Charlebois Loop II • Hike • Arizona • All Triplogs • HikeArizona.COM

Phoenix, AZ

Hiking		Jan 14 2023
		John10s • Triplogs 346

Hiking	18.77 Miles	2,474 AEG

Hiking	18.77 Miles	10 Hrs 1 Min	2.07 mph
	2,474 ft AEG	56 Mns Break

no routes

Linked

linked

[ checklist ] Bark at Dutchman Crossing Barks Canyon Charlebois Spring Dacite Cliffs Music Canyon Peralta Canyon Trap Canyon Turks Head - Superstition Boundary Upper LaBarge Box Canyon

Partners

partners

TboneKathy

These were all familiar trails today, but we hadn't hiked this specific loop before, and it looked like a nice option with some good mileage and scenery. We got a later start than planned thanks to a closure on Highway 60, a detour on the surface streets, a long wait at a train crossing just before we could get back on 60 in Mesa...then we got stuck behind a slow-moving truck and trailer on Peralta Road. There were a lot of vehicles at the trailhead already, but at least it was a sunnier morning than forecasted, and we were happy to get away from most of the crowds as we left the Fremont Saddle traffic behind and turned onto Dutchman.

I was pleased to find that the trail maintenance work along Whiskey Spring Trail last spring hadn't become overgrown again...the catclaw along the trail was terrible in late 2021, but it had been trimmed way back as of last March, and it was still in pretty good shape today. We passed a Forest Service worker trimming brush and hauling it off the trail just before Whiskey Spring, so it's an ongoing effort and saved a lot of time and scratches on the section of that route, though Red Tanks had some spots that could use some work.

The sun continued to break through the clouds on and off most of the morning, and we took a short break near the water crossing at the west entrance to Trap Canyon before continuing on past La Barge Spring, Oak Spring, and the third one near Music Canyon. There were pools and a decent flow of water at most of the crossings today, and we had the sound of tricking water almost all day.

We had Charlebois Spring to ourselves, and we took a break there in the shade. We were there almost exactly a year ago and heard a lot of frogs that day, and today we saw two frogs mating at the side of the spring. They were clearly distracted and made no effort to move as we got closer, so we were able to get some Discovery Channel-worthy pictures before we started back.

[ youtube video ]

I took a quick detour over to the Master Map before we continued along the east side of Bluff Spring Mountain on Dutchman. The clouds got a lot thicker in the afternoon, and we started to see more people on the trails, including some groups of backpackers and occasional campsites. On the way out, we stopped for a final break near Peralta Rock, which I'd passed many times without ever noticing...this time I finally saw it

. We saw one more large group coming down from the Cave Trail, and we finished a little before sunset.

There were a lot of hikers on the trails, probably 15+ different groups/individuals over the course of the day...likely a combination the long weekend and people trying to get outside before rain starts tomorrow. But, as expected, this was an enjoyable, straightforward loop with plenty of water, good mileage and scenery, and a few bonuses between the frogs/spring, Master Map, and Peralta Rock.

Flora

Flora [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Aster Desert Globemallow

Fauna

Fauna [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Lowland Leopard Frog

Geology

Geology [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Natural Arch

Culture

Culture [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Horseshoe Inscriptions

Named place

Named place [ checklist ]

	Bark at Dutchman Crossing	Light flow	Light flow

	Charlebois Spring	Gallon per minute	Gallon per minute

	LaBarge Spring	Quart per minute	Quart per minute

	Music Canyon	Light flow	Light flow

	Trap Canyon	Light flow	Light flow

	Whiskey Spring	Gallon per minute	Gallon per minute

Dec 04 2021

ddgrunning

Guides 3
Routes 632
Photos 8,235
Triplogs 604

54 male

Joined Apr 13 2011
Gilbert, AZ

Phoenix, AZ

Hiking		Dec 04 2021
		ddgrunning • Triplogs 604

Hiking	20.21 Miles	2,518 AEG

Hiking	20.21 Miles	7 Hrs 36 Mns	2.87 mph
	2,518 ft AEG	34 Mns Break

Linked

linked

Partners

none

no partners

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

I thought I was getting an early start--arriving at the Peralta Trailhead 45 minutes before sunrise, but by the time I got within a mile of the TH, I was in a line of 4-5 cars with the same idea. I guess it is prime hiking season in the Supes, so not too surprising.

I figured that since I wasn't headed up the popular Peralta Trail, I'd get to some solitude quickly. I was almost right.

Once I hit the trail and headed off on Dutchman, I figured the trail would be mine. But, after a bit I looked back and saw that I had a tail. Another solo hiker that was not too far behind me. I was the faster hiker and put some distance between us on, but I also stop and take a lot of photos, so he would periodically close the gap. Whenever we'd reach a trail junction, I hoped he wouldn't turn my way, but he was on the same itinerary, until I finally shook him at the Whiskey Springs Junction. :-)

About 2 miles in on the Dutchman, the burn zone comes in heavy. Lots of devastation in this area, with plenty of saguaros in various stages of becoming skeletons.

The burn scar was ameliorated to some degree by the sunrise, which splashed color onto the mountains and created some fun shadows and photo opportunities along the Coffee Flat section (and elsewhere along the loop).

Miner's Needle is an impressive formation. As this was my first time hiking in this area, I enjoyed viewing it from various angles.

At the Whiskey Springs junction, I was finally on my own. As the trail dropped down into Upper LaBarge, there was some significant erosion and the route finding started to become a little more necessary.

The route continued to deteriorate in the bottom of the drainage and on through the Red Tanks portion of the trail, with a lot of incredibly pokey and barbed foliage reaching out and stabbing, scraping and raking across my shins, shirt and hands. It was helpful to have the GPS track downloaded for this section (though the drainage itself generally prevents the prospect of getting too turned around).

