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Hog Hill Trail #133 - 9 members in 15 triplogs have rated this an average 2.7 ( 1 to 5 best )
15 triplogs
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Aug 15 2025
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 Routes 255
 Photos 8
 Triplogs 261

54 male
 Joined Feb 19 2015
 Phoenix
Kelsey - Dorsey - Hog Hill Loop, AZ 
Kelsey - Dorsey - Hog Hill Loop, AZ
 
Hiking avatar Aug 15 2025
bjonsonTriplogs 261
Hiking16.37 Miles 4,383 AEG
Hiking16.37 Miles   10 Hrs   28 Mns   2.07 mph
4,383 ft AEG   2 Hrs   33 Mns Break
 
no photosets
1st trip
Route Scout Route Recorded  on Route Scout | Pop | Map | Popup | MapDEX
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May 28 2021
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 Guides 34
 Routes 138
 Photos 931
 Triplogs 111

68 male
 Joined Dec 26 2018
 Phoenix, AZ
Kelsey Springs Trail #3Flagstaff, AZ
Flagstaff, AZ
Hiking avatar May 28 2021
GrangerGuyTriplogs 111
Hiking12.40 Miles 2,880 AEG
Hiking12.40 Miles   8 Hrs   20 Mns   1.99 mph
2,880 ft AEG   2 Hrs   6 Mns Break10 LBS Pack
 
1st trip
The road:
Forest Road 538 up to FR 538E would have been passable even with my Toyota Corolla. The first part of 538E from 538 to the intersection at 538G did require high clearance but didn’t really require four-wheel-drive. The intersection of 538G and 538E is a good place to stop for this loop. Although I only walked the roads from here to both trailheads, Kelsey and Dorsey, both 538E and 538G were passible with high clearance, and no need for 4x4.

The hike:
I slept in my car overnight in order to get a 5:15 AM start, doing the loop counterclockwise. It took me about a half hour of road walking on 538G to get the Kelsey trailhead. This was practical, since I was walking the complete loop. There is plenty of parking at the trailhead.

It turns out the counterclockwise loop is the way to go. The trail drops pretty steeply from the Kelsey TH, and the climb back up Hog Hill is gentle. There is decent camping in the vicinity of Kelsey Spring. All the springs had warnings to camp at least 200’ away, which was not an onerous requirement.

There was old bear scat in the vicinity of Babe’s Hole Spring, and a lot of mole activity as well.

The Little LO (LO means Lookout, according to the Forest Service Map) trail is pretty steep, but always a good quality trail. From the bottom of the canyon, I turned right up the canyon a bit for some good pictures. There is poison ivy in the vicinity of Geronimo Spring.

The Kelsey Trail is challenging at times. The north-south section from Babe’s Hole Spring through Dorsey Spring , down to where it turns east toward Winter Spring can be very ambiguous. Pay close attention to the blazes on the trees and you will do fine. There is about a mile of trail in the east-west section north of Winter Cabin where the trail is very overgrown with scrub oak. You will want to have long sleeves and long pants when going through this section. I sent a note to the Forest Service. Perhaps they can do something.

It is surprising to find Winter Cabin within the wilderness boundary. I guess it is old enough that it doesn’t disqualify the area for wilderness.

The Hog Hill trail is the remains of an old road, but it feels more like a wide trail than a road.

Fauna:
I encountered two bull elk just after starting out, but not too much interesting after that.
There was lots of elk scat and prints along the Kelsey trail north of Winter Cabin.
I heard woodpeckers on the Little LO trail.
I was insulted repeatedly by a Stellar’s Jay on the Hog Hill section.
 Flora
 Flora [ checklist ]
[ checklist ]  Lewis Flax
 Named place
 Named place [ checklist ]
[ checklist ]  Kelsey Spring
wildflower observationwildflower observationwildflower observationwildflower observationwildflower observation
Wildflowers Observation Moderate
It was a great time to do this hike. Lots of wildflowers in bloom including:
Yellow Ragwort
Lewis Flax (Linum lewisii)
Desert Penstemon [Beardtongue] (Penstemon pseudospectabilis)
New Mexico Locust (Robinia neomexicana)
Golden Columbine (Aquilegia chrysantha)
Ceanothus fendleri
Lithospermum (not sure which species)
Arizona Lupine (Lupinus arizonicus)
Wild Currant (Mahonia trifoliolata)

water 1 out of 5water 2 out of 5water 3 out of 5water less than max Babes Hole Spring Gallon per minute Gallon per minute
Spring is flowing. Plenty of clear water.

