Sycamore Basin Trail #63 • Hike • Arizona • All Triplogs • HikeArizona.COM

Routes 154
Photos 1,505
Triplogs 266

31 male

Joined Jun 02 2019
Phoenix, AZ

Taylor Cabin Loop, AZ

Hiking		Mar 29 2023
		LJW • Triplogs 266

Hiking	24.84 Miles	4,278 AEG

Hiking	24.84 Miles	10 Hrs 20 Mns	2.89 mph
	4,278 ft AEG	1 Hour 45 Mns Break

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Jumped the gun on this one. Fourth year in a row, keep finding reasons to revisit this loop. This year it was for the big flow. Gage down stream by the Verde confluence said 75cfs. Was a lot lower than the 3000+ from the previous two weeks, but to be honest I still have little frame of reference for those numbers. I do understand, however, the provisional data disclaimer on the USGS website after this hike. Ended up fording the creek over my waist twice. Cold water, fast flowing. As the temps warm and the flow subsides, I think it'll prove a great year for Taylor Cabin and this stretch of Sycamore and all its top tier swimming holes.

Casner Trail, if you're thinking of driving it, was super eroded in the last year. There were tire tracks, so somebody managed to do it, but I can't imagine the set up you'd need for a couple of the switchbacks.

Taylor Cabin Trail is very much deteriorated since March last year. The big washouts are now impassible. More of the route is off trail. It's tough. Damage seemed worse this year. Little snow left up top, but what's there was iced over and tough to get across. By now probably good.

Got down to Sycamore and there were a dozen elk on the other side heading to the water. What was once a wide rocky section of the creek is now a deep mud hole. Water was too high, but I didn't want to head back up TC through the burn. Managed to stay dry by bushwhacking along the south side of the creek. Had to climb through some brush and over the flood debris. Got buzzed by a private helicopter flying through the cliff walls some way down.

Had to get wet to mid shin to get to the crossing where Sycamore Basin is still around. After that I realized I would have to cross again to get to the cabin, and it didn't hit me until later the most difficult crossing would be on Dogie sometime down the trail. Entered the creek to the knee on the rocky banks. The middle went above my waist. As the water shallowed up, it got rockier, and I fell into the creek with my clothes still on. Stumbled up and fell again. Got through it, hustled to the cabin. Earlier, climbing Casner, I saw a car drive in to Dogie TH, and I thought if no one was there by the time I got to Taylor Cabin, the water was too high for them to cross. Took off all my clothes and put them out on the line. The cabin, despite now mostly not having a roof, provided nice cover from the wind.

What a nervous several miles it was up Dutch Kid and down Dogie. To memory, a total blur until the Dogie crossing. Where the trail heads it was deep pools and white water, up stream even deeper pools edging out into cliffs. I found a line. Pulled my pack up my back and strapped the waistband around my chest after packing my warm clothes and electronics inside. Pulled a branch out of the flood debris. Rocky knee depth, and then a wide section nearly chest deep. There was a tree bending with the flow but 1/3rd the way out of the water. Climbed on top and after much consideration dropped my pack down my back and jumped to the shallow water several feet away. Scrambled onto the other bank and got rid of my boots opting for the warm sand. Bundled up and after a long while headed up Dogie.

Met one person on the way who had turned back at the crossing. The trail is in much the same shape as it's ever been. The tanks along the way had the most drinkable water I've seen in them. Awesome day. Would never do again. Great year for it, just got there too early.

	Sycamore Creek at Dogie Crossing	Heavy flow	Heavy flow
	Very difficult to find a line. >waist deep for most, fast flowing

Heavy flow

	Sycamore Creek at Taylor Trail Jct	Heavy flow	Heavy flow
	Water impassably high without swimming. Since the Rafael Fire this crossing is a deep mud pit

Sycamore Pass Tank

76-100% full

3 archives

Mar 09 2022

Routes 154
Photos 1,505
Triplogs 266

31 male

Joined Jun 02 2019
Phoenix, AZ

Taylor Cabin Loop, AZ

Hiking		Mar 09 2022
		LJW • Triplogs 266

Hiking	24.62 Miles	4,419 AEG

Hiking	24.62 Miles	10 Hrs 42 Mns	2.91 mph
	4,419 ft AEG	2 Hrs 15 Mns Break

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I wasn't going to do this loop again this year, but after hiking through the Rafael Fire scar on Yew Thicket Trail a month or so ago, I got nervous about the Taylor Cabin Trail. It's one of my favorites, and since I couldn't find anything out about the damage, I went to have a look, fire maps being as reliable as they are. It turned out both Taylor Cabin Trail and the cabin itself burned this summer, though neither is a total loss.

Casner Mountain Trail is the same as ever until the last few miles to the Taylor Cabin Trail TH. Efforts were made to confine the fire to Casner #8 and above Mooney Canyon in order to prevent the spread to Sedona. The fire didn't cross the road much except at the TH. Walking Casner it looked like while the fire had torched the north rim and Cedar Creek, much of the canyon bottom and forest North/East of Buck Ridge are still green.

