Hess Canyon to Salt River - SRC Wilderness • Hike • Arizona • All Triplogs • HikeArizona.COM

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Mar 24 2013

trekkin_gecko

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

67 female

Joined Nov 17 2008
phoenix, az

Hess Canyon to Salt River - SRC Wilderness

Globe, AZ

Hess Canyon to Salt River - SRC Wilderness

Globe, AZ

Hiking		Mar 24 2013
		trekkin_gecko • Triplogs 4,660

Hiking	9.23 Miles	1,615 AEG

Hiking	9.23 Miles	6 Hrs 54 Mns	2.09 mph
	1,615 ft AEG	2 Hrs 29 Mns Break

Linked

none

no linked trail guides

Partners

partners

	Grasshopper	Oregon_Hiker
	outdoor_lover	Randal_Schulhauser
	rwstorm

as part of camp grasshopper, hank had lined up a series of exploratory hikes in this area
with a mid-morning start time for hess canyon, pam and i were able to join in
hank had good directions and a track to the trailhead, and pam provided her escape (thanks!)
met hank, larry, randy and randal for the first time

we took off shortly after 10:00 and descended a rocky old roadbed that meets up with hess canyon
there is an old corral and a tin shed in this flat area and we all poked around a bit
saw an owl, and several should have pictures of it
started into the canyon proper
hank has been talking this one up, and letty's photos comfirmed how beautiful it is
some flowing water, and the path alternates a boulder hop with a sandy wash
very interesting geology all along
multi-colored and varied types of rock rising to a wide slot effect then falling away
we all easily slid down the spot that stopped hank and larry on their first trip, as the water was replaced by sand
shortly downstream from that was where the white ledges converge at the canyon bed and this spot is gorgeous
we all spent plenty of time gawking and taking photos, and i will enjoy seeing the other photosets
a bit further on was the difficult drop the letty described
we were able to rig a hand line and got everyone down safely
there was one more waterful drop, but letty had mentioned a work-around to one side
thanks for the beta, letty - most helpful
these obstacles only added to the fun in my book
somewhere along here a couple of the guys saw some bighorn sheep high on the canyon walls
should be some good zooms of those, too
eventually the canyon opened up some and we started seeing footprints presumably from river access
randal and randy reached their turnaround time
i won't mention how close we were to river at that point
who knew?
the salt suddenly came into view
it was a little muddy and running strong
just cool knowing that we had successfully negotiated the canyon to our destination
had lunch on some rocks, looked around a bit then headed back
made it up all the little climbs on the return trip
should add that there was one more waterfall toward the top that was a little challenging with wet shoes and water running
the sun was lower coming back, so many spots were seen in a brand new light
our arrival back at the corral signaled an end to the canyon part and the start of the long uphill on the road
found randy and randal still at the trailhead, and it was nice chatting with them some more
the beauty of this canyon exceeded the talk and photos
nice group to do this one with and i appreciate being included
great day, y'all

Named place

Named place [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] White Ledges

_____________________

hazhole

Mar 24 2013

rwstorm

Guides 1
Routes 136
Photos 22,415
Triplogs 1,041

77 male

Joined Feb 28 2003
Tucson, AZ

Hess Canyon to Salt River - SRC Wilderness

Globe, AZ

Hess Canyon to Salt River - SRC Wilderness

Globe, AZ

Hiking		Mar 24 2013
		rwstorm • Triplogs 1,041

Hiking	8.90 Miles	1,600 AEG

Hiking	8.90 Miles
	1,600 ft AEG

no routes

Linked

none

no linked trail guides

Partners

partners

	Grasshopper	Oregon_Hiker
	outdoor_lover	Randal_Schulhauser
	trekkin_gecko

I didn't even plan on doing this hike, but sure am glad I did.