water 1 out of 5water 2 out of 5water less than maxwater less than max Casner Tank 26-50% full 26-50% full
Casner tank has plenty of filterable water in it.

water 1 out of 5water 2 out of 5water less than maxwater less than max Dorsey Spring Quart per minute Quart per minute
Dorsey Spring was flowing less than a liter per minute, and there is great camping nearby.

water 1 out of 5water 2 out of 5water 3 out of 5water 4 out of 5 Geronimo Spring Gallon + per minute Gallon + per minute
Geronimo Spring is flowing at gallons per minute. The best access is from the bottom of the canyon, and not where it first comes out of the hill.

water 1 out of 5water 2 out of 5water 3 out of 5water 4 out of 5 Kelsey Spring Gallon + per minute Gallon + per minute
Kelsey Spring is flowing at gallons per minute. Spring box is full of clear water.

water 1 out of 5water less than maxwater less than maxwater less than max Winter Cabin Spring Dripping Dripping
Winter Cabin Spring was stagnant and unappealing, but would be available to the desperate.
 
Jun 13 2020
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 Guides 12
 Routes 192
 Photos 863
 Triplogs 356

42 male
 Joined Nov 30 2015
 Phoenix, AZ
Kelsey & Little LO TrailsFlagstaff, AZ
Flagstaff, AZ
Run/Jog avatar Jun 13 2020
ShatteredArmTriplogs 356
Run/Jog12.41 Miles 2,627 AEG
Run/Jog12.41 Miles   4 Hrs   12 Mns   2.95 mph
2,627 ft AEG
 
1st trip
Partners none no partners
Decided to head out to the east rim of Sycamore Canyon to check out some of the trails out there. First went down Hog Hill trail to Winter Cabin. Doesn't really get interesting until you get to the actual cabin. The spring box there was dry, with barely a trickle about 10 feet away.

Kelsey Trail was cool, most of it is on a broad bench with pine and oak, and the occasional fir tree. Lots of shade, with two half-mile-or-so chaparral stretches that are hot, exposed, and overgrown, but afford the best views into the canyon. Dorsey Spring had more water than Winter Cabin, and provided a good opportunity to douse myself.

Headed down Little LO trail, which was very steep in places, but mostly shady, so I wasn't too worried about the climb out. Lookout Canyon looks like it might be worth checking out, but had stagnant water that I didn't really feel like dealing with. Sat by Geronimo Spring for a few minutes and filled up. Great flow, great tasting water.

The climb up wasn't bad, and at Babe's Hole Spring, passed by the group of hikers that had just started up when we got down to Lookout Canyon. Saw a pair of hikers on their way down just afterwards - apparently this area actually gets some visitation!

Got to Kelsey Spring, the fifth spring of the day, and it was closer to trickle, but still a pleasant spot. Didn't expect all five to have water in mid June!

This is a good little trail system, and one I'll probably come back to and explore more.

water 1 out of 5water 2 out of 5water 3 out of 5water less than max Babes Hole Spring Gallon per minute Gallon per minute

water 1 out of 5water 2 out of 5water less than maxwater less than max Dorsey Spring Quart per minute Quart per minute

water 1 out of 5water 2 out of 5water 3 out of 5water 4 out of 5 Geronimo Spring Gallon + per minute Gallon + per minute
Only took about 30 seconds to fill up a 3L bag. Good water.

water 1 out of 5water 2 out of 5water less than maxwater less than max Kelsey Spring Quart per minute Quart per minute

water 1 out of 5water less than maxwater less than maxwater less than max Winter Cabin Spring Dripping Dripping
Spring box empty, stagnant pools in creek, very light trickle from the actual spring.
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  1 archive
Apr 26 2020
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 Guides 94
 Routes 840
 Photos 22,055
 Triplogs 1,993

52 male
 Joined Sep 18 2002
 Tempe, AZ
Hog-Winter-Kelsey, AZ 
Hog-Winter-Kelsey, AZ
 
Hiking avatar Apr 26 2020
chumleyTriplogs 1,993
Hiking10.33 Miles 1,866 AEG
Hiking10.33 Miles   4 Hrs      2.79 mph
1,866 ft AEG      18 Mns Break
 
1st trip
Partners partners
John9L
We started at Casner Tank and headed down Hog Hill to start. Having been to Winter Cabin via the namesake trail before, I was disappointed by this one in comparison. Rocky and exposed. Meh.