The Taylor Cabin Trail TH was burned some. Not nearly as shady. TC Trail starts with some brief switchbacks onto a fairly epic ridgeline. The Canyon to the west and its pockets of fir and pine were completely destroyed. Maybe a half dozen left. From above, the side canyon to the East where TC descends looked burned but encouragingly green. The heavy rains that extinguished the fire caused serious erosion in the side canyon, and the TC Trail has a couple massive washouts. It has many more minor ones, and in general it is eroded and mostly missing. The summer rains widened the creek and filled it in with gravel and sand, and some of the slick rock features are buried. While the forest along the way was not burned completely, almost every tree was touched by fire. It's still a beautiful course but a more difficult one and not quite what it, up until very recently, was.

Sycamore Basin Trail is good from Packard Mesa to a mile or so east of the cabin, that is apart from the section where Dutch Kid now takes its place. This being the case, I rocked hopped down the creekbed. There was flood debris 6 feet up the sycamores. There was only one pool of green water in the shade of a cliff 30-40 minutes east of the cabin. The Cabin was burned by the juniper that hung over its north wall. It took out the wooden frame of the north window, as well as the cypress beams of the roof. The back half of the roof had collapsed, and the rest is on its way. Otherwise it had been cleaned up and emptied out since I was there last year. No water at the cabin, down on provisions. Met a couple guys who had hiked in for a two night trip from Parsons TH.

Dutch Kid was burned, but it was patchy and not too unlike in years past. Sycamore Basin and Dogie were as well, mostly by the junction. Overall the fire damage wasn't too severe. Taylor Cabin needs restoration desperately, but I'm sure it will get it. I thought the Great American Outdoors act or some legislation like it had it slated for some TLC. The real bummer is the damage to the Taylor Cabin Trail. The jewel of the wilderness area doesn't shine as brightly.

Wildflowers Observation Isolated

Dry

Sycamore Creek at Taylor Trail Jct

Dry

Dry

4 archives

Feb 09 2022

Routes 154
Photos 1,505
Triplogs 266

31 male

Joined Jun 02 2019
Phoenix, AZ

Yew - Lonesome - Henderson Loop, AZ

Hiking		Feb 09 2022
		LJW • Triplogs 266

Hiking	29.06 Miles	4,530 AEG

Hiking	29.06 Miles	10 Hrs 27 Mns	3.08 mph
	4,530 ft AEG	1 Hour Break

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Packard Trail #66

Lonesome Pocket Trail #61 - Prescott NF

Yew Thicket Trail #52

Henderson Trail #53

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Got this idea from a post by @toddak in 2015. Probably better done from Henderson Flat, but that drive is long, so out and back Packard it was. Included the Packard Mesa Ruins. Went there first then counterclockwise around the loop. First trip back to Sycamore Canyon since the Rafael Fire, and I guess I was a year late doing this one.

Parsons TH at sunrise and hustled up to the ruins. Not a single etching to be found. The roof of the smaller dwelling has been stabilized with a modern support from inside. Haven't been to ruins on a hike that felt like anything more than a novelty, hard to oversell how nice the Packard Ruins are. Plus the views.

Took Sycamore Basin to the Yew Thicket turn off, which is obvious and signed. At first with the grass it looks like a cairn hunt, but it was in near-perfect shape. The grade is clear and there are frequent cairns as it climbs through a rainbow forest. It then enters the Rafael Fire perimeter near the top of the trail. The end of the climb has some deadfall that is tough to maneuver around, and the trail is eroded in a couple places, but it is still easy to follow. Once on top of the mesa it disappears in the ash. On top of the mesa, pretty much the entire way to Lonesome Pocket, the damage is extreme. In the very few patches of unburned forest the trail is cairned and the grade is clear. It is easy to navigate and hike cross country up on top because there is no brush and the ash is soft. The views are huge, but looking down Sycamore Canyon, in many places it is blackened and bare.

Went down Lonesome Pocket, which is also in the fire perimeter. It's rocky, loose, steep, but easy to follow. The junction with Sand Flat #60 is confusing and I ended up on that trail for a minute or two. Once to Henderson Flat I took a break and then tried to find the Henderson Trail. It was lost to the grass despite the new sign, so I went down the road and made a feeble attempt at finding it later on. Henderson Flat was burned except for the immediate area around the cabin and water catchment/tank. The Henderson Trail is in the burn area for a mile or two, so I had no luck and decided the shorten the trip with the road and cutting corners back to Packard Trail.

Flora

Flora [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Arizona Cypress

Wildflowers Observation Isolated

3 archives

Mar 05 2021

Routes 154
Photos 1,505
Triplogs 266

31 male

Joined Jun 02 2019
Phoenix, AZ

Taylor Cabin Loop, AZ

Hiking		Mar 05 2021
		LJW • Triplogs 266

Hiking	24.04 Miles	4,154 AEG

Hiking	24.04 Miles	8 Hrs 43 Mns	3.02 mph
	4,154 ft AEG	45 Mns Break

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Robbers Roost - Sedona

Mooney Trail #12

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One of my favorite hikes of last year, had another go but subbed Mooney Canyon for Casner mountain. Prefer it the tried and true way, but it was nice to have a reason to go back. Started the loop at 7am from Dogie Trailhead. Drive in is low clearance passable, albeit annoying, to the Casner Trail, after that I wouldn't chance it.