My original plan was to spend Thursday and Friday night at Camp Grasshopper, then leave sometime Saturday. Well, Saturday turned out to be quite an adventure, and I was too tired (and it was too breezy) for me to break camp, so I stayed a third night. Hank, Larry, and Randal were going to leave camp at about 0845 to head over and meet Pam and Kelly for the hike. I didn't think I could get all my stuff packed up by then, but lo and behold I did! That meant at least I could drive over to meet Kelly and say hello to Pam again.

After the greetings, I decided to at least do part of the hike. Randal agreed and that we would come back to the vehicles together when we split from the group. The one major obstacle really wasn't too difficult (thanks for the help Kelly) , so Randal and I continued on for most of the hike before our planned 2 o'clock turnaround time. Turns out we were about 1500 feet short of the Salt River when we did!

It was literally just around the next bend. :lol:

But that's okay, as we had hiked to it from camp the previous day. The worst part of going back was the long climb out on the road from the corral area at Hess Canyon (especially that last steep part before reaching where we parked) If I were to come back and try this again, I would drive further down that road and camp closer to Hess Canyon (but you do need a 4x4 to do that). Randal and I were both pretty well exhausted when we reached the trucks, so we got out the chairs and had some brews while relaxing. We were there about 20 minutes when speedy Kelly showed up!

That's when we found out how close to the river we had been. Pretty soon the rest of the group made it back. We all more or less drove out together, with Pam and Kelly, Randal, and myself headed home; while Hank and Larry went back to camp for another night.

There are some very pretty sections in the canyon, especially in the area where the white ledges are. Fantastic colors and formations were the rule, just like back in the camp area.

I headed to Globe and stopped at La Casita downtown for dinner, then took the long way home though Superior, Florence, and Coolidge to I-10 near Picacho. Thus ended a great 4 days/3 nights up at the Salt River Canyon Wilderness area of the Tonto. :y:

Hank for putting this together and the invite! I had a great time.

Fauna

Fauna [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Long Eared Owl

Culture

Culture [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] HAZ Gear

Named place

Named place [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Haystack Butte Hess Canyon Timber Camp Mountain White Ledges

Meteorology

Meteorology [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Sunset

Wildflowers Observation Light

_____________________

Mar 24 2013

Oregon_Hiker

Guides 9
Routes 473
Photos 8,433
Triplogs 626

79 male

Joined Dec 07 2010
Phoenix, AZ

Hess Canyon to Salt River - SRC Wilderness

Globe, AZ

Hess Canyon to Salt River - SRC Wilderness

Globe, AZ

Hiking		Mar 24 2013
		Oregon_Hiker • Triplogs 626

Hiking	8.60 Miles	1,638 AEG

Hiking	8.60 Miles
	1,638 ft AEG

Linked

none

no linked trail guides

Partners

partners

	Grasshopper	outdoor_lover
	Randal_Schulhauser	rwstorm
	trekkin_gecko

This was my second attempt with Grasshopper to hike down Hess Canyon to the Salt River. Last time we got stopped by a steep drop on slick rock into a pool of unknown depth. This time we brought help. Our HAZ rock climbing friend, trekkin gecko, was kind enough to accompany us and bring a climbing rope to help us get up and down the rough sections. The gecko and Outdoor Lover met us at the planned start of the hike at the fifth gate on FR367. The rest of the group were coming from Camp Grasshopper near Clay Spring at the end of FR346 where we had been camped for the last several days. The drive from camp took us longer than planned because of the long 4x4 section of FR346 and the many gates that had to be opened and closed so we got to the hike start location about 45 minutes late. [-X

OL and the gecko were there waiting for us. Fortunately the views are exceptional from that location high on a ridge so there were no admonishments for our tardiness.

The first 2 miles of the hike follows FR367 to where it ends at an old corral in the bottom of Hess Canyon, an elevation drop of about 1020 ft. This makes for a long climb back to the car at the end of the day. This section of road is drive-able for a 4x4 for the first 0.7 miles with moderate pin striping until reaching a washed out steep section. Turning around at this location is a little tricky. An ATV or modified 4x4 with experienced driver could probably drive all the way to Hess Creek.

