Kelsey Springs Trail #3 • Hike • Arizona • All Triplogs • HikeArizona.COM

Winter Cabin Canyon

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May 26 2025

agrove731

Photos 6
Triplogs 4

30 male

Joined Jul 07 2024

Flagstaff, AZ

Backpack		May 26 2025
		agrove731 • Triplogs 4

Backpack	5.30 Miles	941 AEG

Backpack	5.30 Miles	2 Days
	941 ft AEG

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We were excited to do a lollipop loop from Kelsey springs TH south to Winter Cabin, then north up hog hill, across Dorsey springs trail, and back up the north-most half of Kelsey springs, but after Babes Hole the trail all but disappears. We kept at it using our gps to trail find, but once hitting the rim of the canyon, the trail became impossible to find, and the scrub oak absolutely unbearable. Frustrated and scratched up, we decided to take a break before turning back, but after our snack reassessed the map and decided to hike “the trail of our soul” rather than the marked trail on the map, and headed a half mile south along the canyon wall to Dorsey springs. This was not hiking and was in fact quite dangerous as it appears there have been some recent rock slides and the terrain was quite steep. We bushwhacked along a faint game trail and eventually made it back into the pines where we located the Dorsey spring. There’s a great campsite there, and the Dorsey springs trail looked to be in much better conditions. We camped for the night and took the Dorsey springs trail east the next morning, turned north on 538e and hiked back along the road to the Subi at Kelsey springs TH.

Definitely not the hike we planned for, as we were hoping to easily make it to the winter cabin. Next time we will head south down Dorsey springs and hog hill trails to attempt to find the cabin, and bring a machete for the scrub. This Kelsey springs trail needs a TON of work/maintenance. We are experienced backpackers and hikers and this was doable but actually quite unreasonable and frustrating.

We did some birding and enjoyed the wildflowers. Babes hole spring is flowing nicely, Kelsey spring is very very low flow, and Dorsey is dry. We carried 19 liters of water (3 ppl) and were glad we brought the extra.

Temps were beautiful in the low 50s at night.

Culture

Culture [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] HAZ - Hike HAZard

2 archives

May 28 2021

GrangerGuy

Guides 34
Routes 138
Photos 931
Triplogs 111

68 male

Joined Dec 26 2018
Phoenix, AZ

Flagstaff, AZ

Hiking		May 28 2021
		GrangerGuy • Triplogs 111

Hiking	12.40 Miles	2,880 AEG

Hiking	12.40 Miles	8 Hrs 20 Mns		1.99 mph
	2,880 ft AEG	2 Hrs 6 Mns Break	10 LBS Pack

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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

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)

	Babes Hole Spring	Gallon per minute	Gallon per minute
	Spring is flowing. Plenty of clear water.

	Casner Tank	26-50% full	26-50% full
	Casner tank has plenty of filterable water in it.

	Dorsey Spring	Quart per minute	Quart per minute
	Dorsey Spring was flowing less than a liter per minute, and there is great camping nearby.

	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.

	Kelsey Spring	Gallon + per minute	Gallon + per minute
	Kelsey Spring is flowing at gallons per minute. Spring box is full of clear water.

	Winter Cabin Spring	Dripping	Dripping
	Winter Cabin Spring was stagnant and unappealing, but would be available to the desperate.

Jun 13 2020

ShatteredArm

Guides 12
Routes 192
Photos 863
Triplogs 356

42 male

Joined Nov 30 2015
Phoenix, AZ

Flagstaff, AZ

Run/Jog		Jun 13 2020
		ShatteredArm • Triplogs 356

Run/Jog	12.41 Miles	2,627 AEG

Run/Jog	12.41 Miles	4 Hrs 12 Mns	2.95 mph
	2,627 ft AEG

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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.

Gallon per minute

Dorsey Spring

Quart per minute

	Geronimo Spring	Gallon + per minute	Gallon + per minute
	Only took about 30 seconds to fill up a 3L bag. Good water.

Kelsey Spring

Quart per minute

	Winter Cabin Spring	Dripping	Dripping
	Spring box empty, stagnant pools in creek, very light trickle from the actual spring.

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Apr 26 2020

chumley

Guides 94
Routes 840
Photos 22,055
Triplogs 1,993

52 male

Joined Sep 18 2002
Tempe, AZ

Hog-Winter-Kelsey, AZ

Hiking		Apr 26 2020
		chumley • Triplogs 1,993

Hiking	10.33 Miles	1,866 AEG

Hiking	10.33 Miles	4 Hrs	2.79 mph
	1,866 ft AEG	18 Mns Break

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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.

