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| Hiking | 8.77 Miles |
3,292 AEG |
| | Hiking | 8.77 Miles | 5 Hrs 49 Mns | | 1.92 mph |
| 3,292 ft AEG | 1 Hour 15 Mns Break | | | |
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| no partners | | I read on Hike Arizona that See Canyon was looking pretty good for fall leaves, and since we had never hiked it before, I thought "now is the time!" Went up on Saturday with my mom and hiked to See Spring and to FR300 on the rim via the See Canyon Trail.
The Drive: The drive up from Phoenix is quite pleasant, really just feels like a hop skip and a jump and you're there. Going up the 87 is truly beautiful, although the fires last year did devastate much of the 4 Peaks wilderness.
Parking: By 10:00 AM when we arrived, the parking area was mostly full, with just two spaces remaining. After we arrived, several others tried to squeeze in, partially blocking others in or partly blocking the access to the restrooms.  I'd propose they should have just parked along the road and walked 100 yards.
The Leaves: Of course, everyone was there for the fall leaves. So how were they? In the lower elevations (maybe up to 7200 feet?) they were great! There was a mixture of oak and maple, which created amazing yellow and red colors along the whole spectrum. The area around See Spring was particularly spectacular, and my mom said it was maybe one of her favorite places we've ever been!
The rest of the hike: Besides the leaves, the hike was enjoyable, with See creek and Christopher creek to accompany us most of the way. At the higher elevations, Christopher Creek was often underground, though it went back and forth from flowing to dry. The final 1 miles of the hike was definitely the most strenuous, almost rivaling Piestewa Peak here in Phoenix in terms of steepness. The trail also became more challenging to follow. For novice hikers, keep an eye out for two things: Logs/branches across the trail & rock cairns. Generally, especially in areas where trails are not well-defined, multiple paths might develop. In that case, more experienced hikers will come along and "block off" certain paths that are not the correct trail with branches across the trail. If you ever find yourself stepping over some branches, check again to make sure the trail doesn't take a bend you weren't expecting! The cairns are stacked rocks which identify where the route goes in case it is difficult to distinguish the trail. Hope this helps someone!
Overall, it was a great hike--super beautiful. Will definitely do again. |
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Autumn Foliage Observation Substantial
At higher elevations, the peak would have been last weekend. At lower elevations, the peak was this weekend. |
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Nappa Spring |
Gallon + per minute |
Gallon + per minute |
| | | Don't know about this spring particularly, but there was plenty of water flowing in Christopher Creek. |
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See Spring |
Gallon + per minute |
Gallon + per minute |
| | | Plenty of water | | | |
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Route Editor
Route Scout
Route 
Looks like two of the three major springs are about 100 gallons a minute
