Powers Garden • Hike • Arizona • All Triplogs • HikeArizona.COM

Guides 38
Routes 182
Photos 1,602
Triplogs 232

40 male

Joined Dec 09 2014
Gilbert, AZ

Tent Lookout Loop, AZ

Backpack		Feb 17 2025
		jacobemerick • Triplogs 232

Backpack	32.00 Miles	6,694 AEG

Backpack	32.00 Miles	2 Days
	6,694 ft AEG

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Field Canyon Trail #294

[ checklist ] Field Canyon Spring Powers Garden Spring Upper Sycamore Tank

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

Tortilla
Started about 20 mins before sunrise and enjoyed some dreamy light over the yellow, parched landscape. There was some rain out here a few days ago, enough to collect in a few rock tanks and catchments, otherwise the land felt thirsty. Made quick time over to Mud Spring (which was prolific in water & smell), made a quick detour on Sycamore to the Horse Canyon(?) connector, then trotted the rest of the way to Powers Garden to refill at the spring. Made some deer friends here who were soothed by soft reassurances about my lack of boom sticks. Trail conditions were good.

Field Canyon
Quick climb up a catclaw-covered hill and then drop down into the canyon. Trail was quite overgrown and I opted to boulder-hop most of the way, enjoying the rock formations along the creek. Not a lick of water was found along the way until the spring, which was overflowing right next to the trail. After the spring the trail turns and zips up the rest of the way to W Divide with only minimal route-finding.

West Divide
Bracing myself for a bloodfest, I was surprised at how much easier the two miles between Field & S Field (or Tent Lookout) trails passed. Think I was more patient and willing to "just follow tread" instead of fighting for elevation, like I did last time I was on this stretch. The next few miles were similar conditions, with some great views along the way. I assumed that the trail would stick to the very tippy-top of the ridge the entire way -- instead, it drapes like lazy garland, swinging from one side to the other, only occasionally riding the top.

Swung out on Grassy Knoll for camp with some stellar views out west. Wind was a slight issue, even nestled in a small grove, which woke me up a few times before I gave in and piled clothes around me. Solid sleep afterwards.

West Divide pt. 2
I had forgotten my phone cord and over-used my phone yesterday texting with the kids from Grassy Knoll (had a bar or two), so I rushed this section with the little bit of GPS-battery I had left. It felt more overgrown today with numerous sections of greedy manzanita encroaching on the trail, still offered some good views over towards Kielberg. Reached the junction, turned off tracking, and enjoyed second breakfast with my remaining water.

Powers Garden
Dropping down to the valley on the unnamed? connector was fairly easy, and then the highway along the creek is always a cruise. Spent some time searching below the marked Rattlesnake Spring for some pools -- years ago, some horse riders had told me that there was usually pools of water in the creek here -- and came up dry (heh). Maybe they were talking about another spring. Anyways, watered up again at Power's Garden Spring and reached Horse Creek before noon.

Tortilla
My plan had been to exit via Corral Canyon. However, with a near-dead phone and the route-finding involved on that grassy slope, Tortilla seemed safer, so I had to settle for backtracking (most of) my route in. It was rather enjoyable, with a pleasant breeze cutting through the sun's heat. There were a lot more cows at Mud Spring this late in the afternoon, and I tried to have some conversations with them before they scattered off. Guess I'm more of a deer person. Anyways, was a heck of a fun overnighter, and I'm glad I finally completed the last few miles of the northern wilderness.

Named place

Named place [ checklist ]

	Field Canyon Spring	Quart per minute	Quart per minute
	Deep enough to scoop water out of and overfilling onto and beyond the trail. Seems fairly dependable.

	Horse Canyon	Dry	Dry
	Dry along trail, very disappointing.

	Mud Spring	Gallon per minute	Gallon per minute
	Trough is overflowing, but entire area is fouled by cattle and stinks.

	Powers Garden Spring	Quart per minute	Quart per minute
	Lowermost pool was full and trickling over, was also greenish and stunk. Upper pools were delightfully clear and tasty.

	Rattlesnake Spring	Dry	Dry
	No sign of spring, dry in creek below.

	Upper Sycamore Tank	1-25% full	1-25% full
	A few small pools of water from recent rains. Wouldn't depend on it more than a week past rains, especially during a dry season.

_____________________

1 archive

Apr 27 2024

azdesertfather

Guides 16
Routes 81
Photos 1,269
Triplogs 1,144

51 male

Joined Apr 30 2008
Tucson, AZ

Tucson, AZ

Backpack		Apr 27 2024
		azdesertfather • Triplogs 1,144

Backpack	29.23 Miles	6,257 AEG

Backpack	29.23 Miles	16 Hrs 41 Mns		1.98 mph
	6,257 ft AEG		28 LBS Pack

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Great, memorable weekend in the Gailuros! Started out with animal sightings, including antelope again on the paved roads after Wilcox.

East Divide #287
From the trailhead at Deer Creek Road, we hiked 287 to the junction with Tortilla Trail. This section is pretty easy and scenic.

Tortilla #254
Lots of bare rock, but in those areas lots of good-sized cairns. Water reports attached but I found in most of the seasonal stream beds that there was flowing water. At places it would go underground but then come back up a little farther down a bit with a light flow.

At the Upper Sycamore Tank area there was some oak overgrowth, but generally speaking this trail was in good shape. Heard wild turkey a couple of times in this area. The stream in Horse Canyon before turning onto Powers Garden was a good place to get water.

Powers Garden #96
Turned south into Powers Garden Trail and made our way to the garden house. House was in good shape for being so remote. 3 spring bunk beds set up, 4 more single spring beds on their side inside, roof well sealed and secure. A little evidence of mice in the cabinetry, leaving any food or trash isn’t a good idea. Lots of air mattresses, metal folding chairs, sleeping bags… a guitar, a cast iron stove heater for colder nights, pots and pans, even disposable utensils, and paper plates and cups in stock. No evidence at that time however of people in the area and dropping gear. Fresh bear scat near cabin, that we think was left while we were there for lunch, though we never spotted him. After lunch we checked out the property and some of us laid down and rested on the beds for a few minutes, before heading down the trail. Heading down this trail we saw lots of bear scat, every few yards, some old and some fresh. Deadfall in spots along the trail.

Came to another abandoned cabin on the east side of this trail. Some of the sides of the cabin are no longer there, but still a fairly sound structure with an empty storage locker inside. There was a mine up the hill on the opposite side of this trail that we explored as well, with a bunch of old equipment. Mine shaft covered with heavy sheet metal. Nearby there also was a stamp mill with parts dating back to 1880 in San Francisco; it had everything but a boiler, and the Power family were waiting for it when the shootout occurred in February 1918. From the accounts I'm reading online, this was the Gold Mountain area, where gold first started getting prospected in 1902-03, but was abandoned when the Powers moved in, and they worked this mine until 1911.

Good flow in the stream flowing by the south end of the trail, we topped off here before climbing to the intersection with West Divide.

West Divide #289
As we started descending onto the West Divide, almost immediately we ran into lots of catclaw, that was growing over the trail from both sides to the point it was connecting to each other in the middle. In this section I had a short-sleeved shirt on and I just had to put my hands over my heads and push through with my torso, until we made it to the cabin.

We explored almost all the mine by the Powers Cabin. The flies weren't as bad on this day as have been reported by others in the past. The only area we didn't explore was the vertical shaft, descending with a wooden ladder; we didn't have any confidence after a century that that latter would hold weight! There was also another vertical mine shaft a few yards away from teh main mine opening. Supposedly Jeff Power (the father) was buried outside the mine, but it wasn't clear where the gravesite was. The next morning we headed out the way we came in.

The cabin was in worse shape than I expected, the walls are starting to shift on all four sides. One of the doors was gone, and the other was sitting inside but unable to open and close. Dirt floor has lots of mouse holes. Most of us decided to sleep in the cabin, but as it became dark they came out all over the place, so some of us set up our tents inside the cabin and some outside the cabin. Found a couple of bullet holes to the left of the front door. Pretty cool to experience, but honestly I will be surprised if the structure is still standing a decade from now.

Powers Garden #96
After making our way the next morning back through the catclaw, we refilled in the stream by Rattlesnake Spring and started heading toward Corral Canyon. On the way we ran into a family (Granddad, Dad and two kids) who had hiked in from the north end of this trail with permission from the landowner, and had arrived at the garden house and spent the night that night. It ended up being the only people we saw the two days we were out in the Gailuros.

Corral Canyon #291
This is where the fun of the weekend begins! Corral Canyon had a little bit of water in a few places along the stream bed, maybe a gallon per minute max. What it left of the trail is mostly gone due to massive amounts of deadfall and overgrowth. Game trails are all over the place, so making your way up the canyon you really couldn't know. It was a long, difficult slog, and not one I'll repeat. About halfway up the canyon we heard a lot of birds start squawking and we looked up, and saw several birds chasing away a owl, quite a sight to see! When we hit the high point after going around the edge of this unnamed peak at about 7150', we finally caught a little break and trailfinding became a little less brutal and hazardous. Up on top views opened up including nearby Kennedy Peak, and we made our way to the junction with East Divide.

East Divide #287
Once we started heading down East Divide, trail finding was a little bit better. Still a good bit of deadfall and overgrowth, but nothing like Corral Canyon. Great, long views to the east all the way out to Mount Turnbull. Lots of orange tape marking branches that should be cut. The final stretch was a delightful stretch through open grassy area, the same one that we hiked in on the day before.

Wildflowers Observation Light

Corral Canyon

Light flow

	Horse Canyon	Light flow	Light flow
	3-4 gallons a minute.

Horse Canyon Tank

Dry

	Mud Spring	Dripping	Dripping
	Corral full with a slight flow out of it.