Fauna

Fauna [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Greater Short-Horned Lizard

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.

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Nov 23 2017

FOTG

Guides 37
Routes 556
Photos 10,872
Triplogs 1,052

43 male

Joined Jan 21 2013
AZ

Sedona, AZ

Sedona, AZ

Hiking		Nov 23 2017
		FOTG • Triplogs 1,052

Hiking	10.13 Miles	2,082 AEG

Hiking	10.13 Miles	4 Hrs 8 Mns	2.61 mph
	2,082 ft AEG	15 Mns Break

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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!

Autumn Foliage Observation None
Past due prime, not much to be had, but potential

Gallon per minute

	Dorsey Spring	Gallon per minute	Gallon per minute

	Kelsey Spring	Gallon per minute	Gallon per minute

Winter Cabin Spring

Gallon per minute

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1 archive

Jun 11 2017

BiFrost

Guides 4
Routes 491
Photos 10,890
Triplogs 1,257

55 male

Joined Nov 20 2012
Phoenix, AZ

Flagstaff, AZ

Hiking		Jun 11 2017
		BiFrost • Triplogs 1,257

Hiking	3.33 Miles	861 AEG

Hiking	3.33 Miles	1 Hour 54 Mns	1.98 mph
	861 ft AEG	13 Mns Break

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desertrat13

We were up in the area after doing West Fork Oak Creek the day before so decided to check out Kelsey Spring and Babes Hole Spring. Short hike but very pretty in the area with lots of Ponderosa Pine some of it park like. Kelsey Spring is less than a mile from the rim which drops about 300 feet to the spring. There was a trough completely full with very clear water which was fed by a source up the hill and fed down by pvc pipe.

After checking out Kelsey Spring we dropped another 400 feet to Babes Hole Spring which also had nice clear water. Babes Hole Spring had rock enclosure covered with wood planks but water coming from the bottom formed small pools in the creek to filter from. Took short break and then headed back to the trail head. Great area to explore and need to come back for an overnight.

	Babes Hole Spring	Gallon + per minute	Gallon + per minute
	good flow from the rock enclosure into several small pools

	Kelsey Spring	Gallon + per minute	Gallon + per minute
	good flow from the source into the trough

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3 archives

Oct 16 2016

flagscott

Guides 1
Routes 1
Triplogs 22

male

Joined Jan 03 2016
Flagstaff, AZ

Winter Cabin - Dorsey - Kelsey Loop, AZ

Hiking		Oct 16 2016
		flagscott • Triplogs 22

Hiking	16.00 Miles

Hiking	16.00 Miles

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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.

	Dorsey Spring	Quart per minute	Quart per minute
	Great water from the pipe coming out at about a liter per minute.

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

	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

knmurphy

Photos 281
Triplogs 222

45 male

Joined Aug 03 2008
Chandler, AZ

Winter Cabin Loop, AZ

Backpack		Oct 15 2016
		knmurphy • Triplogs 222

Backpack	18.00 Miles	3,500 AEG

Backpack	18.00 Miles
	3,500 ft AEG

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Autumn Foliage Observation Light

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Jun 11 2016

joebartels

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

55 male

Joined Nov 20 1996

Dorsey - Kelsey - Sycamore -Winter Cabin Loop, AZ

Hiking		Jun 11 2016
		joebartels • Triplogs 5,894

Hiking	17.54 Miles	3,875 AEG

Hiking	17.54 Miles	10 Hrs 35 Mns		1.93 mph
	3,875 ft AEG	1 Hour 30 Mns Break	14 LBS Pack

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BiFrost

The_Eagle

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

	Babes Hole Spring	Quart per minute	Quart per minute
	it would help if I looked...