We spent some time exploring around the old corral and the remains of what was probably a ranching shack. The clusters of bright green Cottonwoods and the sandy creek bottom make this area quite picturesque. As we proceeded along the creek bottom we encountered an owl at the first bend who was reluctant to leave possibly because of a nearby nest. This resulted in some delays for picture taking and several photographers in the group got great close up pics. My 4x zoom lens wasn't quite up to the task but I enjoyed watching the antics of the others trying to get close up shots without scaring it off. We finally left the owl and proceeded on down the canyon. The White Ledges pass through this section of the canyon making for some spectacular views.

Randal and I got left behind by the rest of the group because of our incessant picture taking. I spotted a pair of Big Horn sheep up on the canyon side so we were even further delayed taking pictures. They did not appear to be threatened by our presence and were grazing as they proceeded down hill towards us. At one point Randal whispered that he was having difficulty getting a good photo because their heads were always down grazing. I gave a low whistle which brought their heads up and appeared to instigate a brief bout of head butting with the loud knock of colliding horns reverberating through the canyon. After that the rams continued browsing down the hillside towards us now appearing to be the best of friends.

We encountered the slick rock drop-off at the next bend where Grasshopper and I had been stopped on our previous visit. The pool at the bottom had filled with sand and it was an easy short butt slide to the bottom. So easy that Grasshopper and the rest of the group had blown right by without recognizing it as our previous stopping point. I was embarrassed that we had been stopped on our previous hike by such a minor obstacle. :oops:

A short distance and a couple of creek bends further down canyon we came to a real obstacle - a slick rock vertical dry water fall about 20 feet high. Trekkin Gecko had no problem scampering up and down the wall on the west side of the waterfall but the rest of us had varying degrees of trepidation so out came the climbing rope and a sling for attaching it to boulders. It turned out to be an easy down climb with the aid of the rope and quite do-able with out a rope for people with some experience climbing rocks and willing to take a little exposure. We would all do the climb back up without the rope on the way back. The remaining obstacles on the way to the Salt River all had fairly easy bypass routes.

The two Randys had a hard turn-around time for ending the hike. Their repeated question "How much further to the river" kept being answered "Just around the next bend". When they reached their stop time the rest of us tried to convince them to keep going because this time the river really was around the next bend. But by then we had lost credibility and they started the trek back to their cars. Sure enough, 4 minutes later and just around the next bend - there was the river.

The return hike back up Hess Canyon was quite enjoyable because the late afternoon light show-cased canyon walls that had been in deep shadow on the way down. When we approached the parked cars at the end of the hike we were surprised to see the two Randys still there relaxing with cold beverages

So much for their hard turn around time. :sl:

I rate this hike as one of my personal AZ favorites. The multicolored rock layers in the canyon walls and the White Ledges make for spectacular views and hiking with HAZ friends is always a treat. :thanx:

Trekkin Grecko for the help negotiating the tough sections. Your patience and skills were much appreciated.

Flora

Flora [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Sotol

Fauna

Fauna [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Bighorn Sheep Long Eared Owl

Named place

Named place [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] White Ledges

_____________________

Mar 24 2013

outdoor_lover

Guides 7
Routes 72
Photos 14,456
Triplogs 627

62 female

Joined Aug 19 2011
Scottsdale, AZ

Hess Canyon to Salt River - SRC Wilderness

Globe, AZ

Hess Canyon to Salt River - SRC Wilderness

Globe, AZ

Hiking		Mar 24 2013
		outdoor_lover • Triplogs 627

Hiking	9.00 Miles	1,638 AEG

Hiking	9.00 Miles	7 Hrs 30 Mns	2.12 mph
	1,638 ft AEG	3 Hrs 15 Mns Break

no routes

Linked

none

no linked trail guides

Partners

partners

	Grasshopper	Oregon_Hiker
	Randal_Schulhauser	rwstorm
	trekkin_gecko

Hess Canyon, wow! I couldn't make the Camp Grasshopper Extravaganza, but when Hank stated that they would be doing this Hike, I knew I had to at least go up there for a day trip for this one... :DANCE:

Hank recruited Kelly, not only for the company, but also for the technical help in case we needed it on a few of the obstacles, so I met Kelly at the house and we drove up early Sunday morning.