	Rattlesnake Spring	Gallon per minute	Gallon per minute
	Report for stream just below spring.

	Upper Sycamore Tank	26-50% full	26-50% full
	half full, pipe feeding it from higher elevation

_____________________

"I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived." — Henry David Thoreau

2 archives

Apr 13 2024

West Divide Loop - Galiuro Mountains

Guides 38
Routes 182
Photos 1,602
Triplogs 232

40 male

Joined Dec 09 2014
Gilbert, AZ

West Divide Loop - Galiuro Mountains

Tucson, AZ

Backpack		Apr 13 2024
		jacobemerick • Triplogs 232

Backpack	43.73 Miles	9,276 AEG

Backpack	43.73 Miles	3 Days
	9,276 ft AEG

Linked

7 linked trail guides

Juniper Spring Trail #271A

Pipestem Trail #271

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

Alternate title: Galiuro Waterfallin'

East Divide / Tortilla / Sycamore
The lower foothills were a total vibe. I usually think of them as a means to an end, merely an access to the "good parts" of this wilderness, but today the hills were verdant, creeks aflowin', and temps perfect. Reached Mud Spring (no beef stew there today) and then continued on Sycamore for another 1.5 miles, dodging a few muddy messes on the way.

Horse Canyon Trail
This dashed line on the topo maps has been on my mind. I tried to pick it up at the curve of Sycamore Trail, wandered around until I found some tread, then backtracked to find the "start", which is marked by a small cairn with the old sign's metal support hung over. Between cairns and good tread, it was easy to follow the route up and over the saddle and to Tortilla Trail, where its kinda signed. Continued on the tread down to Sycamore Creek proper for a quick breakfast.

Picked up the tread on the other side of the creek and continued heading west through a burn scar. The trail is surprisingly easy to follow and reminded me of a VERY tame Sandy Saddle - this one is well-cairned, and the patches of manzanita are less than a few feet high. Lost it momentarily at a grassy saddle, otherwise was able to keep on tread all the way to Topout Divide, where the burn ends and a steady line of cairns march south (slightly up-creek) to Horse Canyon.

The magic started almost as soon as I met the canyon, with a series of impressive drops that were rushing (well, rushing with little-creek energy). The trail was still well-defined, solid bypasses around the biggest drops and overgrown where rock-hopping is an option, just like any official trail out here. The middle section dragged a bit, when the creek mostly dried up and the afternoon began to heat up, and then I found the tallest plunge about .5 miles east of Tortilla Trail junction. After that I was a bit over-stimulated and tired, so I trudged the rest of the way down the canyon and set up my hammock next to Rattlesnake Creek for a snooze.

Powers Garden / Mailbox / Pipestem
Rattlesnake Creek was flowing strong, which complicated a few crossings. Wanted to do some scouting in Mailbox, and did find some hints of trail in the tangle, it was just more difficult than I had the energy to deal with today. Both the tread and creek were pretty cluttered for the half mile I explored. The rest of Powers Garden trail got tough and I soaked one leg up to my knee on a crossing. Anxious about finding a campsite for the night, I made some olympic-level athletic leaps to reach Pipestem Creek, which was flowing at a much slower pace.

The sun had already "set" in the deep valley, and my shoes were both damp, so I cruised up the creek. Lower Ringtail was the first candidate, and while it was an interesting location, there were no good trees for my hammock. A short distance later and I bumped into the "red rock falls", where the trail swings around through two grassy clearings that were begging me to stay. Rushing falls, good trees, minimal cold sink, and solid sky views made for an excellent sleep that night.

Pipestem / Juniper
Cold predawn temps made for an adequate alarm, and I was packed and on trail with the sunrise. My chattering teeth accompanied the gentle trickle of an otherwise quiet morning. Without many drops along this section I spent more time trying to track tread until I reached the "sliver" of a sign that marked the start of Juniper. This one was tough to track for the first half, so I rock-hopped along the pleasant little drainage, and then picked up some good sections near the top. I think this is because the trail continues north, outside the the wilderness, and most traffic (hunters or cattle) come in from the north (Fourmile?). Watered up near the spring and backtracked to Pipestem.

The next 3 miles was a steady uphill march. There was at least one wholly unnecessary, catclaw-choked section of tread that climbed high up the hillside only to drop back down. Not many waterfalls, though there are some nice rock pools that probably hold water year round. While I didn't see an obvious path or sign zipping up to the south (where the topo map claims Pipestem meets West Divide), there was a fork in that area that may have been it. I kept close to the creek until I was below Maverick Tank, where I pulled to my full (5.5L) capacity for a dry afternoon and evening.

West Divide: Pipestem -> Field Canyon
From the junction, this trail makes a steady, uphill climb up the grassy hillside, the trail varying from a very thin tread perched precariously on a steep slope to a very wide, cairned path dancing on the ridge. About a mile in I bumped into the first serious overgrowth, near 6602', and had to fight through thick brush to continue forward. This was how the the next few miles went - easy strolling one minute, crawling and cursing the next. I didn't see much wildlife.

Conditions improved the closer I got to Rhodes Peak. There's a cool "break" that the trail goes through, and things immediately changed. Before it was mostly forested, blocked from the wind, and a mixture of great & terrible conditions - after it was grassy slopes (except for the manzanita on Rhodes Peak) with huge cairns and ridiculous winds that threatened to hurl me right across to East Divide. Doing my best to lean into the wind, I kept my head down and marched from one cairn to the next, wishing I had done this section in the opposite direction. Before I knew it I was at the unmarked junction with Field Canyon, tumbling downhill in the search for a campsite without wind. Found an unremarkable section with convenient trees & no cold-sink about .5 miles in and called it.

West Divide: Field Canyon -> Tent Lookout
I slept like an absolute log that night, only waking up once to turn over. Hammock is life. Briefly thought about continuing down Field Canyon for an early exit and decided to continue a little bit more down West Divide. After all, @chumley promised (posted a photo) that the trail conditions were pristine (in 2015) between Field & S Field trails (only half), so I figured it'd be very easy morning hiking (from a photo posted in 2015). It wasn't. I could not even tell if there had been any trail maintenance along this section, losing the tread over a dozen times, and even resorted to walking backwards to let my pack take more of the beating.

Blooded, bruised, and with many a hot take on what a "wilderness trail" should entail, I hauled up the short spur to Tent Lookout and was astounded by the view. It's by far the best one I had from the West Divide, great views of the interior of the wilderness. There's a few giant nails, hooks, and posts that make me curious about what else was up here - maybe a hitching post for horses? Anyways, this is a mandatory future campsite on a less-windy weekend.

S Field Canyon
There was no part of me that wanted to continue on West Divide, not today, so after resting at Tent Lookout I started the trudge down S Field Canyon Trail. It's fine, though it feels very utilitarian compared to other Galiuro trails. There's no shade and some minor catclaw at the bottom, and the views are just okay compared to what you get at the top. Reached the bottom with little fanfare, zipped up past Powers Garden (no one was home today), and then watered up at Horse Creek, where I learned my water filter was plugged up and my dirty water bag was broken.

Tortilla
Squeezed out 2 liters for the 8 mile hike back to the trailhead and then hauled up to the saddle. With low water I decided that a snack + .5 liter drink every 2 miles would help ration out my supplies, and that worked out well, especially because this trail is quite familiar. My original plan would have me going out on Corral Canyon, a final dose of waterfall goodness before descending from Kennedy, and I just didn't have the gumption for that today. Anyways, this trail was easy to trot along and still had the green grass & trickling drainages that had been delighting me all weekend, so I made it back to the trailhead a tad thirsty yet very satisfied with the adventure.

Flora

Flora [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Catclaw Acacia

Culture

Culture [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Dam - Rock

Named place

Named place [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Juniper Spring Powers Garden Ringtail Canyon

	Horse Canyon	Medium flow	Medium flow
	Strong flow for most of it's length, especially the final mile before Rattlesnake Creek.

	Juniper Spring	Quart per minute	Quart per minute
	Steady flow coming out of spring. Slight (cleaner) trickle coming down the eastern drainage.

	Lower Ringtail Tank	26-50% full	26-50% full
	Steady trickle leaving tank and flowing over (filled-in) dam.

	Mailbox Canyon	Pools to trickle	Pools to trickle
	Intermittent trickle along first half mile, didn't proceed further.

	Maverick Tank	26-50% full	26-50% full
	Technically didn't go all the way to the marked location, but there was a dam and several large pools downstream that had good flow and appeared to be dependable (lots of growth around them).

	Mud Spring	Gallon per minute	Gallon per minute
	Trough was full, surrounding ground was soaked.

	Peepstem Canyon	Pools to trickle	Pools to trickle
	Muted flow coming into Pipestem.

	Pipestem Canyon	Light flow	Light flow
	Light, intermittent flow. Waterfall & pool areas had strongest flows.

Ringtail Canyon

Pools to trickle

	Upper Sycamore Tank	26-50% full	26-50% full
	Metal tank was empty, steady creek flow nearby with plenty of algae.

_____________________

Apr 12 2024

ShatteredArm

Guides 12
Routes 192
Photos 863
Triplogs 356

42 male

Joined Nov 30 2015
Phoenix, AZ

East / West Divide south loop, AZ

Backpack		Apr 12 2024
		ShatteredArm • Triplogs 356

Backpack	52.20 Miles	11,700 AEG

Backpack	52.20 Miles	3 Days 6 Hrs 4 Mns
	11,700 ft AEG

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8 linked trail guides

Bassett Peak

Ash Creek - Galiuro

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I've been eyeballing doing a loop through the southern half of the Galiuros for awhile, and the water situation seemed very promising, so I gave it a go. Plan was three nights, starting at Ash Creek, and making a clockwise loop over Bassett, down to Jackson Cabin, then up West Divide, and back via Rattlesnake and East Divide.

