Military Sinkhole Trail #179 • Hike • Arizona • All Triplogs • HikeArizona.COM

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	chumley	John9L
	The_Eagle	Tough_Boots

Joined Kyle, 9L, Chums and Bruce for a loop around the rim from Two-Sixty Trailhead. It's been a few years since doing this but it's a pleasant hike. Starting on Highline then over to Drew Trail where the climb begins. Highline is now a sidewalk with all the work done over past few years but Drew wasn't bad either. Reaching the rim we all took a break and regrouped.

After the break we headed for Woods Canyon Lake on a side drainage that eventually dumped us into one of the lake arms. Along the way we passed some decent patches of snow still left over from the last good snow storm. Eventually we followed lake arm around the northside of the lake.

Took a lunch break on the northside in the rocks overlooking the lake. Ran into a few people along the way now that all the road access is open. After lunch we hiked to the spillway and the usual crowd was there but we were back to solitude along the creek below the spillway.

Followed the creek to Chumleys exit point about 1.5 miles downstream. Then hiked cross country back to the rim and the Military Sink Hole Trail. Followed that trail back to the trailhead. Great to hike with this group again!!

_____________________

1 archive

Apr 12 2025

chumley

Guides 94
Routes 842
Photos 22,068
Triplogs 1,994

52 male

Joined Sep 18 2002
Tempe, AZ

High - Drew - Woods - Sinkhole, AZ

Hiking		Apr 12 2025
		chumley • Triplogs 1,994

Hiking	14.74 Miles	1,924 AEG

Hiking	14.74 Miles	6 Hrs 11 Mns	2.83 mph
	1,924 ft AEG	59 Mns Break

no routes

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7 linked trail guides

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	BiFrost	John9L
	The_Eagle	Tough_Boots

This is a springtime favorite for when the fireball starts to make the lower elevations hikes less enjoyable. A couple of late-season storms provided a some snowpack with lingering drifts, but the overall moisture content up here is well below average, with little or no spring runoff happening in the typical spots. The February 28 start of fire restrictions was a bit premature in my opinion, but with wind and warmer temps coming over the next 2-3 months, there could be dangerous conditions up here if a couple of spring storms don't bring relief.

Highline to Drew always ends up lasting just a little bit longer than I'd prefer, but Drew goes by quickly. No skitters on the rim this year, which was a welcome change. Grasses seem to be filling in the unsightly masticated forest floor left behind from the aggressive thinning that has been going on over the past few years. That's a welcome thing too.

The lack of snow has resulted in roads that were open for all but a couple of weeks, and the lake was bustling with crowds of people escaping the triple digits in the valley. Not much activity on the north shore though, so that was nice. At the dam, Bruceboots opted for the longer carbon-dioxide, boombox, tourist-strewn route, while the rest of us opted for scenery and peace.

Back at the sinkhole we made our way back to the trailhead, enjoying the unnecessary 2 extra miles that this trail decides to make for no apparent reason.

Nice temps all day, a lot more cloudiness than expected, and the kind of breeze that keeps the noseeumgnats away. In spite of the company, all-in-all, an enjoyable day.

	East Fork Woods Canyon	Pools to trickle	Pools to trickle
	No flow into the lake, but pools in the canyon.

	Woods Canyon Creek	Pools to trickle	Pools to trickle
	Didn't see a dry spot below the dam.

	Woods Canyon Lake	76-100% full	76-100% full
	A couple of feet below spillway.

_____________________

I'm not sure what my spirit animal is, but I'm confident it has rabies.

Apr 12 2025

The_Eagle

Guides 41
Routes 1,627
Photos 14,983
Triplogs 2,762

69 male

Joined Jan 20 2009
Far NE Phoenix,

High - Drew - Woods - Sinkhole, AZ

Hiking		Apr 12 2025
		The_Eagle • Triplogs 2,762

Hiking	15.62 Miles	2,358 AEG

Hiking	15.62 Miles	6 Hrs 19 Mns		2.88 mph
	2,358 ft AEG	54 Mns Break	12 LBS Pack

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Meadow Trail #505

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	BiFrost	chumley
	John9L	Tough_Boots

Route Recorded on Route Scout | Pop | Map | Popup | MapDEX

Got an invite from Chums to hike up in the rim country. We both suggested basically the same hike, one that we've both done a few times before. He assembled a cast of motley rag-tag degenerates to join us. Tough_Boots (It's been 9 years since I last hiked with him), Kackln' Karl (Been a 1.5 years since I hiked with him) Johnny Speed demon (aka 8K) and Chumley as the Beaver.