Hadn't really expected to encounter any obstacles on the drive in, but there was this Bull, and apparently he wasn't gonna take any s*** from me, so we were delayed just a few minutes... :sweat:

I got out of the Escape and tried to sweet talk him, but being a typical male full of hormones, it went in one ear and out the other... :sl:

So then I stomped my foot at him, and he stomped his foot back...This is when I realized that the vehicle, hopefully weighing a couple of pounds more than he did, was my only choice. For the first time in my Hiking Life, I was really wishing for a trekkin' pole. It probably would have made a good nose thumper...

He decided after seeing the vehicle coming at him, that he was outmatched and the game was over... :y:

We made it to the "TH", where we were going to meet up with the rest of the crew, a tad bit early, and they ended up being a little late, so we got a chance to relax a bit from the drive before starting the Hike. The Crew of Hank, Larry, Randal and Randy all showed up and all but one was ready to Hike. After the usual greetings and me giving Randy a bunch a bull****, we all took off down the road.

Going down this road, I kept thinking that it was really gonna suck coming out, and it did... :sweat:

But the scenery and rising moon more than made up for it...

Got down to the corral and the beginning of our trek into the Canyon, and the oohs and aahs escalated. What an incredible Canyon! The Geology was absolutely amazing! And as a bonus, we had some Fauna to keep us even more entertained! : app :

The Long-eared Owl was definitely acting strange and all I could think was there was a nest nearby. She would take flight, but only for about 50 feet and continued to fly back and forth and land in the same areas. Most Owls would have skipped town with the kind of Camera/Human Invasion that she was looking at. Talk about Photo Ops! :y:

All we had to do was convince Randal to quit trying to creep up like the Mouse that he's not, and she would stay put. It's ok Randal, as soon as I got home and downloaded the Photos, I forgave you!!! :DANCE:

Continuing on down Canyon after the million Owl Photos, we spread out a little. I was so bummed to learn that I had missed out on the Bighorn Sheep Exhibition!!! ](*,)

I was too busy videotaping two retirees playing on a slide... :sweat:

Yes, I got video... :y:

There were several obstacles, but we decided that if 20 year olds could do it, so could we...

Only needed the Rope on one, which was actually overkill, but better safe than sorry, thanks for the help Kelly!!! : app :

Randy and Randal had set a turn around time, since they were leaving to go home and had some driving ahead of them. As we Hiked along, we just had to be getting close to the River and I kept telling them that it was just around the next bend. But typical males with cold beer on their minds, it was in one ear and out the other... :lol:

They turned around, and the rest of us went around the next bend to the River... :sl:

We enjoyed lunch at the River, took our Photos and headed back. We made quick work of the obstacles going back, although the last one was probably the toughest. Very slick rock climbing with wet soles...

But we made it without any technical help and soon we had spread out again on the uphill slog back to the vehicles...I kinda had the "pay to play" mentality and it was all good. I ended up catching up to Hank and Larry just before the top, but there was no catching the Gecko... :wlift:

Topped out to not only find the Gecko, but a weatherman and a mousy mountain biker that still had cold beer on their minds! :sl:

After shedding the packs and visiting for a few more minutes, it was time to hit the road. Hank managed to keep his Jeep on the road and Randy managed to keep most of the gates open after Randal went through... :lol:

Randy and Hank stopped once out on Haystack Butte Road and let us go by. I never did catch up to Randal...He must be a graduate of the HAZ School of Driving...