Friday

Got to Ash Creek TH at around 9:30am, with temps already in the 70s. Nothing notable, other than the fact that it was impossible to stay dry at the first few crossings. Ash had surface flow about half the way up. We decided to tag the summit since my friend hadn't been up there. Made it to the top of Bassett in about 3 hours.

I was really worried about the stretch of trail down from Bassett, given the FS doesn't have it on their maps, but it actually turned out to be a breeze most of the way down. Someone put a lot of work into building that thing, and the grade is intact in all but a couple of spots. The going didn't really get rough until we were all the way down into the canyon, where the vegetation got pretty thick. Eventually we decided to stop looking for the trail and just go down the wash, and that made things much easier.

Got to a stretch with light flow about a third of a mile before Jackson Cabin, and decided to camp there since I didn't know whether there would be water near the cabin (there was). Warm enough down there to leave the rain fly off.

Saturday

Got up at 6am, left camp by around 8am IIRC. We decided to poke around the cabin for a minute, and seeing water in the cabin and downstream in Jackson Canyon, decided we should've camped there. Stretches of trail in Jackson Canyon were apparent, but it was usually easier to stay in the creek.

When we got to Redfield, it was apparent water would not be an issue for awhile. There was surface flow for all but 100 feet. The walking was easy up to Hooker Cabin; it somewhat reminded me of hiking in Aravaipa Canyon. Took a short break at the cabin. The rest of the canyon got more difficult to move through, but it also got prettier. The upper part of Redfield was the highlight of the trip for me.

At around 1:30pm or so, after a bit of poking around, we found the trail back up to West Divide. A little brush, but not by any stretch the worst. Cedar Flat was really pleasant; the terrain there was grassland and large Junipers. Occasional water in the drainage. The trail was well defined most of the way down to Gold Gulch, where there was intermittent flow and a couple of nice campsites. By now it was after 3:30, so I proposed we camp there, but that would probably put a day hike to Powers Garden out of reach. My friend seemed to want to continue, and proposed we decided by coin flip.

So with less than 3 hours of daylight left, we continued onto what I expected to be the worst stretch of trail all trip. Probably 2/3 of the way up the divide there was no trail to be seen, and half of where there was trail, it was through very thick vegetation. It took us two hours to reach the divide, and I was really worried we'd be bushwhacking in the dark. Fortunately the trail down the north side was well-defined and somewhat clear, so we made it down to Kielberg Tank in short order. Found a corral, with water below the tank, and decided after 10.5 hours or so of hiking, it would suffice.

Sunday

Woke up in the morning feeling good knowing the Kielberg Divide was out of the way. Started hiking around 9am, took a short break at Powers Cabin, then down to Rattlesnake. We dropped packs here and hiked down to Powers Garden and back, and this was the most pleasant hiking of the trip. Warmer than I expected through Rattlesnake, but there was surface flow most of the way. Took about 3 hours to get there and back.

Rattlesnake trail was a lot rougher than I expected, with a lot of brushy stretches. Took a couple of hours to get up to the Holdout Spring area, where we set up camp (we used the flat area along Rattlesnake just east of the spring spur). Walked up to the spring to check it out, but I actually liked the water in the creek better.

Monday

Got up a little earlier so as to get home at a reasonable hour, and started hiking by 7am. The rest of Rattlesnake Trail was in pretty solid condition, other than one bad washout where I thought for sure I was going down (based on the satellite, it looks like there's a way to avoid the washed out area). The climb up to East Divide felt long, but not too bad overall. Got up there by 8:40am.

The first mile and a half of East Divide was outstanding. Trail was clear, and the upper part of Paddys River was pretty. After High Creek we hit our first stretch of thicket, but it was clear sailing for another mile or so after that. About half way through, we passed through one really bad thicket that had me nearly at my breaking point, so we took a little rest. The rest of the way wasn't as bad, with some clear stretches, some climbs, and some brush, but route finding wasn't really an issue at all. Took 5 hours to get from the Rattlesnake junction to Ash Creek trail.

Having closed the loop, we were feeling pretty good, and made good time down to the creek. The last mile or two really dragged, and I think I was running entirely on fat metabolism at that point, which made Ash Creek seem longer than it ever had before.

Overall

This was a phenomenal trip, and an amazing loop, but one that involves a lot of suffering. Highly recommended, but I'll never do it again.

	Cedar Spring	Quart per minute	Quart per minute
	Drainage has intermittent light flow the whole way up to the spring.

	Echols Spring	Quart per minute	Quart per minute
	Not at the spring, but there's light intermittent flow in Gold Gulch along West Divide trail.

	Holdout Spring	Gallon + per minute	Gallon + per minute
	Box is full but just a seep, plenty of water flowing into the pool 20 feet upstream.

	Jackson Canyon	Light flow	Light flow
	Intermittent flow from the uppermost spring down to Redfield.

Jackson Canyon Spring

Gallon per minute

	Kielberg Tank	76-100% full	76-100% full
	Tank overflowing the dam, intermittent flow in the creek below.

	Knothe Spring	Dripping	Dripping
	Nothing in the box. There's a little water in the drainage below the spring.

	Lower Ash Spring	Gallon + per minute	Gallon + per minute
	Lots of water from here all the way down past the FS boundary.

	Negro Canyon	Medium flow	Medium flow
	Looks like it had as much water coming from it as Redfield.

	Powers Garden Spring	Gallon + per minute	Gallon + per minute
	Tons of water, surface flow in most of Rattlesnake.

	Rattlesnake Spring	Gallon + per minute	Gallon + per minute
	Tons of water in the area.

	Upper Ash Spring	Quart per minute	Quart per minute
	Nothing in the box, light flow in the creekbed above and below the trail.

_____________________

Jan 14 2022

Guides 38
Routes 182
Photos 1,602
Triplogs 232

40 male

Joined Dec 09 2014
Gilbert, AZ

Powers Garden via Paddys River, AZ

Backpack		Jan 14 2022
		jacobemerick • Triplogs 232

Backpack	27.39 Miles	6,281 AEG

Backpack	27.39 Miles	2 Days
	6,281 ft AEG		15 LBS Pack

Linked

7 linked trail guides

Paddys River Trail #293

[ checklist ] Bassett Peak Galiuro Wilderness Home Ranch Tank Limestone Spring Mud Spring North Field Canyon Paddy's River at Paddy's River Trail Pinaleno Mountains Powers Garden Rattlesnake Creek Rincon Mountains Santa Catalina Mountains South Field Canyon Sulphur Springs Valley Upper Sycamore Tank

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

Decided to try my luck with a risky loop in the Galiuros and was rewarded with an excellent adventure. It's a good time to get out there.

Paddy's River #293
Parked at Deer Creek TH and walked FR253 to the Deer Creek Ranch gate. Had some bypass options but didn't know if they would work - turns out the Forest Service already worked out the details. There's a small pull-out next to the gate with a FS sign (no mention of the trail, just a "foot traffic only") and a short ladder to get over the fence. Singletrack winds through the grassy pastures until the far side of Home Ranch Tank and connects with the original trail.

Old jeep trail only lasts a half mile, then back to singletrack (it was unmarked, I left a cairn). This time it goes uphill through manzanita, and while the tread is obvious, it is quite overgrown and gave me some early cuts. Brief grassy footpath and then into the scrub, which is also obvious tread with thick overgrowth. Made it to the saddle feeling optimistic about the trail conditions - I came in with low expectations and, even with the disuse, there was a discernible route.

Dropping down the other side of the saddle was interesting. There was little brush to fight through - now it was grassy slopes, bare rock, and minimal catclaw - but the old tread was more faint and there were a few lightly cairned re-routes. I meandered along, enjoying the partly cloudy skies and big views of Sulphur Springs Valley. The only time I truly lost the trail was right before the final drop into Paddy's River, when I stuck to topo and must have missed a re-route, and ended up perched on a steep slope above a drainage. Descent was painful.

Paddy's River was paradise. Surrounded by tall pines, plentiful flat spots for camping, and a happy little creek flowing through. If the flow was dependable I could see this being a great low-mileage alternative to Powers Garden. Took two breaks next to the water, soaking up the ambience and filling to full water capacity, delaying the inevitable slog to the divide.

Took some meandering to find the track leading out of the river, and the search was worth it - there is a lovely set of singletrack switchbacks marching uphill, cairned on each turn, that is overgrown yet easy to walk. Of course, I lost them after a half mile and couldn't pick them back up and chose to use game paths to continue. Pretty sure the trail stays south of the ridge and I was trying to ride the line. At 6200' there is a single cairn before the scrub forest begins and... bushwhack time. I did find two separate trails, one old and wide and the other a narrow singletrack that seemed newer. Even with the options, and sporadic flagging, this climb was tough, and I crawled and slithered many times to get through the thick forest. My opinion on burns definitely changed on this section. Last hundred yards were more open and I strutted out onto the Divide with ease.

East Divide #287
Good grief those views. Santa Catalinas, Rincons, and Pinalenos were all crowned with snow, and the dramatic lighting made for some legit gasps. Trail is slightly overgrown and there was snow on the north-facing slopes, never got deeper than a few slushy inches. I trotted happily along this trail, giddy with views and easy hiking. You could easily camp on this trail and have nearby water, with the melting snow and all.

Rattlesnake #285
My prints were the first on East Divide until I reached this junction. There had been several parties doing the High Creek -> Rattlesnake route, pressing down the snow and creating slick sections that were barely traversable without spikes (I did bring them, just didn't want to put them on unless I had to). Only spicy section was at that red-dirt slope where the mud was slick as ice. Dropping down into the creek was slightly overgrown, nothing pointy. Creek started flowing early on, only fading out a few times on the length. Met two backpackers at Holdout Spring who were very knowledgeable about the area (got a new lead on YLE access that I need to follow up on). Final two miles were surprisingly overgrown, and when I reached Powers Garden trail I was ready to be done.

