West Boulder Canyon • Hike • Arizona • All Triplogs • HikeArizona.COM

Phoenix, AZ

Canyoneering		Oct 19 2024
		ScottHika • Triplogs 50

Canyoneering	17.00 Miles	4,000 AEG

Canyoneering	17.00 Miles
	4,000 ft AEG		17 LBS Pack

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[ checklist ] Superstition Mountain 5057 Superstition Mountains - Ridgeline Three Sisters - Superstition Wilderness Weavers Needle West Boulder Canyon West Boulder Saddle - 3683ft

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Siphon Fire update. I was both happy and sad that the Superstition Wilderness were back open after the 2024 Siphon Fire. With literally a 30 degree temperature drop, I was off to the show. Because of the extensive damage expected, I opted for West Boulder Canyon on the eastern slopes of the mountains. I did a Carney, West Boulder, East Boulder, Peralta Canyon loop. From the West Boulder Saddle it was clear that the fire had burned across the entire back slope of the ridgeline all the way up into Three Sisters. The one hiker I saw all day stated that Three Sisters was roasted. There was no fire activity anywhere in Carney Springs Canyon. Some isolated flowers like red chuparosa survived the blaze and desert broom was budding and blooming on the WBC canyon floor.

The fire map indicated that WBC could have been significantly burned as well. I found that most of the upper canyon in fact was intact. Good for the wilderness and bad for me since I now needed to navigate an extremely overgrown area. I dropped into the channel too soon and paid for it in time penalties. Cut to the burn section. Fire burned areas that have not had fire in many decades. Very large 60-70 year old cottonwood trees were destroyed. Mature oak groves were destroyed as well. Hillsides of 100+ year old Saguaro were blazed as well. I may go back after rains wash the ash out for another look.

The fire burned from ridgeline down a small canyon from the west side of West Boulder then crossed the canyon to the east side. It continued up the eastside over and down the ridge towards Weavers Needle. Not my photo shows the actual fire. East boulder canyon Peralta trail was not affected in the upper Weavers area or south to Peralta TH. Peralta to Fremont Saddle is one of the heaviest travelled trails in the wilderness area and unaffected. There is significant damage all through the northwest section of the mountains. I’ll continue to travel some of the back canyons to see the extent. It was reported as a human caused fire. Not criticizing FS decision making, but I always feel like more could be done sooner…

Flora

Flora [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Fremont Cottonwood Saguaro

Fauna

Fauna [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Black Bear

Named place

Named place [ checklist ]

Meteorology

Meteorology [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Fire - Wildfire

Wildflowers Observation Isolated

Boulder Creek Origin - Ridgeline Route

Pools to trickle

	East Boulder @ Pinon Camp	Dry	Dry
	Small pools in nearby channel from previous nights rain.

	Piper Spring	Dry	Dry
	Pools in the area from previous nights rain. Spring access seems to be collapsed.

