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| Canyoneering | 7.40 Miles |
1,100 AEG |
| | Canyoneering | 7.40 Miles | 8 Hrs | | 1.48 mph |
| 1,100 ft AEG | 3 Hrs Break | 8 LBS Pack | | |
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| | Canyon Hiking - Non-technical; no rope; easy scrambling; occasional hand use | | A - Dry or little water; shallow or avoidable water; no wet/dry suit | | II - Normally requires a half day |
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| no partners | | I woke up early Monday morning to the sounds of rain in the East Valley. As I walked over to the clubhouse for Monday morning coffee with the guys, I noticed that the entire Superstition Mountain range was cloaked in a heavy, dark bank of clouds.
Last year I hiked Hog Canyon to find the Hieroglyphics, but missed the canyon that would take me up there. So ever since, I have wanted to complete that trip and thinking that the rain & clouds would be providing the moisture needed for the pools, tomorrow should be the day. One of the residents (Howard) offered to come along, so we made plans to head out Tuesday morning.
We drove to Cloudview road, as on the way to Hieroglyphics Canyon trailhead, but instead of turning right, we turned left and drove to the end of the blacktop and parked along the gravel road, the time was just a little past 8:00am. We got into our hiking gear and I cleared my GPS of previous data and trails, set a waypoint at truck and headed North through the low desert on a faintly used horse trail. We followed a barbed wire fence on our right, went through a gate and continued to a point where the fence line turned East/West.
We followed the fence line for a short distance until there was another gate just before the dry wash. This gated entrance is into the Superstition Wilderness and would be the obvious trailhead (if one existed). From here on, there are no clearly marked trails as anyone going beyond the gate, just meanders along with the entrance to Hog Canyon clearly visible ahead.
Once you enter the canyon, you are committed to hiking in the (hopefully) dry wash as the canyon walls are too vertical and irregular for a trail to exist. The first several hundred yards of the wash are easy going with patches of tall grass, that hides the rocks. But once you see the large rocks and boulders, the walk in the park is over. For the next 2 miles (approx)it's boulder hopping with a couple of 6 to 8 foot vertical climbs (ropes not necessary).
As you continue up the wash, the scenery becomes more stunning. The canyon narrows at one point to a gorge and the sun has a hard time getting through to the wash. Photographing the scenery is difficult cause the dark shadows and the sunlit areas are so pronounced that something has to give (but that's why there's Photoshop).
Barrel Cactus and Saguaro, dot both canyon walls and it makes one wonder just what the roots find to anchor to. The brush can get heavy if you try to get out of the wash and Catsclaw is just waiting to grab onto your clothes or skin.
Finally, at coordinates N 33deg 25.323, W 111deg 25.536 you will come upon a noticeable fork in the wash where you should guide to the left along the edge of a tall rock wall. As you round the corner, you will notice the dark stains higher along the wall where the water falls about 40 feet into a deep pool (now almost dry).
This part of the adventure was just like stepping out of an Indiana Jones movie where you suddenly emerge into Shangra-La. The rocks are smooth although you're surrounded by tall cliffs and your voice echoes in the canyons. My plans of finding water in the pools was all for naught, as there was only a small amount down at the deepest part of the pit. But clearly visible around the edges, was a white ring indicating where the water normally rose to before spilling out into a series of deep crevasses on its way to the wash.
A couple of Hieroglyphics were barely visible on the rocks at this level and I wanted to ascend to the next level where they were better. I removed my pack and began climbing the left side of the falls but my arthritic knee began acting up and this didn't look like the place to be having any mobility problems. I desperately wanted to continue, but reluctantly descended back to where Howard was basking in the sunshine. We had a needed lunch break and just admired the magnificent scenery from this spot.
It was just past noon as we finally began our arduous descent back down the rock and boulder strewn wash. We were at the narrow gorge area where we took a short breather, when I noticed something out of the ordinary well up on the West canyon wall and asked Howard of those were animals? He had a small set of binoculars and was able to make out some Bighorn Sheep observing our progress (or lack thereof). I zoomed in on them to my maximum 12X and took a couple of photos (see photos). That was my first encounter with Sheep in the Superstitions and I'm really excited about seeing them.
Too soon, we were on our way again. Quickly you discover that the trip up, uses all leg muscles as you ascend the rocks, while the trip down is all impact on your joints as you jump to the lower levels. It was a relief to finally get out of the canyon and leave the wash in favor of the brush along the upper edges and a couple more miles brought us back to the waiting truck.
It's easy to see why Hog Canyon sees very little use. It's a tough hike and the going is slow, but the rewards are worth the effort. You will probably not see another person the entire day and the scenery can be awesome. Hopefully, there will be water in the pools and you can ascend to the upper levels and have an experience you will long remember. |
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| On every trip into the Superstitions, I find another Gold Mine. Today the mine was filled with Memories. I can not wait for the next trip. |
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