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Chicken Coop Trail #29 - 1 member in 2 triplogs has rated this an average 5 ( 1 to 5 best )
2 triplogs
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Sep 20 2019
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 Routes 2
 Photos 64
 Triplogs 10

35 male
 Joined Sep 09 2015
 Tucson, AZ
Gila Wilderness Loop, NM 
Gila Wilderness Loop, NM
 
Backpack avatar Sep 20 2019
derpsquad • Triplogs 10
Backpack60.00 Miles
Backpack60.00 Miles4 Days         
 
Linked   8 linked trail guides
Granny Mountain Trail #160
Little Creek Trail #161
Turkey Creek Trail #155
Trotter Trail #30
Chicken Coop Trail #29
Prior Creek Trail #156
Middle Fork Trail #157
Little Bear Trail #729
Partners none no partners
Day 1

Started at Woody's Corral and headed up Granny Mtn 160 which is quite exposed but has excellent views looking South into the Gila. Once on Little Creek 161, the ponderosas come out and provide shade through the whole canyon. Tons of wildflowers and knee high bright green grass from the recent monsoons. It's an relaxing, level, and beautiful stroll. Intermittent water through Litte Creek. We set up camp at a great site near the spring at the intersection of Turkey Creek 155 and Little Creek 161 and hiked up to Granite peak which has fantastic 360 views of the wilderness.

Day 2

Started up Turkey Creek 155 which was flowing pretty good until the climb over the Diablo Mtns. Great views on top of the Diablos. McKenna Park is like walking through a fairy tale. Pretty hard not to have a smile plastered across your face for 7 miles with wildflowers up to our waist, wide open meadows, and old growth ponderosas providing shade through the entire park. What a beautiful place. Dropped into West Fork at the White Creek Administrative Site and had lunch next to the river. About a dozen switchbacks later on Trotter 30 and we were out of the canyon up on the mesa. Lilley Park was another highlight and definitely worth a visit. Water at Lilley Park spring. Planned on camping off Chicken Coop 29 but the creek was dry so we pressed onto Prior Cabin which typically has reliable water (it did). Saw a herd of 20+ Elk in Chicken Coop.

Day 3

After about 3 miles on Prior Creek 156 some pretty incredible views of the middle fork emerge which are worth a moment of reflection. This is shortly followed by a steep drop down to Middle Fork 157. After all the monsoon rains the canyon was blooming with life (more than usual). We strolled down to Jordan Hot Springs and soaked for hours. Awesome place to camp especially after a couple of big days.

Day 4

Continued down the beautiful Middle Fork 157 which had some recent trail work to Little Bear 729 which turns into a pretty cool slot canyon. Back to the truck before noon and off to Tucson.
 Named place
 Named place [ checklist ]
[ checklist ]  Jordon Hot Springs  Lilley Park  McKenna Park  Middle Fork Gila River  West Fork Gila River
_____________________
 
Jun 09 2019
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 Guides 107
 Routes 249
 Photos 2,067
 Triplogs 514

male
 Joined Nov 18 2005
 Phoenix, AZ
Middle Fork Trail #157Southwest, NM
Middle Fork Trail #157
Southwest, NM
Backpack avatar Jun 09 2019
nonot • Triplogs 514
Backpack70.00 Miles 4,500 AEG
Backpack70.00 Miles
4,500 ft AEG
 
1st trip
Linked   10 linked trail guides
Middle and East Fork Gila River - GET #22
West Fork Trail #151
Big Bear Trail #28
Woodland Park Trail #12
Chicken Coop Trail #29
Trotter Trail #30
Iron Creek Mesa Trail #171
Clear Creek Trail #165
Prior Creek Trail #156
Lilley Park Trail #164
Partners none no partners
Prehike-the drive to the Willow Creek area took me down some new roads, including the drive down NM28, which is signed for high clearance only. It is impressive the amount of erosion control and new bridges they had to build from the big flash floods. Cars should drive around and take the smoother roads from Reserve.

I nabbed the last spot at the Ken Lilley campground (4 spots, one is kinda exposed) for the night to rest up. The Willow Creek Campground is closed, which I think means the restrooms are locked, as there were people still camping there?

Hike- drove to the Gilita TH (the picnic grounds are closed but there is room for parking for a few vehicles. I set down the Middle Fork trail. The area has not received any maintenance since perhaps a decade, though someone did put green surveyor flagging along the route, for about the first two miles. It is around then that flash floods had wiped out what remains of the trail for the next 3 miles, but the canyon is easily traveled by staying to the inside bends of the river, and crossing often. There are many nice meadows and some trees remain, though in areas the fires burned all the way down to the river. With about 1.5 miles left to reach the snow lake trail, the middle fork trail begins to reappear and is easily followed (with some pink surveyor tapes) til you reach the CDT. From there the next several miles are in great shape. There are several expansive grassy meadows and some debris piles from the flash flood the size of small houses. I find a nice campsite for the afternoon along the river.

The next day I continue downriver and take the Trotter trail up onto Johnson Mesa, with good trails allowing me to reach Clear creek, a reliable water source, a little after noon, and I check out the clear creek trail (Old maps, and HAZ, call it the Pine Flat Trail?). As predicted, a bit of rain and thunder appears. I dayhike up to Marrs spring and am unimpressed by the spring, but the creek is very nice.

