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| Hiking | 7.80 Miles |
1,766 AEG |
| | Hiking | 7.80 Miles | | | |
| 1,766 ft AEG | | | | |
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| no partners | | Every once in a while, I go out on a hike expecting little more than some typical views of the usual scenery, only to find myself speechless with awe and humility for what lies before me.
Haunted Canyon is such a place.
Long wanting to visit this remote mystery, my repeated attempts to research it always turned up surprisingly little. The relatively few descriptive trip reports along with a bare minimum of mostly lack luster photos would suggest that there's not much to look at out there. It seemed that no one from the site had even been there in over a year and a half. And, the few comments I read about the mine and access problems sure didn't sound like a very good sign. I had doubts that it even existed anymore until Kurt posted a trip report from last weekend. Not believing my eyes, I PM'd him at once, where he confirmed that both canyon and access remained intact. That was all I needed to hear and I was out the door the next morning.
The drive beyond Superior is quite spectacular on it's own. Turning left at a crossroad just past mile marker 239, my enthusiasm waivered. I had entered the mining world, and as far as the eye could see, I could see nothing worth looking at. Wondering if I made this long trip for nothing, I drove on amidst a landscape of pipes, pumps and ponds. I didn't realize then that I was still a long way from the canyon. On a very positive note, the Forest Service or mining company or whoever's responsible has done an outstanding job of signing and maintaining all the roads there. The dirt roads are pristine - wide, flat and smooth with a clear sign to direct you at every possible turn. The only turn I missed was the last one to the trailheads. That sign is down the road a bit and easy to miss, but if you pass it (on your left), you will immediately be driving over a one-lane steel bridge, so you'll know that you've gone too far and turn around.
Starting at the locked gate, it's a very pretty walk down the Jeep road with a creek on your left that has plenty of water. When you reach the dead end at a big corral by the lower Trailhead, there's a gate you can open and go through on the right. Walk straight in heading up on a steep, rocky trail. Almost immediately you enter a whole different world with phenomenal views all around and it just keeps getting better all the way. I had planned to go as far as Tony Cabin and back out, which I mapped to be 10.5 miles. But, I didn't have enough daylight left to make it all the way, so my out and back was 7 miles.
There is a lot of water in the creeks out there with the delightful exception of the steep walled narrow canyon section, which, I believe, normally presents a certain challenge to get beyond. But, in the absence of water, I simply walked through it. I can't think of the right words to describe what it was like in there. The only thing close to compare would be the box canyon at La Barge, except these walls were much closer and went on a ways like a tunnel. It was just mystical.
There were some small fish in the creeks, but I saw no other animals. I did see several spots of fresh bear scat on the trail and I heard shots fired nearby once in a while. The idea of hunters and hikers sharing real estate is a tragedy just waiting to happen. I'm thinking of swapping out my camouflage fatigues for something in a day-glo orange.
I believe this place must be beautiful all year, but these two weeks of fall make it just breathtaking. I think today was the best of all possible days here. If you can get out there in the next day or two, it would be well worth the effort. The yellows and oranges were blazing, but the leaves are falling and it won't last much longer. If you miss it this year, it's an absolute must for your calendar next fall. My camera didn't begin to do justice. I took over a hundred photos trying to capture this beauty, but every picture seems like an insult to it's subject. This is something you need to see for yourself.
How this magical place can go so unnoticed, I can only attribute to it's remote location. But, I have traveled much further than this for a day hike, and I can easily say this was the best one I've done. |
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Autumn Foliage Observation Extreme
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Wildflowers Observation Isolated
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I'm at home in the wilderness... it's civilization I have problems with! ](https://hikearizona.com/dex2/images/smilies/eusa_wall.gif "Brick wall") |
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