Walked back down the road to Casner and cut corners up to Robber's Roost. Got around the corner to a stone's throw away and saw that a couple people had camped in it and were just waking up. Turned around and headed down toward Robber's Roost Tank before heading toward Sebra Tank. Easy walk through the grass with no bushwacking.

After Sebra, headed down to Mooney Trail. Where the route starts on HAZ and RS is, I believe, private property. I think you can drive around via FR 4498 to a legal starting point. I met the trail someways down. The real track is only a hundred yards or so East of the RS track, but I saw a cairn and headed along the old alignment(?). Got caught in a ton of brush and eventually made my way to the creekbed. I found Mooney Trail at a crossing within a mile. Much less scenic way of making the climb as opposed to Casner. The trail leaves the creek just as the pines thicken. Shaves some elevation gain, however.

Best part of the hike for me is the descent on Taylor Cabin Trail. Thick forest of tall, orange pines with a red rock and limestone background plus some narrows near the bottom. Impossible quiet. A little snow, but it's been cleaned up nearly all the way down and was much easier to follow than last year. Nearly all of the deadfall has been recently cleared.

Got to Sycamore creek hoping for water, and found it completely dry. Was around the Parsons TH last week and found it to be swollen with water. Oh well. Didn't try to find the trail until the last mile or so to the cabin. The canyon bottom is so scenic through that stretch it'd be a shame to miss it. That, and last year had a lot of trouble with it.

Had a break around the cabin and hit Dutch Kid. Would like to do the loop next year and stick to Sycamore Basin/the bottom of the creek for that mile and a half to the junction. Would really only want to do it with water. Dutch Kid is well maintained and the views back down the canyon are great. Weather started to feel warm, any warmer and it'd have been too much. Nice breeze all day.

The friend I went with last year and I have been arguing about Dogie for as long. After this trip started to see his point. It's a bit of a slog without the awesome canyon views that are present for the rest of the hike. Saw the only people of the day at the end. Trio of campers headed in with two bottles of water, who weren't sure where they were. Convinced them to turn back before heading home.

Robbers Roost Tank

Dry

Sebra Tank

Dry

Dry

Dry

10 archives

May 02 2020

survivordude

Routes 61
Photos 1,008
Triplogs 224

44 male

Joined Aug 19 2009
The Basin

Taylor Cabin Loop, AZ

Backpack		May 02 2020
		survivordude • Triplogs 224

Backpack	24.37 Miles	4,454 AEG

Backpack	24.37 Miles	2 Days
	4,454 ft AEG

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[ checklist ] Greater Short-Horned Lizard Western Patch-nosed snake

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3rd time’s the charm, I guess. 3 of us had planned on staying at the cabin after a 6 hour hike. Went up Casner first to get it out of the way but it really burned everyone out with the packs on. The trail (road) goes up over the mountain and then rides a ridgeline for a while which is pretty cool because it literally dissects 2 different wilderness areas. Sycamore Canyon to the west and Red Rock-Secret Mountain to the east. J had some pain in his quad but kept pushing on to the Taylor Cabin trail. Hiking down seemed to make it worse for him than the uphill. We were pretty much at the point of no return when he seemed to really slow and started breaking down. Also learned that he drank all his water for the entire trip so far. I took the leadership role and made sure we all stayed positive. Chase and I discussed options. The trail here is really fantastic. It stays down in the bottom of the canyon with very narrow cliffs to either side. After several miles and even more breaks we finally made it to Sycamore Canyon proper. No signs of water. Followed the super easy trail about 1 1/2 mile short of the cabin and we found a huge pool. The range of emotions this afternoon was grand. Elated, we jumped in and had a swim, then pumped gallons directly into us.

Followed the creekbed most of the way to the cabin in the AM and, although not too impressed with the grounds there, the cabin itself was cleaner than my shed at my house. Loved the Sycamore Basin Trail. The canyon is sooo huge and green, I almost got that feeling of smallness and insignificance you get when you hike the GC. The hike out of Dogie was a hot slog, and it has much better views going into the canyon, so we made sure to stop (shade) and just look around once in a while to soak it in.

Finally glad to check this one off, though it was a reminder of great importance to not only make sure you are prepared, but to make sure those in your party are adequately prepared, also.

Fauna

Fauna [ checklist ]

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Apr 04 2020

AZTay

Routes 16
Photos 11
Triplogs 16

38 male

Joined Dec 09 2019
Phoenix, AZ

Sedona, AZ

Backpack		Apr 04 2020
		AZTay • Triplogs 16

Backpack	28.66 Miles	4,747 AEG

Backpack	28.66 Miles	13 Hrs 45 Mns		2.08 mph
	4,747 ft AEG		35 LBS Pack

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Just now getting around to loading this hike. Did a solo backpacking overnight to Taylor Cabin. Started out at Sycamore Basin TH, checked out the ruins quick then made my way on my adventure! Followed a couple of the previous routes listed to find my way down into the canyon then hiked up for a while until I hit the side canyon where I was planning on exiting and catching the Dogie trail. Once I got into said side canyon I was worried I wouldn't be able to find a way up

It wouldn't have been too difficult with just a day pack on...but it's a different story with a full on pack with overnight gear. I eventually made my way up out of the canyon and found my way over to the Dogie trail.