From the cabin things turned better for the rest of the loop. Except for one south-facing exposed section that was overgrown with prickly things, the rest of it was a pleasant hike in shady pines, interesting geology, great views, and just enough water to not have to worry about it.

We passed three different groups of people on the ascent up Kelsey and there were a few cars at the trailhead. The last mile and a half on the road back to Casner dragged on a bit but it was nice to make a loop out of it rather than shuttle.
 Named place
 Named place [ checklist ]
[ checklist ]  Babes Hole Spring  Kelsey Spring
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I'm not sure what my spirit animal is, but I'm confident it has rabies.
  1 archive
Nov 23 2017
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 Guides 37
 Routes 556
 Photos 10,872
 Triplogs 1,052

43 male
 Joined Jan 21 2013
 AZ
Dorsey Spring Trail #7Sedona, AZ
Sedona, AZ
Hiking avatar Nov 23 2017
FOTGTriplogs 1,052
Hiking10.13 Miles 2,082 AEG
Hiking10.13 Miles   4 Hrs   8 Mns   2.61 mph
2,082 ft AEG      15 Mns Break
 
1st trip
Partners none no partners
A little Thanksgiving hike with the pups today. This was my first time in this area, but I left feelings impressed, with though of a return backpack.

The winter cabin area was probably the highlight, however the majority of the hike was pleasant. There was significanr water flowing at all of the robust springs along the way and the trails were in great shape, apart from a few overgrown warm stretches along Kelsey. The stretches of trail underneath the pines in particular, were very pleasant and there were some nice views to be had on occasion along Kelsey. Good hike overall, perf temps and fast trails. I started at Dorsey TH, took Hog Hill to Winter Cabin and then Kelsey the rest of the way. Nobody on the trails. This area might have some solid fall color potential.

Happy Thanksgiving!
foliage observationfoliage observationfoliage observationfoliage observationfoliage observation
Autumn Foliage Observation None
Past due prime, not much to be had, but potential

water 1 out of 5water 2 out of 5water 3 out of 5water less than max Babes Hole Spring Gallon per minute Gallon per minute

water 1 out of 5water 2 out of 5water 3 out of 5water less than max Dorsey Spring Gallon per minute Gallon per minute
water report recorded in the field on our app Route Scout

water 1 out of 5water 2 out of 5water 3 out of 5water less than max Kelsey Spring Gallon per minute Gallon per minute
water report recorded in the field on our app Route Scout

water 1 out of 5water 2 out of 5water 3 out of 5water less than max Winter Cabin Spring Gallon per minute Gallon per minute
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  1 archive
Oct 16 2016
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 Guides 1
 Routes 1
 Triplogs 22

male
 Joined Jan 03 2016
 Flagstaff, AZ
Winter Cabin - Dorsey - Kelsey Loop, AZ 
Winter Cabin - Dorsey - Kelsey Loop, AZ
 
Hiking avatar Oct 16 2016
flagscottTriplogs 22
Hiking16.00 Miles
Hiking16.00 Miles
 no routesno photosets
1st trip
Beautiful day to be in Sycamore Canyon. We started at Dorsey Spring trailhead, took Hog Hill over to Winter Cabin, stopped briefly at "Ott Lake," went down to Sycamore Canyon, goofed around in the canyon, took Winter Cabin back up, and then took Kelsey Spring over to Dorsey Spring to make a loop of sorts. Only saw one person all day. No aspens, but the Gambel's oak are gold all over (or maybe brown if you don't see the beauty in Gambel's oaks).

Our only complaint is that the lowest mile or two of the Winter Cabin trail is kind of a piece of pumpkin-super steep, bad tread, very brushy, with lots of scrub oak over the trail, and agaves, yuccas, and prickly pear encroaching, too. My wife has a nice big stain on her shoe now from blood running down her leg. Wear pants and long sleeves if you're thinking of doing Winter Cabin.