Starting at the 260 TH we made our way west on the Highline Trail, 4.5 miles to the Drew Trail intersection. Some don't care for the Highline Trail, but I think this is a nice trail to start your hike in the morning. It rollercoasters its way over with some nice rim views.

The Drew Trail is an 800' climb in a bit over a mile to get to the top of the rim. It gets the heart pumping. We took a bit of a break up here to gather all the participants, before continuing over to the Woods Canyon approach to the lake. For those of you that ever wondered, "The Drew Trail #291 derives its name from the Drew family, early pioneers who homesteaded near Sharp Creek in Arizona. Prior to 1909, they constructed this trail to facilitate travel to Winslow, making it one of the region's oldest pioneer routes. The trail served as a vital connection between their homestead and the broader territory."

The up canyon feeder showed evidence of a low intensity prescribed burn the entire length. The grasses were turning green, snow melt had created numerous deep clear pools and there was still a smattering of snow left over.

Hitting Woods Canyon Lake we started seeing people enjoying the lake. There were quite a few less than a typical Saturday. After corralling Chums9L, we took a lunch break at the lake. The Stellar Jays perched very closely in the trees around us waiting for us to drop a morsel for them.

Continuing around the lake we said hi to my cousins, chilling high in their abode, before Kyle and I split from the group at the spillway. We took the less exciting route of the Meadow Trail + Rim Lake Vista before meeting back up with the group at the Military Sinkhole Trail. From here it was a 2.4 mile drop back to the TH.

Good times and great hiking again with the extended group of puerile misfits. The weather all day was pretty much perfect.

Fauna

Fauna [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Bald Eagle Steller's Jay

Wildflowers Observation Isolated

_____________________

There is a very fine line between "hobby" and "mental illness."
Dave Barry

1 archive

Nov 14 2024

markthurman53

Guides 187
Routes 991
Photos 12,084
Triplogs 866

72 male

Joined Jun 27 2015
Tucson, Arizona

Military Sinkhole, AZ

Hiking		Nov 14 2024
		markthurman53 • Triplogs 866

Hiking	5.30 Miles	1,184 AEG

Hiking	5.30 Miles	3 Hrs 21 Mns		1.60 mph
	1,184 ft AEG	2 Mns Break	20 LBS Pack

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mamakatt22

From Albuquerque we headed to Payson to hike a couple of days but first we stopped in Sanders Arizona to buy some more wool for my Navajo rug weaving obsession. We arrived at hwy 260 at the east end of the rim in time to do a short 5 mile round trip hike along the Military Sinkhole trail. (They are still working on highway 260 and had to Waite for a pilot car to escort us through) This trail is along what looks like an old road and is rocky and steep for the first 1.5 miles after that it becomes a little easier. Traffic noise for the first 2 miles. This trail ends at the 260 Trail head and the beginning of the highline Trail.

Fall colors were plentiful still and spent a lot of time taking pictures. No water in any of the creeks. Once back up on the rim we took more pictures of the sunset to the west. As a note, the construction on Highway 260 is up above the rim just before Heber. Getting to all the trails along the Rim and the Rim road were no issue.

_____________________

Jun 19 2024

Guides 59
Routes 1,100
Photos 1,191
Triplogs 1,290

male

Joined Jan 01 2023
Arizona

Payson, AZ

Hiking		Jun 19 2024
		pseudalpine • Triplogs 1,290

Hiking	12.52 Miles	1,618 AEG

Hiking	12.52 Miles	4 Hrs 29 Mns	3.04 mph
	1,618 ft AEG	22 Mns Break

no photosets

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Lower fifties when Dese and I started this loop CW at about 5:30 this morning. There were some crashes in the forest along the Highline, which were probably elk, but perhaps it could have been a bear. Both trails up to the rim are in great shape. The previous forest thinning around the 9350 Campground is essentially unnoticeable, except for all the stumps. Hiking near the 300 road was annoying because of the constant large truck traffic transporting loads for the paving project. The Rim Lake Vista Trail has the best scenery of this relatively easy loop. When we began our descent of Military Sinkhole, a bunch of Tonto NF firefighters were topping out. One implied they were training for a dry lighting start. Another of the guys said he was carrying 75lb. of water.

I definitely appreciate their efforts.