I enjoyed a nice hike on an actual trail

over to the Casner trail. The hike up Casner Mountain was a beast! Especially after already having hike down and back out of the canyon. I slowly made my way up Casner (with a few breaks to rest!) and up and down to where the Taylor Cabin trail connects. The hike along Casner was beautiful with some great views on both sides. Taylor cabin trail was quite pretty - starting in some pines and then winding down a narrowish canyon eventually getting back down into Sycamore Canyon. I stopped for a few to enjoy the scenery at the Sycamore Creek/Taylor Cabin Trail junction and filtered some water. Then I made my way down the canyon and to Taylor Cabin for the night. I was the only one there and it was quite peaceful to be out there all alone. The following day I got up and made my way back to the car following the Sycamore Basin trail. This was one of my favorite hikes - very pretty!

My phone was dying a bit before I got to the cabin so I stopped tracking the route to save battery life. Edited it on here though so that's why the route looks a bit funky for part of it

3 archives

Feb 06 2020

Routes 154
Photos 1,505
Triplogs 266

31 male

Joined Jun 02 2019
Phoenix, AZ

Taylor Cabin Loop, AZ

Hiking		Feb 06 2020
		LJW • Triplogs 266

Hiking	24.79 Miles	4,554 AEG

Hiking	24.79 Miles	10 Hrs 33 Mns	2.82 mph
	4,554 ft AEG	1 Hour 45 Mns Break

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Friend and I made our first trip into Sycamore Canyon. Wanted to see all that we could so we did the Casner-Taylor-Dogie loop. Went counterclockwise in order to get the elevation gain out of the way first.

FR525 is in great shape, and any car should have no problem. There are spots toward the end on 525c where the road dips that make taking a passenger car a strategic drive. Started at the one parking spot for Casner Mountain trail around 7:30 and headed up. I didn't know this in advance, but Casner trail is at least as much a road as a trail. Follows underneath power lines most of the way. Nice views into Sycamore Canyon and toward Sedona that would be much better at sunset than sunrise.

On the way down Taylor Cabin Trail there were at least two dozen trees fallen over the trail. Overgrown with brush in parts and the leaves and snow obscured the trail. Seemed like a more interesting way to enter the canyon as opposed to the Dogie trail, however.

Once to the canyon floor and across the creek, Sycamore Basin trail is overgrown and a bushwhack. Found it difficult to stay on route. Opted to rock hop down the creek a ways instead. Was nice to be on the creek bottom as after the cabin the trails climb away from it. Caught up with the trail at a creek crossing and it was clearer closer to Taylor Cabin.

Hung out at Taylor Cabin for a while and walked around the grounds. In great shape and well stocked.

Dutch Kid and Dogie were the best maintained trails of the day, and it made the going easy the rest of the way, apart from the incessant ups and downs on Dogie. Only people we passed were backpackers on Dogie around the Sycamore Basin junction and at the only creek crossing farther down the trail.

Medium flow

Sycamore Creek at Taylor Trail Jct

Medium flow

Medium flow

2 archives

Nov 11 2018

trekkin_gecko

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

67 female

Joined Nov 17 2008
phoenix, az

Sedona, AZ

Hiking		Nov 11 2018
		trekkin_gecko • Triplogs 4,660

Hiking	19.16 Miles	3,453 AEG

Hiking	19.16 Miles	7 Hrs 34 Mns	2.96 mph
	3,453 ft AEG	1 Hour 5 Mns Break

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	big_load	chumley
	DarthStiller	joebartels
	wallyfrack

noticed that chris had a wish list going for this one
tagged along with chums for the drive up
john and i were in the same area last weekend, so another hike on the west side of sedona sounded fun
as did hiking with chris and alex for the first time and getting in a hike from the 100 hikes book
left the valley at five for a 0730 start
chilly temps to begin, but a nice day warming to upper 50s by mid-afternoon
dogie trail has a good drop at first, then a lot of up and down at drainages and crossing sycamore creek
hit the intersection with sycamore basin trail, which led to taylor cabin
checked out the cabin and had some lunch, then headed back
saw seven other hikers on the return
much more open terrain than last week's loy canyon hike
good views of classic sedona red rock throughout
a few more things to do in this area sometime
good hiking with todd, joe and wally again, too

_____________________

hazhole

Nov 11 2018

DarthStiller

Guides 27
Routes 670
Photos 12,111
Triplogs 857

56 male

Joined Jul 05 2006
Mesa, AZ

Sedona, AZ

Hiking		Nov 11 2018
		DarthStiller • Triplogs 857

Hiking	19.30 Miles	3,348 AEG

Hiking	19.30 Miles	9 Hrs 12 Mns	2.26 mph
	3,348 ft AEG	39 Mns Break

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	big_load	chumley
	joebartels	trekkin_gecko
	wallyfrack

This year I decided to concentrate more on getting hikes done from the 100 Classic Hikes in AZ book. This hike is the 14th one this year that I've done. This one seems to be one that a lot of other people also haven't done. Between that and noticing the group going, we started to attract some attention and ended up with a nice crew for this hike.