Next day I start off by taking the Trotter trail to Chicken Coop. Chicken coop is a wonderful trail, going through old growth pine forests and meadows, though the creeks in this area are already dry this early in the summer season. At the end I reach Prior Cabin, and there is some light flow of water in the canyon. Having been here before, I was glad to find water as it can be dry. I head over to the Woodland Park trail 12, and hike past Woodland Park Tank, and see a male bear, very healthy with shiny black coat. The encounter is very healthy and soon he is running away from the trail to get away from the annoying human. I decide to press on for another mile rather than camp close to the tank and risk encountering him again.

Next day I take the Lilley Park Trail (HAZ and old maps call this the Woodland Park Trail 164), and pass by Big Bear tank (dry). This area is more desertified than the rest of the park, and is also recovering from wildfire. I reach Big Bear Trail and go through Big Bear Canyon, then finish the day by taking all the switchbacks down into the Meadows area of the Middle Fork. The area seemed a little different than I remember - and I wonder if the flash flood altered where the reasonable campsites were.

The next day I wake up to overcast skies and cooler temperatures. This was not in line with the weather forecast and it seems like a storm is trying to push in. This spurred all the flies to bite and draw blood and this proved to be incredibly annoying throughout the entire day. Because of the cooler temps though I decide to press on and do my plan for the day and most of the next day today. The trail sections that were in the floodplains were destroyed by the 2015 (?) flash flood and the new trail that replaces it varies in quality. The first 2 miles were the most problematic as you go though the narrowest part of the canyon. But even having to walk the rip-rap by the river, it isn't too bad. The trail does get faint though and at times there are multiple new trails competing to win out. When I pass the homestead drop-in area I take a break for lunch. The next section I think is the best part of the middle fork, and the next few miles I go slowly savoring the scenery. I eventually find excellent trails (2 - one on each side of the river) once past flying V canyon, and complete the main loop of my figure 8 camping at the trotter trail intersection.

For my last day I head upriver and climb up the Iron Creek trail. Once up on top of the mesa, the trail disappears and you are free to roam the forest for about the next 2 miles. After this the faintest path begins to appear, and doesn't really turn into a trail until you are about 2 miles from the West Fork. There is a nice meadow you have to go through, and then you reach the burn scar of the Whitewater-Baldy Fire. But from here the hiking is easy and I reach the West Fork trail and take it back to the road. A short road-walk completes the loop.
 Fauna
 Fauna [ checklist ]
[ checklist ]  Black Bear
 Named place
 Named place [ checklist ]
[ checklist ]  Clear Creek  Iron Creek Lake  Iron Creek Mesa  Woodland Park  Woodland Park Tank
wildflower observationwildflower observationwildflower observationwildflower observationwildflower observation
Wildflowers Observation Light

dry Big Bear Canyon Dry Dry
Dry at Big Bear Trail xing

dry Big Bear Tank Dry Dry

water 1 out of 5water less than maxwater less than maxwater less than max Canyon Creek Pools to trickle Pools to trickle
Very light trickle at intersection with middle fork gila river

dry Chicken Coop Canyon Dry Dry
Dry along Chicken Coop trail

dry Clayton Creek Dry Dry

water 1 out of 5water 2 out of 5water less than maxwater less than max Clear Creek Light flow Light flow
light flow at intersection with Trotter. Surface water becomes intermittent as you head upcanyon.

dry Flying V Canyon Dry Dry

water 1 out of 5water 2 out of 5water 3 out of 5water less than max Iron Creek Medium flow Medium flow
good flow coming down iron creek

water 1 out of 5water 2 out of 5water less than maxwater less than max Iron Creek Lake 26-50% full 26-50% full

dry Lilley Canyon Dry Dry

dry Little Turkey Creek Dry Dry

water 1 out of 5water less than maxwater less than maxwater less than max Lower Marrs Spring Dripping Dripping
Hard to tell but assume this is the pool in the rivulet of the meadow.

water 1 out of 5water 2 out of 5water less than maxwater less than max Marrs Spring Quart per minute Quart per minute
Light flow, there are two springs in the area.

water 1 out of 5water 2 out of 5water 3 out of 5water less than max Middle Fork Gila River Medium flow Medium flow

dry Moonshine Canyon Dry Dry

dry No Name Canyon Dry Dry

dry Porcupine Canyon Dry Dry

water 1 out of 5water less than maxwater less than maxwater less than max Prior Creek Pools to trickle Pools to trickle
Light flow in lower section by cabin

dry Swinging Cross Canyon Dry Dry

water 1 out of 5water 2 out of 5water less than maxwater less than max Upper Marrs Spring Quart per minute Quart per minute
Light flow, there are two springs in the area.

water 1 out of 5water 2 out of 5water 3 out of 5water less than max Willow Creek Medium flow Medium flow
Very nice flow down Willow

water 1 out of 5water 2 out of 5water less than maxwater less than max Woodland Park Tank 26-50% full 26-50% full
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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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