At the Red Tanks junction, I decided to head east for a bit and explore the Upper LaBarge area. Some cool formations and a couple of nice campsites up that way, but not a lot of water.

Returning to the junction, I continued up LaBarge on Red Tanks, and came to the first real oasis of the day--LaBarge Spring, which was flowing nicely and had clearly done a good job of growing cottonwoods and other strong plant life in the vicinity.

Shortly beyond LaBarge, I met three backpackers going in the opposite direction. They were down from Flagstaff and camped near Charlebois Spring and were on a dayhike/explore. After a brief chat, we parted ways, and I continued up to Charlebois.

Along the way, there is a nice, canopy-covered camp spot near Oak Spring. I didn't search out Oak Spring itself, so not sure if there is convenient water, but LaBarge Spring is relatively close.

Arriving at Charlebois, I found another set of 3 backpackers taking up residence at the prime camp spot just shy of the spring. They were up from Tucson, and we swapped a few hiking notes before I headed to the spring itself--which is more like a nice-sized pond, with the prodigious roots of a large cottonwood tree forming an natural dam. The pool was a good 2-3 feet deep and 10-feet in diameter. On a hot day, it would be a tempting to take a dip!

I stopped for lunch at the pool and just enjoyed the surroundings.

After lunch, I backtracked and stayed on Dutchman until it intersected with the Bluff Springs trail. Somewhere in this area, I came across a group of 12 or so backpackers headed to Charlebois. I told them that the prime spot was taken (and was too small for their group anyway), and suggested some alternatives.

I wished I had done this loop before the 57-arm saguaro met its demise, but I did manage to see a couple of other impressive saguaros on the day.

Stopped and checked out Peralta Rock, and made the short side trip to the impressive overlook into Bark's Canyon and over toe Weaver's Needle along the Bluff Springs trail.

Arrived back at Peralta TH, which remained busy but there was parking to be had.

A very enjoyable loop, though next time, I'll wear long pants, or pack a couple of soccer shinguards ;-)

_____________________

Oct 28 2019

00blackout

Routes 31
Photos 4,724
Triplogs 187

50 male

Joined Mar 14 2016
Gold Canyon, AZ

Phoenix, AZ

Hiking		Oct 28 2019
		00blackout • Triplogs 187

Hiking	17.10 Miles	2,855 AEG

Hiking	17.10 Miles
	2,855 ft AEG

no routes

Linked

none

no linked trail guides

Partners

none

no partners

Headed out to Peralta TH this morning before the sun came up. Watched the sun come up over the mountain and hiked this loop that I've been wanting to do. Hit it counter clock wise as I did not want to come up Whiskey Springs. The fire area starts just past Miner's Needle summit and runs all the way down to within a half mile of La Barge Spring. Whiskey Spring (which used to be a riparian paradise is completely destroyed and now looks like the landscape of the moon. There are a couple of cottonwoods that survived but everything else is gone, except for the catclaw that is growing back in groves.I lost the trail numerous times from all the wash out along it. Took a look at Upper La Barge Box at the junction and unfortunately it looks the same way. The La Barge Spring area is fortunately untouched. Ran into a couple hunters at La Barge other then that not another soul all day.

_____________________

Hiking is just walking where it’s okay to pee.

Mar 12 2017

survivordude

Routes 61
Photos 1,008
Triplogs 224

44 male

Joined Aug 19 2009
The Basin

Phoenix, AZ

Hiking		Mar 12 2017
		survivordude • Triplogs 224

Hiking	17.97 Miles	2,972 AEG

Hiking	17.97 Miles	7 Hrs 4 Mns	2.80 mph
	2,972 ft AEG	39 Mns Break

Linked

linked

Partners

none

no partners

Starting to get toasty out there so wanted to get back to the Supes while there was still some water out there for Gabby dog and not roast myself. 1 for 2 today.. Dutchman up to Miner's needle is one of my favorite stretches of easy hiking. As the trail gradually ascends, it awards spectacular views of Barkley Basin and surrounding areas with thousands of Saguaro. I love saguaro. After making the saddle just past Miner's needle, I headed down to Whiskey Spring for some new territory for me. Lots of water flowing in just about every creekbed still. Whiskey Spring was nice and shaded and there was a good camp spot there. Passed one guy who was on a 3 day backpack, coming from LaBarge who thought I was crazy trying to get to Charlebois in one day.. Rook.. Red Tanks trail was pretty straight forward, just follow the creek, crossing occasionally. I did actually lose the trail once but again following the creek got me to LaBarge Spring, where I met 2 backpackers also headed to Charlebois. Back to familiar territory but now I had a mission.. to find the MASTER MAP! I knew roughly where it was at but it eluded my last search. Never giving up hope but starting to doubt my location, I headed to a higher ground to get a broader view and when I turned around it was right there! :y:

For me this was a great feeling of accomplishment. I studied the wall and appreciated the history before me for several minutes before heading to Charlebois. Met another guy hanging out right at the spur and told him about the sweet spot further back and invited him to come along with me. He agreed, I turned around and POOF! he was gone.. superstition strangeness.. I ate lunch and enjoyed one of my all time favorite spots in the Supes. Made my way back towards La Barge Spring and passed 4 more groups between there and the Dutchman junction. At this point it started to get hot. Mid-day, little to zero shade, and a steady incline with the miles racking up, I started to tire just a little bit. It was then I found the perfect break spot under a huge boulder right in the middle of the trail. Gabby and I literally just sat in the water for 10 minutes to cool off. Coming down Bluff Spring trail I was thankful I was not hiking the other direction! Made it to the Peralta superhighway and the parking lot in 7 hours. This 18 miles kicked my :pk:

pretty good and Gabby hasn't gotten off the couch for 2 days.. = Another awesome Superstition hike!