6 archives

Sep 03 2023

DixieFlyer

Guides 99
Routes 1,487
Photos 16,107
Triplogs 1,377

male

Joined Jan 07 2017
Fountain Hills,

Rim Vista - Woods Canyon Lake Loop, AZ

Hiking		Sep 03 2023
		DixieFlyer • Triplogs 1,377

Hiking	15.24 Miles	1,560 AEG

Hiking	15.24 Miles	7 Hrs 15 Mns	2.38 mph
	1,560 ft AEG	50 Mns Break

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[ checklist ] Hookers Evening Primrose Rusty Gilled polypore

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It had been 4 years since I hiked on the Rim Lake Vista Trail, so I decided to head up there today.

We started at the 260 TH, and we did a CW lasso loop hike. We took the Military Sinkhole Trail up to the Rim, and then went left on the Rim Lake Vista Trail. We stopped at a few of the scenic vistas on the trail, and then made our way off-trail to the Woods Canyon Lake Trail. Once there, we went around the north side of Woods Canyon Lake, and stopped at a nice spot for lunch.

We continued going around Woods Canyon Lake, and then dropped down into Woods Canyon. Woods Canyon was very nice -- it was very green and there was some water in places, but not enough to get our feet wet. We continued through the canyon and then made our way back to the Military Sinkhole Trail.

This was a very nice hike -- the weather was super, there are some nice views along the Rim Lake Vista Trail, and there were hardly any other people on the north side of Woods Canyon Lake. This was my first time in Woods Canyon, and I enjoyed that part of the hike. I imagine that I will repeat this hike again sometime.

Flora

Flora [ checklist ]

Fauna

Fauna [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Cascade Golden-mantled Ground Squirrel

Culture

Culture [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Throwing a Wendy

Named place

Named place [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Four Peaks Mazatzal Peak Mount Ord Woods Canyon Woods Canyon Lake

_____________________

Civilization is a nice place to visit but I wouldn't want to live there

Jul 09 2023

jrich0085

Triplogs 19

40 male

Joined Apr 22 2020
Phoenix

Payson, AZ

Hiking		Jul 09 2023
		jrich0085 • Triplogs 19

Hiking	2.80 Miles	1,090 AEG

Hiking	2.80 Miles
	1,090 ft AEG

no routes

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Driving eastbound from Payson on AZ-260, I've long been intrigued by a sign indicating a left turn that's aptly named '260 Trailhead.'

This is an uncomfortable left turn. The highway is four lanes total (two in each direction) with a solid center line. There's no center lane for making a left turn. Oh, and the speed limit is 55 mph, with most people doing far in excess of that.

Military Sinkhole trail ascends the Mogollon Rim from 260 Trailhead. If the left turn were not safe, my Plan B was to drive a few more miles and park at Military Sinkhole Vista on top of the rim and then hike this trail in the opposite direction. Thankfully, with no traffic behind me, and a gap in oncoming traffic, I was able to make the legal, but treacherous, left turn into 260 Trailhead parking lot.

I was surprised to find a large gravel lot with bulletin boards, a latrine, and well-signed trails branching in multiple directions.

From the parking lot I began my ascent on Military Sinkhole Trail. The forest service website labels this as Trail #966, but the signage at the trail has it as Trail #179. Regardless, the ascent up the rim takes place over about two miles and just over 1,000 feet of elevation gain. It starts out in a vein of "Sedona-esque' red rock, but quickly becomes shadier. In fact, this section of the hike has the best forest. A thick blend of firs, spruces, and ponderosas are complemented by plenty of maple and oak. I might need to come back here in the fall.

The trail crests on the rim at Military Sinkhole lookout site, which is part of the Rim Lakes Vista Trail. Forest Road 300 (Rim Road) is still paved at this point, and the vista lookout sites have paved parking lots. This means expect lots of tourist traffic.

Despite the higher elevation, the forest on this part of the rim changes. Mighty ponderosas dominate with no firs or spruces in sight. The pines are spread apart, and the forest floor feels almost like high desert grassland. Open grassy meadows are abundant while old logging roads criss-cross the landscape.

I opted to cross FR-300 and continue along the trail. I found what I'm certain is the Military Sinkhole. It's just a shallow depression in the ground. Maybe it fills with water during the wetter seasons. Being as it was still early in the day, I continued my hike following the trail and Old Rim Road to the 235 Road Trail. I hiked to a feature on the map called 'Lake Three.' Lake Three was void of any water, but it was beautiful, grassy elk meadow. This was my turn around point.

Despite the forecasted highs on the rim top being in the low 80s, it was hot. The wind picked up in the afternoon, which was a welcome relief. Despite the shade of the thicker trees, the hike down only got hotter as I descended in elevation.