Wally and Alex met me at my house and from there we picked up Joe at the meeting spot. The plan was to meet Todd and Kelly either at the TH or on the trail, but we ended up running into them at the gas station in Camp Verde.

There isn't any big climb along this trail anywhere, but with how long the hike is, all the little hills add up. My RS said I only had 2662' AEG, but I'll go with the official HAZ stat of 3348. It felt more like that.

I tried to keep pace with everyone, but I'm hopeless in that regard. My overall moving average was somewhat improved, however, especially for a wilderness trail with alot of loose rock. On my way back, my leg muscles were sore enough that I decided to take an ibuprofen. After about a mile it started to kick in and I felt much better, expecting to keep a faster pace. However, RS ruthlessly informed me every mile that I was in fact 5 minutes slower per mile than on the way in. By the last 1.5 miles, I was just trying not to trip and fall.

The cabin was very interesting and in very good shape. One of the best I've seen. We ate lunch and did some moderate exploring in and around the cabin as Todd read the history and stats to us, making for a very interactive learning experience. The views of all the red rock and sandstone typical of Sedona were very nice to see. Since it was such a long hike and short day, I was able to get some pics both of the early morning sunrise light and the evening sunset light on the mountains.

I got back to the TH over and hour behind everyone else, Todd and Kelly were long gone. The sun was down before we even got back to I-17, and the cold weather had seeped in quickly. The somewhat heavy traffic on I-17 made for the typical nerve wracking drive, but fortunately no back ups or incidents. By the time we were back on the 101, it looked exactly the same in the dark as when we started 15 hours earlier. It was almost like we never left.

Nice to meet Alex and hike for the first time with Todd and Kelly. Thanks to everyone for joining on this hike, it makes it nicer having some company for a long day.

_____________________

Mar 24 2017

John9L

Guides 6
Routes 183
Photos 5,612
Triplogs 1,647

male

Joined Mar 12 2004
Scottsdale, AZ

Sedona, AZ

Backpack		Mar 24 2017
		John9L • Triplogs 1,647

Backpack	19.66 Miles	3,336 AEG

Backpack	19.66 Miles	2 Days
	3,336 ft AEG

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Kyle and I headed out to the Sycamore Canyon Wilderness for a few days in the backcountry. Our original plan was to make a clockwise loop spending night one at Taylor Cabin and night two at Buck Ridge Cabin and then return via Casner Mountain. Our plan changed when the mostly dry Sycamore Creek rose 2-3 feet overnight. We decided to play it safe and hike out.

We drove out on Friday morning and navigated FR525 and 525C to the Dogie Trailhead. The roads were a bit wet and 4WD helped with traction. The hike in went well. The trail was muddy but drying out as the sun shined overhead. We made our way and were eager to see the creek. Roughly four miles in the creek comes into view and we could tell it will not be an issue. It's mostly dry with sporadic large pools. We continued on and found the creek dry at the crossing. The last three miles to the cabin began to drag but we pushed on and arrived around 3pm.

The rest of the afternoon was spent setting up camp and relaxing. We were the only ones at the cabin and selected the prime campsite behind the corral. The site is shaded and has a nice fire ring. Water was a short walk down trail. There was a huge pool just below camp. The creek had a slight trickle. Our plan for day two was to hike up canyon where we had to cross the creek at least five times and then make the big climb towards Casner Mountain. We settled in for the evening with a nice campfire and pleasant temps.

I went to sleep relatively early and thought to myself how quiet it was. I could barely hear the creek trickle. I fell asleep and slept hard. At some point in the night I woke up to the sound of the river raging. I wondered if it was the wind but had a feeling it was the water. I went back to sleep and decided to check on conditions in the morning. I woke up around 7:30am and headed out to check the creek. I noticed right away it's way higher. I would guess it rose 2-3 feet overnight. Our plans were in jeopardy.

Kyle and I took time in the morning. We got the fire going again and had breakfast and talked about our options. We were confident we could get across the river if it doesn't rise any higher. The thought of five unknown crossings up canyon was not in our best interest. We decided to play it safe and hike out. Once that was decided we packed up and doused the fire and started the hike out around 9:30am.

The return hike went well. The hike started with puffy clouds and the sun shining through. We made good time as we paralleled the creek. It had a strong flow but we could tell the crossing was doable. We continued on and arrived at the crossing. We scouted the crossing and decided to cross just below the trail. I brought hiking poles for this alone and they proved very helpful. I made my way across and had water up to my knees. Kyle worked his was across and Lily crossed like a pro. She went up creek just a bit from Kyle and swam diagonally as the current carried her down roughly 15 feet. She eventually climbed out with no incident. Kyle completed the crossing and we took a short break.

The final five miles were very enjoyable. The cloud cover built and a light rain fell. It was perfect hiking weather. Roughly a mile from the TH we passed a couple with two dogs. I recognized the guy as Elias Butler. He coauthored Grand Obsession which is one of my favorite books. I went a little fanboy on him but kept my cool. It was great meeting him in person! The last mile flew by and we headed back to Phoenix. The road out was mostly dry and easy going.