	Geronimo Spring	Gallon per minute	Gallon per minute
	looked fine

	Ott Lake	Dry	Dry
	just a sea of foxtails

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- joe

Jun 11 2016

The_Eagle

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

Hiking		Jun 11 2016
		The_Eagle • Triplogs 2,760

Hiking	17.28 Miles	3,784 AEG

Hiking	17.28 Miles	10 Hrs 36 Mns		1.93 mph
	3,784 ft AEG	1 Hour 40 Mns Break	15 LBS Pack

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BiFrost

joebartels

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

Wildflowers Observation Isolated

	Babes Hole Spring	Quart per minute	Quart per minute
	Plenty in the Spring box and the pools below

Colcord Canyon

Dry

	Geronimo Spring	Quart per minute	Quart per minute
	Flowing nicely from the black plastic pipe

	Kelsey Spring	Quart per minute	Quart per minute
	Good filtering source

Little L O Spring Canyon

Dry

Ott Lake

Dry

	Winter Cabin Spring	Gallon per minute	Gallon per minute
	Spring box is filled in and useless. We filtered 6 quarts from the pools below

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

2 archives

Jun 11 2016

BiFrost

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

Hiking		Jun 11 2016
		BiFrost • Triplogs 1,257

Hiking	17.54 Miles	3,875 AEG

Hiking	17.54 Miles	10 Hrs 35 Mns	1.93 mph
	3,875 ft AEG	1 Hour 30 Mns Break

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joebartels

The_Eagle

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

	Babes Hole Spring	Gallon + per minute	Gallon + per minute
	flow in drainage just below the spring

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

	Geronimo Spring	Gallon + per minute	Gallon + per minute
	decent flow out of base of spring

	Ott Lake	Dry	Dry
	could have water in spring or winter

	Winter Cabin Spring	Quart per minute	Quart per minute
	several decent pools at spring source

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2 archives

Jun 13 2015

hikeaz

Guides 6
Photos 346
Triplogs 225

69 male

Joined May 13 2002
Tempe, AZ

Flagstaff, AZ

Hiking		Jun 13 2015
		hikeaz • Triplogs 225

Hiking	5.30 Miles	941 AEG

Hiking	5.30 Miles
	941 ft AEG

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Wonderful day to be in this area. All 3 trails are in pretty good to excellent shape - some deadfall but nothing that is problematic. Area is little-used - I don't know why - Abundant NICE camping - good roads (unless muddy), lots of wildlife.

Wildflowers Observation Light

Gallon per minute

Dorsey Spring

Gallon + per minute

	Winter Cabin Spring	Gallon + per minute	Gallon + per minute
	None at the spring box - Plenty in the creekbed

_____________________

"The censorship method ... is that of handing the job over to some frail and erring mortal man, and making him omnipotent on the assumption that his official status will make him infallible and omniscient."
George Bernard Shaw

Jun 07 2015

Craigbhikin

Photos 356
Triplogs 44

62 male

Joined Apr 11 2011
Mesa, AZ

Flagstaff, AZ

Hiking		Jun 07 2015
		Craigbhikin • Triplogs 44

Hiking	5.30 Miles	941 AEG

Hiking	5.30 Miles
	941 ft AEG

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Had a great hike along the Kelsey & Dorsey loop. Very green, and three sources of water Kelesy, Babe Hole and Dorsey springs were flowing 2 to 3 gallons a minute. Flowers were there, but not abundant, and short of a few squirrels and birds we seen no wildlife. Another great day spent on the trail.

Wildflowers Observation Light

	Babes Hole Spring	Dry	Dry
	2+ gallons a minute.

	Dorsey Spring	Dry	Dry
	2 to 3 gallons a minute.

	Kelsey Spring	Dry	Dry
	2 to 3 gallons a minute.

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Craigbehikin

May 17 2014

outdoor_lover

Guides 7
Routes 72
Photos 14,456
Triplogs 627

62 female

Joined Aug 19 2011
Scottsdale, AZ

Flagstaff, AZ

Canyoneering		May 17 2014
		outdoor_lover • Triplogs 627

Canyoneering	6.20 Miles	1,800 AEG

Canyoneering	6.20 Miles
	1,800 ft AEG

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desert_boonie

sbkelley

Ken and Scott picked a good one!