I've long been curious about 260 Trailhead, and I'm glad to have explored this area. And of course, I found a few other trails that I'll need to come back and explore again in the near future.

Wildflowers Observation Light

Jun 25 2023

Guides 59
Routes 1,100
Photos 1,191
Triplogs 1,290

male

Joined Jan 01 2023
Arizona

Payson, AZ

Hiking		Jun 25 2023
		pseudalpine • Triplogs 1,290

Hiking	13.68 Miles	1,589 AEG

Hiking	13.68 Miles	4 Hrs 40 Mns	3.16 mph
	1,589 ft AEG	20 Mns Break

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Spillway Campground

Meadow Trail #505

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3 archives

Jun 24 2023

John10s

Guides 25
Routes 377
Photos 5,927
Triplogs 347

40 male

Joined Mar 01 2018
Chandler, AZ

Woods Canyon Lake Loop via 260 TH, AZ

Hiking		Jun 24 2023
		John10s • Triplogs 347

Hiking	16.77 Miles	1,876 AEG

Hiking	16.77 Miles	8 Hrs 46 Mns	2.21 mph
	1,876 ft AEG	1 Hour 10 Mns Break

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[ checklist ] East Fork Woods Canyon Military Sinkhole Woods Canyon Dam Woods Canyon Lake

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TboneKathy

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We started from Two Sixty Trailhead around 8AM, and there were quite a few mountain bikers setting up to ride, though not many on the trails early on. Temps were in the mid-60s when we got going, and we hiked the loop clockwise. The first 4+ miles were smooth sailing on Highline, and the trees were buzzing with cicadas. Mountain bike traffic picked up as we approached the Drew Trail intersection. We turned there and started the climb toward the rim, and just about all the elevation gain on the route is concentrated on the first mile along Drew up to the rim.

Everything up to that point was pleasant pine forest, but the beauty of the landscape dropped off quickly around the campgrounds on top...lots of cut/downed trees, not much shade, and huge piles of dead branches and pine needles. We took a short food break just after crossing FR 300, and the scenery improved again as we started following the creek toward Woods Canyon Lake, with a lot more tree cover and greenery.

The lake was beautiful but crowded, as expected, with lots of boats and people fishing from the shore. We saw a water snake early on as we made our way around the north shore of the lake toward the dam on the east side, staying close to the shore to avoid the bald eagle closure (didn't see any). The area around the boat ramp to the south was packed...I was happy we weren't over there.

From the dam, we left the trail again and followed the creek for ~2.5 miles. There were game trails in many places, and even when it was more overgrown, it was easy off-trail hiking, and the creek was dry enough that avoiding the water wasn't an issue despite criss-crossing many times. That section of the hike reminded me a lot of the [ East Clear Creek - Dry Lake Loop ] we hiked a few years ago. Once we left the creek bed and got up into the forest again, we sat down for a lunch break and watched an elk pass in the meadow.

The terrain took another underwhelming turn as we connected with Military Sinkhole Trail, with more cleared trees and charred stumps. If we passed the sinkhole, it didn't stand out as anything remarkable...we didn't notice any of the sinkholes along the route today. Once we dropped down off the rim, we were back in pleasant, shady forest the rest of the way to Two Sixty, and the descent seemed more gradual than the hike up Drew earlier in the day. Only one car remaining at the trailhead when we finished up in the late afternoon.

Overall, this was a fairly typical Payson area/rim hike--consistently pleasant and often shady, and this one had an interesting mix of solitude and crowds while alternating between thick forest and barren, burned areas before/after Woods Canyon Lake. The route we followed was virtually identical to one The_Eagle, trekkin_gecko, LindaAnn, and rayhuston hiked earlier this month, but our Route Scouts recorded the mileage at closer to 17, compared to ~15.5 for theirs...not sure if ours were generous with the mileage or if theirs were stingy

.

Fauna

Fauna [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Cicada Common Raven Terrestrial Gartersnake

Culture

Culture [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Trail Signs and Markings

Named place

Named place [ checklist ]

Meteorology

Meteorology [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Moon

East Fork Woods Canyon

Medium flow

	Woods Canyon Lake	51-75% full	51-75% full

1 archive

Jun 08 2023

rayhuston

Guides 1
Routes 448
Photos 4,407
Triplogs 939

68 male

Joined Mar 09 2012
Gilbert, AZ

Highline - Drew - Woods Canyon - Sinkhole Loop, AZ

Hiking		Jun 08 2023
		rayhuston • Triplogs 939

Hiking	15.31 Miles	1,832 AEG

Hiking	15.31 Miles	7 Hrs 2 Mns	2.48 mph
	1,832 ft AEG	52 Mns Break

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	LindaAnn	The_Eagle
	trekkin_gecko

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What a great day to hike the Rim Country. A nearly cloudless sky with temps in the 60's. A wonderful route with excellent company made it just about perfect.