This was a great trip and good company. It was too bad we couldn't make the loop but it was truly the best option for us. It gives us a reason to go back another time. I really enjoy this area and could see myself making a trip every year or so.

Culture

Culture [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Campsite

_____________________

1 archive

Feb 25 2017

FOTG

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

43 male

Joined Jan 21 2013
AZ

Sedona, AZ

Backpack		Feb 25 2017
		FOTG • Triplogs 1,052

Backpack	21.06 Miles	3,820 AEG

Backpack	21.06 Miles
	3,820 ft AEG

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I had been wanting to backpack in to Taylor Cabin since last year's day hike out there. A New Years attempt to backpack in was foiled by high water, so I started thinking of alternative routes in to the cabin that were not at the mercy of Sycamore Creek and came up with this one from Sycamore Basin Trail's trailhead.

We drove up on a Friday night to mitigate, or eliminate the length of the drive on Saturday. The drive ended up being very slow going and rough, but we persevered. We slept in a little at the TH and then I coaxed Jackie into getting ready with a quick fire, a very chilly morning, below freezing. The backpack in went pretty quickly and the trail was in pretty good shape. We hit the Doggie Trail intersection after 4.6 miles and the cabin at 8.7 miles, maybe a better way in as far as the hiking goes than Doggie Trail in my opinion. We camped at the cabin and visited the main attractions in the area after set up and nap time. There is a ton of water flowing down Sycamore right now, with several deep pools near the cabin and some picturesque little areas now enhanced by the presence of water. After visiting some of the close stuff, we pursued a lead on a cliff dwelling in the area. I stumbled across one dilapidated site during this endeavor, but we did not find the site we were looking for. The early evening exploring had us running late on camp chores and dinner so I think we may have hit 9 p.m. for the first time in a long time. The overnight was nearly perfect and not as chilly as we had anticipated after our cold car camp.

With lighter packs, the hike out went even quicker and we made the trailhead in less than four hours. The drive out went quicker, but it's still a slog, however, its annoyance was easier to take after such a nice little backpack. The ruins, the destination and the views from Sycamore Basin Trail really made this a nice little overnight backpack. In fact, I would probably put this trip near the top of my list of memorable over-nighters. I definitely will be back to this area to follow up on that ruin lead, visit a few other attractions and to hike some of the trails we passed this weekend, but I don't be back from the same TH.

Some HAZ appreciation to @Oregon_hiker for the driving route and rock pile lead.

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3 archives

Aug 31 2016

emptypockets

Photos 23
Triplogs 21

48 male

Joined Jul 31 2016
Sedona, AZ

Sedona, AZ

Hiking		Aug 31 2016
		emptypockets • Triplogs 21

Hiking	8.00 Miles	1,468 AEG

Hiking	8.00 Miles
	1,468 ft AEG

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no photosets

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Jul 01 2016

NoPal

Routes 2
Photos 31
Triplogs 4

38 male

Joined Jun 04 2016
Sedona, AZ

Casner - Taylor Cabin - Sycamore - Dogie Loop, AZ

Hiking		Jul 01 2016
		NoPal • Triplogs 4

Hiking	23.00 Miles	4,271 AEG

Hiking	23.00 Miles	11 Hrs 20 Mns		2.76 mph
	4,271 ft AEG	3 Hrs Break	19 LBS Pack

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I've wanted to do this loop to Taylor Cabin for the longest time. After a dayhike down Dogie to Sycamore Creek last year and some fooling around on and around Casner this year I did some more homework and opted to do the damn thing from the Casner approach...

After camping near the Casner mountain trailhead, I got an early start just before 6 AM. I opted to drive a little further to the "ROAD CLOSED" gate under the power lines that run up Casner (this is the right of way gate for Casner Mountain). Getting the climb up Casner done first before the heat of the day sets in is recommended. Despite carrying 5L of water the climb wasn't too bad with trekking poles. The views going up are wonderful but the novelty of peeking down into Sycamore Canyon to your left AND the edge of Red Rock Secret Mountain Wilderness to your right is just fantastic. Pictures won't do it justice...
After spotting Mooney trail snaking up from the edge of RRSM wilderness I came to the junction with both Mooney and Taylor Cabin. The shade of this somewhat overgrown descent was quite appreciated. Taylor Cabin trail is cairned in abundance all the way down to the creek.

I did a dumb thing and boulder hopped ALL THE WAY from Taylor Cabin trail to Dogie trail, stopping at Taylor Cabin with quite a bit of help from Gaia GPS. My entire excursion boulder hopping was exhausting, hot, and dry (I would not recommend) however it did save me the anxiety of bushwhacking and trying to find the cairns marking the trails comings and goings thru Sycamore Canyon. My extra dumb choice was boulder hopping this in running shoes (read: not boots or even trail runners) it would be a hell of a place to slip or twist an ankle... Personally, I can rationalize exhausting and dangerous boulder hopping as "more direct" but ultimately it's just a preference and again, I wouldn't recommend this to another hiker unless as a last resort.