Camped at the first fire ring I found. The chill had been settling for the last hour and I shivered through, not wanting to layer up until camp was setup and I had wiped some of the sweat/grime/blood off. Tried to start a fire but the larger pieces were stubborn, so when dinner was done I leaped into my tent. My lil' thermometer claimed 14F at 7AM (yesterday high was about 60F). Temps in my tent didn't get too low - my water didn't freeze - and a new down quilt kept my nice and cozy all night. Inflatable pad did get a little chilly, even supplemented with a sheet of reflective mylar. Quickly made breakfast and started down the trail, eager to warm up.

Powers Garden #94
Easily distracted by shiny things, I made it a few minutes before wandering over to the stamp mill, then hunt for Rattlesnake Spring (didn't find it), then follow an old tread on the wrong side of the creek until I was above the ball mill. Lots of suspicious little trails crawling around up there, lots of cool things to track down. Past that I was able to focus and make quick work of the rest of the trail, stopping briefly to talk to two knowledgeable men at the Garden who had brought 5 horses (and a son) in for a hunting expedition. Some new deadfall along the trail, nothing too worrisome.

Tortilla Trail #254
Hours after sunrise the cold temps at the base of Powers Garden was palpable. There's a great campsite near the junction that I wouldn't touch outside of summer. Anyways, trail climbed quickly and I stopped at the first creek crossing to water up. The next half mile is magical and had strong Little Blue vibes. Then it was time for the main climb, which went quick, and I appreciated the warm sun after the chilly morning.

Next few miles dragged. A sharp wind was picking up, and combined with the shaded slopes, had me alternating layers multiple times. Trail design is great and tread is in good shape (had to be for those horses to get in). Reached the dam on Sycamore Creek, which was flowing strong, and stopped for lunch, donning about every layer I had to keep warm. Noticed with dismay that there is a connection with Sycamore Trail and that the old tread up to Topout Divide seems to be sticking around, guess I'll need to make another Powers Garden loop to explore that further. Reached Mud Spring and bid welcome to the local resident, who had aged a lot since my last visit. Continued on to the junction with Deer Creek Administrative site spur (not sure if it has a name) and decided to check that out.

Dropping down to the site was steep and easy, and I swear there were some bootprints, but it was empty. There are corrals, a restroom, trough, and locked cabin - I wonder why this isn't the official trailhead, it's pretty nice. Road in isn't that bad (but is gated). I went cross-country to complete the loop.

Saw 5-6 deer, smelled a few skunks, didn't see any fresh bear sign. Only saw the two pairs of humans out there. Enjoyed this trip a lot more than my first one, already planning my return trip during the cold months.

Culture

Culture [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Mining Equipment Trail Signs and Markings

Named place

Named place [ checklist ]

Meteorology

Meteorology [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Sunrise

	Deer Creek Cabin Spring	Gallon per minute	Gallon per minute
	Clear water in trough, good flow in nearby drainage.

	Holdout Spring	Quart per minute	Quart per minute
	Water in springbox and cave. Also, the drainage was flowing and there was a lil' waterfall.

Home Ranch Tank

51-75% full

	Horse Canyon	Medium flow	Medium flow
	Happy flow coming down the canyon.

	Limestone Spring	Dripping	Dripping
	Springbox was half full. Spring itself looked to be collapsed in. Would not depend on this source during much of the year.

	Mud Spring	Gallon per minute	Gallon per minute
	Spring, box, and puddles below. Dead cow stench is minimal.

	Paddy's River at Paddy's River Trail	Heavy flow	Heavy flow
	Lots of water flowing through the creek, plenty of deep pools along stretch w trail.

	Rattlesnake Spring	Gallon + per minute	Gallon + per minute
	Spring location is sus, did not find anything resembling a spring on the hillside. Creek was flowing strong below. Some knowledgeable campers at Powers Garden stated that there is "always a pool of water in the creek" near here.

	Upper Sycamore Tank	76-100% full	76-100% full
	Both creeks were flowing strong. Dam had a trickle over. Metal water tanks were both empty (except for a thin layer of ice on the bottom).

_____________________

1 archive

Nov 29 2021

ShatteredArm

Guides 12
Routes 192
Photos 863
Triplogs 356

42 male

Joined Nov 30 2015
Phoenix, AZ

Tucson, AZ

Backpack		Nov 29 2021
		ShatteredArm • Triplogs 356

Backpack	36.00 Miles	9,000 AEG

Backpack	36.00 Miles	2 Days 5 Hrs 30 Mns
	9,000 ft AEG

no routes

no photosets

Linked

Sycamore Trail #278

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Put together a plan for two nights in the Galiuros, and found a few friends willing to subject themselves to it. Original plan was roughly a night at Powers Garden, a night at Holdout Spring (with a detour to Powers Cabin), then back via East Divide.

Friday

Got to Deer Creek TH at around 10:30am, and started with a slight diversion to the Deer Creek administration site. It was meh. Took Tortilla Trail out so a to get to the Garden with some daylight left. Trail was more enjoyable than expected, it's basically a highway. Horse Canyon was pretty. Reached the cabin by around 3pm, set up camp and had a nice campfire.

Saturday

Some in the group were concerned about whether there would be water at the spring, given the lack of recent reports. I felt very confident there would be, based on how much there was at the garden, but so as to keep everybody happy I acceded to the proposal to day hike to Powers Cabin and spend a second night where we were. I did like the idea of not having to break down and set up and extra time...

So off we went at a leisure pace, stopping when we found something interesting. Like the cabin just north of the Rattlenake Spring area, which I didn't know any. Tom mentioned stopping by someone's cabin on the way to the mine, I'm wondering if this was what he was talking about.

At the Rattlesnake junction, we found a pack sitting there, so it would seem we weren't the only ones out there. Ran into the owner shortly thereafter. The mine and cabin were interesting, but definitely not as pleasant a location as the garden.

Considered a day trip to Holdout Spring (other group confirmed there was indeed water), but would've been pushing daylight at that point. Got back and enjoyed another nice campfire.

Sunday

Learned on Sunday morning that I had, in fact, brought more whisky than necessary. But after getting some electrolytes in my belly, recovered well. Decided we would prefer to take a different way back, so we decided to try Sycamore.

The lower part of Powers Garden trail was very worthwhile, and Rattlesnake Creek started flowing a little about Pipestem, and by the Sycamore junction it was a real creek with water. Sycamore trail was rough, and the catclaw was vicious on some of the south facing slopes. Pretty much lost the trail after the spring, and eventually wound up just following the creek bed. Very slow going, over half the entire time getting back to the car was spent in Sycamore Canyon.

Couldn't find where the trail exits the canyon, so I ended up scrambling up to where it contours along a bench. Nothing like a little class 3 scramble with a full pack in the middle of nowhere! The track was faint up to the ridge, but there were occasional cairns.

Once over the ridge, the trail got much easier, and we made good time to the car. Got there just in time to enjoy a cold beer and a nice sunset.

Really enjoyed this outing. Kinda wish we had stuck to the plan, but as long as it doesn't burn down, there will be more opportunities...

_____________________

1 archive

Mar 20 2021

Guides 38
Routes 182
Photos 1,602
Triplogs 232

40 male

Joined Dec 09 2014
Gilbert, AZ

Tucson, AZ

Backpack		Mar 20 2021
		jacobemerick • Triplogs 232

Backpack	25.73 Miles	5,215 AEG

Backpack	25.73 Miles	2 Days
	5,215 ft AEG

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Sycamore Trail #278

[ checklist ] Corral Spring Kennedy Peak Mud Spring Powers Garden Powers Garden Spring Sycamore Canyon Spring

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

Long, dark drive from San Tan Valley. Was pleasantly surprised to see that FR253 was recently graded, that plus a dry Aravaipa made it very easy to reach TH.

East Divide #287
Easy walking up the grassy lowlands with a few cairns to keep you moving forward. Everything looks toasted, even with the recent snows/rains. Passed what felt like a half-dozen signed junctions before reaching Mud Springs, bit of a maze to figure out at the start. Noticed something weird here that several of the other trails had - two treads that were not-quite-parallel, sometimes collapsing to a single track and other times devolving into game trails. Unsure if this is due to chatty cowbows or meandering livestock. Regardless, it had me backtracking many times throughout the weekend.

Sycamore Creek #278
Picked this up at Mud Springs, took a bit of wandering to find where it started. Recent maintenance and a few re-routes were appreciated. Once I reached the saddle by China Peak the trail plummeted down over steep switchbacks, and while the cairns were huge, the re-routed tread is hard to track. Once the trail hits the creek it does a very good job at sticking to the banks and cleaning hopping from one side to the other. There is some minor deadfall and overgrowth to navigate, and I chose to boulder-hop a few times, overall it was pretty fun.

Bumped into a large group of teenagers w/ chaperones who were hiking from Rattlesnake Canyon to Redfield over two weeks. Chatted for ten minutes, could have spent all day sharing stories, but we were heading in different directions and each had many miles to cover before nightfall. That was shortly before Sycamore Canyon Spring, and I spent much of the rest of the trail following tread high up the banks and trying to imagine how I'd fit two weeks worth of food in my tiny pack.

Powers Garden #96
Rattlesnake Creek was flowing happily, a nice change from the stagnant pools in Sycamore, which gave me (temporary) hope for water sources. Also, this trail was annoyingly well-maintained, recently trimmed back neatly and a small army of bootprints pounded into the tread. As there was no one at Powers Garden, my guess is that a crew had walked in from Rattlesnake Road and done some work on the trail or at the Garden, and then hiked out on Friday.