Willow Spring

Dripping

Feb 14 2024

pseudalpine

Guides 59
Routes 1,100
Photos 1,191
Triplogs 1,290

male

Joined Jan 01 2023
Arizona

Carney Springs to First Water, AZ

Hiking		Feb 14 2024
		pseudalpine • Triplogs 1,290

Hiking	10.48 Miles	2,079 AEG

Hiking	10.48 Miles	5 Hrs 52 Mns	1.98 mph
	2,079 ft AEG	34 Mns Break

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West Boulder Saddle

Dutchman Trail #104

Old West Boulder Canyon Ridge

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Perfect conditions call for desperate measures! So, I broke my loose shuttle rule, dropping the motorcycle early at First Water TH and then heading around to Carney Springs. In the dim morning light, I noticed that some good soul has erased the stupid spray-painted arrows from the boulders along the route (at least until the Wave Cave junction). I've wanted to do just that for some time but have always found something more fun to do. Thank you, Forest Service, or whoever it was. It seemed the steep ascent to West Boulder Saddle was slow, but I still gained the pass in under an hour. To access West Boulder Canyon, one just continues to follow the Supes Ridgeline route west for another half mile past the saddle. The rocks at the canyon's head were super slippery from the hydrated lichens and water seeps, but these first steep sections were still a fairly manageable downclimb. The route gets junglelike (as arizonaheat warns), but not as bad as I'd expect from looking at the unburnt canyon from above. Each time the creek bed seemed impassable, I would just ascend slightly right and traverse, staying on the east side of the canyon until about the 3.3-mile point. Eventually one must don the water shoes and wade into the water to frolic with the Fishy Paddle Maggots. The rock corral was at the five-mile mark and was the only really crappy catclaw bushwack that actually tore my shirt. The water level ebbs and flows depending on terrain (exposed rock or gravel) and how much water is merging from every side drainage. Most of the canyon is absolutely enchanting in its current state. On my previous two trips here, the huge clumps of grass below Willow Spring were such a hassle, in that you couldn't see if there were snakes or know where to step for solid footing. However, the large grass is currently dead and flattened by flooding from the recent storms and the hangry snakes haven't emerged (yet). I exited via Tims Saddle because that's the route I thought the guide described. Consequently, I may go back again sometime to complete the last, lower section of the canyon but I doubt it's as nice as the upper part.

Named place

Named place [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Willow Spring

20 archives

Dec 27 2023

pseudalpine

Guides 59
Routes 1,100
Photos 1,191
Triplogs 1,290

male

Joined Jan 01 2023
Arizona

Old West Boulder Canyon Ridge

Phoenix, AZ

Hiking		Dec 27 2023
		pseudalpine • Triplogs 1,290

Hiking	12.01 Miles	2,904 AEG

Hiking	12.01 Miles	5 Hrs 56 Mns	2.14 mph
	2,904 ft AEG	20 Mns Break

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Dutchman Trail #104

Parker Pass

Old West Boulder Canyon

First Water Creek at Second Water Trail #236

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

Fauna

Fauna [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Peregrine Falcon

Geology

Geology [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Natural Arch

	First Water Creek - Upper Turnoff	Pools to trickle	Pools to trickle
	Skunky!

Dry

O'Grady Canyon

Dry

O'Grady Creek

Dry

	Old West Boulder Canyon	Pools to trickle	Pools to trickle

2 archives

Nov 07 2022

pseudalpine

Guides 59
Routes 1,100
Photos 1,191
Triplogs 1,290

male

Joined Jan 01 2023
Arizona

Phoenix, AZ

Hiking		Nov 07 2022
		pseudalpine • Triplogs 1,290

Hiking	12.37 Miles	1,800 AEG

Hiking	12.37 Miles	5 Hrs 13 Mns	2.43 mph
	1,800 ft AEG	8 Mns Break

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Dutchman Trail #104

Parker Pass

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Beautiful and gritty!

3 archives

Nov 19 2017

rayhuston

Guides 1
Routes 447
Photos 4,407
Triplogs 938

68 male

Joined Mar 09 2012
Gilbert, AZ

First Water Upper Creek Loop

Phoenix, AZ

Hiking		Nov 19 2017
		rayhuston • Triplogs 938

Hiking	11.94 Miles	1,842 AEG

Hiking	11.94 Miles	7 Hrs 30 Mns	1.76 mph
	1,842 ft AEG	42 Mns Break

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First Water Creek - Upper Turnoff

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If you want to hike out to Willow Spring, use the posted trail. Do not follow the route I took on the first half of my hike today. I did this hike for the workout (bouldering rocks!) plus a chance to see some new stuff.

The first part of the hike followed the FW Upper Creek Loop. When the creek trail bends back towards Dutchman, I continued south following a route I picked up from the SAR website. The route was what I expected for the most part, until I ran into a jungle, then it got nasty for a bit. I must have missed a turn, cause I can't imagine anyone wanting to go through that. After reviewing my route a week later and comparing it to the SAR route, I did miss a turn; I should have stayed above the fray and skirted around to the NE, where the brush ends, before bending back to the SE.