After a quick drive thru of Taco Bell in Globe, it was pedal to the medal for home. I had a bunch of very hungry animals to feed, so my day wasn't going to be done until at least an hour after I got back. Dropped Kelly off and made the Ranch by 9:30. Left the Ranch at 5:30 a.m., back at 9:30, hmmm, 16 hours gone and not done yet... :sweat:

And yet, it was worth every hour, every mile, every footstep...All with awesome company throughout!!! Thanks guys, it was an awesome day!!! : app :

And now, for the feature attractions...

2 kids on a Slide... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CQGUk3A-XdU

The Pros at Work... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t0KrHfXqFkw
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=arAESqiecHw
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a8J4zIoOWgk

Slick Rock Action... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BO3gtGDXxEo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wyCbPKdlyxE

Flora

Flora [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Claret Cup Cactus

Fauna

Fauna [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Long Eared Owl

Named place

Named place [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Fort Apache Indian Reservation Hess Canyon Salt River Canyon Wilderness

Wildflowers Observation Isolated

Hess Canyon

Pools to trickle

Hess Creek

Pools to trickle

_____________________

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!"

Mar 24 2013

Grasshopper

Guides 48
Routes 510
Photos 9,555
Triplogs 578

79 male

Joined Dec 28 2006
Scottsdale, AZ

Hess Canyon to Salt River - SRC Wilderness

Globe, AZ

Hess Canyon to Salt River - SRC Wilderness

Globe, AZ

Hiking		Mar 24 2013
		Grasshopper • Triplogs 578

Hiking	8.60 Miles	1,638 AEG

Hiking	8.60 Miles	7 Hrs 25 Mns	1.84 mph
	1,638 ft AEG	2 Hrs 45 Mns Break

Linked

none

no linked trail guides

Partners

partners

	Oregon_Hiker	outdoor_lover
	Randal_Schulhauser	rwstorm
	trekkin_gecko

This was our "Salt River Canyon" area camping/hiking week (3/20 to 3/25) last full day planned grand finale hike and it did pay-off in a grand way!

It was especially rewarding for me on this second hike attempt (first unsuccessful try on 11/20/12) to actually reach our Salt River destination at canyon lower end and rewarding to be able to share this awesome "5" Kokopelli rated canyon hike with my HAZ friends who joined-in. Thank you all!

Flora

Flora [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Saguaro

Named place

Named place [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Fort Apache Indian Reservation Hess Canyon Salt River Canyon Wilderness White Ledges

Meteorology

Meteorology [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Moon

Wildflowers Observation Isolated

Hess Canyon

Pools to trickle

_____________________

(Outside.. "there is No Place Like It!!")

Mar 22 2013

Randal_Schulhauser

Guides 71
Routes 98
Photos 9,967
Triplogs 1,009

65 male

Joined May 14 2003
Ahwatukee, AZ

Camp Grasshopper - S/R Cyn Wilderness (FR346)

Globe, AZ

Camp Grasshopper - S/R Cyn Wilderness (FR346)