This was a very enjoyable section, with the big trees and views on each side. I passed Pipestem (signed), Mailbox (unsigned), and Tortilla (signed) junctions, and somewhere along the way my happy little creek completely dried up. Camping in the middle of a field of dead grass with a single liter of water didn't sound like fun, so I bailed my original plan (set up camp here and go hunting for the Mailbox spur) and decided to push forward instead. The rest of the trail to Corral Canyon seemed to drag, mostly because I kept veering into Rattlesnake Creek in hopes of finding a crystal-clear pool of water.

Corral Canyon #291
Bit more deadfall and overgrowth, and the creek crossings can be confusing, yet the tread is solid and was much better than expected. Followed it for a mile and found some trickling water, pulled to full capacity and backtracked a half-mile to a nice campsite.

Took my time setting up camp and getting some firewood for the night. I was expecting a cold night and wanted to glamp, even brought a little chair along. Managed to stay up until 8 before crashing, and then slept in the next morning. New sleeping pad was a real winner, probably got down to high 30s and kept warm. Woke up feeling wonderfully refreshed.

Tracking the creek crossings got a bit more difficult, and I did spend some time boulder-hopping. The one crossing that is truly important is right at Corral Spring, where (if you're heading uphill) you leave the south bank, backtrack downstream to the spring about twenty feet, and then head up the north bank. If you miss this, you'll end up at the bottom of a very formidable waterfall. Going up the north bank is a set of steep switchbacks with a few re-routes due to deadfall, which is something that you need to repeat near the end of the trail.

The final leg of the trail is on the top of a ridgeline, and this is where the burn comes in full. There's good tread, and a few cairns, and enough deadfall to turn the whole thing into a maze. Two nice campsites and a small stand of surviving pines wait at the end of the trail.

Kennedy Peak #287A
Short jaunt south on East Divide and a humble sign point to the peak, which is another maze of deadfall. There are plenty of cairns, though sections of the tread have been washed out. I lost the trail on both the hike up and down. Anyways, views on top were totally worth it - after spending yesterday on the grassy north side and in deep canyons, seeing the expansiveness of the wilderness was a moving moment.

East Divide #287
Return to the junction and then heading down over the million switchbacks. Snow was a minor issue, a few stretches where the narrow tread was covered in slick iciness that promised an quickened descent. Eventually the snow obstacles were replaced with deadfall, and then overgrowth kicked in. I didn't care too much - I was heading downhill and the trailhead felt within reach.

As soon as the junction to Mud Springs shows up the trail veers back onto grassy flatlands and makes a sizeable re-route to the south to avoid the deep tributaries of Oak Creek. At least, it was a re-route according to the route I had. Eventually the track swung north, joined with my route from yesterday, and I rolled back down to the trailhead.

Named place

Named place [ checklist ]

	Brush Canyon	Dry	Dry
	Dry at mouth.

	Corral Canyon	Pools to trickle	Pools to trickle
	Dry at mouth. Trickling pools start to intermittently show up after 1 mile upstream.

	Corral Spring	Quart per minute	Quart per minute
	Water directly below the cement box.

	Horse Canyon	Dry	Dry
	Dry at mouth.

	Mailbox Canyon	Dry	Dry
	Dry at mouth.

	Mud Spring	Gallon per minute	Gallon per minute
	Spring box was full, trough was overflowing, downhill tank & trough were full. Cow corpse is still there fouling up trough overflow, but trough still seems clean enough.

	Pipestem Canyon	Dry	Dry
	Dry at mouth.

	Powers Garden Spring	Dripping	Dripping
	Two large, algae-clogged pools. Totally unappealing. Rattlesnake Creek was completely dry from Corral Creek to Pipestem, this spring did nothing to help that.

	South Field Canyon	Dry	Dry
	Dry at mouth.

	Sycamore Canyon Spring	Quart per minute	Quart per minute
	Several appealing pools trickling, plenty to pull from.

	Sycamore Creek	Pools to trickle	Pools to trickle
	Handful of sad pools, mostly between spring & mouth.

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Nov 14 2020

chumley

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

52 male

Joined Sep 18 2002
Tempe, AZ

Deer Creek to High Creek, AZ

Backpack		Nov 14 2020
		chumley • Triplogs 1,993

Backpack	23.00 Miles	5,808 AEG

Backpack	23.00 Miles	3 Days
	5,808 ft AEG

no routes

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High Creek Trail #290

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	JoelHazelton	John9L
	Jonnybackpack	KatClaw

Kathleen had been begging me to take her to Powers Garden for a while, and not to turn down an excuse to spend time in the Galiuros, I penciled in a date on the calendar. Of course, the plans went all crazy and the whos and whens weren't finally settled until a few hours before we started. Kathleen had to work, until I fomo-guilted her on the drive east, and she managed to pull everything together and make the trailhead before sunset. Jon was gonna meet us in the morning, but that got thwarted and he didn't leave the valley until mid morning. Joel had a bunch of stuff keep him from getting out of town on time and he drove through the night. Patrick was on time and Nate somehow got his Prius all the way out there in time for a Friday night car camp.

Saturday morning, Joel rolled up and he and I opted to set up a shuttle so we could come out via High Creek instead of returning back to Deer Creek. This took longer than expected ... the shortest route isn't an option because a ranch owner has restricted access. So after the long way around, we weren't ready to hit the trail until after 11. Patrick, Nate, 9L, and Kathleen had all started a few hours earlier while we were shuttling. Jon was running about an hour behind us but we opted to head out rather than waiting.

A couple of miles in we met Kathleen and Chewy in bad shape. An illness had set in and despite making it halfway there, she decided that it wasn't worth backpacking and waking up in the middle of the wilderness with a worsening sickness of unknown severity. It's a tough call to make, but it was the right decision. I wouldn't want to be sick like that in the middle of the woods either. She assured us she would make it back to the truck, so we said our goodbyes and continued on.

There was a foul-smelling rotting cow carcass at Mud Spring, which didn't pose any issues since nobody would drink from that spring anyway. The views on the Tortilla trail are open and ok, but really not a good descriptor for this range as a whole. There was a puddle or two of water in a couple of shaded drainages from the previous week's rain, but it was otherwise a very dry hike in. Some maples splashed bright reds near the mouth of Horse Canyon providing a welcoming entrance to Powers Garden after the steep and scree-ey descent from the crest.

Despite evidence of some very recent horse traffic, we were pleased to find the Garden unoccupied, except for 9L, Patrick and Nate who had already set up camp. Jon arrived around sunset after stopping for some photos along the way.

The cabin was unlocked and very well stocked. Actually, people abandon property here instead of carrying it out, and I wish they wouldn't. Sleeping pads, sleeping bags, tents, canned goods, you name it. Even a bottle of whisky!

But seriously ... it's not helping to leave anything here. If you carry it in, carry it out too. Your 12-lb Ozark Trail sleeping bag is trash. The cabin does not need another bottle of mustard!

We had a good fire, and managed to stay warm until bed. Always a cold sink, the garden dropped into the 20s and all our waters were frozen solid. We reconsidered why we hadn't all just slept in the cabin as it would have provided a few degrees of relief. No matter, once the sun hit the valley, the frost melted and things warmed up quickly.

The spring had plentiful water, but despite being clear, had a bit of a funky odor. If the spring area doesn't get a little bit of maintenance, I think this may become a less-than-ideal water source in the next few years. All the former infrastructure has gone to feces and I'm not sure there will ever be running water at the cabin or a clean trough for filtering and wildlife again.

Nate took off at first light and hiked out on his own. 9L and Patrick left in late morning, heading back via Tortilla. Jon and Joel and I headed south on what should have been an "easy" day. I had planned to make another visit to the cabin and mine, but when we got to the junction, I wasn't feeling it, and having been there before, didn't need to do it again this time.

The Rattlesnake Trail has flashed since the 2014 fire and much of the tread is gone as you meander through a dense stand of Arizona Cypress growing in the sandy and rocky flood debris. After pleasant hiking so far, this last 2 miles was a lot of work. It's quite overgrown and between route-finding, creek crossings, bushwhacking, and the end of our second day of hiking, we were all pretty happy to get to camp at Holdout Spring.

As expected, Holdout was full of clear, delicious water ... the first we had seen all day since leaving Powers. Camp here was at least 15 degrees warmer than down in the garden, and we were all thoroughly pleased by that.

The next morning we took it slow getting going and stopped a few times along the way to enjoy the fall colors along the trail as we climbed up toward the divide. We may have been a little bit late for colors, but it's tough to tell ... it seems that there had been an extended freeze at some point in the previous couple of weeks that had put an abrupt end to most of the colors.

The hike to the divide from Holdout is truly scenic, and so much better than Tortilla on the way in. I had forgotten a few of the sections and really enjoyed the tired grind on the climb out. Heading down High Creek was a delight as always, with a few pockets of really nice color that deserved a break. At one point, my phone fell out of my pocket as I sat and I left without it. This near-disaster was averted as I take enough photos that it hadn't been more than 100 yards before I grabbed for it and realized where it must be!

The Mark-KO tree has settled from forehead height to a more manageable chest height.

I had left my truck at the most popular camp area and since I was a few minutes ahead of the others, I drove a half mile or so back up the road to pick them up. There are some sections up there that just make it not worth the drive vs just walking it!

We didn't see any bears in person, but they were obviously plentiful across the entire range. Over the course of the three days, I don't believe we ever went more than 100 yards without encountering a healthy pile of poop, and often could not go more than a few steps. On no hike that I can recall have I seen so much sign of bear activity over such a large area.

We drove back to Deer Creek to fetch the other cars before heading back home. But not before getting to enjoy the spectacular beauty of the Aravaipa Valley as daylight waned. Each trip to the Galiuros makes me wonder why I don't come back here more often! So Kathleen ... I guess we'll have to schedule this one again and finally get it done!