Merged onto WB canyon at the end of the SAR route, then bumpy smooth sailing to the spring. Good water at the spring, but nothing (or nothing good) anywhere else.

Snapped some pics at Willow Spring, then headed over to the stone corral to see if I could find some good shots there. I found the south anchorage and I could see the anchorage on the other side. I am assuming that the thick brush that's there now must have been there when Adolf Ruth cleared that out and built the wall. It's truly amazing what people were willing to do out here in this wilderness.

I followed the official Willow Spring route back to FW trailhead. Ignore the large cairn to your left as you head back. The cairn invites you to leave the creek into the bush to the west. It's part of the official route, but it's so overgrown in there that you'll quickly regret leaving the creek. I did.

I exited WB creek along a cairned route below Tim's Saddle and followed the path up and over Tim's and another saddle farther along. I hooked up with Dutchman again at Parker Pass. I cannot tell you how much I enjoyed Dutchman after all of that boulder hopping.

Fun hike, but only if you like off trail and boulder hopping. Lot's of both today. The weather was perfect. I didn't see anyone (and didn't expect to) until the last couple of miles on the Dutchman trail. Then I saw a few families enjoying the outdoors on a gorgeous Sunday afternoon.

Flora

Flora [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Chuparosa

Dry

First Water Creek at Second Water Trail #236

Dry

O'Grady Canyon

Dry

O'Grady Creek

Dry

Old West Boulder Canyon

Dry

Upper First Water Creek

Dry

	Willow Spring	Dripping	Dripping
	Pools in the reeds, trickling out and down the slick rock as you approach.

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5 archives

Jan 20 2013

nonot

Guides 107
Routes 249
Photos 2,067
Triplogs 514

male

Joined Nov 18 2005
Phoenix, AZ

Phoenix, AZ

Backpack		Jan 20 2013
		nonot • Triplogs 514

Backpack	12.50 Miles	1,000 AEG

Backpack	12.50 Miles	2 Days 7 Hrs 15 Mns
	1,000 ft AEG		38 LBS Pack

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First Water Creek - Upper Turnoff

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Fritzki nailed it when describing this as long and grueling. I mean, it takes about 3-3.5 hours each way, the trail that leaves the Dutchman isn't even on recent maps, and there's no trail through portions of W Boulder Canyon itself, and not many people come here. And it's only got a nice creek with some neat slickrock and an old corral. The willow tree next to the spring isn't even there anymore, sheesh! Who would possibly visit this place, it's miserable!

On a historical note, the trip description suggests that Ruth built the corral. I was always under the impression that Adolph was a bit of an academic in that he was neither an outdoorsman nor accustomed to hard labor. I thought I read that he showed up for this trip in a business suit, of all things. Barkley's team, I thought, recognized his general incompetence for the outdoors and packed him into this existing camp (suggesting the corral and workings had already been constructed by the cowboys) in order to keep him in an isolated spot where he could not possibly foul things up or get himself killed. But in the end he still managed, and the coroner actually pronounced the holes in his skull as natural causes, though many today agree they could have been bullet holes from a small caliber.

Named place

Named place [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] West Boulder Canyon Willow Spring

Pools to trickle

First Water Creek at Second Water Trail #236

Dry

	Old West Boulder Canyon	Light flow	Light flow
	Light flow in the canyon, it is intermittent and goes underground for up to half-mile stretches.

	Willow Spring	Gallon + per minute	Gallon + per minute
	The creek was flowing above and below the spring, it is hard to tell how much the spring is actually adding to the flow.

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http://hikearizona.com/garmin_maps.php

Hike Arizona it is full of sharp, pointy, ankle-twisting, HAZmaster crushing ROCKS!!
Hike Arizona it is full of sharp, pointy, shin-stabbing, skin-shredding plants!
Hike Arizona it is full of striking, biting, stabbing, venomous wildlife!

