions/tag notes, posted GPS driving/hiking routes with info notes/key reference waypoints, and associated trip logs pretty much tell the story of this recommended beginner "off trail/route finding" canyon hiking area. It should also be noted that these three hike descriptions have options available for combinations of a planned longer "out and back, shuttle, and/or loop hike" (some of these additional hike options are discussed briefly in each hike description).

For this new "Bear Canyon Upper - West Bear Canyon Loop" I am going to take advantage of the best way to describe all its amenities by deferring to my hiking partner (Pam) with her nicely written 6/23/12 trip log for this hike.. http://hikearizona.com/triplog=76530

In July'12 I plan to again hike the "Bear Canyon (Upper)" hike description beginning at the designated Park/TH Start at the end of FR300G, but this trip I will hike down Upper Bear Canyon to intersect the Middle Section of Bear Canyon where I elected to bail-out on my previous 6/7/12 exploratory hike.. http://hikearizona.com/photo.php?ZIP=265230 If I am able to pull-off my July plans, then I will have hiked (as I define it) the entire Middle & Upper Sections of Bear Canyon including West Bear Canyon.

In late September'12 I will surely be back to again hike this Upper Bear Canyon/West Bear Canyon Loop to view what should be the beginning of an outstanding
Big Tooth Maple display.