Named place

Named place [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Miners Needle Oak Spring

Wildflowers Observation Moderate
Lots of color out there but not quite in full bloom yet.

Light flow

Dripping

Medium flow

Quart per minute

Medium flow

Medium flow

Whiskey Spring Canyon

Medium flow

_____________________

“There is nothing that exists outside the thought of the immediate moment.”

2 archives

Nov 18 2016

fricknaley

Guides 93
Routes 397
Photos 4,984
Triplogs 4,124

49 male

Joined Jun 20 2003
Tucson, AZ

Phoenix, AZ

Hiking		Nov 18 2016
		fricknaley • Triplogs 4,124

Hiking	16.92 Miles	2,725 AEG

Hiking	16.92 Miles	6 Hrs 53 Mns		2.48 mph
	2,725 ft AEG	4 Mns Break	12 LBS Pack

Linked

linked

Partners

none

no partners

been wanting to get out in the supes. it's been a while. great weather forecast. made for the perfect day to get out there.

dutchman: a super highway. saw a deer out by the coffee flat junction. nice cool breeze. early morning light on miner's needle is very nice

whiskey spring: little snaggly here and there, but certainly a proper supes trail anyway. i enjoyed this trail. nice views up on the saddle, and some nice color in the cottonwoods.

red tanks: i've been on other parts of this trail that are more appealing. again some snaggly stabby action but not really that bad

charlebois spring: wow! very cool. definitely worth the trip. much more water than i expected. chatted with a couple of nice young ladies here.

bluff springs: love this trail.

peralta road is in very good shape at the moment. saw 3 people all day.

_____________________

hi

1 archive

Jul 08 2016

jacobemerick

Guides 38
Routes 182
Photos 1,602
Triplogs 232

40 male

Joined Dec 09 2014
Gilbert, AZ

Phoenix, AZ

Backpack		Jul 08 2016
		jacobemerick • Triplogs 232

Backpack	17.10 Miles	2,855 AEG

Backpack	17.10 Miles	2 Days
	2,855 ft AEG		5 LBS Pack

no routes

no photosets

Linked

none

no linked trail guides

Partners

none

no partners

Summer in the Supes == lovely, quiet backpacking.

Headed out on Friday a bit early from work, made it to Peralta around 3pm. Decided to do the loop in reverse (as defined in the description) and tackle Bluff Springs trail first. It was 105 out - terrible idea. Made it to top of Barks soaked in sweat and with serious misgivings on the route. Looked around for the Peralta stone half-heartedly before pushing on. Pulled a liter from Bluff Springs and then rolled down the rest of the trail. La Barge Spring was a nice surprise, first time there. Made the quick trip up to Charlebois to filter a few liters (La Barge Spring was a bit bee-heavy) and to look around for the Master Map. No dice. Not so good on the LDM hunting this outing. Returned to La Barge Springs right around sunset and set up the hammock for the night in the creekbed.

Woke up early-early Saturday, filtered and drank and breakfasted, and got on Red Tanks around five. Made it all the way to the 'big' climb on Whiskey Springs Trail before the sun caught up - thank you for the shade, Music/Herman/Coffee Flat. Cruised down Miner's and through Barkley Basin... Really starting to tire of that section of Dutchman Trail, feels like I've hiked it a dozen times now. Made it back to the trailhead around nine to see two other vehicles at the parking lot.

Randoms:
- The drive to the trailhead is rough, especially the last mile or so. Dodge Caravan had a tough time.
- So many bees at the springs. Wasps were crawling in and out of the pipe at Bluff Springs. Charlebois didn't have any, strangely enough.
- Some sections of the loop have had some recent maintenance (thank you!), but Red Tanks is very Red Tank-y.
- No footprints on many of the trails since the last good rain (a week ago?).
- Almost covered the western Supes trails now. A few annoying miles on Hoolie south of Horse Basin and a mile of Boulder Canyon left. Wonder what kind of loop would include both of those...
- Had 3L capacity, started w/ 2 and only filtered to full on Saturday morning. Ended up drinking/using 6L on Friday, 5L on Saturday.
- La Barge Spring has a ton of coatis. Or some other sort of rodent that likes to play in the leaves. Ughs.

	Barks Canyon	Pools to trickle	Pools to trickle
	Saw a single pool, brown but not terrible.

	Bluff Spring	Dripping	Dripping
	Barely dripping - lowest flow I've seen there yet. And a ton of bees/wasps hogging the water.

	Charlebois Spring	Quart per minute	Quart per minute
	Didn't see any flow, but the lower pools (next to the campsite beyond the trough) were full and easy to pull from.

	LaBarge Spring	Gallon per minute	Gallon per minute
	Hello water! Wall was dripping steadily, trough overflowing, and the ground around was soaked. Not quite enough to reach the creek below. Lots of bees.

	Whiskey Spring	Dry	Dry
	There was a glint of water in a narrow hole in the grass that was teeming with bees. Maybe a cup's worth. Counting this as dry.

_____________________

May 07 2016

slowandsteady

Routes 67
Photos 966
Triplogs 694

51 female

Joined Jan 05 2012
Phoenix,AZ

Phoenix, AZ

Hiking		May 07 2016
		slowandsteady • Triplogs 694

Hiking	17.85 Miles	2,961 AEG

Hiking	17.85 Miles	8 Hrs 22 Mns	2.35 mph
	2,961 ft AEG	47 Mns Break

no routes

no photosets

Linked

linked

Partners

partners

BiFrost

The saguaro's were all in bloom, we only saw nine people on the trails and a cool breeze all day!