Named place

Named place [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Galiuro Wilderness Powers Garden Spring

	Brush Canyon	Dry	Dry
	No sign of water

	Corral Canyon	Dry	Dry
	No sign of water. Didn't hike up far to investigate further

Deer Creek Cabin Spring

Dry

	Holdout Spring	Quart per minute	Quart per minute
	Clear and cold. Good water in the cave spring box and in the main spring box which was full and delicious.

	Horse Canyon	Dry	Dry
	No sign of water even though it rained a little bit the previous week

Horse Canyon Tank

Dry

	Mud Spring	Quart per minute	Quart per minute
	No idea how much flow ... plenty of water, but gross due to cattle traffic. Rotting dead cow carcass made it even worse.

	Powers Garden Spring	Dripping	Dripping
	Good pools of clear water, but foul smell possibly due to rotting leaves and debris. Filtered and flavored, and nobody got sick!

	Rattlesnake Spring	Dry	Dry
	No water anywhere

Upper Sycamore Tank

Dry

_____________________

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

2 archives

Apr 13 2019

lhalloran

Photos 9
Triplogs 7

30 male

Joined May 09 2018
Phoenix, Arizona

Tucson, AZ

Hiking		Apr 13 2019
		lhalloran • Triplogs 7

Hiking	18.00 Miles	2,300 AEG

Hiking	18.00 Miles
	2,300 ft AEG

no routes

no photosets

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Rough and rugged! We did the hike counter-clockwise, opting to save the taller saddle for the second day. Water was flowing very well in Rattlesnake creek just before you get into the garden, and continued flowing all the way through, enough that we walked about a half mile down river before realizing we missed our turn. Oops! That half mile wound up being one of my favorite parts of the trip though. Using downed logs as bridges and fighting your way through the Arizona jungle felt very cool.

The trail the first day was extremely pleasant until you got past the saddle, where the steep decline combined with ankle rollers made the hike a little hairy. The second day coming out of Powers Garden, it was clear the trail had seen some weather and was in a state of pretty bad disrepair. You'll be finding "adventurous" routes around massive fallen logs and washed out portions of the trail, you'll probably lose the trail often unless you are regularly checking GPS, and you may be advised to bring a rope. Nevertheless the view from the top of the saddle was breathtaking and we felt like we just took part in an Indiana Jones movie.

If I did the hike again I'd either bring a machete or just do the north part of the loop, hit powers garden, and do it in reverse.

Of note: didn't encounter any water after Corral Canyon. Be sure to top off before you start your ascent.

	Brush Canyon	Light flow	Light flow
	Still some water down here. Tank up here!

	Horse Canyon	Medium flow	Medium flow
	Good flow, lots of water coming down. Very clear, cold, and delicious.

	Horse Canyon Tank	Dry	Dry
	bone dry

Sep 30 2017

sami_h

Routes 1
Photos 6
Triplogs 7

41 female

Joined Sep 25 2011
Tucson, AZ

Tucson, AZ

Backpack		Sep 30 2017
		sami_h • Triplogs 7

Backpack	8.50 Miles	1,560 AEG

Backpack	8.50 Miles	3 Days
	1,560 ft AEG		35 LBS Pack

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A couple SIA volunteers and I hiked in to Power's Garden to gather water rights data for the Forest Service at some springs and dams. It took us about 7.5 hours to go each way on the Tortilla Trail. We started at noon on Thursday and only made it to the saddle before you drop into Horse Canyon. There wasn't much water out there. We got lucky and found some in a small drainage right before the saddle. In retrospect, we really should have filled our water at Upper Sycamore Spring/Dam. After stopping by Horse Canyon Spring and Horse Canyon Dam, we made it to Power's Garden late the next morning, where we encountered a large and very unafraid black bear wandering up the creek to the main spring for water. There wasn't water in Rattlesnake Canyon until we got pretty close to the spring (about where the trail goes to the creek). We hiked out to Apache Dam and were shocked to find that it existed and was actually not totally full of sediment. We headed back for a rather restless night listening for bears. Friday, we headed back up the Tortilla Trail. We stopped at Upper Sycamore to gather data, refill on water, and eat lunch. We made it back to the truck by 4:30. The Tortilla Trail was in ok shape. It was there, but the tread was often very rocky and cobbly, and grasses and small shrubs covered it so that you had to look through them to see the tread. There were a couple washed out spots that weren't too hard to navigate. But overall, I'm really glad I had my phone's GPS and a map with the HAZ trails loaded on it to follow in several places. It definitely requires a bit of route-finding skill right now. It needs some work. Last October, we talked to some gentlemen who took 9 hours and a few falls to hike in and they thought the trail was in pretty rough shape. We only had to climb over one dead tree, though.

	Horse Canyon	Dry	Dry
	One tiny pool of water upstream of trail/canyon junction at small confluence.

	Horse Canyon Tank	Dry	Dry
	Totally dry on this visit. Filled with sediment.

	Mud Spring	Quart per minute	Quart per minute
	The small dugout pool was dry, the trough had only a little water in it, but the spring box had plenty of water and the big tank down the hill was full - it's apparently being diverted there right now for the cows.

	Upper Sycamore Tank	1-25% full	1-25% full
	The dam is filled in. The tank had a little water. But there were some nice pools in the drainage below the tank to filter water. I'd estimate the flow rate was <1 liter/min. Fill up here if you're on this trail!

_____________________

1 archive

Oct 14 2016

toddak

Guides 13
Routes 38
Photos 1,651
Triplogs 577

60 male

Joined Nov 15 2005
Jackson, CA

Tucson, AZ

Hiking		Oct 14 2016
		toddak • Triplogs 577

Hiking	18.00 Miles	3,500 AEG

Hiking	18.00 Miles	9 Hrs	2.00 mph
	3,500 ft AEG

no routes

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Nice day in the Grass-iuros on an out-and-back to Powers Garden. Very long drive to the Deer Creek trailhead and the hike itself is pretty gnarly (and cow infested), but the destination is very cool. Lots of tents in the meadow but no one around, probably a trail crew out there. PG reminds me a lot of Reavis Ranch in the Supes.

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Jan 16 2016

johnny88

Photos 916
Triplogs 20

37 male

Joined Jan 17 2011
Phoenix, AZ

Almost Powers Garden, AZ

Hiking		Jan 16 2016
		johnny88 • Triplogs 20

Hiking

Hiking

no routes

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I had planned on this trip being a backpack to Powers Garden; however, after seeing the amount of snow and slop still out there, I decided to turn it into a car-camping and day-hiking trip. I drove into the Deer Creek trailhead on Friday night and got caught in an unexpected rain/snow storm. The road in was muddy in some spots and fine in others. It was gouged in the muddy spots by a set of deep tire tracks. Overnight low was in the upper 20s - enough to freeze the mud and make walking around camp easy.

General theme of the trail: lots of water! The Deer Creek Trailhead had a small river running through it. I drove through the river, parked my car, and set off on the trail to Powers Garden via Mud Spring and a short section of Sycamore Canyon. We started the hike around 8am. Up until about Mud Spring, the trail alternated from frozen mud to solid sheets of ice to snow and back to frozen mud. There was about a 20' section of trail near the first gate which was dry

Every little creek/drainage had a strong flow of water in it. Very cool - I've never seen these flowing before.

After Mud Spring, the trail steepens and the snow picked up. I would guess snow depth averaged around 4'' - 6''. Some shaded areas had me post-holing almost to my knees. My dog bulldozed her way through these parts. After briefly going the wrong way at the saddle, we hiked down into Sycamore Canyon. Again, lots of water here. And lots of snow and ice. We turned around near the "Dam" on the map and hiked back to the trailhead.

While the dog and I were hiking through the snow, the first couple miles of icy trail melted and turned to mud. It was nice to get back to the car, put on some dry shoes, and enjoy the rest of the afternoon out there.

Named place

Named place [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Santa Teresa Mountains

_____________________

2 archives

Oct 12 2015

FOTG

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

43 male

Joined Jan 21 2013
AZ

Tucson, AZ

Hiking		Oct 12 2015
		FOTG • Triplogs 1,052

Hiking	36.68 Miles	7,322 AEG

Hiking	36.68 Miles
	7,322 ft AEG

no routes

Linked

9 linked trail guides

Rattlesnake Canyon - Galiuros

Partners

[ checklist ] Arizona Black Rattlesnake Canyon Tree Frog

HAZ - Event

	BiFrost	chumley
	clairebear	John9L
	johnlp	Jonnybackpack
	slowandsteady	Tough_Boots

Its hard to imagine a three day backpack turning out this well after it was chosen as a somewhat last minute alternative to a cancelled LCR trip, but simply put it turned out to be nearly perfect. The landscape was rugged, the views were extraordinary, the company was great and the attractions in the area well worth it.

We made the long drive to the Galiuros Friday night. We agreed on knocking out the southern portion of our loop for our approach to Powers on Saturday with a stop at Kennedy Peak along the way.

The route to the cabin on Saturday was the best of times and the worst of times. The best of times consisted of: our fun group, the copious amounts of water spewing out of the mountain, a fun summit and some great scenery. The worst of times consisted of: the complete absence of a trail in spots, the thickest wildflowers any human has ever traveled through, concealed ankle breakers, not so concealed New Mexican Locust, grass as tall as one's eyes and trail obliterating washouts and landslides.

The trail conditions were much nicer day two and the hiking more rewarding. After the obligatory stop at the shootout site, we headed for some "fun" in the mine. The mine was very extensive inside and contained several remnants of its operational days. The more adventourous spent a considerable amount of time exploring the several passages and I completed a pretty dicey descent down an old ladder to explore a very deep vertical shaft. However, as my support team began to express their disaproval in the venture, I decided to call it quits. There was still probably a solid 30-40 more feet to drop, but I was starting to lose my faith in the old ladder, as the distance between rungs grew to a precarious 3 feet in spots and the bottom was still not clearly visible; that and I was not crazy about the wire holding some rungs on in replacement of nails.