Globe, AZ

Backpack		Mar 22 2013
		Randal_Schulhauser • Triplogs 1,009

Backpack	20.52 Miles	3,122 AEG

Backpack	20.52 Miles	3 Days
	3,122 ft AEG

no routes

Linked

linked

Blackjack Wash to Salt River - SRC Wilderness

Black Mountain 4515 Ruins

Blackjack Mtns to Upper Hess Canyon

Hess Canyon to Salt River - SRC Wilderness

Partners

partners

	Grasshopper	Oregon_Hiker
	outdoor_lover	rwstorm
	trekkin_gecko

Camp Grasshopper Mar2013 - Salt River Canyon Wilderness
4 day weekend booked months in advance
Yotes hockey tailgating "bookends" Thursday & Monday evening
Salt River Canyon Wilderness "mystery areas"
Off-trail hiking, ruins, 4WD trekking, canyoneering
Arizona "pin striping" my F-150
Talking to "real" cowboys
363 images on XT and 7D
Sleeping in back cab of my F-150
Black Jack Wash to Salt River (Jump-Off Canyon) [ Blackjack Wash to Salt River - SRC Wilderness ]
Black Mountain 4515 Ruins [ Black Mountain 4515 Ruins ]
Black Jack Mountains to Upper Hess Canyon [ Blackjack Mtns to Upper Hess Canyon ]
Hess Canyon to Salt River [ Hess Canyon to Salt River - SRC Wilderness ]
Another "Camp Grasshopper"
Priceless!
Having missed the past two "Camp Grasshoppers", I couldn't risk a strike three caught looking! So I booked a four day weekend at the beginning of the New Year, pushed off any potential conflicts (including my Yotes obligations) and assured Hank that I'd be there! Exploring the unknowns of the Salt River Canyon Wilderness only made it all the more sweet => [ Camp Grasshopper - S/R Cyn Wilderness (FR346) ]
Friday 3/22 - After Thursday night tail-gating at the Canucks/Yotes game, packed up the F-150 and headed towards the corrals near Clay Springs in the White Ledges of the Salt River Canyon Wilderness. Following Hank's detailed instructions;

Drive 80.7 miles east from Ahwatukee to Globe via Hwy60.

Drive 16.3 miles north from Globe on Hwy60 to FR303 intersection (by Jones Water Campgrounds).

Drive 2.6 miles northwest on FR303 to FR645 intersection.

Drive 4.86 miles west and north on FR645 to FR346 intersection (pass thru 1 ranch gate).

Drive 3.34 miles north on FR346 to corrals at Clay Spring (pass thru 2 ranch gates).

I arrived at the corrals about 2:30-ish that afternoon to find 3 vehicles, lots of camping gear, but no hikers => [ photo ] . With a positive ID on the official "Grasshopper" Jeep, I scouted out something approximating level ground and set up my base camp. After a beverage and snack I decided to climb up the White Ledges and checkout the local views. From this high vantage I could make out some familiar sights - Aztec Peak, Four Peaks, Cherry Creek basin, the Sierra Anchas and something unfamiliar - the roaring rapids of the Salt River in Jump-Off Canyon and the remnants of Quartzite Falls just beyond => https://www.americanwhitewater.org/cont ... #rapid1887 and https://www.nytimes.com/1994/10/16/us/8 ... izona.html. As the shadows began to stretch longer, I could hear voices back at the corral area and decided to trek back to camp. Arriving at camp I recognized some familiar faces - Hank (aka Grasshopper), Randy (aka RWStorm), and someone new - Larry (aka Oregon Hiker). As day light disappeared, my stomach sent out distinctive clues that it was BBQ time => [ photo ] . Steak with corn-on-the-cob and an appropriate Four Peaks Kilt Lifter to cleanse the pallet were on the menu. Camp Grasshopper called it a night at about 10:30pm and I crawled into the back of my Crew Cab serenaded by a couple of owls. 5.06 miles logged Friday on iPhone Trimble Outdoors Navigator app.
Saturday 3/23 - Black Mountain Ruins and 4WD trek to Upper Hess Canyon testing Randy's Tacoma and driving skills! Heading back to our Clay Spring camp at the end of FR346 we encountered the "real cowboys". Marlboro Man informed us that we may have some cattle running through our camp having moved 7 cows into our section. After a short break back at the camp (sans cows), Randy guided me down Black Jack Wash to Salt River (Jump-Off Canyon). This was the hi-lite of the weekend! Had an opportunity to see 3 rafts and about 6 kayakers run the rapids above Quartzite Falls... 3.82 miles logged Saturday on iPhone Trimble Outdoors Navigator app.
Sunday 2/24 - The Camp Grasshoppers broke camp 9-ish to meet up with Pam (aka Outdoor Lover) and Kelly (aka Trekkin Gecko) ready to explore Hess Canyon... Some cool wildlife encounters that day - long eared owls, head butting big horn sheep, a swarm of bees on the move and horned toads. Must say that the marble finish along Hess Canyon make this an unexpected gem. 11.64 miles logged Sunday on iPhone Trimble Outdoors Navigator app pretty much matched my FitBit.