A four plus mile stroll under a canopy of green to start the hike. Gorgeous. Then came Drew and a short break. Joyful banter up to this point gave way to heavy breathing for the next mile. Everyone at their own pace. It was quick, though, and soon enough we were back on relatively flat ground enjoying the splendor of this fabulous area as we headed cross country to Woods Canyon Lake.

The Woods Canyon Lake trail is a delight. We stopped for lunch with a lakefront view and watched kayakers and anglers give it their best. After lunch, a detour around nesting eagles then on to the dam. Once at the dam, we dropped into the drainage and continued along Woods Canyon for another two miles before climbing out.

I enjoyed Woods Canyon, but that last mile as the canyon narrowed was starting to wear on me. I was hoping for a deviation in the route, but climbing out before the prescribed exit would have been steep and much more difficult. I zipped it and continued on. Once out of Woods Canyon we stopped for a break before heading cross country to the Sinkhole trail. The break ended with a smiley-faced Bruce tossing pine cones at me. Guess it's time to go.

We made our way to the sinkhole trail, took a glance at the sinkhole as we passed (without slowing down) and continued on back to the Rim. We took a momentary pause to enjoy the views from the Rim before heading down to the trailhead. As we descended, more than one of us wondered aloud why we kept going up when we're supposed to be going down. By now Kelly was leading the pack, so it didn't matter if we were going up or down; we were going fast!

This is a great loop, my second time through it, both with Bruce along guiding the way. It was a most enjoyable day. Bruce, Kelly and Linda, it is always great hiking with you. Thanks for a wonderful day!

	Woods Canyon Lake	76-100% full	76-100% full
	Beautiful!

_____________________

2 archives

Jun 08 2023

LindaAnn

Guides 110
Routes 2,249
Photos 8,982
Triplogs 2,603

45 female

Joined Dec 24 2007
Ahwatukee, AZ

High-Drew-Wood-Sink loop, AZ

Hiking		Jun 08 2023
		LindaAnn • Triplogs 2,603

Hiking	15.25 Miles	1,845 AEG

Hiking	15.25 Miles	7 Hrs 2 Mns	2.47 mph
	1,845 ft AEG	52 Mns Break

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	rayhuston	The_Eagle
	trekkin_gecko

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Got started around 0800 from the 260 trailhead. West on Highline. Easy hiking, nice shade from the trees.

Quick snack break before heading up Drew. I like Drew trail, generally good footing, and only a few steep portions. We each took Drew at our own pace, regrouping at the top.

Meandered east at the top, heading for a drainage that would take us to the nw corner of Woods Canyon Lake. Easy, and pretty, hiking along here. Bruce swears there was snow here just two weeks ago, but it’s gone now.

At the lake, we followed the trail east around the north side. Stopped for lunch on some large rocks while we watched the fishermen below. After that, we skirted around the eagle nesting closure, while getting pics of one eagle in a tree.

At the dam, we headed down Woods Canyon. Some water to negotiate, and some deadfall to dodge, but feet stayed dry and the canyon was quite fun.

Quick hike up out of the canyon and over towards Military Sinkhole trail, which had the least memorable sinkhole of the hike—the two we had passed earlier were more picture-worthy.

Down Military Sinkhole trail. The upper part followed an old roadbed and was easy hiking, although a little drab on the scenery. The lower half was much prettier, being in the shade and trees.

Great loop, nice weather, great company and conversation, and I was able to make it home just in time to shower and get my daughter to judo practice, so the timing was perfect.

Woods Canyon Lake

76-100% full

_____________________

Stop crying and just go do the hike.

