Victorine Crossing #101 • Hike • Arizona • All Triplogs • HikeArizona.COM

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Aug 09 2019

MountainMatt

Guides 3
Routes 202
Photos 3,513
Triplogs 530

male

Joined Jan 24 2016
Arizona

Victorine Crossing #101

Payson, AZ

Victorine Crossing #101

Payson, AZ

Hiking		Aug 09 2019
		MountainMatt • Triplogs 530

Hiking	3.25 Miles	736 AEG

Hiking	3.25 Miles	3 Hrs 27 Mns		1.32 mph
	736 ft AEG	59 Mns Break	45 LBS Pack

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A fun and easy little afternoon reuniting with an old friend and our pups to relax and enjoy a mellow but satisfying hike.
Overcast all day turned into a little bit of rainfall but other than that it was just cloud cover and sprinkles.
Very nice to see the healthy perennial pools in this section of Leonard, as with many of these Mogollon canyons don’t knock them until you hike them, as they may lack any visible surface water for miles but then you turn a bend and all of a sudden you have an aquatic paradise with fifty yard long pools with lightly flowing water in between.
The dogs loved the easy terrain as did we and enjoyed the well groomed trail on our way down and made a slight off trail detour on the way up for additional views and finds.
Capped off with a solid dinner at Pine Deli since OCI is far too busy with flatlanders on the weekend to even attempt going to these days.

Wildflowers Observation Moderate

Leonard Canyon

Pools to trickle

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1 archive

Jun 21 2016

The_N

Routes 54
Photos 1,508
Triplogs 325

39 male

Joined Mar 18 2015
Payson, AZ

Leonard Canyon & East Clear Creek, AZ

Car Camping		Jun 21 2016
		The_N • Triplogs 325

Car Camping

Car Camping		2 Days

no routes

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Victorine Crossing #101

East Clear Creek - FR95 to Kinder Crossing

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Minkis

Myself and Minkis were in need of some time in the woods. I've been too busy to get out much and Minkis is coming off hernia surgery and wanted to car camp with his dogs. He proposed a return to Victorine Crossing and I didn't hesitate to agree. Day 1 we hiked down into Leonard via Victorine Crossing. The creek bed was bone dry and the first big pool was almost empty. Fortunately the swimming hole at our usual camp site was full and cold, probably due to it being mostly shaded. We spent the day creekside while listening to thunder rumbling in the distance. We started our hike out just in time. As we approached the vehicle, it began to lightly rain and just before a lightning bolt struck a tree just feet from us. The sensation I felt before the loud crash was indescribable. We quickly got in the vehicle and I cracked open a cold beer immediately. This short, intense storm passed rather quickly and we set up camp. Day 2 we stopped at East Clear Creek for some creekside hiking / wading as we made our way toward Kinder Crossing. At a nice slow pace we stopped at every deep pool for a swim. We didn't end up making it to Kinder, which was good because Minkis was sore and we still had to walk back. We exited the canyon via game trails and got back on FR95.

Fauna

Fauna [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Dog

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If there is no struggle, there is no progress.

2 archives

Sep 13 2015

ALMAL

Routes 11
Photos 2,313
Triplogs 222

59 male

Joined Oct 17 2010
GILBERT

Victorine Crossing #101

Payson, AZ

Victorine Crossing #101

Payson, AZ

Backpack		Sep 13 2015
		ALMAL • Triplogs 222

Backpack	1.60 Miles	560 AEG

Backpack	1.60 Miles	2 Days
	560 ft AEG

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I've been looking at this one for awhile now. Photos from the N's trips had me suspecting a possible remote fishing hole with some great looking campsites as well. I parked off 137B right at the split with 137H, hopped on the mountain bike and rode to the end of 9172Q and the trailhead. A signpost has the trail leading off to the left but I stayed on the road for another 1/4 mile and it lead back to the trail. The trail is a bit difficult to navigate until about halfway down into the canyon, but it eventually works out along the end of the spur and down to the creek. The creek was dry at this point and I knew that deeper water likely awaited me downstream. The game trails are decent along the creek and cross numerous times, usually taking the inside edge to every turn of the canyon. The first pool I came too was almost dried up and pretty nasty. Then the creek was bone dry and made for easy boulder hopping downstream for a long stretch. The second pool was nice, clean, deep water and there was slight flow from that point on downstream. The next pool had a nice campsite so I moved in. Another 1/4 mile down there was an even bigger and deeper pool, but I didn't like the campsite as much. Tried some evening fishing but no luck.
Day 2: I explored further downstream and found two more decent pools right away, but then the creek dried up again. I hiked another 2 miles downstream along some nice game trails that were very easy to follow. I would say that you could go much further if you wanted to, but maybe no water until ECC. The skies darkened and I heard a little thunder so it was back to camp. The rain held off but I had an afternoon visitor. I bear climbed a tree across the creek from my campsite just so he could see over the thickets. He took one look at me and hurried off up the hill. Saw fish jumping before dark, caught none.
Day 3: A starry night turned into a cloudy morning with some rain and wind. Packed up after the rain let up and hiked back to where I stashed my bike. Only a 15 minute ride back to the truck. Got caught in a nasty storm heading back on 87 in long valley. Quite a bit of hail fell in a short time covering the ground in white.
It was 51 degrees.

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You aren't late if you don't show up!

