A Day in the November Light
Posted: Nov 10 2002 8:08 pm
We spent a day in Sycamore canyon which is right on the US/Mexican border. We have talked about this for quite some time and after one of Lizards posts on this place, we picked up and went.
This is a wet canyon fed by a spring with many varieties of plants and animals that don’t live outside these canyon walls in the vast, rugged surrounding desert. The biggest cat in North America, the Jaguar has been seen prowling this magical place. Wildflowers and butterflies are abundant but the major visual apparitions here are the huge wild stone formations set off by brilliant trees.
At some points the steep canyon walls tighten, making it necessary to wade if you are going any further. We came about halfway along the rocks on the left before sliding down into the gin clear, ice cold water which looked only knee deep but proved to be up to the waist belt on her pack in two places. When we went back out this way, we could not climb the steep, slick rocks so we went all the way through the pool and found a deeper place that came up over my pack belt.
Wading
There were many rock formations and “Hoodoos” throughout the canyon. Some of them are stacked impossibly narrow and high.
This is eye candy to the climbing fraternity. The rock is laced with cracks and handholds throughout.
Hoodoos
The brilliant colors were laced through the canyon guarded by rock walls, spires and towers.
Canyon Colors
Brilliance of Light
We did not see one single solitary person all day long as we floated through this seemingly unreal light. Things were somehow brighter and more defined. Time was too short to wander the entire system of Sycamore canyon and its feeder canyons and we did not see the elusive Jaguar but we believe it is there watching.
Carved Rocks Set off by the Colors
When you leave the canyon it is though you have woken from a dream and can not remember exactly what you were dreaming but you want to go back down inside that dream. It was one of those perfect days in the wilderness.
This is a wet canyon fed by a spring with many varieties of plants and animals that don’t live outside these canyon walls in the vast, rugged surrounding desert. The biggest cat in North America, the Jaguar has been seen prowling this magical place. Wildflowers and butterflies are abundant but the major visual apparitions here are the huge wild stone formations set off by brilliant trees.
At some points the steep canyon walls tighten, making it necessary to wade if you are going any further. We came about halfway along the rocks on the left before sliding down into the gin clear, ice cold water which looked only knee deep but proved to be up to the waist belt on her pack in two places. When we went back out this way, we could not climb the steep, slick rocks so we went all the way through the pool and found a deeper place that came up over my pack belt.
Wading
There were many rock formations and “Hoodoos” throughout the canyon. Some of them are stacked impossibly narrow and high.
This is eye candy to the climbing fraternity. The rock is laced with cracks and handholds throughout.
Hoodoos
The brilliant colors were laced through the canyon guarded by rock walls, spires and towers.
Canyon Colors
Brilliance of Light
We did not see one single solitary person all day long as we floated through this seemingly unreal light. Things were somehow brighter and more defined. Time was too short to wander the entire system of Sycamore canyon and its feeder canyons and we did not see the elusive Jaguar but we believe it is there watching.
Carved Rocks Set off by the Colors
When you leave the canyon it is though you have woken from a dream and can not remember exactly what you were dreaming but you want to go back down inside that dream. It was one of those perfect days in the wilderness.
Sycamore Canyon is one of my favorite hikes in Southern Arizona, not only for its craggy scenery but also for its isolation and flora. There are more than 600 species of plants growing within the canyon, including many rare ones. The Goodding ash can be found there, along with a species of fern that grow only in Mexico, the Himalayas, and Sycamore Canyon. Its one of those special places.