Taylor Cabin was cute. If you go TAKE A COUPLE PENS AND PENCILS. There are no writing implements for the log book. On my visit there was one pan of clear water that had run off the metal roof (about one liter) after the recent light showers in the area. Don't count on seeing water on this loop though, pack enough to safely execute your hike without finding water on the route. I almost packed less water because of the recent showers and I'm so glad I thought better of it. There is a binder with information about Taylor Cabin inside, it's worth flipping through if you like historic details. An intrepid hiker may also find the nearby gravestone of "Jak" (a cattledog I presume), the corral ruins, and adjacent storage cave. During my visit, mice seemed to have set up shop fairly well in the cupboards.

The boulder hop down to the Dogie junction was slow and exhausting. The junction is unsigned and easy to miss as the cairns are spread wide on either side of the wide canyon floor. I set a GPS waypoint on my track for this junction. Dogie trail felt like a moving sidewalk after all the boulder hopping. The trail is in good shape and has plenty of camping spots between the creek and Sycamore Pass tank.

	Sycamore Creek at Taylor Cabin	Dry	Dry
	creek bed and area is dry. one catch pan at cabin had clear water, maybe one or two liters at most

	Sycamore Creek at Taylor Trail Jct	Dry	Dry
	dry despite a few showers over the last 4 days

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AZT sobo 2016'

2 archives

Mar 26 2016

clairebear

Photos 188
Triplogs 163

43 female

Joined Oct 26 2011
Tempe, AZ

Sedona, AZ

Hiking		Mar 26 2016
		clairebear • Triplogs 163

Hiking	19.40 Miles	3,348 AEG

Hiking	19.40 Miles
	3,348 ft AEG

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	FOTG	John9L
	Tough_Boots

Currently the reigning hike mileage I've done in a day. Good weather and we made good time to the cabin.
Stopped at the cabin to eat our lunch, and headed back. Still feeling good but was feeling the last few miles

Good times and memorable hike. Along the way the scenery is very beautiful and some interesting slot canyons are visible and not far from the trail. All dry.

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Mar 26 2016

John9L

Guides 6
Routes 183
Photos 5,612
Triplogs 1,647

male

Joined Mar 12 2004
Scottsdale, AZ

Sedona, AZ

Hiking		Mar 26 2016
		John9L • Triplogs 1,647

Hiking	19.40 Miles	3,348 AEG

Hiking	19.40 Miles
	3,348 ft AEG

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	clairebear	FOTG
	Tough_Boots

We wanted to get together for a moderate hike and set our sights on Taylor Cabin after reading some recent triplogs. The mileage & AEG sounded good for us. We were looking at 18-19 miles & 2,300 AEG. There were also reports of water at the cabin. We decided to give it a go and it turned out to be more effort than we signed up for. The mileage came in over 19 miles but the AEG was over 3,300. It was great hike but the day hike pushed it a bit for our group.

Claire & I met FOTG, Kyle & Jackie at the Happy Valley Park n Ride at 6:30am. We were surprised that Joe & Bruce's vehicles weren’t there. We made the two hour drive to the trailhead via Cottonwood and found the dirt road (525 & 525C) in excellent condition. We were glad to see a vacant parking lot when we pulled in.

The hike in went really well. We made steady progress and enjoyed the views. The area fells like Sedona without the crowds. We took a break at the dry creek bed roughly 4-5 miles in. From there we continued on and headed for the cabin. This hike has a good mix of high speed sections with a mix of rocky areas as you drop in and out of washes. There are a handful of climbs but they’re relatively short.

We reached the cabin and took our lunch break. FOTG and I set out to find water. He went down canyon and I went up and we both found water soon after. The up canyon pool was only a few minutes from the cabin and it should last another month or so. It will dry out by summer if we don’t get rain soon. We both returned to the cabin where our group took lunch in the shade. The cabin is very cool and we discussed returning here in the fall/winter for a backpacking trip.

After lunch we started the hike out. By this time it was early afternoon and the sun was beating down. All the ups & downs were starting to take a toll on our group. We took another break at the creek and then continued for the exit. It became obvious that the hike was going to be over 19 miles & over 3K AEG. The last mile or two were a grind but everyone got out okay and we were back to the TH around 5:30pm. We loaded up and stopped at Panda Express/Taco Bell in Cottonwood and then made the drive back to Phoenix.

This was a great hike but took more effort than anticipated. This is a perfect area for backpacking just make sure there is water at the cabin. Thanks everyone for going with and thanks FOTG for driving!

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2 archives

Mar 26 2016

FOTG

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

43 male

Joined Jan 21 2013
AZ

Sedona, AZ

Hiking		Mar 26 2016
		FOTG • Triplogs 1,052

Hiking	19.57 Miles	3,332 AEG

Hiking	19.57 Miles	9 Hrs 2 Mns	2.45 mph
	3,332 ft AEG	1 Hour 3 Mns Break

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	clairebear	John9L
	Tough_Boots

I am very happy I took John's invite on this hike. I nearly bailed because I was worried about the high miles on my left knee, which was run a little ragged on my big backpack over spring break and has kind of been slow to recover. But I figured worst case scenario I could turn around early and John assured me it was not a very difficult 18 miles.

