Burro Creek • Canyon Trip • Arizona • All Triplogs • HikeArizona.COM

Kaiser Hot Spring

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KatClaw

Having never really explored too much in this area, I had penciled in all kinds of options. As it turned out, we got partly to mostly lazy and only sauntered a couple of miles in some different canyons out this way. There's some fascinating landscapes and geology here but the timing for enjoyable visits is fairly limited I think. Add the complication of STL, private property, sign-in boxes, cattle, burros, rednecks, etc. and it makes for somewhere that requires a fair bit of planning. I'd still like to get back into a few more nooks and crannies that I didn't get to check out.

Autumn Foliage Observation Moderate
Delightful color along the creek.

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I'm not sure what my spirit animal is, but I'm confident it has rabies.

Dec 08 2016

MountainMatt

Guides 3
Routes 202
Photos 3,513
Triplogs 530

male

Joined Jan 24 2016
Arizona

Northwest, AZ

Northwest, AZ

Canyoneering		Dec 08 2016
		MountainMatt • Triplogs 530

Canyoneering	16.36 Miles	1,588 AEG

Canyoneering	16.36 Miles	9 Hrs 25 Mns		2.39 mph
	1,588 ft AEG	2 Hrs 35 Mns Break	25 LBS Pack

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Finally made it out to Burro Creek which if you know me it's a place I've been more fascinated in than almost anywhere else.
The northernmost part of Upper BC is the main area I have been obsessed with for the past year but I figured just seeing any portion of this remarkable watershed would satisfy me until spring.
Also the photoset form the Jefe, Eagle & Bifrost's trip led me to believe there would be some nice fall colors going on which only added to my intrigue.

The plan was to begin at Six Mile Crossing aka Suicide Wash but since my SUV is my daily driver I decided to park on FR 7669 (Burro Creek Rd) which tacked on a few miles but no worries as I'm more than happy to walk a bit more rather than have damage to my truck, the road was fine besides a few really rocky obstacle sections.

Once we saw our first vision of Suicide Wash I knew we were in for a good day as giant golden yellow cottonwoods gleamed in the distance awaiting our arrival.
The wide open area of Six Mile Crossing did not have any ground water
but no more than a mile upstream we started to see our first stagnant pools and other signs of water but through and through all the Cottonwoods were rich in health.

After our first signs of actual waterflow my friend Brandon and I were greeted with a truly unexpected and actually waterfall!
I almost couldn't believe it since for the most part all the creek bees out there is flat but this particular section had some awesome slickrock that formed into a nice six foot waterfall at its end.
We had lunch and beers there as I watched my friend Brandon take the leap of faith over a 10-11 ft gap over the creek, I told him if he broke his leg I was leaving him out there :sweat:

luckily he made it!
youtu.be/8WQyAGmsVcs

After that we we greeted with very large broad shallow pools and a combination of many other sections were the creek would narrow up to spots were it was flowing with decent force as it cascaded over the many 1-2ft drops, this area of Burro Creek really exceeded me expectations to say the least!
I realized it was much easier to get wet and cross the pools as the foliage was very dense alongside the shores. There is one specific pool where the water at its shallowest point went up to my crotch, and I had to carry my dog on my shoulder while crossing since she's a timid swimmer. Even though air temps were only in the 60's the cool water felt amazing since I was rather hot from the constant sunshine we received all day, I'm not complaining though I utilized the day to soak up some more sun, it felt great!
Believe it or not there was even a few spots I would confidently cliff jump from as that large pool I crossed as the majority of it was more than 8-10 feet deep.

Soon after is the Cornwall Canyon confluence which has the pipeline road and FR 2372 intersections and are even easier access points to this area if you have the vehicle capabilities but you'd also miss out on a lot of good stuff along the way if you choose that route.
After that we we soon reached my goal destination of the day which is what I'd like to call "Burro Lake" because it's a massive wide body of water nearly 300 yards in length that also has the regal looking "Negro Ed" in the background.
Which don't even get my started about "Negro Ed" it alone has its own appeal with its intimidating and almost impassable looking cliff walls and rugged interior valleys had me staring at it all day just wanting to be on the top of the gentle flat top of it enjoying the seldom seen views from its summit. That's a whole other hike of it's own I'd like to do one day and I think I found a weakpoint up the mighty fortress from my day of examination combined with a little topo comparisson.