Mar 08 2011

Mike_Fels

Routes 17
Photos 485
Triplogs 510

77 male

Joined Jan 07 2010
Chandler, AZ

Aylor's Arch

Aylor's Arch

Phoenix, AZ

Hiking		Mar 08 2011
		Mike_Fels • Triplogs 510

Hiking	10.89 Miles	1,607 AEG

Hiking	10.89 Miles	5 Hrs 5 Mns	2.14 mph
	1,607 ft AEG

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After the safari I was finally able to begin hiking again. Had stopped anything but urban hikes to make sure I was in shape for the safari.

Took a couple side trips, the first yellow mesa (furthest west) had what has always looked like a wall with an opening behind it. Bushwhacked up to it. Turns out it's nothing except a few holes in the cliff. But a nice view from up there. Hiked about a mile up the west boulder creek canyon.

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Mar 14 2010

Tough_Boots

Routes 67
Photos 2,708
Triplogs 755

89 male

Joined Mar 28 2008
Phoenix, AZ

Phoenix, AZ

Hiking		Mar 14 2010
		Tough_Boots • Triplogs 755

Hiking	7.00 Miles	2,280 AEG

Hiking	7.00 Miles
	2,280 ft AEG

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I planned on taking the Dutchman Trail and heading up to the top of Black Top Mesa, but when I hit West Boulder Canyon there was so much water that I had to explore upstream for a while. I eventually found a really nice little tributary and followed that a little while until it was a perfect spot for lunch and sat around a bit relaxing. It was just one of those days and absolutely beautiful outside.

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Dec 03 2009

jostream

Routes 1
Photos 325
Triplogs 42

50 male

Joined Jan 06 2007
Mesa, AZ

Phoenix, AZ

Hiking		Dec 03 2009
		jostream • Triplogs 42

Hiking	7.40 Miles	1,370 AEG

Hiking	7.40 Miles	6 Hrs 5 Mns	1.22 mph
	1,370 ft AEG

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This hike was torture on my arms and legs, but it was very enjoyable. I took a sick day from work and I've got two giveaways of my little white lie. 1. My car is covered in dust, and 2, my arms look like I've been wrestling with a cat. But all in all, this was totally worth it.

For a birthday present, I was given Carlson's Hiker's Guide to the Superstition Wilderness. I read it cover to cover and it got me feeling like I needed to view the history of the Supes, not just use the mountains for enjoyment. It was a similar feeling to when I was able to read about the Battle of Gettysburg, and then get a chance the next day to tour the battlefield.

Adolph Ruth was mentioned several times through the book and he ended up being shot and killed back in the Supes. I figured it would be a good idea to check out his old camp. The route from West Boulder Canyon looked more interesting than the route from First Water. The First Water route is rated a 4 here and the West Boulder Canyon route a 5.

I got to Carney Springs about 7:30 and headed up the trail. It didn't take long for me to shed my coat and fully drench my T-Shirt with sweat. I got to W. Boulder Saddle and scoped out a place to head down. My intentions were to hike along the Ridgeline trail a while then descend down the second side canyon into the main, but I didn't. I saw the first cairn off to the side and down I went. Heading down was actually kind of fun. There are spots of severe bushwhacking, but over all it wasn't too bad. You get used to being clawed at and having stuff fall in between your backpack and your neck. It is all part of the enjoyment.

After a mile or so, you have to head to the high ground. There were parts that were overly cairned, spray painted, and ribbon marked for my taste. I really didn't see the point. There is only 1 canyon and there is no way to get through the stuff down there, so that leaves only 1 option. Head high and go around it. Getting lost would be impossible so using that many markers was overkill to say the least.

After heading around, you descend back into the canyon. This is where it gets fun. There are spots of smooth granite floors, spots with large boulders, spots where you have to scoot low under some trees, and spots that would present very cool water falls. For my trip, there was no water along the entire path. It was very fast going once I got down there.

I reached the Willow Springs around 11 which put my travel time from the car at roughly 3 and a half hours. I ate my leftover pizza and polished off a bottle of gatorade. I filtered water out of the spring to refill my bladder and headed off to find the corral.