Jun 08 2023

trekkin_gecko

Guides 10
Routes 673
Photos 7,281
Triplogs 4,660

67 female

Joined Nov 17 2008
phoenix, az

Highline - Drew - Woods Canyon - Sinkhole Loop, AZ

Hiking		Jun 08 2023
		trekkin_gecko • Triplogs 4,660

Hiking	15.42 Miles	1,950 AEG

Hiking	15.42 Miles	6 Hrs 59 Mns	2.54 mph
	1,950 ft AEG	55 Mns Break

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	LindaAnn	rayhuston
	The_Eagle

invitation from bruce to join the gang for one of his favorite loops
started from 260 trailhead around 0745, heading west on the highline
cool temps, good trail conditions
we took a snack break at the drew intersection then headed up
once up on the rim, i was attacked by mosquitos, but only for a short time - weird
cross country to woods canyon lake, then along the north side of the lake
hadn't been to the lake since 2011

we took a lunch break there and soon after saw a bald eagle and nest
continued along woods canyon creek
some deadfall and a few creek crossings
exited into a meadow, then easy off trail to military sinkhole
it's been ten years since i hiked this one so nice to be on these trails again
an interesting loop on a beautiful day with a fun crew - had a great time

kinda like this retirement thing
thanks for driving, ray

_____________________

hazhole

Jun 08 2023

The_Eagle

Guides 41
Routes 1,627
Photos 14,983
Triplogs 2,762

69 male

Joined Jan 20 2009
Far NE Phoenix,

Highline - Drew - Woods Canyon - Sinkhole Loop, AZ

Hiking		Jun 08 2023
		The_Eagle • Triplogs 2,762

Hiking	16.49 Miles	1,814 AEG

Hiking	16.49 Miles	7 Hrs		2.73 mph
	1,814 ft AEG	58 Mns Break	15 LBS Pack

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	LindaAnn	rayhuston
	trekkin_gecko

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Got Linda, Kelly and Ray together for an old favorite up in rim country.

60's to start and perfect weather all day. We did the loop clockwise to get the 4+ miles on the Highline done first. A snack at the intersection with Drew before making the 1100' climb to the rim.

The off trail portion getting over to Woods Canyon Lake is easy peazy. There has been quite a bit of thinning south of the rim road.

We made our way around the lake and took the reroute to bypass the eagle nesting area.

Heading down the Woods Canyon drainage was typical travel as in past years. What deadfall there is, is easily bypassed. Out of the canyon and up to the sinkhole, we made our way over to the Military Sinkhole trail.

Dropping off the rim, you go through old growth that almost blocks the sun in places.

Great hiking with the gang again. You couldn't ask for nicer weather.

_____________________

There is a very fine line between "hobby" and "mental illness."
Dave Barry

May 06 2023

Oregon_Hiker

Guides 9
Routes 473
Photos 8,433
Triplogs 626

79 male

Joined Dec 07 2010
Phoenix, AZ

Payson, AZ

Hiking		May 06 2023
		Oregon_Hiker • Triplogs 626

Hiking	4.20 Miles	834 AEG

Hiking	4.20 Miles	2 Hrs 21 Mns	1.79 mph
	834 ft AEG

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This was an out-and-back on the Military Sinkhole Trail from the Two Sixty Trailhead off of HW260. Three dads and their sons from my grandchildren's Home School group accompanied me and led the way. Our goal was to reach a viewpoint at the rim and then return. I got within about 0.2 miles of the rim when I encountered the rest of the pack coming back down so turned around to join them on the way down and never quite reached the top. It was a good excuse, I had run out of energy at that point.

The trail is easy to follow with a good tread but gets steep for the last mile. The beautiful old forest along the trail was a highlight for me. Views from the rim and connecting up with the rim trail at the end of this trail is probably the major attraction but I never quite made it there. The Two Sixty TH is a very short distance off of HW260 with room for a number of cars to park, signs for the Highline and Military SH trails are at the TH as well as an outhouse which appeared to be fairly well maintained.

_____________________

Apr 26 2023

LJW

Routes 154
Photos 1,505
Triplogs 266

31 male

Joined Jun 02 2019
Phoenix, AZ

Bear - Woods Loop, AZ

Hiking		Apr 26 2023
		LJW • Triplogs 266

Hiking	28.32 Miles	3,041 AEG

Hiking	28.32 Miles	11 Hrs 7 Mns	3.02 mph
	3,041 ft AEG	1 Hour 45 Mns Break

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Bear Canyon Lake Trail #112

See Canyon Trail #184

Carr Loop #412 - Mogollon Rim

Boulder Hop Trail #413

Meadow Trail #505

Christopher Creek @ Highline Trail

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Revisited this loop from a couple years ago for the annual rim lakes hike before 300 opens. There was still a lot of snow all over the rim, and I'd guess it'll be a couple weekends before it's open. I do think it's open as far as to get to Woods Lake. Two Sixty start with Highline to See Canyon.