We stayed there well past sunset so we had a solid 3 hours of pleasant night hiking ahead of us.
I'm growing quite fond to hiking at night since I do it nearly every trip now. The weather is usually calm and crisp, the air is still and silent and the majority of the wildlife are active.
I'm glad I know my dog as well as I do by knowing a leash at night as an absolute requirement because there is no stopping her from chasing creatures of the dark when she gets a whiff.
In this case it was of course numerous amounts of burros that got her attention, I lost count throughout the our hike, somewhere around 20.
The burros of BC are actually somewhat beautiful in regards to their markings if I dare say a donkey can hold beauty but they had a wide variety of black, dark brown and all white markings along with being much larger/muscular than the many feral Burros I've see around the Lake Pleasant area.
We made great time on our road walk back as I had stepped up the pace because of my motivation to fill my stomach with some hot greasy food awaiting in the nearby town of Wickenburg.

It was certainly a great day spent exploring a small sliver of an area that has been a high priority on my list for way too long, consider this a small start to my full descent for the entire length of the incredible Burro Creek watershed.
: rambo :

Named place

Named place [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Burro Creek Negro Ed

Autumn Foliage Observation Substantial
The Cottonwoods along Burro Creek are very vibrant with rich color and some of the best I've ever seen!

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Dec 03 2016

joebartels

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

55 male

Joined Nov 20 1996

Hells Half Acre Lasso Loop, AZ

Hiking		Dec 03 2016
		joebartels • Triplogs 5,894

Hiking	17.04 Miles	1,959 AEG

Hiking	17.04 Miles	8 Hrs 26 Mns		2.16 mph
	1,959 ft AEG	33 Mns Break	12 LBS Pack

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BiFrost

The_Eagle

Nice redo of a little gem Bruce assembled last year. Bruce was full of energy and acting like a young BobP.

Autumn Foliage Observation Moderate
Moderate in the isolated spot it occurs.

_____________________

- joe

Dec 03 2016

BiFrost

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

55 male

Joined Nov 20 2012
Phoenix, AZ

Hells Half Acre Lasso Loop, AZ

Hiking		Dec 03 2016
		BiFrost • Triplogs 1,257

Hiking	17.04 Miles	1,959 AEG

Hiking	17.04 Miles	8 Hrs 26 Mns	2.16 mph
	1,959 ft AEG	33 Mns Break

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joebartels

The_Eagle

Great hike into an area I've wanted to see for awhile. The highlights were Hells Half Acre, Burro Creek and several burro sightings. Bruce and Joe were willing do this one again and I can see why. Definitely more to explore and ready made area for winter hiking with a bit of fall color still left. And of course there was also water in Hells Half Acre area and Burro Creek making for some riparian scenery.

Fauna

Fauna [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Teva

Autumn Foliage Observation Moderate

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Dec 05 2015

The_Eagle

Guides 41
Routes 1,626
Photos 14,983
Triplogs 2,760

69 male

Joined Jan 20 2009
Far NE Phoenix,

Hells Half Acre Lasso Loop, AZ

Hiking		Dec 05 2015
		The_Eagle • Triplogs 2,760

Hiking	17.97 Miles	2,093 AEG

Hiking	17.97 Miles	8 Hrs 47 Mns		2.21 mph
	2,093 ft AEG	40 Mns Break	16 LBS Pack

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joebartels

We hiked a loop in Kaiser Canyon and Burro Creek in Feb. of 2012. [ triplog ] There was a feature that intrigued us [ photo ] but we weren't sure if it'd be worth the effort to get back there.

I'd started a track right after that and it just sat in the To-Do folder. It being my week and needing to quickly put together a Saturday hike, I gave this track my full attention and put in the full 10 minute effort to put a loop together. I didn't know if the road off of 93 was passable (it was great) and didn't know if the loop was even possible through the canyons I had us traveling (piece of cake).