_____________________

May 07 2016

BiFrost

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

55 male

Joined Nov 20 2012
Phoenix, AZ

Phoenix, AZ

Hiking		May 07 2016
		BiFrost • Triplogs 1,257

Hiking	17.85 Miles	2,961 AEG

Hiking	17.85 Miles	8 Hrs 22 Mns	2.35 mph
	2,961 ft AEG	47 Mns Break

Linked

linked

Partners

none

no partners

Enjoyed probably one of the last cool weekends for awhile and did Charlebois Loop in the Supes. Beautiful out all day with puffy clouds and cool breezes. We did the loop counter clockwise out the Dutchman to Whiskey Springs then Red Tanks and back Bluff Springs trail. Ran into 3 backpackers at Charlebois Spring and on the way back to Peralta ran into 2 more backpack groups headed to the same spring. Pretty crowded there Saturday night for sure.

	Barks Canyon	Pools to trickle	Pools to trickle
	a few shallow pools

	Bluff Spring Canyon	Pools to trickle	Pools to trickle
	a few small pools

	Charlebois Spring	Gallon + per minute	Gallon + per minute
	several pools with light flow below the spring

	Crystal Spring	Dripping	Dripping
	very small pool

	LaBarge Spring	Gallon per minute	Gallon per minute
	several large pools and some light flow

	Whiskey Spring	Quart per minute	Quart per minute
	a couple of small clear pools

_____________________

1 archive

Dec 12 2015

VolcanoCLMBR

Routes 1
Photos 2,050
Triplogs 425

46 male

Joined Sep 16 2011
Phoenix

Phoenix, AZ

Backpack		Dec 12 2015
		VolcanoCLMBR • Triplogs 425

Backpack	17.10 Miles	2,855 AEG

Backpack	17.10 Miles	2 Days
	2,855 ft AEG

no routes

no photosets

Linked

none

no linked trail guides

Partners

none

no partners

_____________________

The world is my playground!

Feb 23 2015

Craigbhikin

Photos 356
Triplogs 44

62 male

Joined Apr 11 2011
Mesa, AZ

Phoenix, AZ

Hiking		Feb 23 2015
		Craigbhikin • Triplogs 44

Hiking	17.10 Miles	2,855 AEG

Hiking	17.10 Miles
	2,855 ft AEG

no routes

no photosets

Linked

none

no linked trail guides

Partners

none

no partners

6 friends and I had a great time backpacking this weekend. 10 people showed up, but three were just taking a day hike. The 7 of us hiked the Dutchman to Whisky Springs. Then we took Red Tanks back to the Dutchman, and passed 20 some Boy scouts on the way to Bluff Springs. Kurt had fun with the boy scouts heading up a hill, he would let them catch up, and then speed off again. Later the rest of us passed 3 Boy scouts on the side of the trail panting trying to catch their breath. Not to make fun of the Boy scouts, it is good to see them out there enjoying the great outdoors. Made camp at Charlebois where we had the entire camp to ourselves. We made our way out via Dutchman to Bluff Springs. Another great weekend spent hiking the Superstations with great friends.

Wildflowers Observation Light
We found a few along the way, but not many.

_____________________

Craigbehikin

Jan 10 2015

DennisWilliams

Photos 490
Triplogs 189

69 male

Joined Feb 06 2012
Mesa, AZ

Phoenix, AZ

Hiking		Jan 10 2015
		DennisWilliams • Triplogs 189

Hiking	17.50 Miles	2,855 AEG

Hiking	17.50 Miles	8 Hrs 45 Mns		2.41 mph
	2,855 ft AEG	1 Hour 30 Mns Break	15 LBS Pack

no routes

Linked

none

no linked trail guides

Partners

partners

HAZ - Event

	Eagle	joebartels
	rayhuston

Can't add much to the guys' triplogs except some personal anecdotes. My first time on this big loop, and what a loop it is!

Heading out before dawn on the Dutchman into Barcley Basin is lovely. Such a short walk from the TH and entirely new vistas open up. This would make a great spot for short day hikes. It was warm in the morning and I felt no need for my hiking gloves as I mentioned to Ray, commenting prophetically that I only take a fall near the end of a hike, on the flat, when I am tired and have relaxed my vigilance.

From Barcley it is a short hike around Miners Needle and up over a saddle and down into Whiskey Spring along the eponymous trail, though it was still too early to enjoy it's namesake. Great views of Coffee Flat Mountain. Then down to La Barge Creek and several miles through the canyon, all the while enjoying the big cliff faces of Herman Mountain, Trap Canyon, and Music Mountain. Charlebois Spring is a nice, deep pool below some rocks. Frogs were living it up in there just feet from us while we enjoyed lunch. See Joe's video.

After lunch we re-traced a mile south to the Dutchman again and on through Bluff Spring Canyon. We visited the old saguaro, though it has clearly lived through better days. It probably only had 30 arms when Geronimo rode by, and only 10 when the great Mangas Coloradas played in it's shadow, or one like it, as a boy. We have all seen much smaller dead saguaros. I think this one just got tired.

From there we took the Bluff Spring trail around Bluff Spring Mountain and into Barks Canyon. Terrific hoodoos and rock faces there, with Weaver's just peeking up over the ridge top. Stopped for a refreshment at a nice lookout, then on down to the TH. It was at this point, with the TH in full view and probably less that a mile away, that my prophecy came true and I took a spill. By this time I had donned my hiking gloves and so came away with nothing but a few scratches and injured pride. I swear by hiking gloves!

A great hike in great company. Pretty much a running commentary throughout the 17+ miles and more than a few laughs. These guys keep up a pretty stiff pace, faster than mine if going alone. I would have been an extra hour getting it done. Nice to be pushed and wonderful to have such good company. Happy to hike with them again any time.

Named place

Named place [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Barkley Basin Trap Canyon

_____________________

"Aequanimitas."

