Winter Cabin Trail #70 • Hike • Arizona • All Triplogs • HikeArizona.COM

Little LO Spring Canyon

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May 28 2021

GrangerGuy

Guides 34
Routes 138
Photos 931
Triplogs 111

68 male

Joined Dec 26 2018
Phoenix, AZ

Flagstaff, 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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Babe's Hole Spring Canyon

Little LO Spring Canyon

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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.

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

_____________________

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

1 archive

Jun 08 2019

Itsstar11

Photos 11
Triplogs 2

51 female

Joined Aug 26 2018
Phoenix,az

Sedona, AZ

Hiking		Jun 08 2019
		Itsstar11 • Triplogs 2

Hiking	6.26 Miles	793 AEG

Hiking	6.26 Miles	3 Hrs 59 Mns	1.64 mph
	793 ft AEG	10 Mns Break

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Route Recorded on Route Scout | Pop | Map | Popup | MapDEX

Dorsey spring from hog hill TH counter clockwise around to winter cabin. Pleasant weather. A bit hot in the afternoon. Small part of westerly portion exposed and very overgrown. Trail is okay to find but the thorny oak has pushed in evenly from all sides so you have to squish through for a portion. Definitely doable but Easy to get cut up on your legs.

	Winter Cabin Spring	Dripping	Dripping
	June 8 2019 winter cabin spring was dripping and pooled by cabin. If you walk down the creek a bit farther there’s enough water it’s moving a bit with tiny kitchen sink waterfalls. Depth of water very shallow but clean clear and decent.

Apr 19 2018

azbackpackr

Guides 27
Routes 518
Photos 5,861
Triplogs 883

72 female

Joined Jan 21 2006
Eagar AZ

Flagstaff, AZ

Flagstaff, AZ

Backpack		Apr 19 2018
		azbackpackr • Triplogs 883

Backpack	10.82 Miles	2,873 AEG

Backpack	10.82 Miles	1 Day 2 Hrs 39 Mns
	2,873 ft AEG

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[ checklist ] Babes Hole Spring Geronimo Spring Kelsey Spring Winter Cabin Spring

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I hiked down the Kelsey and Little Lookout Trails to the bottom of Sycamore Canyon. I made camp at the second campsite (not the one under the overhang, but the one with the log furniture and lots of trees.) I thought about staying there for a couple of nights. However, there was a storm in the forecast for the next day. My friend, Scott, and his 9-month-old preemie baby, Cora, day-hiked down with me to the bottom. Well, Scott hiked. Cora just rode along and observed with bright eyes. She was amazingly good. We had left my Jeep at Winter Cabin trailhead, and then Scott brought me around to the Kelsey trailhead. So, despite the bad weather, I knew I would still have to hike over to Winter Cabin.

It was really windy. I set up camp and then walked further up the trail, which eventually gave out. Then I went down into the creek bottom (dry) to walk upstream. It's rough going on those big rocks, especially when you're tired and your knees ache. I turned around after a few minutes and went back to camp. So much for exploring.

A campfire was out of the question. The wind was kind of crazy! I holed up for a while in my tent, then crawled out and made supper. When I crawled back into the tent it was about 6 p.m. I read for a while, (Camino Island, by John Grisham), but mostly slept, until 6 a.m. In the middle of the night I put my down jacket on. By that time I had pretty much decided I wasn't cut out for cold weather camping by myself. John Muir I ain't. I don't seem capable of awe and wonder when I'm chilled. I just want to crawl into my sleeping bag. So, I decided to skip the second night, and hike out in the morning to Winter Cabin trailhead.

At Geronimo Spring there's an apple tree in full bloom. Gorgeous big flowers! There are some other flowers there that looked like impatiens, but they were on vines. (See photo.)

It was a good shakedown cruise for me. I'm just getting back into backpacking. I felt pretty strong.

All the HAZ photos, GPS routes and triplogs I read were very helpful, thanks to all who wrote them.

Flora

Flora [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Agave Apple Meadow Violet Parry's Agave

Named place

Named place [ checklist ]

Wildflowers Observation Isolated
Around springs. Also, manzanita.

Quart per minute

Quart per minute

Quart per minute

Quart per minute

Quart per minute

_____________________

There is a point of no return unremarked at the time in most lives. Graham Greene The Comedians
A clean house is a sign of a misspent life.