For those with a capable 4x4, you can cut off 4.8 miles(RT) of road walking. After that the road goes down a twisty steep loose marble covered hill.

The Hike:
After the aforementioned road walk we headed down What I will call Hells Half Acre Canyon (no name on Topos). I could not tell from the Satellite shots, if this canyon was even possible. Wow was this canyon a treat. It was slow going in a few places, but mainly because of the scenery. Slots, tall walls, craggely looking rocks, water, Fall colors and even some PI.

After 2 miles, we were in Hells Half Acre. This is a special place and the highlight of the trip. Lots of alcoves, rocky areas , water and foliage. There are plenty more nooks and cranny's to check out in this area. Worthy of a trip.

We headed down a canyon/wash to the west to meet up with Raster Wash. There were some interesting areas through here also including a 15' drop covered in house size boulders that we called "The Trap".

Burro Creek was mostly dry, but there were areas of water and we chased up a few small paddlings of ducks. The first 1/2 mile in Burro Creek was slow going, but after that, not too bad. We saw several bands of Burros in "Burro" Creek.

We up into Haleys Wash and stopped for some lunch. Next we explored Haley's Spring. It's more than just a wet spot. Evidence of past daming, and hoses to catchments. Haley's Wash was also a treat.

Perfect weather with temps ranging from the upper 40's to 70's

If you don't have a life, here's a Video https://youtube.com ... ozZo

Fauna for the Day, 7 bands of Burros, 2 Javelina, Ducks, Cows and a huge crow that Joe failed to see sitting 4 feet in front of his face
Fast Fact: pumpkin (A S S) is the correct term for the animal known as the donkey, burro, or jackstock.
The young of a donkey is called a foal.
A young male is a colt and a young female a filly.

Flora

Flora [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Ocotillo Poison Ivy

Fauna

Fauna [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Wild Burro

Named place

Named place [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Haleys Spring

Autumn Foliage Observation Moderate
In areas where there was foliage, it was pretty nice

	Haleys Spring	Quart per minute	Quart per minute
	Follow the old black hose 50 yds to it's source for some water.

_____________________

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

1 archive

Dec 05 2015

joebartels

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

55 male

Joined Nov 20 1996

Hells Half Acre Lasso Loop, AZ

Hiking		Dec 05 2015
		joebartels • Triplogs 5,894

Hiking	17.58 Miles	2,052 AEG

Hiking	17.58 Miles	8 Hrs 48 Mns		2.25 mph
	2,052 ft AEG	1 Hour Break	14 LBS Pack

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The_Eagle

Our forays over the past two years from Wickenburg towards Wikieup have been jackpot city. Nevertheless my expectations for this loop pegged the needle of optimism to rock bottom. Yet the allure of new terrain in perfect weather with good company torched a mild case of anticipation.

A 2.5mi road walk to our loop was kinna scenic. Similar to FS213 to Tortilla TH in the Superstitions, views off this road offered enough bells and whistle to keep me entertained. Reliving the hike on topo it dawned on me we were on the southern end of the Aquarius Mountain range.

Dropping down towards Hells Half Acre this hike was demanding our attention more and more. We must have slipped into a blackhole. The nickle and dime obstacles morphed into a Sonoran Disneyland. It was short lived and Bruce wanted to explore. With 12 miles to go we kept to pace after a short look around.

We headed towards Burro Creek through a previously hiked portion of Raster Wash. johnlp joined on the Kaiser Roll Loop a couple years ago. Now he rides bikes, yodels and enjoys Natural Peak Experiences in his spare time.

I was dreading our 2.5mi segment through Burro Creek. While slow in areas I thought we had a mile to go when we arrived at the turnout. The sandy areas had me marveling at the quality of the sand more than whimpering aloud.

Our return through Haleys Wash was fairly scenic too. Time passed quick. Seven burro sightings on the day, a small pack of javelinas and Haleys Spring kept it real.