After the mine and cabin, some headed for the garden, others headed for the ridgeline. John and I followed up on a a lead I had discovered while looking over some topo maps of the area. As it turned out, my lead turned out to be quite the rewarding little find. We came across presumably a prehistoric dwelling that had been recycled and certainly utilized in more contemporary times. The cave and its scenic surroundings were very interesting and the trail there was great with flowing water nearly the entire distance, modest cascades and the discovery of the classic wooden Galiuros Wilderness sign along the way. Inside the cave there was a man made cistern inside catching water from a seep and and a little loft area that was reachable by a ladder complete with some modern pictographs. After the cool little find, it was back to camp for the standard good times around the fire.

Day three offered some of the nicest views of the trip. A challenging little climb out, but some great creek side hiking due to the recent rains and some small waterfalls worth leaving the trail for a closer look. The trail was in better shape than our Saturday route in, however, it could certainly use a little TLC. Fast times out and fun times at the trailhead!

Fauna

Fauna [ checklist ]

Culture

Culture [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Benchmark Ghost? Mining Equipment

Brush Canyon

Dry

Corral Canyon

Pools to trickle

Corral Spring

Dry

Deer Creek Cabin Spring

Gallon + per minute

	Holdout Spring	Gallon + per minute	Gallon + per minute
	Full concrete box/trough, good water

Horse Canyon

Light flow

	Mud Spring	Gallon + per minute	Gallon + per minute
	Full trough

	Powers Garden Spring	Gallon + per minute	Gallon + per minute
	water at spring and creek was flowing

Upper Sycamore Tank

76-100% full

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10 archives

Oct 10 2015

chumley

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

52 male

Joined Sep 18 2002
Tempe, AZ

Tucson, AZ

Backpack		Oct 10 2015
		chumley • Triplogs 1,993

Backpack	20.95 Miles	5,253 AEG

Backpack	20.95 Miles	2 Days 4 Hrs 8 Mns
	5,253 ft AEG

Linked

[ checklist ] Corral Canyon Corral Spring Deer Creek Cabin Spring Horse Canyon Mud Spring Powers Garden

Partners

7 partners

HAZ - Event

	BiFrost	clairebear
	FOTG	John9L
	Jonnybackpack	slowandsteady
	Tough_Boots

Outstandingly fun weekend trip into the heart of the Galiuros with a great group of people!

East Divide 287
Starts off reasonably well with some minor route-finding issues due to the healthy growth of summer grasses. Turns into a full-fledged machete-required jungle in the Oak Creek drainage before rising up through the burn area toward Kennedy Peak.

Kennedy Peak 287a
This trail cuts through a moonscape burn area and the trail is largely lost to erosion. Cairns exist, but staying along the old barbed wire fence will get you most of the way there. The resulting wildflower display is impressive. Great views in all directions: Santa Teresas, Pinalenos, Bassett Peak, Wrightson, Mica, Rincon, and the Catalinas.

Corral Canyon 291
This trail is almost completely gone. Recent rain over the burn area has washed out many of the traverses leaving a very difficult challenge to travel through. Add to that wildflowers that are waist deep and it's a fight to push ahead. Once in the bottom of the canyon, much of the trail has been obliterated by flash flooding. Especially in the upper part of the canyon. The last mile or so, most of the shelf and the trail remains, but the crossings are a challenge. This trail needs a full-fledged reconstruction.

Powers Garden 96
Post-wildfire floods have wiped out some of the shelf along this trail as well rendering travel a bit more of a challenge than I suspect it once was. But the route can be found if you look for it. The fire didn't reach this low, so the valley is still shaded and cool.

Tortilla 254
Not much flood damage on this trail, but still in pretty rough shape. Travel was much quicker than the East Divide/Corral combo on the way in, but plenty of growth to fight through.

On the way in, I commented out loud that if somebody had told me it would take 5 hours to hike in I wouldn't have believed them. I repeated the same and updated it again at 6 and 7 hours!

So yeah, it was a real grind due to unexpectedly terrible trail conditions on the south side of the loop.

Nonetheless we arrived safely and met Claire, 9L and Kyle who had arrived the previous day. We set up camp and settled in for the night. Sunday we all did our own thing, and Sunday evening a group of trail workers from the ACC stopped by our campfire for a while. Kudos to these volunteers for the work they do. It is impressive and much appreciated!

Monday we all headed out together around 8am. We split up into different groups all taking a different pace. A few of us finished via the Deer Creek Cabin route which is a nice option that we were pleasantly surprised about and resulted in a mile of fast road walking rather than rocky trail. It was a welcome end to a long weekend on tough trails.

I feel like we were very lucky with the amount of water. It's a beautiful area, but I could see it being much more of a challenge without the creeks and drainages flowing with water.

But I'll be back to the Galiuros for sure!

* I meant to mention that I successfully used Route Scout for all navigation and track recording over the entire three day trip. I charged my phone with a backup battery (anker) on the second night as it would not otherwise last 3 full days while recording 7-8 hours each day. I'm very happy with how well it worked!

Fauna

Fauna [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Arizona Black Rattlesnake

Culture

Culture [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Benchmark

Named place

Named place [ checklist ]

Meteorology

Meteorology [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Fire Burn Area & Recovery

Autumn Foliage Observation Isolated
Saw a few small bright red somethings that I can't remember what are, and some poison ivy changing colors. Otherwise nothing yet.

Wildflowers Observation Moderate
Amazing display still popping on the upper slopes exposed by fire.

	Brush Canyon	Dry	Dry
	dry where it drains into Rattlesnake. Had flashed and was filled with rock and gravel.

	Corral Canyon	Pools to trickle	Pools to trickle
	Dry in most areas, but some pools or light flow in bedrock areas.

	Corral Spring	Dry	Dry
	Spring box is filled in. There was water in the creek, but it was from rain runoff.

	Deer Creek Cabin Spring	Quart per minute	Quart per minute
	Crystal clear water in the spring box

	Horse Canyon	Light flow	Light flow
	A week after 1-2" rain, and 3 weeks after 3+" rain, this canyon was still flowing nicely.

	Mud Spring	Quart per minute	Quart per minute
	Clear and full spring box.

	Powers Garden Spring	Gallon + per minute	Gallon + per minute
	Source of spring unknown. But Rattlesnake Creek was flowing nicely over the dam structure near where the spring is marked as well as downstream through Powers Garden.

South Field Canyon

Dry

	Upper Sycamore Tank	76-100% full	76-100% full
	Tank was full and water was flowing down both drainages that come together here.

_____________________

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

1 archive

Oct 09 2015

BiFrost

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

55 male

Joined Nov 20 2012
Phoenix, AZ

Tucson, AZ

Backpack		Oct 09 2015
		BiFrost • Triplogs 1,257

Backpack	36.75 Miles	8,118 AEG

Backpack	36.75 Miles	2 Days 6 Hrs 12 Mns
	8,118 ft AEG

Linked

8 linked trail guides

Partners

7 partners

HAZ - Event

	chumley	clairebear
	FOTG	John9L
	Jonnybackpack	slowandsteady
	Tough_Boots

Great weekend in the Galiuros with awesome group. We hiked in on the East Divide Trail and did a drive by of Kennedy Peak. The peak had great views but the East Divide Trail as others have mentioned was in rough shape from recent heavy rains and major erosion on the steep slopes resulting from fire damage. Much of the trail on the slopes either side of the peak were completely washed out so it was slow going. Once down in Rattlesnake Canyon the trail improved and easy walking to Powers Garden.

After relaxing night of hanging out by the fire with the group we headed out on various day hiking adventures. Chumley, Johnlp, Patrick, Lee, Kathy and I headed for Powers Garden and Mine to check it out. Very cool cabin and mine with the history making it even more interesting. We spent some time exploring the mine checking out the old mining relics of the past and the impressive tunnel.

Hiking back from the mine we split up on the West Divide Saddle with Chumley, Patrick and I heading up West Divide Trail towards Grassy Peak. The goal was to hike West Divide Trail and check out South Field Canyon. West Divide Trail was fairly easy to follow despite being overgrown because it was on top of the ridgeline. Near the end of the ridgeline we found some areas that had been trail cleared by trail crew who just happened to be in Powers that weekend. Once off the ridgeline we headed down South Field Canyon and back to Powers Garden for another relaxing evening around the fire. That night the trail crew stopped by and we had the opportunity to chat and thank them for all their hard work.

Next morning headed out Tortilla Trail which is in much better shape than the East Divide Trail. Great wide expanse views on the way out...best views of the Galiuros range and surrounding ranges of the weekend.

_____________________

1 archive

Oct 09 2015

Tough_Boots

Routes 67
Photos 2,708
Triplogs 755

89 male

Joined Mar 28 2008
Phoenix, AZ

Tucson, AZ

Backpack		Oct 09 2015
		Tough_Boots • Triplogs 755

Backpack	25.50 Miles	5,946 AEG

Backpack	25.50 Miles	4 Days
	5,946 ft AEG

Linked

linked

Field Canyon Trail #294

Partners

HAZ - Event

	BiFrost	chumley
	clairebear	FOTG
	John9L	johnlp
	Jonnybackpack	slowandsteady

Our canyon trip had to be canceled last minute so we bumped up our Powers Garden trip. Lily and I rode in on Friday with 9L and Claire. We started on the East Divide trail but found it soon disappeared shortly after the junction with the spur trail over to the Tortilla Trail. We could have fought our way through but I don't think any of us were too interested in that so we opted for the more pleasant experience and took the spur to the Tortilla and headed that way.