The water in Christopher Creek is running off strong. To cross near the TH someone cut down a tree spanning the creek. Heading up See Canyon the only wet crossing was at the See Spring drainage, but it wasn't bad. See Canyon Trail is in the most deteriorated condition I've seen it in five years of going. There is significant deadfall, and the trail is eroded in spots. There was tons of water except in the middle. Still good snow higher up around and above the big waterfall.

Took Bear Canyon down. Deep, hard snow mostly the whole way, but I wasn't really sinking in or sliding on top. Great flow of water. Saw a dozen turkeys on top by 300 and a coyote at the edge of the lake. Hung out around there before climbing out of the SE drainage. I didn't head up very far and instead climbed up where there was no snow. Got on the roads and walked back to 300. There's still big snow drifts on 84 and presumably the road to Bear Canyon Lake.

Carr to Carr Lake, broke in the company of the many harmonizing frogs. Straight from the lake down the easy terrain to Aspen, then to Boulder Hop. The west side of Boulder Hop is a road turned creek bed then a disappearing line in the grass. Pretty easy to navigate the Hole in Ground area without it. Gen Crook through the hole then I climbed back up to 300 to avoid the big pool that feeds upper Woods Canyon.

Trickling and a little snow in the upper canyon, great flow below the dam. The lake is at something like 101%. All the feeder drainages are pouring in. Pretty much had the place to myself, apart from some distant silhouettes. The spillway is running off like a waterfall, so I headed down. Didn't get far in Woods Canyon before bailing due to snow on the slopes I wanted to climb out on farther down. Cut corners back to Meadow then Vista before Sinkhole. Saw a couple cars on Meadow and two men on RV.

Bear Canyon Lake

76-100% full

Carr Lake

76-100% full

Heavy flow

	See Spring	Gallon + per minute	Gallon + per minute
	Guess based on creek

Woods Canyon Lake

76-100% full

2 archives

Apr 15 2022

Guides 59
Routes 1,100
Photos 1,191
Triplogs 1,290

male

Joined Jan 01 2023
Arizona

Payson, AZ

Hiking		Apr 15 2022
		pseudalpine • Triplogs 1,290

Hiking	12.00 Miles	1,720 AEG

Hiking	12.00 Miles	4 Hrs 34 Mns	2.86 mph
	1,720 ft AEG	22 Mns Break

no photosets

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Carr Lake TH to Military Sinkhole

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2 archives

Apr 13 2022

LJW

Routes 154
Photos 1,505
Triplogs 266

31 male

Joined Jun 02 2019
Phoenix, AZ

Woods - Willow Loop, AZ

Hiking		Apr 13 2022
		LJW • Triplogs 266

Hiking	30.54 Miles	3,363 AEG

Hiking	30.54 Miles	12 Hrs 22 Mns	2.81 mph
	3,363 ft AEG	1 Hour 30 Mns Break

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9 linked trail guides

Willow Springs Canyon - Mogollon Rim

Willow Springs Bike Loop Trail #535

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Route Recorded on Route Scout | Pop | Map | Popup | MapDEX

Last year in April I looped Bear Canyon and Woods Canyon Lakes the day 300 opened, so I tried again this year a little earlier in the month and got to enjoy the having the Rim to myself until Willow Springs Lake. I tried this idea out in the summer last year but found the foliage along the creek, humidity and related slipperiness, and the many many mosquitoes too much to manage. This time of year conditions are pretty much perfect.

Sparing the well-reported, Woods Canyon was my favorite of the two. It starts grassy, flat, and open, and stays that way for a long while. Big pools of water, the water slow moving and glassy. Really dense forest of tall and diverse trees. The middle six or seven miles in the canyons between the lakes isn't so grassy and nice; that stretch is a long rock hop.

The rock hopping is harder in Willow Springs Canyon where deadfall is thrown into the mix. WSC cuts through a similar forest. The water moves a little quicker and doesn't pool as wide. WSC gets easier more suddenly than Woods. All the sudden it's off the rocks and onto a grassy trail. In the lower few miles passed a few sites with old irrigation tubing.

Climbed up to Willow Springs Lake around the dam and headed over to the Bike Loop. A trail winds around south of the lake often times right next to the 260. although the footbridges it crosses were on my map, the trail itself was not. Stopped a couple times at the lake to admire the peaceful scenery. The rest of the trip along the rimtop to Rim Vista was spent among some huge ponderosas.