Sep 23 2017

Jhogue7

Triplogs 2

45 female

Joined Sep 23 2017
Wickenburg, az

Sedona, AZ

Backpack		Sep 23 2017
		Jhogue7 • Triplogs 2

Backpack	11.00 Miles	4,682 AEG

Backpack	11.00 Miles	20 Hrs	1.83 mph
	4,682 ft AEG

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Did an overnight trip to Sycamore Creek. 2 adults, 2 kids (14 & 9) and 1 dog. Nice views and diverse terrain. Trail is very overgrown when you near the Canyon coming from the trail head. Advise to take a good detailed map with topography. We carried all water in. Sycamore creek is bone dry. Did not check Ott lake nor Springs.

Autumn Foliage Observation None
trail is very overgrown in parts

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May 29 2017

BiFrost

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

55 male

Joined Nov 20 2012
Phoenix, AZ

Winter Cabin - Ott Lake, AZ

Hiking		May 29 2017
		BiFrost • Triplogs 1,257

Hiking	5.95 Miles	1,228 AEG

Hiking	5.95 Miles	2 Hrs 28 Mns	2.63 mph
	1,228 ft AEG	12 Mns Break

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chumley

We car camped Sunday night near Winter Cabin trail head and then Monday morning hiked out to Winter Cabin and Ott Lake. It’s short hike through Ponderosa pine forest down to Winter Cabin about 1.2 miles from the trail head. We checked out Winter Cabin spring which is right next to the cabin and looked like decent water and probably year round.

After that we headed over to Ott Lake about 2.8 miles from the trail head. The lake isn’t much of a lake but it’s a pretty location with mixed pine, oak and juniper. There was some very shallow water in the lake which could be filtered. We walked around the lake perimeter and then took a break to take in the scenery. Break over we hiked back to the trail head where some backpackers were just getting ready to hike out. They were doing the same trip we had just done so we gave them the water report etc.

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2 archives

May 29 2017

chumley

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

52 male

Joined Sep 18 2002
Tempe, AZ

Sedona, AZ

Hiking		May 29 2017
		chumley • Triplogs 1,993

Hiking	5.61 Miles	1,182 AEG

Hiking	5.61 Miles	2 Hrs 24 Mns	2.48 mph
	1,182 ft AEG	8 Mns Break

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BiFrost

One plan was to hike down in the evening and camp near Winter Cabin, but the real plan was to not have a plan so that isn't what ended up happening. Nonetheless, I was interested in seeing the cabin and Ott Lake, so we headed down for a quick hike on Monday morning.

The upper portion of the hike is really nice in shaded forest. The cabin is slowly disintegrating. The springbox is filled in with dirt, but the drainage had plenty of water in it.

The trip to Ott Lake continues in the wooded terrain until crossing a small ridge and entering desert scrubland. The positive is that the views are great.

I've never seen Ott Lake listed amongst the rumored "three natural lakes" in Arizona. But it sure looks like one to me.

After a quick swim, we retraced our steps back to the trailhead and went our separate ways. I'd like to get back here and explore the other trails in the area.

Named place

Named place [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Ott Lake Winter Cabin Spring

	Ott Lake	1-25% full	1-25% full
	Might actually be 30% full since 100% isn't more than 2 feet at the deepest point. Grassy marshy water over half the lake.

	Winter Cabin Spring	Dripping	Dripping
	Not really flowing but big pool. No problem filtering from here.

_____________________

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

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

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 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

_____________________

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

2 archives

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

_____________________

- joe

Jun 13 2015

hikeaz

Guides 6
Photos 346
Triplogs 225

69 male

Joined May 13 2002
Tempe, AZ

Flagstaff, 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

Babes Hole Spring

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

Aug 31 2014

desert_boonie

Guides 2
Photos 1,691
Triplogs 212

45 male

Joined Aug 05 2004
Peoria, AZ

Sedona, AZ

Canyoneering		Aug 31 2014
		desert_boonie • Triplogs 212

Canyoneering	11.50 Miles	2,450 AEG

Canyoneering	11.50 Miles	6 Hrs 30 Mns	1.77 mph
	2,450 ft AEG

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Day two of the weekend started with driving on into the Winter Cabin trailhead area to start the day. Once I turned onto the road for Winter Cabin there was a car inching its way along and to the side of a huge mud puddle in the middle of the road. So of course I did what anyone in my shoes would have done, I drove past them right in the middle of the mud puddle while waving at them. I was actually impressed they drove in that far with a car. Needless to say, I didn't see them again that day or their car when I drove out later.

