|
| | | |
| |
|
| Hiking | 7.00 Miles |
200 AEG |
| | Hiking | 7.00 Miles | | | |
| 200 ft AEG | | | | |
|
|
| |
| Linked |
|
none
[ show ]
| no linked trail guides |
| Partners |
|
none
[ show ]
| no partners | | Nearly three years ago when Lori and I first met, we spent many of our weekends exploring and hiking. Although we've been "too busy" to do much hiking lately, I still like to think that being outdoors together is a huge part of our relationship. So, it's fitting then that we picked Aravaipa Canyon as our honeymoon destination! We were married Saturday in a small family-only exchange of vows at the Lost Dog Wash trailhead in the McDowell Mountain Conservancy (we couldn't actually reserve the small ampitheater at the TH, so we did it "gonzo" style, planning to be in-and-out before anyone asked us to leave). The weather was beautiful, and our dusk ceremony absolutely perfect!
From our vows:
"In springtime, love is carried in with the breeze. It is appropriate; therefore that the wedding takes place on this, the first day of Spring, celebrating the renewal of life and that it occur under the open sky where we are close to the earth and the totality of living things of which we are part."
After spending a few nights at a fancy resort in Tucson, we headed to Aravaipa Farms for a three night stay and the remainder of our honeymoon. Unfortunately (for triplog purposes anyway) we didn't spend much time hiking in the canyon, but I know alot of you HAZers are interested in hearing about Aravaipa Farms too, so I'll describe that as well.
TRIPLOG
Wednesday morning we gradually got moving and made it to the Aravaipa Canyon TH (East entrance) at about 10:30 AM. Now, it's been a little while since i've been hiking, but there is no excuse for me to completely miss the TH marker just 50 yards from the parking area. The description on the large information board describes how the first mile and half are on private property, and to stay on the north side of the creek for this section. We walked up the short jeep road (past the markers) and thru a gate that was propped open just enough to allow a person through. Looking at the topo and remembering GPS tracks I've seen here, I knew we needed to skirt around a ridge and drop into the canyon. I walked around someones private property for a good 20 minutes looking for a trail down. Finally, after giving up we walked back to the parking lot and it was then I noticed the TH markers and a very clear trail. The marker was ever so slightly pointing UP the jeep trail into the private property, but it's still no excuse. BTW: We talked to another couple that made the same mistake, but still...
Inside the canyon, it's absolutely beautiful, green and lush. Lori and I visit the Zion Narrows frequently, so I was hoping for a little more narrow canyon and high cliffs, but Aravaipa is still great and unique. The water in the creek is cool, but not too cold and never was higher than my knees at the most (it was generally ankle deep). We elected for our Keen water shoes (with toe protection) and water socks. Slogging thru the creek is not hard at all, we made pretty good time, but it was very sandy and "pebbly", so there is a fair amount of sinking in (contrast this to Zion Narrows where it is 6" rocks that are constantly trying to wedge your feet or twist an ankle) and we stopped fairly frequently to dis-lodge pebbles.
We made it to "Hell's Half Acre Canyon" and stopped to eat our lunch, packed by Carol, the owner of Aravaipa Farms. As others have described, there is a large rockfall about 100 feet up that prevents further exploration. This is too bad, because standing tall on a rock I could see that just behind the rockfall was a large waterfall (30 feet high perhaps), that looked to cascade down into a shower of spray and a tall tree. A little Garden of Eden just beyond reach in Hell's Half Acre. The irony.
Thinking we were going to come back the next day, I didn't take any pictures of HHA. After lunch we went up canyon just another 1/2 mile or so into the "narrows" section and then turned around to make it back to the Farm in time for a gourmet dinner. I stopped just for a few minutes to make a tripod photo, but the sun was high so I didn't mess with it too much. The next day, rather than going back into the canyon we decided to hang around the farm, took a few naps and enjoyed the sunny day.
ARAVAIPA FARMS
In a word: Amazing! I think "rustic chic" is how Arizona Highways put it. Operated by Carol Steele (no relation) for the past 15 years after a career in and around various gourmet food service roles ("C. Steele & Co." in Scottsdale, and one of the original founders of "The Farm at South Mountain" among many others).
Leaving Tucson in the morning, with dark clouds covering the sky it started to sprinkle as we made it up Highway 77 to Aravaipa. Arriving at Aravaipa Farms about noon, Carol greeted us with a large picnic basket filled with veggies, cheese, cookies and delicious sandwiches. There was no "check-in" process: no forms to fill out, credit cards to scan, birth certificates, or blood tests. Carol simply smiled and said "You must be Jonathan?" and walked us to our casita. Just as we were getting into our room, it started to rain and continued on for the rest of day. We lit a fire and relaxed in the room which thankfully has no clocks, phones or televisions.
We were given the "Garden Castita" located in the "Big Red Barn". On the other side of us is the "Mountain Casita" and behind our suite was the kitchen and dining room. Checking out the room, we find the in-room fridge is filled with more cheese, crackers, fresh fruit, muffins, the farm's special Meyer lemon marmalade, coffee and tea. Carol calls it the "reverse" bed-n-breakfast, wherin every day when the room is cleaned, the fridge is re-stocked for tomorrow's breakfast. Oh, and I can't forget the fresh baked cranberry quick bread that shows up later in the afternoons!
At 6:30 each evening, all the guests (there are 5 casitas) gather outside the dining room in front of a fire and Carol begins opening bottle after bottle of wine. While Carol doesn't do the cooking anymore, her chef Holly produces the most amazing meals. We all sit around a common table with prepared plates delivered by Carol's grandson Ben and get to know the guests and Carol. Ben is a quick young lad (he's 22 I think) and we all enjoy his optimism and fresh outlook.
I can't begin to describe how amazing Holly's cooking was, but the first night we had salmon with a side of butternut squash cut into pieces mixed with pancetta bits and roasted until crispy. The next night was grass-fed beef with sauteed mushrooms, onions and gorgonzola (also crispy). Our final night was roasted chicken with lemon sauce, paired with potato and apple (!) au-gratin. It was all wonderful.
I can't speak highly enough about Carol's hospitality and our experience at Aravaipa Farms. I imagine the rustic charm and lack of "modern" convienences (my Sprint service was absolutely non-existent throughout the canyon) would appeal to many HAZers, and I strongly recommend making the farm part of your Aravaipa Canyon trip. It's a "shiny nickle" per night, but when you consider all the gourmet meals included, it's not a bad deal. We peeked at the other casitas and decided we liked ours the best, but the "Mountain" casita behind us would be pretty nice too ("Garden" is the largest, I believe).
Now that the wedding craziness is done, Lori and I hope to use these last few months of "cool" weather to get back onto the trails.
~jonathan |
| _____________________
| | |
|
|
|
Route Editor
Route Scout