After Ken and Jake arrived in the Morning, we set off...It wasn't long before we started the Steep Descent into the Side Drainage that would take us eventually to the Main Event...I can honestly say that it's been awhile since I've done this much extensive Boulder Hopping. 1 1/2 Miles felt like 3 before it was all said, done, and we got to the Main Canyon. There was no easy Slick Rock Walking through here and there was no getting out of the "Creek" either. Solid small, medium and large Boulders the whole way and let's throw in some Logs and Log Jams just for Kicks...I actually had to work pretty hard to get my Leg and Foot back at one point... :sweat:

I slowed the Team down quite a bit as I no longer feel like the Knees can take jumping down onto Rocks like they can, but the guys were more than patient... It didn't help that I forgot the Ibuprofen, but Jake probably really saved me on that one... : app :

We get to the Main Canyon and down in we go...A couple of us decided on Wetsuits, but it could have gone either way as the Water was really low and infrequent. It was also Sunny and plenty Warm out. Almost immediately, we are at the Keeper and it was definitely in Keeper Mode on this Day. Partner Assist was a Must on this one and everyone did great! We went right from that one into another Semi Keeper. I made Friends with a Frog in that one, but opted not to Kiss him...These Pools were definitely "Stewy".... :sweat:

Ken and Jake were able to muscle out of that Pothole, so we were good there too... :y:

We continued on down the Canyon, Downclimbing most of it, which was fun. My Skills in that Department are getting better, and I am more comfortable with some of it, but still needed some assistance in a few Spots. Hopefully, I'll keep getting better at it. This was definitely a good Canyon to "practice" in...

We opted to do 3 Rappels. One into the Keeper, another one that we rigged a Handline for, but that I opted to use my Device on and then one using a Dead Man's Anchor that we rebuilt. Just a great Variety of Skills utilized on this Day, it was awesome!

The Canyon was really nice. It had Narrows, then it widened out and then it would Narrow up again. Even with the Potholes, Downclimbing and more Boulder Hopping, I don't think it took nearly as long to do the 1+ Miles of Canyon as it did the Approach... :sweat:

And then, we were at the Exit. I knew when I started up the Trail, that I was really running out of Gas. It was steep and I was extraordinarily slow. I think the Boulder Hopping took a lot out of my Legs and I was also struggling from the Elevation. I kept insisting to the Guys to go on ahead, but some of them didn't listen very well...Ken knows me well enough to know I'll be fine, but Jake insisted keeping me company to Babe's Hole Spring and then Scott took over from there... :A1:

Luckily between the Two Springs, there is some respite before the next and final Uphill. :sweat:

By the Time I hit the TH at the Top, I was pretty done. I had to rest even walking the Road 1/2 Mile back to Camp...

It probably didn't help that halfway up the last Hill my Leg Muscles started Spasming... :sweat:

But with more than a little help from my Friends, I got it done and it was worth every Mile. I actually recovered quite nicely after Resting in Camp awhile, but I still felt a little Fatigued the next morning. The Soreness didn't really settle in until the Drive Home... :sweat:

Thanks for the Invite Scott and Ken! Once again, I am grateful to have such good, patient, understanding Friends that are willing to take me to these Places...Without them, these Places would only exist in my Mind through the Photos of others...You. Guys. Rock. Jake, welcome to the Party, you fit right in and were awesome as well! : app :

I would like to do this Canyon again sometime...I would like to do it better. I think this Canyon was great, but I think it would be awesome with some good running Water through it. Until next time....

Wildflowers Observation Isolated

Gallon per minute

Kelsey Spring

Quart per minute

	Little L O Spring Canyon	Pools to trickle	Pools to trickle
	No Trickle, just Pools and unless you absolutely had to have it, I would hold off for the Springs rather than Filtering any of those Pools, lol Swimming could be avoided in all of the Pools, but there is Mandatory Wading...The Two Main Potholes were in Keeper and Semi-Keeper Mode in that order.

Strahan Spring

Quart per minute

_____________________

Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty & well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, totally worn out & proclaiming, "Wow What a Ride!"

May 17 2014

desert_boonie

Guides 2
Photos 1,691
Triplogs 212

45 male

Joined Aug 05 2004
Peoria, AZ

Flagstaff, AZ

Canyoneering		May 17 2014
		desert_boonie • Triplogs 212

Canyoneering	6.20 Miles	1,800 AEG

Canyoneering	6.20 Miles	7 Hrs	0.89 mph
	1,800 ft AEG

no routes

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linked

Partners

partners

outdoor_lover

sbkelley

Finally got a crew together to hit up this gem of a canyon. Boy was the water level way down in the entire area. The keeper was in full effect but with the four of us we had little trouble getting out. My buddy Jake came along and suggested we do this one again during the summer monsoon so we can see it with the water flowing. I guess we will have to see if that happens. Good Times.