Once at the trailhead I was alone again, gathered my things for the day and set off. There was a nice gust of wind that stood tall most of the day which made the first half of the day nice and eerie as I made my way down the swinging trees. I reached the Winter Cabin and checked out the area for a few minutes. Since I wasn't up to date on my tetanus shots I didn't get too close to everything inside. Interesting place and with the spring right down the hill I could see myself staying in the area for awhile.

Continuing on my way downhill, you come out of the trees and see the area open up and get your first glimpse of Winter Cabin Canyon from above. You can also see the bushwhacking section you will have to do. From here you are now exposed to the sun as well, it isn't bad until the hike out, trust me. You pass Ott Lake on the way down as well so I thought I would check the area out knowing I wouldn't see any water. It doesn't take long to get there and the area is just amazing. A lush meadow now and the total feeling of seclusion. And again with the wind gusting it made it a refreshing time.

Now on to the canyon, back on the trail I reach the point to break away and do a short bushwhack to the side drainage which will lead you into Winter Cabin Canyon. Nothing I haven't done before so it really wasn't that bad, I don't even feel the scrapes on my legs anymore. In the drainage and immediately the bottom is a wet clay texture. It felt good to be in the shade and work my way down.

Like Bunker Hill, this canyon is not technically difficult, there are some down climbs to manage and then you hit some amazing sculpted canyon walls, some of the best I have seen form in the sandstone. I reached the point where most do the 1st rappel but I was able to down climb the 15ft drop. You are pretty much in the narrows the entire time as this canyon works it way down. The second drop others rappel I down climbed as well, although here it was a little bit tougher. There is only one pool in this canyon which was knee high and refreshing to get it halfway down the canyon.

I finally reached the big drop in a spectacular sculpted wall. I rig the rappel and couldn't help but using my free left hand to feel the wall on the way down. It was amazing, a very nice area to be in for sure. I pull my rope and finish up the canyon which doesn't have many obstacles to handle. At the bottom there are some more amazing formations in the sandstone. I get to Sycamore Canyon and check out the area at the bottom here. Bone Dry! I was hoping for some water so I could wet my clothing for the hike on out. Oh well, time to take a break in the shade and drink a brew.

Now for the hike out. This hike is brutal this time of year, fully exposed to the sun, very steep at the bottom, and faint in some areas so pay attention. Of course the wind had died down at the time it would have been best to be in. I stopped in the few sections of shade for a minute just to get that second of cooling my body down. Boy does this trail not waste anytime climbing out. Once I made my way up to the point I would get back into the pines and some shade, I ran into a group of 3 hikers making their way from Kelsey Sprint to the bottom of Sycamore to see the pools. I told them it was dry at the bottom but one of them insisted that if you head south towards Clarkdale (his exact words) there is a nice section. I wished them a good hike as that is a long trek they were doing and made my way back to the cabin. I went to the spring and got some water to dump on me.

After refreshing myself and feeling like a million dollars again I made my way on up back to the Jeep. I cooked up the last of my food and chilled there for an hour in the hammock before deciding to finally come back home. Had some fun in the mud on the way out and traffic wasn't bad until south of Sedona. But i'll leave my highway driving rant to myself.

Good weekend.

Fauna

Fauna [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] White Tailed Deer

Geology

Geology [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Tafoni

_____________________

"Never Satisfied"

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

Linked

6 linked trail guides

Partners

partners

	The_Eagle	Tortoise_Hiker
	wallyfrack

From the Dorsey Springs TH we headed down Hog Hill Trail #133. The air was cool, crisp and most enjoyable through thick pine trees.

After a short visit to Winter Springs Cabin we headed down Winter Cabin Trail #70. On route we stopped by Ott Lake. This large meadow is a very picturesque. Abundant wildflowers filled the dry lake. Mosquitoes tried to devour us alive. Denny entertained with a Kachina Rain Dance type circle stomp upon hearing the rattle of a snake.

Back on trail #70. The descent turns a bit rocky and slightly scratchy down to Sycamore. It felt warmer with each step. It really seemed to drag on making this stretch my least favorite for the day.

We boulder hopped about 5.6 miles up Sycamore Canyon. Which is very similar to the middle section of Woods Canyon most curse off. We lunched near the halfway point. Mosquitoes and wasps were out in force.