- Antoninus Pius

2 archives

Jan 10 2015

rayhuston

Guides 1
Routes 447
Photos 4,407
Triplogs 938

68 male

Joined Mar 09 2012
Gilbert, AZ

Phoenix, AZ

Hiking		Jan 10 2015
		rayhuston • Triplogs 938

Hiking	17.50 Miles	2,900 AEG

Hiking	17.50 Miles	8 Hrs 45 Mns	2.31 mph
	2,900 ft AEG	1 Hour 10 Mns Break

no routes

Linked

linked

Partners

partners

HAZ - Event

	DennisWilliams	joebartels
	The_Eagle

I was planning to do something out of Canyon Lake, but I took a peek at HAZ Friday afternoon and saw that Dennis posted a Charlebois Loop II outing for Saturday. That has been high on my list of hikes I wanted to do and it was a chance to meet someone new, so I signed on.

This was a great trip with great company. We started out with a beautiful yellow sunrise over the very green Barkley Basin. A look back revealed an orange glow on the Dacite Cliffs. It was a beautiful start to the hike.

The Charlebois Spring area was beautiful. It was a great place to lunch, and nature provided us with a most entertaining frog song. Three of us spent a moment trying to record the ritual. Dennis had no such luck. Each time he pulled out his phone to record, the reeds became quiet. Put the phone away and they were back at it. Aah, forget the frogs. Instead, he pulled out some wonderful Scotch Whiskey and we shared a couple of sips. Thank you Dennis!

On the way back, we took at stop at the Master Map. Interesting place. It made me wonder. We made good time along Dutchman on the way back. The older guys, being of the same age and sharing many similar interests from the 60's and 70's, probably took unfair advantage of Joe. I think the conversation about penny candy from The Corner Store and the Chick-O-Sticks for a nickel got to him. His pace had quickened to a no-talking pace when we were saved by a side trip to the old saguaro.

Seeing the saguaro for the first time made me sad for what it had become, but I was heartened by what it once was. Magnificent! I showed the pictures I took to my wife and she cried. She loves saguaros.

We made one more stop at a beautiful overlook along the Bluff Springs Trail. Stunning views, worthy of another round of the warming brown fluid. Thank you again, Dennis! That is such a beautiful area. So many places to explore in there, but I was more than content to sit where we were, admiring the beauty of this area, the warmth of the Scotch and good company.

We neared the end of the hike with rain drops falling and the sun shining down into the slick rock area approaching Bark's Canyon. Dennis was hoping for a rainbow, which would have made that perfect. A quick hike up and over the hill and we were done. A great hike.

Dennis, thanks again for the outing. It was great meeting you! Bruce and Joe, good to see you again! Sorry this is so late, but I was out too much this weekend and needed to spend time with the family.

Named place

Named place [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Dacite Cliffs Music Mountain Trap Canyon

_____________________

2 archives

Jan 10 2015

The_Eagle

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

69 male

Joined Jan 20 2009
Far NE Phoenix,

Phoenix, AZ

Hiking		Jan 10 2015
		The_Eagle • Triplogs 2,760

Hiking	18.17 Miles	2,988 AEG

Hiking	18.17 Miles	8 Hrs 47 Mns		2.39 mph
	2,988 ft AEG	1 Hour 10 Mns Break	18 LBS Pack

Linked

linked

Partners

partners

HAZ - Event

	DennisWilliams	joebartels
	rayhuston

Decided to Join Dennis on his HAZ outing.

Joe had a day of sweating to the 70's, hearing our arguments as to whether Roosevelt of Eisenhower was a better president, and what it was like to live through the Apache Wars. You just can't argue with 173 years of experience.

Dennis and I are the same age and I learned that we both lived in the same small town of Novi Michigan and rode our bikes to the same "Corner Store" to buy Penny Candy as kids. Small Friggin' World.

Perfect day all around. The Supe's always Rock, weather was exceptional, water was flowing and a great group of personalities was amassed.

While eating lunch, the Charliebois Spring area revealed it's own version of the Budweiser Frogs. Ray said he thought they were mating calls going on no more than 5 feet from us and went to investigate. Cue shaggin' music, "Yep" that's what's going on.

I'm used to taking Gatorade and Granola bar breaks while hiking, but Dennis does it differently. Probably the first time I've had Scotch with Lunch, and we had to take a Scotch break at a rocky outcropping on the way back. I look forward to our future 2 mile hikes.

Good meeting you Dennis, Ray great hiking with you again, Joe.... #180.

Fauna

Fauna [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Lowland Leopard Frog

Named place

Named place [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Charlebois Spring

	Barks Canyon	Pools to trickle	Pools to trickle
	Filterable water available in scattered pools

	Charlebois Canyon	Pools to trickle	Pools to trickle
	Water up most of the canyon, but go to the spring.

	Charlebois Spring	Gallon per minute	Gallon per minute
	LARGE Pools to be able to swim or filter from. Enjoy the croaking leopard frogs

	LaBarge Spring	Quart per minute	Quart per minute
	Always reliable, clear and filterable

	Trap Canyon	Dry	Dry
	No water at the confluence

	Upper LaBarge Box Canyon	Pools to trickle	Pools to trickle
	Pools available to filter from

	Whiskey Spring	Quart per minute	Quart per minute
	Plenty of Filterable Water

_____________________

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

1 archive

Jan 10 2015

joebartels

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

55 male

Joined Nov 20 1996

Phoenix, AZ

Hiking		Jan 10 2015
		joebartels • Triplogs 5,894

Hiking	17.50 Miles	2,900 AEG

Hiking	17.50 Miles	8 Hrs 45 Mns		2.31 mph
	2,900 ft AEG	1 Hour 10 Mns Break	12 LBS Pack

Linked

linked

Partners

partners

HAZ - Event

	DennisWilliams	rayhuston
	The_Eagle

Headed out with the class of '74 & '75 to learn up on the decade leading up to the best decade ever. Overcast most of the day, very nice temps throughout, only breezy for the first couple of hours. Started off great finally getting to meet Jack volunteering at the trailhead!