Excellent time at another Camp Grasshopper! Special thanks to Hank, Randy, Larry, Pam, and Kelly for the good company. I was surprised by the 3-day/2-night weekend mileage at 20.52 miles logged (5.06+3.82+11.64). Photos (363 images to sort through - yikes!) to be posted when I get the chance...

Fauna

Fauna [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Bighorn Sheep Horned Lizard Long Eared Owl

Named place

Named place [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Black Mountain Blackjack Wash Haystack Butte Hess Canyon Hess Creek Jump-Off Canyon Salt River Canyon Wilderness Sierra Ancha Wilderness White Ledges Yankee Joe Canyon

Wildflowers Observation Isolated

_____________________

Jan 12 2013

RedRoxx44

Guides 5
Photos 26,458
Triplogs 807

female

Joined Feb 15 2003
outside, anywher

Hess Canyon to Salt River - SRC Wilderness

Globe, AZ

Hess Canyon to Salt River - SRC Wilderness

Globe, AZ

Hiking		Jan 12 2013
		RedRoxx44 • Triplogs 807

Hiking

Hiking

no routes

Linked

none

no linked trail guides

Partners

none

no partners

Staying home when it's cold is so boring. My mother was aghast " You'll be camping in this weather!" I replied that's what down and prima loft insulted boots are for. I grabbed Brian and Charlie in Globe and we drove down and parked when it got rough. Brian deemed the road doable for the Toyota but it was cold so some walking was good. Parts of the canyon was like a refrigerator and some of the water was frozen. We went to the river and back. Only one spot was difficult, and that was coming back, a short upclimb past a nice pool in the white quartzite. Hard with slippery boots and no good handholds. Brian had to give me a butt push on that one. The rock here is very pretty and after the pass thru of the White Ledges it is pretty mellow all the way to the Salt river. We ate lunch there and I hiked upriver a little ways and scared up some ducks. Someone with a dog had preceded us by a day or two and we followed the boot and paw prints down and back.
We drove back to Clay Spring corral and camped in the old corral where there was a fire ring. We hiked a little up the drainage and found the spring, a fairly serious affair, with the clear cold water topping the trough that was almost disguised by vegetation and almost travertine like coating on the sides. The upstream pipe led to a large covered spring near a downed cottonwood.
Next day----

Geology

Geology [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Jasper

Named place

Named place [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Hess Canyon Salt River Salt River Canyon Wilderness White Ledges

