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| Hiking | 10.00 Miles |
710 AEG |
| | Hiking | 10.00 Miles | 5 Hrs 40 Mns | | 1.76 mph |
| 710 ft AEG | | | | |
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| no partners | | Completed 11/12/06
Got a late start and didn't hit the trailhead until 10:50. Made it to the turnoff in about half an hour (sticks are there, cairn is not.) Bouldered my way up First Water Creek, including a rather dangerous ascent straight up a 30 foot dry waterfall  . Didn't see the pass on the right side Fritski mentions. There are several other pools persisting, though you'd have to be in dire straights to consider it drinkable. Along Upper First Water Creek, I agree, stay in the creek always.
Arrived in West Boulder Canyon at the 90 minute mark and ate a small lunch. I could make out the massacre ramp to the west, but just barely, looks very much different from the other angle.
From here, things start getting rough. It is basically a bushwhack/cactus whack east until you get to O Grady Canyon. I can't agree with the recommendation to stay in the creek at this point. Yes, you want to follow the hills on the north of you, but it is much, much easier, and far less painful, to leave the creek and try to parallel it on the south side of the creek. The thorny bushes along the creek are absolutely horrible and I can show you my legs and arms to prove it  .
I spent some time climbing the rock formations in the West Canyon to try to get a better view of the area. I was amazed at the vastness of the canyon and the fact that I couldn't see a single person anywhere. In retrospect, this was the highlight of the trip.
When you get to O Grady Canyon, you head North and it's more of the same rock jumping, thorn-avoiding balancing act. There are a few pools here that have water bugs, water boatmen, and an occasional frog. Must be nice when it's raining, but besides the novelty, you have to bushwhack around them and in the narrow canyon your options are limited. I counted three 25 foot cliffs/dry waterfalls I had to scale down. As you continue down the creekbed, you sometimes are in the bed, sometime there is a path that crisscrosses on either side. Thorns and cactus are horrible here too .
If there is an easy way to get to the saddle across from Tim's Saddle, I sure missed it. When I got to the creek at the point perpendicular to the saddle, it looked like a 45 degree incline choked by cactus and those thorny bushes and there was no way I was headed up there. I continued along in the creek, meaning to catch the next use path west, but I overshot THAT one as well and ended up running smack bang into the Dutchman Trail (though I didn't know it at the time, I actually thought I had hit the use trail.)
Once on the Dutchman's, I proceeded west in the direction I thought would get me back to the trailhead. However, after about fifteen minutes, the trail turned back east headed straight towards Weaver's Needle. Thinking that couldn't be right, I backtracked until I realized I was again headed east straight towards Weaver's Needle. At this point, I was confused. 
I knew I was east of Parker Pass, and I thought I had rejoined the Dutchman's from the use trail (I was actually never on the use trail.) Consulting my map proved fruitless, nowhere did I see the Dutchman (or any other trail) looping back on itself to the east. Thankfully some other hikers arrived while I was doubling back for the fourth time and told me they were headed out. Then, I realized the original path I was taking was correct. I was able to head west, then south, then EAST, then EAST some more, until the trail finally turns south and then back west. None of the maps I have procured show that part of the Dutchman going EAST at all, so heads up for any folks doing this one in the future. I'm looking at a map now and shaking my head. When I was out there, I went a good ten minutes in either direction and couldn't make heads or tails of it. Between this section and way overshooting the O Grady Canyon exit, I'm adding a couple miles to the journey.
Anyways, once I was headed out the Dutchman's I made it back to the trailhead without further incident. I counted 7 creek crossings, but 2 of them were right at the very beginning. I only counted 5 going in because theres a 15 minute gap between 1 and 2 and 3-7 and I hadn't begun counting when I passed 1 and 2.
I gave this trail a rather low rating because of the numerous thorns I'm still pulling out, the jumping cholla that attached itself to my leg in O Gradys (was unavoidable), my aching ankles from the boulder jumping in the creeks, and the fact that because you are in the creeks at the bottom of the canyon, the views are poor. The only redemption is the moderate views of the West Canyon from the rock formations in the canyon. If it had more water I might have had a different opinion as some of the pictures look spectacular with the water, but if it's wet it seems like it would be an extremely difficult hike.
I wish I knew if the climb over the saddle would have been better than staying in the creek. In retrospect I should probably have given it a shot. |
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http://hikearizona.com/garmin_maps.php
Hike Arizona it is full of sharp, pointy, ankle-twisting, HAZmaster crushing ROCKS!!
Hike Arizona it is full of sharp, pointy, shin-stabbing, skin-shredding plants!
Hike Arizona it is full of striking, biting, stabbing, venomous wildlife! |
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