The route ended up not being that difficult as both Dogie and Sycamore Basin were in pretty good shape, however, we were all ready to be done by the end, as it ended up being a thousand feet more aeg than expected and a little warm at times due to the lack of cover and heat radiating rocks. But overall there was a pretty consistent breeze and the conditions remained close to ideal for the most part, with some sporadic shade to provide relief from the sun. No water though! Only two modest pools at the cabin in the creek bed. A long dry hike for the four legged ones, use caution bringing them out there this time of year.

Other than the dry conditions, it was an awesome hike. This area really exceeded my expectations. I have been known to be a little anti-this section of the state, but I was very happy with this hike. A four star hike for sure! The views into Sycamore were great and the surrounding scenery was very worthy as well. I loved the stands up hardy pines and juniper and the mixture of white, red and coconino type looking terrain features and rock formations in the distance. The cabin is a great destination and I feel the area may offer some great backpacking opportunities during the cooler, wetter months.

We took ample breaks and did not start overly early, but were still done by 5:30. Blanco did fine with the warmer temps and lack of water, but they were certainly not ideal conditions for him. A lot of ups and downs on this one, a little relentless at times, but just short little take your breath hills, no big climbs. Great hike, great trails, terrific views and a worthy destination at the end, highly recommended. Choose a cool day.

Dogie Tank

Dry

Dry

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3 archives

Mar 26 2016

Tough_Boots

Routes 67
Photos 2,708
Triplogs 755

89 male

Joined Mar 28 2008
Phoenix, AZ

Sedona, AZ

Hiking		Mar 26 2016
		Tough_Boots • Triplogs 755

Hiking	19.40 Miles	3,348 AEG

Hiking	19.40 Miles
	3,348 ft AEG

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	clairebear	FOTG
	John9L

Had a great hike today with the crew. I haven't done this one in quite a while. It was a little warm during parts of today but mostly temps were nice. There is currently no water cached at the cabin but a couple pools were found nearby-- the rest is totally dry.

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Feb 22 2015

toddak

Guides 13
Routes 38
Photos 1,651
Triplogs 577

60 male

Joined Nov 15 2005
Jackson, CA

Yew Thicket Trail #52

Yew Thicket Trail #52

Sedona, AZ

Hiking		Feb 22 2015
		toddak • Triplogs 577

Hiking	27.00 Miles	4,000 AEG

Hiking	27.00 Miles	11 Hrs 30 Mns	2.35 mph
	4,000 ft AEG

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Packard Trail #66

Lonesome Pocket Trail #61 - Prescott NF

Henderson Trail #53

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Excellent lasso loop from the Parson Springs trailhead - north on Packard #66 and Sycamore Basin #63, then counter-clockwise loop up Yew Thicket #53, down Unknown #61 (aka Lonesome Pocket according to the sign) and back east on Henderson #53.

I had a little trouble finding the Yew Thicket trail where it supposedly meets Sycamore Basin, but after a little wandering in the general direction it became clear. I doubt this trail gets much use but it is in surprisingly good condition, with a huge number of well-spaced cairns taking you up steeply to the rim and onto a lonely mesa with big views. The intersection with trail #61 was unmarked but very obvious.

Trail #61 down to Henderson Flat follows a loose, rocky ridge through open scrub, and would be very unpleasant in the uphill direction under hot sun. The west end of Henderson #53 is faint and overgrown in spots, but improves greatly as it travels southeast along the base of gorgeous red rock cliffs.

Named place

Named place [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Henderson Tank

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2 archives

Dec 29 2014

bendorbreak

Routes 2
Photos 125
Triplogs 20

45 female

Joined Nov 19 2012
Prescott, AZ

Sedona, AZ

Backpack		Dec 29 2014
		bendorbreak • Triplogs 20

Backpack	8.00 Miles

Backpack	8.00 Miles	2 Days

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Started off at the junction of Henderson Trail and Sycamore Basin Trail which is about 6 miles into the Sycamore Basin Trail. We got a late start on the trail about 1:00 Saturday afternoon. The trail starts off the first couple miles with gently rolling hills. After about 3 miles it heads over a ridge and starts heading down. The scenery is gorgeous. We ended up camping about 4.5 miles into the trail, as it was starting to get later in the day. Camp spots were few and far between, but we did find a nice little spot. Temps got down to about 16 at night, which was mighty chilly. We woke up and headed out around 10:00 the next morning.

Just a note, the mileage to this trailhead can be deceiving. Though it isn't that far of a drive, it's a VERY slow road. You need a high clearance 4wd vehicle and the drive is about 2 hours from Chino Valley.

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Nov 15 2013

hikerdw

Routes 268
Photos 2,969
Triplogs 541

66 male

Joined Aug 16 2009
Mesa,AZ

Sedona, AZ

Hiking		Nov 15 2013
		hikerdw • Triplogs 541

Hiking	19.40 Miles	2,350 AEG

Hiking	19.40 Miles	8 Hrs 14 Mns	2.71 mph
	2,350 ft AEG	1 Hour 4 Mns Break

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