_____________________

Nov 20 2012

Oregon_Hiker

Guides 9
Routes 473
Photos 8,433
Triplogs 626

79 male

Joined Dec 07 2010
Phoenix, AZ

Hess Canyon to Salt River - SRC Wilderness

Globe, AZ

Hess Canyon to Salt River - SRC Wilderness

Globe, AZ

Hiking		Nov 20 2012
		Oregon_Hiker • Triplogs 626

Hiking	4.30 Miles

Hiking	4.30 Miles

Linked

none

no linked trail guides

Partners

partners

Grasshopper

After seeing some photos posted on HAZ from the area west of Haystack Butte near the Salt River Wilderness, Grasshopper came up with a proposed hiking route down Hess Canyon to the Salt River based on topo maps. He asked me to check it out on Google Earth for obstacles and possible hilltop Indian Ruins in the area. The route looked like it could have some water fall obstacles but was worth checking out. So the two of us headed up there for a day hike. It was a perfect day for hiking with mild temperatures and a fantastically deep blue sky like I've only seen here in AZ. Our driving route was up Highway 60 past Globe and then left on Haystack Butte Rd (FR 303) to FR 367. The Haystack Butte Rd is a maintained gravel road and was in good condition. FR 367 is not maintained though in fairly good shape up to a large corral on the left. We went through five barbed wire gates on this short section of road and all required opening and closing (thank you, Grasshopper). After the fifth gate the road got narrow and many new AZ pinstripes were added to my FJ. We parked just above a partially washed out and steep section of the road and walked the last 0.9 miles down to Hess Creek. A good decision because the 4WD track got pretty nasty although OK for a skilled driver on an ATV.

We explored an old overgrown corral and the remains of a sheet metal storage shed/shack on the bank of Hess Creek and then started the hike down the stream bed. There were lots of trees lining the bank of the creek near the old corral, some of which were in autumn colors. The stream bed was mostly sandy with some patches of rock making it easy hiking. The creek passed through a series of cliff walled slots about 200 yards downstream from the corral. The cliff walls were multicolored and polished to a marble like appearance from stream erosion. After only going about a mile downstream we were stopped by a rock drop off spanning the width of the slot. Although not that much of an obstacle, the extremely slippery surface of the polished rock made it too much of a risk for us. We were happy to have found this beautiful canyon but disappointed at not being able to reach the Salt River. So back to the car we went to explore a 4WD road into Yankee Joe Canyon looking for another possible hiking route down to the Salt River.

Flora

Flora [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Saguaro

Named place

Named place [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Hess Canyon

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Nov 20 2012

Grasshopper

Guides 48
Routes 510
Photos 9,555
Triplogs 578

79 male

Joined Dec 28 2006
Scottsdale, AZ

Hess Canyon to Salt River - SRC Wilderness

Globe, AZ

Hess Canyon to Salt River - SRC Wilderness

Globe, AZ

Hiking		Nov 20 2012
		Grasshopper • Triplogs 578

Hiking	4.10 Miles	816 AEG

Hiking	4.10 Miles	3 Hrs 28 Mns	1.85 mph
	816 ft AEG	1 Hour 15 Mns Break

Linked

none

no linked trail guides

Partners

partners

Oregon_Hiker

We shall return !!.. : rambo :

Named place

Named place [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Haystack Butte Hess Canyon Little Butte White Ledges

Autumn Foliage Observation Substantial

_____________________

(Outside.. "there is No Place Like It!!")

Nov 20 2012

Grasshopper

Guides 48
Routes 510
Photos 9,555
Triplogs 578

79 male

Joined Dec 28 2006
Scottsdale, AZ

Salt River Canyon Wild - FR303 367 645 346

Globe, AZ

Salt River Canyon Wild - FR303 367 645 346

Globe, AZ

Scenic Drive		Nov 20 2012
		Grasshopper • Triplogs 578

Scenic Drive

Scenic Drive

Linked

linked

Hess Canyon to Salt River - SRC Wilderness

Partners

partners

Oregon_Hiker

A very rewarding and interesting day in a new area I had not yet visited.

Exploratory morning day hiking down "Hess Canyon" with scenic afternoon driving on local FRs to scout-out other possible off trail hikes within this remote area of the Tonto NF- "Salt River Canyon Wilderness".

While our Sierra Ancha Wilderness and Mogollon Rim are socked-in winter conditions, this SRC Wilderness area with mid to lower altitudes and much to offer, should be an excellent winter hiking alternative choice. Thanks to ASU Aviator and Little Knee for initially leading me astray via their posted pic.. http://hikearizona.com/photo.php?ZIP=295188 which allowed me to further research (with Larry's help) this SRC Wilderness area

Named place

Named place [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Buck Mountain Haystack Butte Salt River Canyon Wilderness Sierra Ancha Wilderness White Ledges

_____________________

(Outside.. "there is No Place Like It!!")

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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