Grapevine Springs Canyon Trail #4 Photoset • kelly14 • 2018-01-18 • HikeArizona.COM

Grapevine Springs Canyon Trail #4, AZ

	2018-01-18
	16 by kelly14

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Grapevine Springs Canyon Trail #4

Prescott, AZ

Grapevine Springs Canyon Trail #4

Prescott, AZ

Hiking	7.03 Miles	1,358 AEG

Hiking	7.03 Miles	5 Hrs 49 Mns	1.33 mph
	1,358 ft AEG	33 Mns Break

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Did this back on January 18. This is one of my favorites. Finally got to check it out after the Goodwin Fire and wow. It is devastating/incredible. It was so sad to see so much devastation, but in a weird way also very cool. It was unlike anything we had ever seen before. From where most people park to the actual trailhead Id say 90% of the area is completely burned. We ventured off trail into the canyon bottom where there was plenty of water flow and you could definitely tell the canyon changed with all the post fire flooding. Down in the canyon there was a tree here and there spared by the fire. In the past getting to the official trailhead was always exciting because you know from that point on you were in the pines and in the forest and that is no longer the case. All the pines around the trailhead and surrounding drainiages were completely scorched. I think I saw 1 pine tree that lived. Continuing on the Grapevine Springs Canyon Trail, the next 1/2 mile to 1 mile stretch was just as bad. All the trees in the canyon and surrounding hillsides were completely scorched. It was really sad. But water was flowing the entirety of the hike and really brought life to all the scorched earth.
Thankfully it wasn't all bad! If you have been on this trail before in the dry parts of the year, the area where the water starts flowing on the trail seemed to have dodged the worst of the fire! I assume the moist riparian canyon bottom fended off the fire. Because for the rest of the hike it didn't appear bad at at all. Maybe a few burned trees here and there but for the most part plenty of living trees! The south facing slopes though were scorched all along the way. But the forested north slopes and the canyon looked just as pristine as ever. It was a big relief. I can't wait to see this area recover over the next few years. In the past I had seen gila trout in the creek but read online the fire seemed to have killed them off. Hope they reintroduce them.
This hike continues to be a favorite and am surprised in my 4-5 times there have never seen another soul.

	Grapevine Springs	Gallon + per minute	Gallon + per minute
	water was running the whole way

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