Quick driving note: FR231 and FR538 are in great shape, and we had no trouble at all in our little car. We parked at the turnoff for the trailhead, where 538 and 538E meet. If you're very careful, a low-clearance vehicle could probably make it down 538E to the turnoff for the tank but probably not the last few hundred yards to the trailhead. But if you park right at the intersection of 538 and 538E, it's about a quarter mile of easy cross-country walking to the trail.

water 1 out of 5water 2 out of 5water less than maxwater less than max Dorsey Spring Quart per minute Quart per minute
Great water from the pipe coming out at about a liter per minute.

dry Ott Lake Dry Dry
Nothing but flowers (and grass).

water 1 out of 5water less than maxwater less than maxwater less than max Winter Cabin Spring Dripping Dripping
Plenty of water in the pools, but it was full of floaties and kind of rank. We would've skipped it, but we were out of water when we pulled in there. Bring a filter and some Crystal Lite or Gatorade powder if you're going to drink from here.
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  2 archives
Oct 15 2016
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 Photos 281
 Triplogs 222

45 male
 Joined Aug 03 2008
 Chandler, AZ
Winter Cabin Loop, AZ 
Winter Cabin Loop, AZ
 
Backpack avatar Oct 15 2016
knmurphyTriplogs 222
Backpack18.00 Miles 3,500 AEG
Backpack18.00 Miles
3,500 ft AEG
 no routesno photosets
1st trip
foliage observationfoliage observationfoliage observationfoliage observationfoliage observation
Autumn Foliage Observation Light
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Jun 11 2016
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 Guides 264
 Routes 2,797
 Photos 14,494
 Triplogs 5,894

55 male
 Joined Nov 20 1996
 
Dorsey - Kelsey - Sycamore -Winter Cabin Loop, AZ 
Dorsey - Kelsey - Sycamore -Winter Cabin Loop, AZ
 
Hiking avatar Jun 11 2016
joebartelsTriplogs 5,894
Hiking17.54 Miles 3,875 AEG
Hiking17.54 Miles   10 Hrs   35 Mns   1.93 mph
3,875 ft AEG   1 Hour   30 Mns Break14 LBS Pack
 
1st trip
This would be better in April or October. We did a reverse of Bruce's 2012-09-15 loop. No mosquito or wasp issues this round.

The area got around an inch of rain overnight. BiFrost did a fine job sliding his 4Runner through the mud all the way to the Dorsey Trailhead.

Dorsey, Kelsey & Little LO is a fantastic hike down to Sycamore Canyon. An out-n-back would be prime for most.

Not sure how I forgot about 5.6 miles of boulder hopping. Sycamore is cool but 0.6 would suffice. Sprained my ankle so I may be negative biased.

Turning out of the creek and up Winter Cabin Trail #70 we met two canyoneers from Ohio. The little side trip to Ott Lake was a winner for the second time. No field of wildflowers, just a sea of foxtails. Which is the only place I like to see them, in the middle of a lake bed!

Albeit reasonable for myself this was borderline too hot for Bruce. Luckily occasional clouds and breezes made it bearable.

The pines kick in just before Winter Cabin then on up. Always nice to hike in the tall pines.

Shockingly the roads were mostly dry heading out.
 Geology
 Geology [ checklist ]
[ checklist ]  Mud
 Named place
 Named place [ checklist ]
[ checklist ]  Babes Hole Spring  Ott Lake

water 1 out of 5water 2 out of 5water less than maxwater less than max Babes Hole Spring Quart per minute Quart per minute
it would help if I looked...

water 1 out of 5water 2 out of 5water 3 out of 5water less than max Geronimo Spring Gallon per minute Gallon per minute
looked fine

dry Ott Lake Dry Dry
just a sea of foxtails
_____________________
- joe
 
Jun 11 2016
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 Guides 41
 Routes 1,626
 Photos 14,983
 Triplogs 2,760

69 male
 Joined Jan 20 2009
 Far NE Phoenix,
Dorsey - Kelsey - Sycamore -Winter Cabin Loop, AZ 
Dorsey - Kelsey - Sycamore -Winter Cabin Loop, AZ
 
Hiking avatar Jun 11 2016
The_EagleTriplogs 2,760
Hiking17.28 Miles 3,784 AEG
Hiking17.28 Miles   10 Hrs   36 Mns   1.93 mph
3,784 ft AEG   1 Hour   40 Mns Break15 LBS Pack
 
1st trip
With the 1" of rain the night before and 20 miles of dirt roads, Karl slid us to the Trailhead in 4wd. With my 2wd Pathfinder, there is absolutely no way we would have made it. We started at 62, got as high as 95 degrees twice on the climb out and finished at a pleasant 68.


