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| | | Whitewater Catwalk Mini-Loop, AZ | | | |
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Whitewater Catwalk Mini-Loop, AZ
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| Backpack | 20.70 Miles |
4,275 AEG |
| | Backpack | 20.70 Miles | 3 Days | | |
| 4,275 ft AEG | | 26 LBS Pack | | |
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| partners | | Lead an ABC trip into the Gila Wilderness for the long weekend, knowing full well that we were likely to get good and wet. Last year on this same weekend I attempted a much more...ahem...ambitious itinerary which did not end well http://hikearizona.com/photoset.php?ID=54276&start=. So this year, I kept it simple - a short loop up the forks of Whitewater Creek, taking in the Catwalk NRT and some of the beautiful high country of the Gila Wilderness.
A part of this hike was along the GET Segment #20, and we were determined to get it right this time. One of the spots that I fell in love with the first time I visited the area is called the "Devil's Elbow" along the East Fork of Whitewater Creek. I set this as our first camping spot, thinking that I'd get to spend a little time exploring the narrows beyond.
We camped the night before the hike at the Big Horn Campground just north of the turn-off for the Catwalk Trailhead. It was a decent place to camp for the night, though with the holiday weekend, of course there were quite a few people joining us there. No running water, and not much shade, but for a pre-hike spot to sleep it was fine.
We hit the trail at about 8am, wanting to avoid the crowds that we knew would flood the lower portion of the trail on Sat. morning. Last year I'd been amazed at the crowds when I hiked out on that day, and this year I learned that there is a ministry who brings about 40 families to the area each year on the Sat. before Labor Day. Ah ha. However, by leaving early, we beat the rush and we had the catwalk virtually to ourselves.
The Catwalk itself is just such an enjoyable little hike. Although the actual "catwalk" part is relatively short, there are many fun stretches of bridges, railings and ramps that make this a really unique couple of miles. From there, you begin what is a more predictable, but certainly not boring, canyon hike. The crossing of the main stem of Whitewater Creek was low enough that we were able to keep our feet dry, and as we headed into the East Fork canyon, though the trail hops back and forth across the creek (and at times up the middle of it), there are always enough stones to keep you above the flow.
We made it to the elbow pretty early, without any problems at the Tennessee Meadows junction (where I messed up last time). The camping spot was just as beautiful as I remembered, with plenty of spots for tents and hammocks, and a large fire ring that needed a little attention (full of trash). Someone had left about 5 lbs of un-opened, un-eaten food in a pile near the firepit. From all the evidence of bear activity in the area, we figured we'd better not just leave it for the bears to figure out.
Good thing, too, because as we're sitting in camp talking about this and that, I look up across the way to the hill and there's a bear! It (he she?)was standing on the trail that climbs up and over the hill to avoid the "elbow", probably about 30 yards from us, and staring right into our group. Maybe disappointed that we'd scammed in on the food stash? Of course my instincts were - well - pretty poor. Instead of grabbing a camera or having some other logical reaction I heard myself say (rather loudly) "Holy pumpkin! Look!" and pointed to the bear. The whole group turned at once, and he/she turned and ambled back up the hill. Everyone saw him, and everyone agreed that he was certainly staring us down. Still, I wish I'd gotten a photo off before we scared him away.
A little later I headed up stream to check out what I was sure would be a fun narrows. Turns out that above the elbow, the creek is really not much different than at any other point along the trail. There is a deep pool cut by a small waterfall that would block easy trail access, but then it opens up again. In fact, there are remnants of an old trail that start just beyond the pool. My guess is that a flood cleared away the passage there and forced someone to build the trail over the hill in order to get their horses through. If it wasn't for the underbrush, it would actually be easier for hikers to go along the creek. However, I really enjoyed my 1 on 1 time with the Gila, and am glad that I've explored the area and satisfied my curiosity.
It was a delightful evening around a very nice campfire. A light rain shower in the afternoon had made it just cool enough that we needed long sleeves, but we weren't ever really cold. Kevin made a 3lb turkey quinoa meatloaf for the group, and we shared a box of wine carried in by the Snackman (Clyde) and assorted sides from the rest of the group. There weren't many stars, but as the weather was unpredictable, I had the tarp up anyhow. I don't remember the last time I slept that well 
Sunday was our big hike day. We had about 9 miles to cover, and more than 3,000' of elevation to gain. There was a bit of confusion created by the fact that the climb at the end of the East Fork trail has been re-routed at some point to bypass the dozen or so switchbacks that are noted on all of the maps and GPS routes. Normally, I'd never complain about NOT having to do switchbacks, and once we figured it all out we were fine - but it would be nice if we'd known and not wasted so much time trying to find a trail that has been gone for quite some time.
There were a number of fairly new backpackers in the group, and this hill tested them. Pacing is so important on these longer hikes, and though they started out fast and strong, by about 8,500' everyone was plodding along at about the same pace. The trail goes through some burned areas (probably the reason for the re-routing), but seldom opens up enough to offer the kinds of views I was hoping for.
After hitting our high point near 9,500', we intersected the Winn-Canyon trail (DeLouche) and started back down 2,000' of those feet we'd gained. There were no descriptions of this trail in the books I have on the Gila, and now I know why. While it's a perfectly easy trail to follow, and has a smooth grade - it's pretty boring for a Gila Wilderness track. Clearly designed for pack animals, it descends into the canyon in very, very looonngg switchbacks through dense forest. There's very little in the way of vistas, diversity or challenge... You just walk down, down, down. It probably didn't help that less than a mile into it, the rain started in and we were locked into our jackets/ponchos with hoods up most of the way.
You could see, however, from the thickness of the vegetation toward the base of the hill that we were on the wetter side of the mountain. There was a good flow in the ephemeral Winn Creek. Our planned camp was at the confluence with Whitewater Creek, and no one had any desire to push on further in that wet weather. Although it's a delightful camping spot, and very expansive, the rain kept us locked in our tents and under our tarps much of the night. We didn't even realize that there was a very close water source just a couple hundred feet up the trail - instead attempting to descend the deep, steep Whitewater Creek canyon. I actually used the rainwater off my tarp for my meals that night...I love multi-purpose gear!
Monday was an early morning for Kevin, who decided to share the joy with the rest of us. There wasn't time to dry off our gear, so we put on wet duds and packed up wet tents and hit the trail for home. The trail along the main stem of the creek is beautiful, and the canyon is not only larger and more impressive than the East Fork, but also was in low-flood stage. It was impossible for us to keep our feet dry on creek crossings this time.
The group was scattered on the way back, but navigation was simple so we made good time. About 3 miles from the trailhead, my feet slipped out from under me and I did an impressive John Travolta imitation, bending my right leg under me at an angle that I didn't think was possible. The resulting gash in my knee was the immediate worry - I was bleeding like there wasn't any tomorrow - but after hiking all the way out and the first leg of the drive home I realized that the real damage was to the joint itself. It's healing nicely, but I've gone from John Travolta to John Wayne in my moves 
The Catwalk was busy as expected, with lots of young people taking advantage of the swimming holes and families pushing strollers making passing difficult. We got back in ample time, however, and we were starving for lunch. We didn't realize that Glenwood locks it's doors on the holiday... Not a single place was open. So, those of us who were left said our goodbyes and headed home.
Not a bad way to spend a few days...soaking in the rain and the beauty of the Gila Wilderness! |
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Change will not come if we wait for some other person or some other time. We are the ones we've been waiting for. We are the change that we seek.- Barack Obama |
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