We had a nice hike in. We came across a herd of cranky cattle. Lily's pads have been a bit shop worn since our last two hikes so I had her boots on her-- of course she lost one early on and I never could find it. Luckily, its really just her rear pads she's had issues with so she really only needed two. We eventually reached Powers Garden to find a trail crew down there working. They were nearing the end of their week down there and looking forward to a week off before they return again.

I decided just to be safe that I would give Lily a pretty easy time for the two days down there. On Saturday, we stuck near camp while Claire and 9L went down to the mine. We spent some time exploring a bit both directions on the Powers Garden Trail. I also caught up on some reading while waiting for the big Saturday crew to arrive. There's nothing much better than reading Wallace Stegner next to a creek. The others turned up much later than expected and I learned that our way in was definitely the more pleasant option

On Sunday morning I decided to take a quick easy hike up the Field Canyon Trail. Its only 2.3 miles each way but I hadn't expected the quick 1,500 ft gain so Lily and I managed to get in a nice little workout. I ran into the trail crew boss and talked with him a bit on the way down. I invited him and his crew to come hang out in the evening and share a fire with us. They all showed up later-- great group of workers.

On Monday morning I tried to head out relatively early. I knew it would be a little warmer so I wanted to get Lily out between noon and 1. It was pretty pleasant until we got past Muddy Spring and then it got a bit toasty. I could tell Lily was getting a bit worn out with the heat and the pack and the boots which I'm sure are uncomfortable. Luckily a breeze and some clouds showed up for the last mile and a half and Lily recovered pretty well and we had a nice end of our hike.

This area is absolutely beautiful and quite rugged. I really enjoyed it. We ended up here at the perfect time. There's water everywhere right now and I have a feeling that's pretty uncommon. I hope I get the chance to explore more of this area. Some of it reminded me of the Mazzies and some of it reminded me of the eastern Supes but it was all very much its own place.

_____________________

Oct 09 2015

John9L

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

male

Joined Mar 12 2004
Scottsdale, AZ

Powers Garden & Cabin - Galiuro Mountains, AZ

Backpack		Oct 09 2015
		John9L • Triplogs 1,647

Backpack	28.16 Miles	5,729 AEG

Backpack	28.16 Miles	3 Days
	5,729 ft AEG

no routes

Linked

linked

Partners

	BiFrost	chumley
	clairebear	FOTG
	johnlp	Jonnybackpack
	slowandsteady	Tough_Boots

Our original plan was to head to the LCR for a few days in the Grand Canyon. That plan fell through because a storm dumped a ton of rain up north and flooded the LCR with muddy water. We decided to reschedule and settled on Powers Cabin. Claire, Kyle and I drove up on Friday morning and started hiking in. The others will head in on Saturday morning and will stay one day longer.

The dirt road to the Deer Creek trailhead is roughly 36 miles and is in excellent condition. We made good time and started hiking before noon. The first mile was relatively easy. Our plan was to take the East Divide Trail towards Kennedy Peak. Right before the intersection we talked to some people on horseback who said that route suffered major damage from a fire and the rains have washed out the switchbacks. We decided to keep it simple and head in on the Tortilla Trail and this turned out to be a good choice. The going was relatively easy but we had to fight our way through tall grass and be on the lookout for the correct route. Carrying a GPS with the route loaded helped keep us on track. At one point we passed a herd of cattle that was a tad aggressive & angry at us passing. Kyle kept Lily on a leash and we pushed through.

The next few miles ticked on by as we dropped into a drainage and then wrapped around to the high point to the west. There was lots of water out there as there was heavy rain the week before. After the high point we started the drop towards Powers Garden. We made good time and eventually walked up on the cabins. We noticed several tents in the field. This turned out to be a trail crew working on the West Divide Trail. We picked a campsite to the southeast of the garden nestled in the trees. It was a perfect site with lots of shade, a fire ring and close to the creek which had a good flow of clear water.

The three of us settled in for the night with a fire and yummy dinner. The next day we slept in and then had breakfast. Kyle decided to hang out near camp while Claire and I made the hike to the south to see Powers Cabin. We started off on the road and made good time as we crossed the creek several times and admired this beautiful canyon. There was lots of bear scat but we didn’t see any bears. The hike to the cabin is about 5.5 miles and most of it is fast travel. We topped out just above the cabin and that’s where the fun begins. It’s .4 miles to the cabin and you drop 400 ft but the trail has lots of catclaw to fight through. Claire and I were both wearing shorts and our legs were cut to shreds! It’s was borderline awful! With much effort we reached the cabin and admired the area. We both felt the history of this area after watching The Powers War a few months ago. Four men were killed here in a shootout back in 1918. That must have been quite a sight in this remote part of the Galuiro Mountains. We soaked everything in and checked out the mine and then had some lunch.

After visiting the Powers Cabin we made the return. The catclaw wasn’t as bad on the return up to the high point. From there it was very easy going back toward the garden. Along the way we ran into Chumley and Patrick who were on their way in via the East Divide Trail. They said the route was really overgrown and tough to follow. The washouts on the switchbacks were nasty. Claire and I were both glad we opted for the Tortilla Trail. We all returned to Powers Garden and the rest of the group trickled in as well. There will be twelve of us camping tonight. We all settled in for the evening an enjoyed another campfire. It was a very relaxed evening. Everyone who joined us was really tired after the tough hike in. Pretty much everyone turned in before 10pm.

We woke fairly early on Sunday morning and enjoyed coffee & croissants (Thanks Chumley!). The rest of the group was prepping for day hikes while Claire and I packed up to return to Phoenix. I had to work on Monday. We started hiking a little before 9am and made good time on the hike out via the Tortilla Trail. The going was a little easier considering we pushed a lot of the grass out of the way on the hike in. Claire and I took a few breaks and eventually were back at the jeep in the early afternoon. From there we made the long drive out and stopped for dinner & beers at Arizona Wilderness Brewery.

Powers Garden and Cabin are a wonderful destination with fascinating history. The Galiuro Mountains are rugged and beautiful and one of the highlights of southern Arizona. I’m really glad we made the trip and hope to return another day.

Culture

Culture [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Camp-fire Campsite

Named place

Named place [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Powers Cabin Powers Garden Powers Mine

Autumn Foliage Observation Substantial
Lots of foliage in bloom

_____________________

2 archives

Oct 09 2015

clairebear

Photos 188
Triplogs 163

43 female

Joined Oct 26 2011
Tempe, AZ

Powers Garden & Cabin - Galiuro Mountains, AZ

Backpack		Oct 09 2015
		clairebear • Triplogs 163

Backpack	28.16 Miles	5,729 AEG

Backpack	28.16 Miles	3 Days
	5,729 ft AEG

no routes

no photosets

Linked

linked

Partners

	BiFrost	chumley
	FOTG	John9L
	johnlp	Jonnybackpack
	slowandsteady	Tough_Boots

Since LCR was no longer an option the Powers That Be elected to move up the Powers Garden trip ^^^.

Anyhoo. Kyle, 9L and I departed PHX on an overcast rainy Friday morning. After an enjoyable ride on the Klyondyke road we set out for the old Powers sites. On the hike in we passed some cowboys and their pack of hounds who warned us to look out for the angry cattle protecting their newborns. We did pass through the largest herd of future steaks, however they were indifferent and left us alone. Kyle kept Lilly close and we made it safely through the bovines and continued to our destination.
As we arrived at Powers Garden it was obvious that another group was well established in the meadow so we headed further upstream to find a campsite for our large group. Later on we discovered the tents belonged to a youthful trail crew who had set up a base in Powers Garden.

On day 2 9L and I departed for the shootout cabin. As we neared the cabin we endured the densest trail of unavoidable catclaw that I've yet experienced. That was a painful and memorable hike, thought it was worth it to get to Powers Cabin. We were familiar with the area after having seen the film highlighting the violent shootout that culminated at the cabin that stood before us. Now that the cabin sits alone in the isolated wilderness its difficult to imagine the brutal shootout that once took place here. So, we checked out the cabin and the mine and then lunched there quietly.

Again, we fought the horrible catclaw trail and headed back to our camp. Along the way I heard a Chumley voice in the not too far distance. It was good timing and we had caught up with Chumley, Patrick and Blanco on their hike in. Eventually the entire group rendezvoused at our camp and we had quite a large group around the campfire.

On Sunday morning 9L and I had bfast and got ready to hike out while the others were planning day hikes since they were staying for an extra day. After a brisk and uneventful hike out we returned to the Jeep and made our way to AZ Wilderness for beers and food.

Autumn Foliage Observation Substantial

_____________________

Apr 29 2015

chumley

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

52 male

Joined Sep 18 2002
Tempe, AZ

Power's War Movie FilmBar Phoenix, AZ

Hiking		Apr 29 2015
		chumley • Triplogs 1,993

Hiking

Hiking

no routes

no photosets

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linked

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7 partners

HAZ - Event

	BiFrost	clairebear
	Grimey	John9L
	juliachaos	slowandsteady
	tibber

Absolutely fantastic movie. The Q&A/discussion afterward with the key players in the film really made it great. : app :

If you haven't seen it, keep an eye on their website for future showings. I might go to the 6/4 screening at Tempe Marketplace to see it again! :y:

It was great to see a good group of HAZzers out ON the town instead of out of town!

We should do that again :pk:

_____________________

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

Mar 21 2014

uphill_junkie

Guides 2
Routes 9
Photos 1,486
Triplogs 944

female

Joined Apr 28 2010
Tucson, AZ

Powers Garden Loop and Rhodes Peak, AZ

Backpack		Mar 21 2014
		uphill_junkie • Triplogs 944

Backpack	20.00 Miles	5,500 AEG

Backpack	20.00 Miles	3 Days
	5,500 ft AEG

no routes

no photosets

Linked