This classic loop in the western soups never gets old in my book. With a slight chance of rain it seemed perfect to enjoy a solid trail hike. The catclaw on Whiskey Spring 238 seemed comparable to the often feared Red Tanks 107. While near and dear, I enjoyed the hike in shorts accumulating only a few scratches.

We lunched at Charlebois with Leopard Frogs engaged in an aggressive mating ritual in the pool between our group. Dennis liquored up the boys then we headed out in search of the Peralta Master Map. Stopped off at the 57? arm saguaro which is almost gone ( see video ). Along our return we passed a group of boy scouts, two smaller groups and a couple. The trailhead register gained FIVE solid pages in under nine hours. A nice enjoyable hike.

[ youtube video ]

_____________________

- joe

Nov 22 2014

The_Dude

Guides 1
Routes 136
Photos 1,367
Triplogs 364

47 male

Joined Jun 10 2011
Phoenix, AZ

Whiskey West - Red Tanks Loop

Phoenix, AZ

Backpack		Nov 22 2014
		The_Dude • Triplogs 364

Backpack	15.53 Miles	2,215 AEG

Backpack	15.53 Miles	2 Days
	2,215 ft AEG		28 LBS Pack

no photosets

Linked

none

no linked trail guides

Partners

none

no partners

Awesome loop trip out in the Superstitions. Went on this one with Danial, Michael, and Nick for some camping fun. We did this counterclockwise from the Peralta trailhead, and were only greeted with the occasional other hiker. Whiskey springs was brutal,we all donated some blood to the trailside Catclaw Acacia, Hackberry, and Scrub Oak. Red Tanks was better, but not without barrier. We ended up camping by Oak Spring, we were going to go all the way to Charlebois but this camp site was too perfect to pass up. The GPS coordinates for the actual spring took us on a bushwhack up the hill fighting more blood letters, but we didn't find any water. We got back to camp to find that we actually had some nice flowing stream water just to the south of us. The nice sheltered Oak grove gave us nice protection from the wind, and there was a great fire ring area with large downed logs to sit on. Slept like a baby, not too cold at all. We had a leisurely morning in camp and left by about 9:30-10 for the return trip. Thankfully mostly downhill on the way out, some great views of the Barkley Basin as you are descending the Bluff Springs trail. We managed to miss the 57 armed Saguaro, figured that would be hard to miss but we did. I guess I will just have to go hiking out here again. Finished up the trip with lunch at Four Peaks on the way home, fantastic. Great trip, worth doing again!

	Oak Spring	Dry	Dry
	No water in the spring, but good flowing water in the creek to the south

_____________________

1 archive

Dec 19 2013

mazatzal

Routes 36
Photos 2,658
Triplogs 1,347

67 male

Joined Jul 28 2004
Scottsdale, AZ

Whiskey West - Red Tanks Loop

Phoenix, AZ

Hiking		Dec 19 2013
		mazatzal • Triplogs 1,347

Hiking	13.40 Miles	2,150 AEG

Hiking	13.40 Miles	7 Hrs 5 Mns	2.14 mph
	2,150 ft AEG	50 Mns Break

no routes

Linked

8 linked trail guides

Bluff Spring Loop & Weaver's View

Miners Needle Loop

Partners

none

no partners

Perfect hiking weather. I decided to take the day off and do a weekday, Western Supes loop

I only saw one group of 5 on Whiskey Springs, one hunter on Bluff Springs and some climbers on the big cliff above Barks :scared:

Saw one deer in La Barge and 3 going up Bluff Springs. Lots of water out there and more on the way.

Fauna

Fauna [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Tarantula

Culture

Culture [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Aircraft

Autumn Foliage Observation Light

_____________________

Nov 16 2013

big_load

Routes 26
Photos 1,288
Triplogs 124

66 male

Joined Oct 28 2003
Andover, NJ

Phoenix, AZ

Backpack		Nov 16 2013
		big_load • Triplogs 124

Backpack	23.00 Miles	3,500 AEG

Backpack	23.00 Miles	3 Days
	3,500 ft AEG

no routes

Linked

6 linked trail guides

Trap Canyon

Terrapin Trail #234

[ checklist ] Old West Boulder Canyon Weavers Needle Whiskey Spring

Partners

partners

	Dave1	FOTG
	kate	outdoor_lover
	te_wa	VolcanoCLMBR

Outdoor Lover joined me for my long-overdue second trip around this loop. The first time was a solo trip, in which I didn't get to explore enough of Trap Canyon and failed to find the Master Map. It was more relaxing this time around, since I knew more about what to expect, didn't go crazy with spare water, had better direction to the Master Map, and had a hiking buddy already broken in.

For a detailed account of the adventure, check out Pam's report here: http://hikearizona.com/trip=96237. I won't repeat much, but just add a few comments and observations.

Meeting everyone at LaBarge Spring was even more of a highlight than I expected. I can't say how much I enjoyed hanging out around the campfire. Somehow it felt like being at home.
I especially appreciated Dave1 joining us for the side trip to Trap Canyon. Hopefully I'll eventually find what I'm looking for in there.

Besides finally finding the Master Map, I learned that the trail between LaBarge Spring and Charlebois Spring is not entirely on cobbles in the creek. (The trail is a lot shorter, too). In 2008, the catclaw was much worse, and it pretty much drove me into creek the whole length between Whiskey Spring and Charlebois.

Thanks to Pam for gutting it out and to everyone else for meeting up.