Video includes 360 degree footage in Hells Half Acre.
https://youtu.be/5g ... lL7A

Disneyland is a nice word.

Flora

Flora [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Ocotillo

Fauna

Fauna [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Wild Burro

Named place

Named place [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Burro Creek

Meteorology

Meteorology [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Autumn - Color Foliage

Autumn Foliage Observation Moderate
Yawner for foliage snobs. An open mind or the type of person that can return a hello would appreciate the juxtaposition of Autumn mingling with the distorted landscape.

_____________________

- joe

Feb 02 2013

johnlp

Guides 1
Routes 14
Photos 7,202
Triplogs 5,208

68 male

Joined Mar 16 2008
chandler,az

Burro Creek - Kaiser Roll Canyon Loop, AZ

Hiking		Feb 02 2013
		johnlp • Triplogs 5,208

Hiking	18.77 Miles	3,154 AEG

Hiking	18.77 Miles	10 Hrs 2 Mns	2.16 mph
	3,154 ft AEG	1 Hour 20 Mns Break

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joebartels

The_Eagle

Interesting loop hike down through Burro Canyon from near the campground, up through Kaiser Canyon, over and then down more of Burro Canyon. Saw lots of animal tracks in the mud and sand along the flowing creeks. Three groups of burros were spotted. We stopped by the Burro mine, Kaiser hot springs, and a few other cool places. Founs some Apache Tears too. My camera went swimming so no pics (see Joe and Bruces photos). Fun day. Thanks for having me along.

Wildflowers Observation Isolated

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“Good people drink good beer.” Hunter S Thompson

Feb 02 2013

joebartels

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

55 male

Joined Nov 20 1996

Burro Creek - Kaiser Roll Canyon Loop, AZ

Hiking		Feb 02 2013
		joebartels • Triplogs 5,894

Hiking	18.77 Miles	3,154 AEG

Hiking	18.77 Miles	10 Hrs 2 Mns		2.16 mph
	3,154 ft AEG	1 Hour 20 Mns Break	14 LBS Pack

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johnlp

The_Eagle

Burro Creek is currently flowing at 49cfm, down from 2k 6 days ago on Sunday Jan 27th. Interestingly we drove up here to see the flow late Saturday on the 26th, it was 15cfm. So it flashed later that night.

Upper Burro
Frigid water crossings in the 40s. Nice scenery for the area but don't get too excited. Once is probably enough.

Warm Springs Canyon
The hot springs is the highlight.

Kaiser Spring Canyon
A gem in places. Unfortunately close to the highway, noticeable high use and such take away top notch status. Very light flow in areas. Easiest travel is center creek in the flow. Light skin friendly bushwhacking. Multiple pungent carcasses.

Passed Hells Half Acre. Looks worthy of a look someday. Nice slanted-carved-pillars. Perhaps sandstone, intriguing.

Interesting facts: 2 out 3 in group know pinochle, none know bridge. Ancient chinese secret had nothing to do with food, rather a water softener.

Searching for Andys Hole, Burro Mine never ending vent? hole, hot springs in Kaiser, jlp sings, etc.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fNXwgmCPjvY

Beware! - It appears part of our loop crossed private property looking at old photos. Apparently signage washed away in recent floods.

Fauna

Fauna [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Raccoon

Named place

Named place [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Warm Spring

	Warm Spring	Gallon + per minute	Gallon + per minute
	Talked to a guy(about 65) near the spring that said the creek bed is 15 feet lower than back in the day. He said the current hold was chiseled round on the wall, now a few feet high. Back in the day it used to bubble out of the ground. Nice and warm, not to hot. Stings on scrapes and cuts.

_____________________

- joe

Feb 02 2013

The_Eagle

Guides 41
Routes 1,626
Photos 14,983
Triplogs 2,760

69 male

Joined Jan 20 2009
Far NE Phoenix,

Burro Creek-Kaiser Canyon Loop, AZ

Hiking		Feb 02 2013
		The_Eagle • Triplogs 2,760

Hiking	19.06 Miles	2,838 AEG

Hiking	19.06 Miles	10 Hrs 3 Mns		2.19 mph
	2,838 ft AEG	1 Hour 20 Mns Break	16 LBS Pack

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[ checklist ] Burro Creek Burro Mine Kaiser Spring Canyon Warm Spring Warm Spring Canyon

Kaiser Hot Spring

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joebartels

johnlp

Finally got to scratch that itch.

