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| Canyoneering | 4.80 Miles |
1,093 AEG |
| | Canyoneering | 4.80 Miles | | | |
| 1,093 ft AEG | | | | |
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| no partners | | I was looking for a scenic and secluded hike and thought I'd make a visit out to Devil's Canyon, near the rock climbers area.
The drive in was actually very good up until you get the the last drive down towards the windmill. Lots of heavy equipment has graded out and smoothed the road nicely. Not so much once you get to the end. That section is rougher than I remember when I came in here to hike to the 5 pools in 2020. The road going to the Lower Devils Canyon Trailhead was the usual rough ride.
I was really hoping to catch some autumn colors at the canyon, but I missed that by a couple of weeks, I'd guess. Signs from the Telegraph Fire were present from the turn off for Oak Flats and all the way to the canyon. It looks like the fire came through this entire area. But, it was not so much a total burn, but more of a hit or miss "mosaic" pattern. Burnt cacti, shrubs, etc were all over the place from start to finish. And, even more disheartening was the amount of grass everywhere. Waist high and extremely thick in most places. The grass was joined by the especially nasty catclaw that grows out here. Way more of that nastiness abounded than I remember.
I hiked towards the Totem Pole area and worked my way down to the creek. There was a slight flow and even some greenery growing out from all the dropped leaves. After looking around a little, I worked my way over to Hackberry Creek and hiked out. This area is always a treat.
Devils Canyon is, of course, under peril from the nearby upcoming mining operations. I am worried this spectacular area will be damaged and/or altered beyond recognition. That would be a tragic loss for Arizona. This canyon is a truly special area. I've visited National Monuments and even National Parks that are not as spectacular as this area.
I only did about 3.5 miles total, but it took me a while. Lot of photos, but it's just not a place you make great time, even if you don't stop every few minutes to take pictures and video.
I will come back here again in March when the waterfalls will be flowing at the pools. I am wondering how many more visits I will get for this area before it's forever altered??  |
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"Jobs fill your pockets, adventures fill your soul."
instagram: @andydilling |
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