Jul 23 2015

The_N

Routes 54
Photos 1,508
Triplogs 325

39 male

Joined Mar 18 2015
Payson, AZ

Victorine Crossing #101

Payson, AZ

Victorine Crossing #101

Payson, AZ

Backpack		Jul 23 2015
		The_N • Triplogs 325

Backpack	4.00 Miles	800 AEG

Backpack	4.00 Miles	2 Days
	800 ft AEG

no routes

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Leonard Canyon (Lower)

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Minkis

Decided to take Minkis (and dogs) into Leonard Canyon. He requested a secluded swimming hole with a short hike for an overnight backpack and had never been to V Crossing before so this was a no-brainer. The trail down to the bottom is faint but its short and well cairned. Once you reach the creek it's entirely bushwacking and boulder hopping with patches of clear beach in between. There are plenty of places to camp and a couple with fire rings. We set up on the beach 1 mile into the canyon. After a swim we had just enough time to settle in before enjoying watching the clouds moving over the canyon as they were being lit up by the colors of the sunset. In the morning we were awakened by passing elk but the dogs were contained so we stayed put in our tents and they quickly passed. We then spent the rest of the day bushwacking from one water hole to the next, swimming in each. There was more water in the canyon than the last time I was here and a whole lot more vegetation to deal with as well. Wildflowers and wild mint were abundant. We encountered elk on four occasions as well as turkeys, lots of birds, a few fish and millions of crawfish and insects. There were a few short moments of sprinkles but overall the weather was perfect. Great little trip into a beautiful, lush canyon with awesome swimming holes and tons of wildlife.

Flora

Flora [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Wild Bergamot Yellow Coneflower

Fauna

Fauna [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Atlantis Fritillary Butterfly Dog

Culture

Culture [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Campsite

Wildflowers Observation Substantial

	Barbershop Canyon	Medium flow	Medium flow
	Water @ FR 96 crossing

	Yeager Canyon	Light flow	Light flow
	Water @ FR 96 crossing

_____________________

If there is no struggle, there is no progress.

4 archives

May 27 2015

The_N

Routes 54
Photos 1,508
Triplogs 325

39 male

Joined Mar 18 2015
Payson, AZ

Victorine Crossing #101

Payson, AZ

Victorine Crossing #101

Payson, AZ

Hiking		May 27 2015
		The_N • Triplogs 325

Hiking	3.80 Miles	703 AEG

Hiking	3.80 Miles	2 Hrs 50 Mns	2.85 mph
	703 ft AEG	1 Hour 30 Mns Break

no routes

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Leonard Canyon (Lower)

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This one has been on my list for a long time. I had never seen this section of Leonard Canyon. With Horse Crossing and Kinder Crossing in the area, it tends to get overlooked. Signage is limited. Forest roads 137H & 9712Q are in decent shape, not bad, but just enough to get interesting in spots. The trail itself is faint to non-existent. Pretty much a game trail down a canyon with cairns and deadfall scattered around. Fortunately, it's not too steep so if you have to improvise you won't find yourself on a ledge somewhere. The route finding ends about a half mile down at the creek. That's where the beauty begins. Pristine water and beautiful cliffs everywhere. I creek hiked downstream and stopped to swim in every deep pool along the way. Even after a holiday weekend, there was no sign of people having been there, not even a shred of trash. Wildlife viewing is almost a certainty here. I saw elk on three occasions. Tons of great camp spots on white, sandy beaches. The last pool I jumped into was the deepest one and delivered a deep chill that when coupled with the cloud coverage and increasing breeze sent me packing. Definitely a summertime creek hike & multi-day backpack destination without the crowds. I will be returning soon I'm sure.

Fauna

Fauna [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Canyon Tree Frog

_____________________

If there is no struggle, there is no progress.

1 archive

Aug 15 2011

nonot

Guides 107
Routes 249
Photos 2,067
Triplogs 514

male

Joined Nov 18 2005
Phoenix, AZ

East Clear Creek - Horse Xing to Leonard

Payson, AZ

East Clear Creek - Horse Xing to Leonard

Payson, AZ

Backpack		Aug 15 2011
		nonot • Triplogs 514

Backpack	31.20 Miles	1,000 AEG

Backpack	31.20 Miles	16 Hrs 35 Mns		2.30 mph
	1,000 ft AEG		34 LBS Pack

no photosets

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Leonard Canyon (Lower)

Horse Crossing Trail #20

Victorine Crossing #101

Horse Crossing Trail #20 - East Access

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Drove up to the rim Friday afternoon. Very peaceful, almost no traffic. Got to Horse Crossing with no trouble, only had about an hour before dark, so I headed down the horse crossing trail and a short distance down ECC before finding a nice place to camp out and read a book.

Night was pleasantly warm. The next day I felt the humidity and it rained twice for about 40 minutes in total. I found a nice overhang to wait out the longer shower. There was a bit of bushwhacking to get to Mack's crossing and a bit more that final push to get to Leonard. ECC sure looked good @ Leonard, I wished my plans were to continue down as it kept getting better and better.

Headed up Leonard, camping options and water options were slim. Leonard was a bit more painful, but I made it to Victorine Crossing which was a pleasant surprise and headed up on the rim and road-walked back to the car. Due to the 2+ inches of rain on Sunday I was soaked through and through but it was very nice as it wasn't cold. Unfortunately the roads were terrible on the way out to the highway. Made it back home in time for a late dinner.

Best wildlife sighting trip in quite awhile - deer, elk, turkey, herons, mallards, and of course birds, lizards, snakes, crawfish, trout, etc.

Wildflowers Observation Substantial

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