- Dorsey Spring Trail #7
This trail is just a wonderful walk in the woods.

- Kelsey Trail #3
At Dorsey Spring, we got on the Kelsey Winter Trail making our way closer to Sycamore Canyon. This also is a nice trail with a few good camp sites on it. We checked out Babes Hole Spring on the way down which had some good filterable water.

- Little Lookout Trail #6
At Babes Hole Spring, we got on to the Little LO Trail. towards the bottom, fill up at Geronimo Spring. Getting to this point is a pretty steep drop. The water is great at the spring

- Sycamore Canyon
While there are some great looking canyon views...
5.8 miles of boulder hopping gets a little tiring for me.

- Winter Cabin #70
From Sycamore Canyon, don't miss the cairned turn on the east side. This is a steep totally exposed climb to Ott Lake. After Ott lake you pick up some trees and is gorgeous at Winter Cabin. Filter some water here if you need it.

- Hog Hill #133
Pleasant grade up from Winter Cabin. This appears to be an old road in many spots

We saw a huge Fox running at top speed with a 3' bone in it's mouth on the way in, a dozen or so elk and plenty of Mule Deer on the day.

I love this area, just need to work up a better loop minimizing the 5.8 miles of boulder hopping
wildflower observationwildflower observationwildflower observationwildflower observationwildflower observation
Wildflowers Observation Isolated

water 1 out of 5water 2 out of 5water less than maxwater less than max Babes Hole Spring Quart per minute Quart per minute
Plenty in the Spring box and the pools below

dry Colcord Canyon Dry Dry

water 1 out of 5water 2 out of 5water less than maxwater less than max Geronimo Spring Quart per minute Quart per minute
Flowing nicely from the black plastic pipe

water 1 out of 5water 2 out of 5water less than maxwater less than max Kelsey Spring Quart per minute Quart per minute
Good filtering source


dry Ott Lake Dry Dry

water 1 out of 5water 2 out of 5water 3 out of 5water less than max Winter Cabin Spring Gallon per minute Gallon per minute
Spring box is filled in and useless.

We filtered 6 quarts from the pools below
_____________________
There is a very fine line between "hobby" and "mental illness."
Dave Barry 🦅
  2 archives
Jun 11 2016
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 Guides 4
 Routes 491
 Photos 10,890
 Triplogs 1,257

55 male
 Joined Nov 20 2012
 Phoenix, AZ
Dorsey - Kelsey - Sycamore -Winter Cabin Loop, AZ 
Dorsey - Kelsey - Sycamore -Winter Cabin Loop, AZ
 
Hiking avatar Jun 11 2016
BiFrostTriplogs 1,257
Hiking17.54 Miles 3,875 AEG
Hiking17.54 Miles   10 Hrs   35 Mns   1.93 mph
3,875 ft AEG   1 Hour   30 Mns Break
 no routes
1st trip
Lots of rain the night before so we pretty much slid into the trail head at Dorsey. Temps were cool but humid at the start. Really enjoyed the hike down into Sycamore Canyon through some nice pines and passed by Dorsey, Babes Hole and Geronimo springs which all had good water. Also some great camp spots in the area if doing an overnight.

As mentioned in Bruce and Joe's triplog once we got into Sycamore Canyon the party was over. Bouldering de jour was the main course but it is a scenic canyon despite the terrain. We ran into some canyoneers from Ohio where we exited Sycamore Canyon up Winter Cabin trail and the only people we saw all day.

