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| West Fork of Oak Creek from FR253, AZ | | -
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| | West Fork of Oak Creek from FR253, AZ | | | |
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West Fork of Oak Creek from FR253, AZ
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| Hiking | 16.13 Miles |
1,896 AEG |
| | Hiking | 16.13 Miles | 6 Hrs 57 Mns | | 2.50 mph |
| 1,896 ft AEG | 30 Mns Break | 14 LBS Pack | | |
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| Partners |
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[ show ]
| partners | | Joe came up with this alternative 3 years ago. You get to visit the West Fork of Oak Creek, without fighting Sedona traffic or the parking woes at the West Fork. We had no trouble finding a parking spot, got to hit up 2 little used trails and still were able to enjoy the colors and scenery of the West Fork of Oak Creek.
We started to a chilly 28 degrees, frost on the ground and ice on the puddles. To make this balloon loop work we tied in a couple of FR's. The first 9495, to a short off trail to get to the top of the Telephone Trail #72. This trail can be steep and slippery in spots, but yields some sweet views on the way down. You get the added bonus of visiting the Peeps as you head down.
At the bottom, there's a short walk behind the guardrail to get to the park entrance and your $2.00 walk in admission. There were cars on the street and the lot was full, but while hiking it did not seem too crowded.
This really is a special place with all the contrasting colors and textures, highlighted by the fall pallet. The fall colors should be around another week or so.
We took lunch at a particularly picturesque area before heading out.
The starting point in the parking lot for the Thomas Point Trail #142 is currently obstructed with tall grass. Look for the trail sign that is barely visible through the grass. After you cross over the 89A, the trail climbs back to the top of the rim. The grade on this trail is much steadier the what we dropped in on the Telephone Trail.
A pretty hike and a preferred way to get to the colors, if you don't mind a few more miles. This hike could be cut shorter with a more capable vehicle with some good tires for the rocks. We did have a 4Runner pass us having 0 problems on the FR's |
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Autumn Foliage Observation Substantial
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There is a very fine line between "hobby" and "mental illness."
Dave Barry  |
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