Just as we were all excited to exit the canyon and be on a real trail I pounded my inner right calf with a bad step. Not even a scratch, just some blunt force rock pounding. The pain was unreal. About five minutes later it was swelling up enough to concern me. We had a bit of difficulty finding Little LO Trail #6 due to a fallen tree at the first switchback up.

Back on track Little LO ascends quick and steep. Luckily there wasn't much descending as that shot shrieking pain with each step. Albeit steep the trail is short. Next we headed over on Kelsey Springs Trail #3. A little unnerving as it was angling back down...lol The pines give way to live oak. It reminded me of the second mile along Boynton Canyon Trail.

The pines pick back up approaching Dorsey Spring Trail #7. Several of us enjoyed the clean water flowing out of the black tubing. Many thanks to all the kind souls that maintain springs in the back country for all to enjoy.

I enjoyed the hike up Dorsey through the pines. Yet I was glad this one was over due to my leg. The swelling is almost gone now a day later. It's only a little tender. Probably a big ol' yellow bruise will surface. I'm just grateful as the shrieking pain was concerning me.

Pines
Pines are thick on Hog Trail #133, Little LO #6 and Dorsey Trail #7. Not sure on the fire history for the area. Most of the fallen and decaying trees are larger than anything standing. I fire might wipe out this entire area since the pines are skinny and dense. Jim_H would be better at making that type of assessment.

Synopsis
It was good to hike with Wally after a little hiatus. The hike in general just seemed okay compared to our Casner-Taylor-Dutch-Sycamore-Dogie Loop loop on April 7th. A day later now it is growing on me, sometimes hikes just have a way of playing with your mind. Bruce put together another winner. Check out his triplog for a thorough report on all the springs!

Wildflowers Observation Moderate

_____________________

- joe

Sep 15 2012

Tortoise_Hiker

Guides 1
Routes 148
Photos 9,924
Triplogs 3,652

63 male

Joined Apr 02 2005
Mesa, AZ

Sycamore Canyon Loop-North, AZ

Hiking		Sep 15 2012
		Tortoise_Hiker • Triplogs 3,652

Hiking	17.47 Miles	3,525 AEG

Hiking	17.47 Miles	9 Hrs 51 Mns	1.77 mph
	3,525 ft AEG

no routes

Linked

linked

[ checklist ] Black-tailed Rattlesnake Giant Centipede Grant's Hercules Beetle

Partners

partners

	joebartels	The_Eagle
	wallyfrack

An interesting hike,workout,adventure!Thanks for planning this out Bruce.My first time in this area.We saw some nice views of the canyon and cliffs.Three springs and an old cabin.Some nice sections through the pines.Some serious boulder hopping.Lots of flowers.A few rattlesnakes and some bear tracks.There was even a little singing and dancing

.Thanks for the adventure Joe,Wally and Bruce!Good times

.

Flora

Flora [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Alligator Juniper Fleabane

Fauna

Fauna [ checklist ]

Named place

Named place [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Dorsey Spring Geronimo Spring Winter Cabin Spring

_____________________

Tortoise Hiking. Stop and smell the Petrichor.

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

Linked

[ 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

Jul 30 2012

tonyp

Photos 4
Triplogs 15

58 male

Joined Aug 20 2004
Phoenix, AZ

Sedona, AZ

Hiking		Jul 30 2012
		tonyp • Triplogs 15

Hiking	5.50 Miles	2,341 AEG

Hiking	5.50 Miles
	2,341 ft AEG

no routes

no photosets

Linked

none

no linked trail guides

Partners

none

no partners

2nd day of a BP expedition around the canyon. Staring at the Dorsey junction we went south to Winter Cabin, then back up Hog Hill to the car. Mosquitoes were fierce. Parts of Kelsey starting to get overgrown. May have cured my son's friend of backpacking. Didn't mean to...

_____________________

"Where am I to go, now that I've gone too far?" - Golden Earring

Oct 15 2011

toddak

Guides 13
Routes 38
Photos 1,651
Triplogs 577

60 male

Joined Nov 15 2005
Jackson, CA

Sedona, AZ

Canyoneering		Oct 15 2011
		toddak • Triplogs 577

Canyoneering	14.00 Miles	2,500 AEG

Canyoneering	14.00 Miles	8 Hrs	1.75 mph
	2,500 ft AEG

no routes

Linked

linked