Fauna

Fauna [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Tarantula

Geology

Geology [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Obsidian

Culture

Culture [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Corral Inscriptions

Named place

Named place [ checklist ]

_____________________

Nov 16 2013

outdoor_lover

Guides 7
Routes 72
Photos 14,456
Triplogs 627

62 female

Joined Aug 19 2011
Scottsdale, AZ

Phoenix, AZ

Backpack		Nov 16 2013
		outdoor_lover • Triplogs 627

Backpack	21.54 Miles	3,433 AEG

Backpack	21.54 Miles	3 Days
	3,433 ft AEG		40 LBS Pack

no routes

Linked

6 linked trail guides

Trap Canyon

Terrapin Trail #234

Partners

partners

	big_load	Dave1
	FOTG	kate
	te_wa	VolcanoCLMBR

The Master Plan
Alex wanted to do the Charlebois Loop II and check out Trap Canyon for Ruins before continuing on to Charlebois in the Quest for the Master Map....Turns out Mike, Kate and Frankie and possibly Lee were going to be in the area as well and everyone was hoping to meet up at LaBarge Spring. Dave decided to join in the Fun after work on Saturday....

Day 1
The Weather wasn't looking good for Saturday Morning kickoff and as I drove in on Peralta, it really was looking like we might get wet, at least briefly...The Entire Ridgeline was missing, hidden in a large, ominous Cloud....Alex just beat me there and shortly thereafter, two large White Dogs showed up, which could only mean that Lee was there as well...Lee's plan was to Hike in on Bluff Spring Trail, while we had opted to go via Dutchman and Whiskey...

And we were off....The Clouds threatened, but amazingly enough, never unloaded...But the Lighting provided, with the Clouds and the Sunrise breaking through occasionally was pretty darn good...I probably took half of my total Pictures on the first 4 Miles of the Trip...It was nice and cool and we made good time, taking a small break at the Coffee Flat Junction before the uphill began...We got most of the Uphill out of the way and then had to stop for a Photo Op that even Alex couldn't resist....

Saw our first Tarantula of the Trip on the way along the Dutchman as well...Next stop was Whiskey Spring...Alex and I debated about where the actual Spring was, as I hadn't found it when I did this area in April...Upon reaching the Flat Portion of the Trail along the Creek, I spotted a small Trail leading down to the Creek and took it with the intent of taking a Break there...Turns out, the Trough for the Spring was 20 feet away...

After the Break we continued on, deciding to Camp the Night at LaBarge with everyone else and backtracking to Trap Canyon the next day on fresher legs...I wasn't doing too badly considering I hadn't done a Backpack since Grand Gulch...My Pack was 10 lbs lighter than I had ever packed, which certainly helped...Was feeling an Arthritic Left Knee, but knew that going in, so I had started an Ibuprofen Regimen to keep the pain to just "annoying".... :sweat:

We reached LaBarge in pretty good time after running into a Caravan of Horse and Mule Riders, but no one else was there yet...Lee, his Friend, Cupcake and Blanco showed up soon after that, followed shortly by Frankie, who had never hooked up with Mike and Kate...Lee took off for a bit to go exploring and in a bit, Mike and Kate showed up...Camps were set up and then Dinner, Socializing, and a Campfire commenced...And then Dave made it in, super flying from Peralta to LaBarge in 1.75 hours...

A low flying Sheriff's Chopper tried to pull us over from Mid Air which seemed a bit odd, and we all had a good laugh about that...Lee and Company showed back up and finished most of the Evening with us. Everyone made plans for the next day, with Alex, Dave and I doubling back to Trap Canyon for most of the Day.... It was a good Day!

Day 2
Got up, said Farewell to Mike, Kate, Frankie, Lee and Co., and got started for Trap...We started a little late, but made the Entrance to Trap in good time and commenced with the Boulder Hopping up the Creek and into the Canyon...Several Cool Alcoves in there and for awhile we continued on up, but it was slow going with a little Bushwacking and almost constant Boulder Hopping and Bouldering. My legs were feeling a little Fatigue from the Day before and I didn't want to keep pushing, so eventually I stopped and just dinked around while Alex and Dave went further up...I leisurely went up a little further behind them, dinked around for awhile more and then casually started back out, taking little breaks here and there to just enjoy....I was almost back out of the Canyon proper when Dave and Alex caught back up to me...They didn't make it all the way to the back, it was just going to take too long, so they had turned around...I know Alex was a little disappointed, but he knew that it just couldn't be done on this Day....It was pretty much determined that the best, most efficient way to do this Canyon would be to try to Camp in it as far as possible and finish it from there...We Boulder Hopped back out and Hiked back to LaBarge...We took a Break and parted ways with Dave who was going to continue on out and head home...Alex and I were going to Hike over to Charlebois, look for the Master Map and Camp there for the Night....

Alex and I made good time over to Charlebois, stopping to look for the Map, using the directions that Lee had given...He couldn't have described the Location any more perfectly than he did...It was right where he said it would be and we found it! After spending a little time there, we retrieved our Packs and continued on to the Spring...Found a Campsite, got set up and headed for the Spring, running into the two guys from Colorado that were Backpacking the same areas...Charlebois is pretty cool, it was my first time there...Lots of Water and the Sycamores were all Peaking with their Autumn Colors....On a nasty side note: A huge Thanks to someone for succeeding in thoroughly turning my Stomach with their "present" at one of the Pools...Someone took a Dump and left a Wrapped Tampon within a Foot of the Water! What the Hell is the Matter with People!!!

I made sure I took Water from "upstream"...Simply as disgusting as it gets...I hope....

