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| Hiking | 6.80 Miles |
200 AEG |
| | Hiking | 6.80 Miles | 4 Hrs | | 1.70 mph |
| 200 ft AEG | | | | |
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| no partners | | We hiked the West Fork on November 2, 2005. It comes up quick on the Highway and is part of the Call of the Canyon Day Use Area. The $7 fee seemed high to us, but was worth it in the end. We also bought a trail map for $1.
Coming from Michigan, I did research and found that a majority of people really rated this hike well. We were hoping to catch the last of the fall leaves turning. There were still a few trees amongst the pines that were in golden hues.
The hike is 6.8 roundtrip and is pretty easy going. There were people of all ages on it. We set out at 10am at an easy pace, taking photos around every turn. Ruins from Mayhews Lodge were fun to walk through and the serene apple orchards made for a quiet start of the hike.
The sandy tree lined path meandered along the river through tall, majestic, Ponderosa Pines. We zigzagged across the river following the cairns or rock piles that marked the path. It was fun rock hopping over the ankle deep water, though sometimes a bit slippery. Many people carried walking sticks with them. Some were even left behind at the wilderness register.
In my opinion, the first mile is the most scenic of this trail. The arching canyon walls of red rock that reflect into the creek are beautiful. There was a great sense of peace when walking this trail. The path is smooth, sandy and the trees occasionally rustled in the breeze.
At the 3.4 mile point there was not much of a payoff, as the rock formations tapered down and the river was not as picturesque as at the beginning of the trail. We stopped for a snack here and some water. The way back seemed to unfold more photo taking opportunities as the morning light changed to high noon brightness. It took us 4 hours to complete the trail, photographer's time.
Overall West Fork has a lot to offer. An escape from the bright desert sun, it has red rock walls, beautiful water, colorful trees, easy going paths, ruins, and apple orchard remnants. However, I still find the payoff of steeper trails like Devil's Bridge to have a better payoff at the end. West Fork is a nice break from steep trails if you want to take it easy and enjoy the slowly passing scenery. |
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