_____________________

"Never Satisfied"

Sep 29 2013

desert_boonie

Guides 2
Photos 1,691
Triplogs 212

45 male

Joined Aug 05 2004
Peoria, AZ

Flagstaff, AZ

Canyoneering		Sep 29 2013
		desert_boonie • Triplogs 212

Canyoneering	4.00 Miles	1,510 AEG

Canyoneering	4.00 Miles	3 Hrs 40 Mns	1.09 mph
	1,510 ft AEG

no routes

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none

no partners

After doing Bill Williams Mt. I decided to drive on over to the Kelsey Springs TH to see if the spot was open to camp for the night and get ready to do my first solo technical canyon the next day. The drive in on FR 538 was great as I spotted two deer on up a hill who stayed put long enough for me to get a couple pictures of them. Then the turn towards the actual TH proved to be a fun rudded road with a few mud holes for the Jeep to play in. I got to the TH before 4pm with nobody around and a nice fire pit already there so I found my campspot for the night. The view from up here of Sycamore Canyon was fantastic and to the NW you could see Bill Williams Mt. where I had just come from, perfect.

As the cold morning came I gathered everything up and headed on down the Kelsey Spring trail to get to the entry point of Babes Hole Spring Canyon. On the way down to Kelsey Spring I passed a few great campspots that I will keep in mind for future outings that would require a short 10 minute hike to get to. Got to the canyon drop in point in 20 minutes or so and started rock hopping with the nice spring water flowing in 2 spots. It was an interesting start as you rock hop you just wouldn't expect the canyon to open up and drop off the way it does. Once I got to the technical drop in I was amazed by the views from up here.

I set up the first rappel to drop right into the narrows which was a nice bowl shaped descent into a small pool big enough to just get your feet wet. The second rappel is at the base of this and was one of the sweetest parts of the canyon as you go through a narrow channel in the rock and then drop 40ft or so. I stopped several times to enjoy the views behind me while on rope. The canyon is pretty solid and drops off several times which makes it a solid contender in my mind for those wanting to do a shorter canyon that doesn't involve route finding or too much effort to get to other than the drive in.

I managed to only get my feet wet until the exit where you go under a large boulder and into a knee high pool. But even being cold, it was nice that it was crystal clear water and had no funky smell to it at all. The sunlight was waiting for me at the intersect of Little Lo Spring Canyon where I checked out the bottom portion and enjoyed the still clear pool leading you off into the narrows.

Didn't spend too much time in the bottom of Little Lo as I figured I would just see it when I finally do that canyon one day. Turned around and went to the exit and into Sycamore Canyon. The trail is right there and very steep at the bottom which will get your legs burning and up to the halfway point in no time. The light breeze on the way back up was perfect and again I couldn't have asked for a better day and trek to do. I ended up doing 5 rappels as the one spot I could have downclimbed was a little wet and I didn't want to risk anything. Nice solid natural anchor points at every spot you would need to rappel. I really enjoyed this canyon and think it is a nice little gem and a gem of an area for sure overall.

Fauna

Fauna [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Mule Deer

_____________________

"Never Satisfied"

Sep 15 2012

The_Eagle

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

Hiking		Sep 15 2012
		The_Eagle • Triplogs 2,760

Hiking	17.47 Miles	3,525 AEG

Hiking	17.47 Miles	9 Hrs 51 Mns		2.08 mph
	3,525 ft AEG	1 Hour 28 Mns Break	16 LBS Pack

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[ checklist ] Dorsey Spring Geronimo Spring Ott Lake Winter Cabin Spring

Partners

partners

	joebartels	Tortoise_Hiker
	wallyfrack

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

Fauna

Fauna [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Black-tailed Rattlesnake

Named place

Named place [ checklist ]

	Dorsey Spring	Gallon + per minute	Gallon + per minute
	Clean Cool water coming from plastic Pipe.....

	Geronimo Spring	Gallon + per minute	Gallon + per minute
	Clear cold water. Tastes great.

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

	Ott Lake	Dry	Dry
	Dry

	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

joebartels

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

55 male

Joined Nov 20 1996

Hog133/70 - LO6 - Kelsey3 - Dorsey7 Loop, AZ

Hiking		Sep 15 2012
		joebartels • Triplogs 5,894

Hiking	17.40 Miles	3,150 AEG

Hiking	17.40 Miles	9 Hrs 52 Mns		2.17 mph
	3,150 ft AEG	1 Hour 50 Mns Break	12 LBS Pack

no photosets

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6 linked trail guides