Sometime during this Day, I started to get a little Pain on the outside of my Right Knee...It was a little annoying, but since I didn't remember doing anything to actually "hurt" it, I chalked it up to good old Arthritis, continued my Ibuprofen Regimen, and chose to ignore it...It was on and off again the rest of the Day, but never was bad...My Legs tend to bother me a lot at Night and sometimes it takes quite awhile for them to ease up so I can get comfortable enough to fall asleep...This Night was no different...But it was another good Day!

Day 3
We both got up a little late, broke Camp and headed out...We had determined the Night before that we would go out via Dutchman and Terrapin, so we headed that way...Legs felt good and we made good time all of the Way up to Terrapin Pass...I actually surprised myself a little on the Uphill...

The Views were spectacular from the Pass...Ran into the Colorado Guys up there and I took a few pictures of them, taking a short Break...

About halfway up to the Pass, the Right Knee started flaring up again, but it was just annoying at that point...That was about to change...As we descended down from the Pass, the annoyance became worse and worse and my Pace slowed considerably...There were more ups and downs before we would reach the Terrapin/Bluff Springs Intersection and the Downhill became more and more difficult and painful...The Knee was starting to refuse to Bend and all of the Strength was going fast...My Pace on the Downhill sections slowed almost to a Crawl with Pain becoming more and more intense...We reached the Final Downhill and could see the Intersection, but I had to stop for a bit as it was becoming too much....Alex actually elected to finish carrying my Pack down the Hill and a little further, and then returning for his...

After the Break, it was a little better and I continued down the Hill to the Intersection and then up the next little Hill. Just that little bit was enough to put the Knee back into full protest...soooo...Alex generously gave up his Hiking Poles and I proceeded to practically use them as Crutches for the rest of the Downhill to the bottom of Barks Canyon...It was very slow going and Alex and I started discussing Options...It was determined that if I had to, I would spend another Night at the Top of Cardiac Hill before trying to descend it...That was the Stretch that I knew would be the biggest Nightmare for me...And I certainly wasn't going to attempt it in the Dark...But before we even got to the bottom of Barks, at one point, I gave up, the Pain was so bad...I dug out the Cell Phone...No Signal, so the only options for me was to sit down and completely give up or try to continue....I continued on at a frustratingly painful Snail's Pace, and we finally made the bottom and the Peralta Rock, where I took a big Break...

I stretched and elevated for awhile and then it seemed that the Pain disappeared, just like that...Just totally weird and I didn't know what to think about what was happening...We started up Barks towards the last Uphill and there was no Pain at all and I could move just fine...Started the Uphill and I was still moving well...Halfway up and I started feeling it again...Got to the Top and it was in full Swing again with no flexibility or strength...But, it was early enough, so I went for Broke with the help of Alex's Poles...If it hadn't been for his Poles, I would have had to descend Cardiac Hill on my A**...But somehow, I slowly but surely got down, stopping at times when things really became almost unbearable.... When I got to the Escape, it was all I could do to keep from breaking down completely, I was so relieved...I haven't had that kind of feeling of Incapacitation in almost 20 Years....That last 3 Miles took us almost 5 Hours I'll bet and I was not a Happy Camper about any of it...I think I gained a few more Gray Hairs... :sk:

Alex....What can I say??? You're not only a good Friend, but an extremely Patient, Understanding, Saint! I couldn't have done it without you and I owe you a Lifetime of something! What a Trooper and a Friend! You were also a Rock!!! And you Rocked!!! I just can't say enough...I will never forget, my Friend.... : app :

And so...it was over...I can honestly say that with the exception of those last 3 Miles, it was a Great Trip! Can't wait for the next one...I think.... :sweat:

Fauna

Fauna [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Canyon Wren Dragonfly Tarantula

Named place

Named place [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Buzzards Roost Whiskey Spring

Autumn Foliage Observation Moderate
Near Springs

Dry

Pools to trickle

Quart per minute

Quart per minute

	Trap Canyon	Dry	Dry
	The Trap Spring shown on the Topo appeared to be Dry, but there was what appeared to be a Seep with a small Pool further up Canyon after the Canyon takes a big bend to the Southeast....

	Trap Canyon Spring	Dripping	Dripping
	The Trap Spring shown on the Topo appeared to be Dry, but there was what appeared to be a Seep with a small Pool further up Canyon after the Canyon takes a big bend to the Southeast....

Upper LaBarge Box Canyon

Dry

	Whiskey Spring	Dripping	Dripping
	Not Dripping from Pipe...There is a small Pool in Trough that could be filterable if needed....

Whiskey Spring Canyon

Dry

_____________________

Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty & well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, totally worn out & proclaiming, "Wow What a Ride!"

Feb 10 2013

zukerrach

Guides 1
Routes 54
Photos 843
Triplogs 189

37 female

Joined Jan 21 2013
Delafield, WI

Phoenix, AZ

Hiking		Feb 10 2013
		zukerrach • Triplogs 189

Hiking	17.50 Miles	3,071 AEG

Hiking	17.50 Miles
	3,071 ft AEG

no routes

Linked

linked

Partners

partners

John9L

Tough_Boots

The first part of the trail was a repeat from two weekends ago when John and I did our Weavers Needle hike-- it was neat finally seeing the views without fog obscuring everything!

We took a couple detours to see spring boxes and the master map, which was very cool! Overall, the hike was relatively flat, and we made good time (probably in part because my camera stopped working halfway through)!

The last downhill back to the trailhead turned into a friendly race, with only a little bit of cheating involved.

What a way to spend a weekend! :]

Flora

Flora [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Arizona Sycamore

Named place

Named place [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Miners Needle

_____________________

Feb 10 2013

John9L

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

male

Joined Mar 12 2004
Scottsdale, AZ

Phoenix, AZ

Hiking		Feb 10 2013
		John9L • Triplogs 1,647

Hiking	17.50 Miles	3,071 AEG

Hiking	17.50 Miles
	3,071 ft AEG

no routes

Linked

linked