The things to look for are the trees. They are too neat and too out of place. I didn't even realize I walked through the gate of the corral until I was already in it. I can imagine with a little attention, this would have been a decent place to hang out. There is plenty of shade, an ever running spring, and seclusion.

I headed back and made good time. I kept getting drawn into the canyon where I should have stayed high, but oh well. It made for some interesting tracks and track backs.

I got back to the car just before 3, which put my hike time back right around 3 hours.

I'm planning on a Battleship hike in January, but I hope to get another history lesson before then. Maybe something around Bluff Spring....

Culture

Culture [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Pioneer Industry

	Willow Spring	Quart per minute	Quart per minute
	There was flowing water with plenty in available pools.

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Jan 27 2007

kanode

Guides 7
Routes 57
Photos 1,107
Triplogs 64

77 male

Joined Jan 07 2004
Tempe, AZ

Phoenix, AZ

Hiking		Jan 27 2007
		kanode • Triplogs 64

Hiking	10.00 Miles	2,180 AEG

Hiking	10.00 Miles	11 Hrs	0.91 mph
	2,180 ft AEG

no routes

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See my 1/27/07 triplog under: "W Boulder Cyn to Willow Springs" for an easier southern half of this route.

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Irv

Dec 06 2002

jmzblond

Guides 1
Photos 121
Triplogs 64

55 female

Joined Sep 08 2002
Scottsdale, AZ

Phoenix, AZ

Hiking		Dec 06 2002
		jmzblond • Triplogs 64

Hiking	9.75 Miles	2,180 AEG

Hiking	9.75 Miles	9 Hrs 15 Mns	1.05 mph
	2,180 ft AEG

no routes

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Did this hike w/ fellow HAZers Cactuscat, Ally, and Arizonaheat. We started at the turn-off from Peralta Road to the Carney Springs T/H in the dark. We went up to West Boulder Saddle, watched the sunrise then dropped down into the canyon. Bushwhacked and crawled through the canyon all the way to Adolph Ruths corral, took a lunch break at Willow Springs, and eventually intersected the Dutchman Trail. From there we hiked to our shuttle vehicle at the First Water T/H. Afterwards, we all celebrated over pizza and ice cold beers at Panhandlers Pizza off Hwy 60. All in all it was one of the most fun, and rewarding hiking days I've had. Now I just can't wait to see what stories and nicknames surface about me!! I only recommend this hike to the truly adventurous at heart with a down and dirty sense of fun... not for the weak-willed, or casual day-hikers.

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Dec 06 2002

cactuscat

Routes 85
Photos 3,718
Triplogs 486

female

Joined Oct 15 2002
Rimrock, Arizona

Phoenix, AZ

Hiking		Dec 06 2002
		cactuscat • Triplogs 486

Hiking	9.75 Miles	2,180 AEG

Hiking	9.75 Miles	9 Hrs 15 Mns	1.05 mph
	2,180 ft AEG

no routes

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	Ally	arizonaheat
	jmzblond

An excellent adventure Friday doing WBC with jmzblond, azheat, and Ally. Basically it was a boulder hopping, bushwacking, tarantula touching, rock petting good time! I can't remember the last hike I enjoyed this much - or when I've laughed as much as I did with those goofballs! Judging from some of our ideas and conversations, future hikes with them may prove to be even more crazy and fun. :lol:

Even though it sounds like we all had a great time, I wouldn't recomend this hike to anyone; really - DON'T GO!! Okay, okay - I just don't want alot of people marching through there and messing the place up. If you do go remember your LNT basics - no more wads of t.p. in the creekbed, please! And for god's sake, no more fire rings! We saw at least 6-8 (although there won't be that many left after the next time I pass through, I promise you that). Last but not least, don't forget to wear a nice pair of underwear, because this hike may knock your PANTS off!! :wink:

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Dec 06 2002

arizonaheat

Guides 4
Photos 342
Triplogs 45

69 male

Joined Sep 12 2002
Mesa, AZ