After driving over the Kaiser Canyon and Burro Creek bridges on Rt 93 in the past, I always wanted to throw together a loop through this area. A bonus, another hot spring on the hike.

Burro Creek was flowing nicely, so it was another week of COLD water crossings, but none were more than waist deep. Me and the boys survived. Just under 8 miles of this hike were around and through Burro Creek.

We took a side trip UP to Burro Mine. We saw / visited a few horizontal shaft mines, the longest went in about 100' and had had a side shaft. A first for me was the collection of core samples, all labeled and laid out in a wooden case.

Next, off to visit Warm Spring, up Warm Spring Canyon, just across Burro Creek.
The water collects in a 5' Oblong catch basin, about knee deep and about 98 degrees in Temp.

On our way up Warm Spring Canyon, close to Rt 93, John found a new outdoor activity he wanted to participate in. http://hikearizona.com/photo.php?ZIP=313152

Kaiser Canyon was enjoyable with only a slight bit of boulder climbing.

We followed a way old jeep road after a bit of a scramble. The road took us back down to Burro Creek and the home stretch. A few more crossings, and an interesting perspective of the bridges under Rt 93, and And we're done.

Video==> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nbtJV3o3fsc

Live Fauna for the Day, 10+ Burros, Blue Herons, Ducks, Cows.
Dead Fauna for the Day, 3 Cows, 1 Burro

Fauna

Fauna [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Wild Burro

Named place

Named place [ checklist ]

	Kaiser Spring	Gallon per minute	Gallon per minute
	Did not witness actual Spring, but the water was flowing up to the area of the spring.

	Kaiser Spring Canyon	Pools to trickle	Pools to trickle
	Wet/Damp in the lower sections by the Gushing Burro Creek. Wet in the upper section East of 93

	Warm Spring	Gallon per minute	Gallon per minute
	Temp around 98.6 Flowing nicely into 5' Oblong catch basin. About knee deep. aka "Kaiser Hot Spring" on some Topos

_____________________

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

Dec 27 2012

Randal_Schulhauser

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

65 male

Joined May 14 2003
Ahwatukee, AZ

Joshua Forest Scenic Parkway

Southwest, AZ

Joshua Forest Scenic Parkway

Southwest, AZ

Hiking		Dec 27 2012
		Randal_Schulhauser • Triplogs 1,009

Hiking	11.50 Miles	500 AEG

Hiking	11.50 Miles	8 Hrs	1.44 mph
	500 ft AEG

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Burro Creek Campground Trails

Burro Creek Campground Trails

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From my first trip to Joshua Trees National Park in California, I recall the Park Ranger informing some visitors that they won't find the U2 Joshua tree in JOTR because the photo was actually shot in Arizona.

I had that filed away as a future trek to find the Joshua tree in AZ. A little research proved the Ranger correct that the photo shoot wasn't in JOTR, but was incorrect in crediting Arizona as the location.

Still curious as to why the Joshua Forest area is a "black hole" on HAZ, I wanted to explore. I think a future trek into the Arrastra Mountain Wilderness may be on the "to do" list...

Flora

Flora [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Joshua Tree Saguaro

Culture

Culture [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] HAZ Rides

Named place

Named place [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Arrastra Mountain Wilderness Burro Creek

Meteorology

Meteorology [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Sunset

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Dec 20 2005

mazatzal

Routes 36
Photos 2,658
Triplogs 1,347

67 male

Joined Jul 28 2004
Scottsdale, AZ

Northwest, AZ

Burro Creek Campground Trails

Northwest, AZ

Hiking		Dec 20 2005
		mazatzal • Triplogs 1,347

Hiking	2.50 Miles	500 AEG

Hiking	2.50 Miles
	500 ft AEG

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