Eventually made it to Winter Cabin and filtered some water at Winter Cabin Spring before moving on to Ott Lake. No water in Ott Lake but there were some cool wispy foxtails in the basin. Then the last 4 miles back to Dorsey TH to close out the loop.
 Named place
 Named place [ checklist ]
[ checklist ]  Geronimo Spring

water 1 out of 5water 2 out of 5water 3 out of 5water 4 out of 5 Babes Hole Spring Gallon + per minute Gallon + per minute
flow in drainage just below the spring

dry Colcord Canyon Dry Dry
didn't see any sign of water at the confluence or up canyon

water 1 out of 5water 2 out of 5water 3 out of 5water 4 out of 5 Geronimo Spring Gallon + per minute Gallon + per minute
decent flow out of base of spring

dry Ott Lake Dry Dry
could have water in spring or winter

water 1 out of 5water 2 out of 5water less than maxwater less than max Winter Cabin Spring Quart per minute Quart per minute
several decent pools at spring source
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Sep 15 2012
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 Guides 41
 Routes 1,626
 Photos 14,983
 Triplogs 2,760

69 male
 Joined Jan 20 2009
 Far NE Phoenix,
Sycamore Canyon Loop-North, AZ 
Sycamore Canyon Loop-North, AZ
 
Hiking avatar Sep 15 2012
The_EagleTriplogs 2,760
Hiking17.47 Miles 3,525 AEG
Hiking17.47 Miles   9 Hrs   51 Mns   2.08 mph
3,525 ft AEG   1 Hour   28 Mns Break16 LBS Pack
 
1st trip
We tried to do this hike last month, but were turned away because of muddy roads. On this return trip Wally decided to join Denny, Joe and myself. The Trip to this trailhead includes 22 miles of dirt off of I-17. If you like washboard roads, then FR 231 is for you.

It was a beautiful crisp clear morning with The temps on my Truck Thermometer getting down as low as 40 degrees on the way to the TH. We did a clockwise loop

- Hog Hill #133
Pleasant grade down to Winter Cabin

- Winter Cabin #70 (With a stop at Ott Lake)
This is a pretty area.
Interesting Cabin.
Spring is full of water.
Ott Lake is Dry.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gTtbeyuHQsk&list=UUcAm2CHlpbDrwYRrjYvcHUA&index=2&feature=plcp
Got to personally witness the Denny Rattlesnake dance. Hope to get it on camera some day.
It goes something like this:
"A high Pitched/Scared hoot, with both hands in the air, hopping on one foot in circles.
This trail gets steep dropping into Sycamore Canyon Basin.

- Sycamore Canyon Basin
There are some pretty views in the canyon, but I tired of the 5.8 mile rock hop.
Two more Blacktail Rattlers found down here

- Little Lookout Trail #6
Fill up at Geronimo Spring. The water is great.
Short Steep trail that climbs out of Sycamore Canyon. If you are trying to find this trail from down below, the trail head is easy to miss as it is blocked by a fallen tree.

- Kelsey Trail #3
Traverses across to Kelsey Spring

- Dorsey Spring Trail #7
The final push up to complete the loop

water 1 out of 5water 2 out of 5water 3 out of 5water 4 out of 5 Dorsey Spring Gallon + per minute Gallon + per minute
Clean Cool water coming from plastic Pipe.....

water 1 out of 5water 2 out of 5water 3 out of 5water 4 out of 5 Geronimo Spring Gallon + per minute Gallon + per minute
Clear cold water. Tastes great.

dry Little L O Spring Canyon Dry Dry
Looked for a bit, never found this one.

dry Ott Lake Dry Dry
Dry

water 1 out of 5water 2 out of 5water 3 out of 5water less than max Winter Cabin Spring Gallon per minute Gallon per minute
A few good size pools of clear water. There is a flow.
_____________________
There is a very fine line between "hobby" and "mental illness."
Dave Barry 🦅
  3 archives
Sep 15 2012
avatar

 Guides 264
 Routes 2,797
 Photos 14,494
 Triplogs 5,894

55 male
 Joined Nov 20 1996
 
Hog133/70 - LO6 - Kelsey3 - Dorsey7 Loop, AZ 
Hog133/70 - LO6 - Kelsey3 - Dorsey7 Loop, AZ
 
Hiking avatar Sep 15 2012
joebartelsTriplogs 5,894
Hiking17.40 Miles 3,150 AEG
Hiking17.40 Miles   9 Hrs   52 Mns   2.17 mph
3,150 ft AEG   1 Hour   50 Mns Break12 LBS Pack
 
no photosets
1st trip
From the Dorsey Springs TH we headed down Hog Hill Trail #133. The air was cool, crisp and most enjoyable through thick pine trees.

