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| Cimeron Mtn Cave Exploration via Rogers Trough, AZ | |
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| | Cimeron Mtn Cave Exploration via Rogers Trough, AZ | | | |
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Cimeron Mtn Cave Exploration via Rogers Trough, AZ
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| Hiking | 16.49 Miles |
2,574 AEG |
| | Hiking | 16.49 Miles | 9 Hrs 51 Mns | | 1.88 mph |
| 2,574 ft AEG | 1 Hour 4 Mns Break | | | |
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[ show ]
| partners | | The goal today was to check out a cave in a cliff wall on the northwest side of Cimeron Mountain that I'd noticed on a previous hike but didn't have time to explore that day...from below, it looked big enough to potentially have ruins inside. We started from Rogers Trough, and FR 172/172A had some puddles and wet areas, but nothing too bad. High clearance is definitely needed, and there are a few spots, especially on 172A, where 4x4 is useful. There were ~10 vehicles in the lot when we arrived and multiple tents set up near the no camping signs. We had a cloudy start, but comfortable temps in the mid-50s.
There was plenty of water in Rogers Canyon from the beginning, so we had the sound of flowing water for most of the hike, which was a nice change from my last trip here a few months ago. The trail had been recently maintained, and there were flags marking some of the washed out areas for future repair. We passed a few hikers and campers on the way in, and there was no one at the Rogers Canyon ruins as we passed. Beyond Angel Basin, the water didn't slow things down as much as I expected along Frog Tanks Trail--I stayed dry rock-hopping and never had to wade.
I paused briefly at the monster agave and continued past the Rough Canyon entrance where Frog Tanks leaves the creek bed and starts climbing. It was mostly easy to follow despite some overgrown areas where prickly pear have taken over and require some minor gymnastics to dodge thorns. Once Frog Tanks dropped down toward the bed of Fish Creek Canyon, I left the trail and started following a drainage up toward the cave.
It was a steep, brushy slope, but I was excited to see what was inside. As I got closer, though, the cave looked smaller than expected...and it was empty. Nothing noteworthy inside, unfortunately. There was a small tunnel exiting the cave on the east side for a second opening and some nice views, but I won't be putting in the effort to go back anytime soon  .
[ youtube video ]
[ youtube video ]
I took a short break before starting down. Back in Rogers Canyon, I was surprised to see a family of five with fairly young kids who said they were heading for Reavis Ranch--it was well into the afternoon at that point, and they had quite a few miles of semi-overgrown trail ahead of them. We continued to see quite a few people on the hike out, but again no one at the main Rogers Canyon ruins when we passed.
The forecasted wind started to pick up over the last mile or two and clouds returned. Back at Rogers Trough, there were even more vehicles and more campers set up, some of them cooking on a camp stove in the parking lot. On the drive back to Phoenix, we experienced the magic of the Renaissance Festival--that time of year when it turns Highway 60 into I-17 on the weekends. Overall, though, despite the empty cave, it was fun exploring and satisfying my curiosity about what was (or wasn't) inside, even if the answer was unsatisfying . |
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Rogers Canyon |
Medium flow |
Medium flow |
| | | Steady flow in the creek bed, lot of small falls |
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Rough Canyon |
Medium flow |
Medium flow |
| | | Steady flow at the confluence of Rogers/Rough Canyons | | | |
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