Second Water - Black Mesa cut Loop Photoset • ScottHika • 2024-03-16 • HikeArizona.COM

Second Water - Black Mesa cut Loop, AZ

	2024-03-16
	13 by ScottHika

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Second Water - Black Mesa cut Loop

Phoenix, AZ

Second Water - Black Mesa cut Loop

Phoenix, AZ

Hiking	11.00 Miles	1,700 AEG

Hiking	11.00 Miles
	1,700 ft AEG		15 LBS Pack

no routes

Linked

linked

Boulder Canyon Trail #103

Second Water Trail #236

Partners

none

no partners

First Water Second Water walkabout. We got a little more rain yesterday (Thurs) and the desert continues to bloom. This was a spur of the moment wander hike starting at First Water and got there leisurely 8am. The temperatures in the am were 40s and later felt like 70s. There was new snow on Four Peaks and interesting low fog along the Salt River. The lot was near capacity but I grabbed a spot.

Despite the half inch of rain, First Water Creek was not running but there were pools all around. Right now there are some of the many wildflowers that hopefully will keep going. It’s been just enough rain but more is needed. Not likely to be the superbloom we had last year. The plants were still wet from the rain but for the most part, the ground was just barely damp.

I saw a lot more backpackers than day hikers as groups of folks young and old were either heading out or coming back. There was a large group of scouts returning and they had a couple pack mules. The trails were muddy in spots and there were a lot of horseshoe (and people) prints in the afternoon mud.

Boulder Canyon was flowing pretty nicely and as usual La Barge maybe a little less. There was a lot of green in the water because the flow has been kind of lazy and the stagnant pools are rising up and moving downstream. I really love this time of year when everything is so very green and it is at times a visual overload in comparison to the dry brown desert we often have. Happy St. Patrick’s Day HAZ!

Flora

Flora [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Fairy Duster Mexican Gold Poppy Owl Clover Saguaro Stinknet

Named place

Named place [ checklist ]