Rim Vista at about sunset is the way to go. Saw the only people outside of Willow Springs Lake on Sinkhole. Heading in for a backpack. Saw lots of birds, some deer, an elk, and a small snake on the day. Repeating would probably start on top of the rim or shuttle.

Willow Springs Lake

76-100% full

Woods Canyon Creek

Medium flow

Woods Canyon Lake

76-100% full

1 archive

Apr 09 2022

The_Eagle

Guides 41
Routes 1,627
Photos 14,983
Triplogs 2,762

69 male

Joined Jan 20 2009
Far NE Phoenix,

Highline - Drew - Woods - Military Loop, AZ

Hiking		Apr 09 2022
		The_Eagle • Triplogs 2,762

Hiking	16.13 Miles	1,681 AEG

Hiking	16.13 Miles	6 Hrs 30 Mns		2.87 mph
	1,681 ft AEG	53 Mns Break	14 LBS Pack

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chumley

John9L

Route Recorded on Route Scout | Pop | Map | Popup | MapDEX

Got an invite to join Chums and the crew in the rim country.

We started from the 260 TH with a half dozen other cars in the lot. We did this loop clockwise to get the lower elevations out of the way on the Highline first. The Highline #31 rollercoasters it's way 4.5 miles over to the Drew #291. This section is in great shape and affords good views west to the rim.

The Drew #291 is a steep 800' climb in .8 mile. It climbs through the ponderosa providing more shade the higher you get.

Up top, we headed cross country to the link up with Woods Canyon to follow it to the lake. There was water in every drainage and some snow remaining in spots.

We hit the lake and the trail that heads around the northside. This was the first time I'd seen the lake with 0 people on it. Part way around we took a break for lunch and enjoyed the view.

The lake is currently full with the spillway falls flowing. We continued down the drainage until jumping out to join the Military Sinkhole #179 Trail . Back at the top of the rim the forecasted 30-40mph gusts were in full force. After a short break up top, we completed the 2 mile hike back down to the TH.

Perfect temps throughout the day.

Good to hike with Chums and 9L again and to meet Ryan and his dog Echo.

Fauna

Fauna [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Osprey

Wildflowers Observation Isolated

	Woods Canyon Lake	76-100% full	76-100% full
	Water running over the spillway

_____________________

There is a very fine line between "hobby" and "mental illness."
Dave Barry

1 archive

Apr 09 2022

chumley

Guides 94
Routes 842
Photos 22,068
Triplogs 1,994

52 male

Joined Sep 18 2002
Tempe, AZ

High Drew Woodsink Loop, AZ

Hiking		Apr 09 2022
		chumley • Triplogs 1,994

Hiking	15.57 Miles	2,173 AEG

Hiking	15.57 Miles	6 Hrs 32 Mns	2.67 mph
	2,173 ft AEG	42 Mns Break

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John9L

The_Eagle

I'd been looking to get up on the rim before the roads open and the hordes arrive to burn the place down. I put together a loop from the 260th with a handful of options once up on the plateau. We found an orphaned hiker thumbing it in Payson and decided he looked safe enough to give a ride to. Turns out he's a regular hiker here on the hazzerwebs. Good to put a few steps on the ground with the soaring Eagle again

.

We knocked off the Highline traverse in the cool morning air before climbing up Drew to the rim. It was delightfully quiet and peaceful. We headed down canyon toward the lake, encountering plenty of flowing water and some nice remnant snow in the shaded areas. We opted for the long way around the lake before heading down below the dam, which had a light flow of water running over it.

After heading down canyon a ways we climbed out and cut across toward the Sinkhole. This stretch has been thinned and even though it's been at least 5 years, it's still a rather unpleasant barren wasteland of stumps and leftover logging debris.

My first time taking the sinkhole down the hill, the top is nice but ends up traversing about a mile farther than seemed necessary. Possibly wouldn't have been a big deal had it not been so late into a big hike.

All in all, a great day and a wonderful loop to do in off-season when this otherwise busy area is more peaceful.

_____________________

I'm not sure what my spirit animal is, but I'm confident it has rabies.

1 archive

Jan 17 2022

Guides 59
Routes 1,100
Photos 1,191
Triplogs 1,290

male

Joined Jan 01 2023
Arizona

Payson, AZ

Hiking		Jan 17 2022
		pseudalpine • Triplogs 1,290

Hiking	17.02 Miles	2,005 AEG

Hiking	17.02 Miles	5 Hrs 44 Mns	2.99 mph
	2,005 ft AEG	3 Mns Break

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Carr Lake TH to Military Sinkhole