After a short visit to Winter Springs Cabin we headed down Winter Cabin Trail #70. On route we stopped by Ott Lake. This large meadow is a very picturesque. Abundant wildflowers filled the dry lake. Mosquitoes tried to devour us alive. Denny entertained with a Kachina Rain Dance type circle stomp upon hearing the rattle of a snake.

Back on trail #70. The descent turns a bit rocky and slightly scratchy down to Sycamore. It felt warmer with each step. It really seemed to drag on making this stretch my least favorite for the day.

We boulder hopped about 5.6 miles up Sycamore Canyon. Which is very similar to the middle section of Woods Canyon most curse off. We lunched near the halfway point. Mosquitoes and wasps were out in force.

Just as we were all excited to exit the canyon and be on a real trail I pounded my inner right calf with a bad step. Not even a scratch, just some blunt force rock pounding. The pain was unreal. About five minutes later it was swelling up enough to concern me. We had a bit of difficulty finding Little LO Trail #6 due to a fallen tree at the first switchback up.

Back on track Little LO ascends quick and steep. Luckily there wasn't much descending as that shot shrieking pain with each step. Albeit steep the trail is short. Next we headed over on Kelsey Springs Trail #3. A little unnerving as it was angling back down...lol The pines give way to live oak. It reminded me of the second mile along Boynton Canyon Trail.

The pines pick back up approaching Dorsey Spring Trail #7. Several of us enjoyed the clean water flowing out of the black tubing. Many thanks to all the kind souls that maintain springs in the back country for all to enjoy.

I enjoyed the hike up Dorsey through the pines. Yet I was glad this one was over due to my leg. The swelling is almost gone now a day later. It's only a little tender. Probably a big ol' yellow bruise will surface. I'm just grateful as the shrieking pain was concerning me.

Pines
Pines are thick on Hog Trail #133, Little LO #6 and Dorsey Trail #7. Not sure on the fire history for the area. Most of the fallen and decaying trees are larger than anything standing. I fire might wipe out this entire area since the pines are skinny and dense. Jim_H would be better at making that type of assessment.

Synopsis
It was good to hike with Wally after a little hiatus. The hike in general just seemed okay compared to our Casner-Taylor-Dutch-Sycamore-Dogie Loop loop on April 7th. A day later now it is growing on me, sometimes hikes just have a way of playing with your mind. Bruce put together another winner. Check out his triplog for a thorough report on all the springs!
wildflower observationwildflower observationwildflower observationwildflower observationwildflower observation
Wildflowers Observation Moderate
_____________________
- joe
 
Sep 15 2012
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 Guides 1
 Routes 148
 Photos 9,924
 Triplogs 3,652

63 male
 Joined Apr 02 2005
 Mesa, AZ
Sycamore Canyon Loop-North, AZ 
Sycamore Canyon Loop-North, AZ
 
Hiking avatar Sep 15 2012
Tortoise_HikerTriplogs 3,652
Hiking17.47 Miles 3,525 AEG
Hiking17.47 Miles   9 Hrs   51 Mns   1.77 mph
3,525 ft AEG
 no routes
1st trip
Partners partners
joebartels
The_Eagle
wallyfrack
An interesting hike,workout,adventure!Thanks for planning this out Bruce.My first time in this area.We saw some nice views of the canyon and cliffs.Three springs and an old cabin.Some nice sections through the pines.Some serious boulder hopping.Lots of flowers.A few rattlesnakes and some bear tracks.There was even a little singing and dancing :o .Thanks for the adventure Joe,Wally and Bruce!Good times :D .
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Tortoise Hiking. Stop and smell the Petrichor.
 
Oct 15 2011
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 Guides 13
 Routes 38
 Photos 1,651
 Triplogs 577

60 male
 Joined Nov 15 2005
 Jackson, CA
Winter Cabin CanyonSedona, AZ
Sedona, AZ
Canyoneering avatar Oct 15 2011
toddakTriplogs 577
Canyoneering14.00 Miles 2,500 AEG
Canyoneering14.00 Miles   8 Hrs      1.75 mph
2,500 ft AEG
 no routes
1st trip
Partners none no partners
Very cool canyon, with a super long stretch of mellow but very scenic narrows. Even better, right now the upper part of the canyon is exploding with fall color (extra rating point for the foliage). No pools to wade, and I only needed gear on the last rappel, down-climbed the others.

Parked just off FR538 and cross-country'd a mile west to the Hog Hill trail head rather than abuse the car by driving to the Winter Cabin trail head. The HH trail is a little faint in places but pretty well cairned.
 Geology
 Geology [ checklist ]
[ checklist ]  Tafoni
 Meteorology
 Meteorology [ checklist ]
[ checklist ]  Autumn - Color Foliage
foliage observationfoliage observationfoliage observationfoliage observationfoliage observation
Autumn Foliage Observation Extreme
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Aug 06 2011
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 Photos 7
 Triplogs 9

44 male
 Joined May 09 2011
 Gilbert, AZ
Dorsey Spring Trail #7Sedona, AZ
Sedona, AZ
Backpack avatar Aug 06 2011
DukedanteTriplogs 9
Backpack7.30 Miles 1,400 AEG
Backpack7.30 Miles2 Days         
1,400 ft AEG38 LBS Pack
 no routesno photosets
1st trip
Partners none no partners
My wife and I did the Dorsey/Kelsy Winter/Hog Hill loop as a one night backpack, staying at Winter Cabin for the night. The roads (FR 231 and 538)to the TH were passable by any passenger vehicle- we took our minivan that bottoms out with about 4" of clearance. We did have to stop about .25 miles before the TH because where you turn off 538 onto 538E is surely high clearance. No biggie though. The trail down to Dorsey Spring is steep and rocky. This trail is fairly scenic, as you pass through ponderosa forest and gambel oaks. You do not get any big views of sycamore. If I rated this trail alone, it would be a 2 or 3. dorsey Spring is nice- several gallons per minute on this trip were flowing out of the pipe. We had lunch there and saw a gopher snake. Or rather, I stepped over a gopher snake and my wife leaped over it and showed me it was there. :)
We got a bit turned around searching for the Kelsey Winter Trail, but figured it out- you go to the right at the spring and through the campground area before you get to the intersection. This section of the trail was pretty crummy. There are a little bit of up and down sections, and then you get to the exposed section where it it pretty overgrown with locust and other grabby shrubs. Plus, there's no shade in sight. It was a pretty hot day, about 90 and this section stunk. You go over several rockslide areas as well. Not very exciting. This is also the only realy area where you get big canyon views, which isn't great when you're running for shade. When you get up into the Winter Cabin area the forest closes in and it is nice and shady again. This section of trail gets a 1 rating from me.
The Winter Cabin area is ok. The cabin is in bad shape and the camping area was a mess when we got there. I would expect an area that is that secluded to be in more pristine shape, but there was lots of litter that I cleaned up. Bear hunters were out en masse, which made for some consternation on my wife's part, as this was her first backpack trip. The Cabin Spring was seeping out of the ground and had a few bigger pools for filtering from, and cooling off the feet. Our night was peaceful and not a bear or even chipmunk visited us.
The Hog Hill trail was a leg burner for the first .3 miles, then it was a steady uphill for awhile. This trail is very faint in many areas and we were saved by flagging and cairns on a few occasions. This trail ascends into some more open areas of juniper forest and would be very hot in midday. There were many Elk prints along the trail, but we didn't see the real thing, again- there were hunters out. This trail also gets a 2 rating from me. Not much to see, and the condition it was in was pretty rough. I won't come back here, there are many more places I'd rather visit that take less effort to get to and have more to offer. Some other hikers mentioned that the Kelsy/Dorsey loop is the way to go- it's a bit shorter but nicer. Take that as you will.

water 1 out of 5water 2 out of 5water 3 out of 5water 4 out of 5 Dorsey Spring Gallon + per minute Gallon + per minute
Seems likely to flow year round.

water 1 out of 5water less than maxwater less than maxwater less than max Winter Cabin Spring Dripping Dripping
Water seeping from the ground into 2 moderate pools 2' deep. The trough is full of silt and doesn't have water in it- more of a garden now.
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average hiking speed 2.17 mph

WARNING! Hiking and outdoor related sports can be dangerous. Be responsible and prepare for the trip. Study the area you are entering and plan accordingly. Dress for the current and unexpected weather changes. Take plenty of water. Never go alone. Make an itinerary with your plan(s), route(s), destination(s) and expected return time. Give your itinerary to trusted family and/or friends.

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