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| Backpack | 13.00 Miles |
400 AEG |
| | Backpack | 13.00 Miles | 2 Days | | |
| 400 ft AEG | | | | |
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| no partners | | Secret Canyon - Wet and Wild
A large group of us, adults and young men in Boy Scout Troop 6 out of Phoenix, started from the trailhead about 10:30 on Saturday, March 22, 2003. Keep in mind that this was shortly after several weeks of what counts in Arizona as fairly decent precipitation. Right at the start we encountered our first stream crossing. It was but a taste of many to come. On this first crossing we were able to cross on rocks and stay dry. Not so further in the canyon.
The first two miles of this hike is about as easy and pleasant as hiking can be. A nice soft, easy to follow trail, and decent scenery - red rocks and all that - and only two more stream crossings, both with well placed boulders and stones to keep your boots dry. At just about the two mile mark we enjoyed our first head-on view into Secret Canyon. At about the same point, is the trail junction with the Dave Miller trail. Up to this point, the trend of the trail has been generally northward. At this trail junction, take the left fork and head west into Secret Canyon. For the next four miles (from mile 2 to about mile 6) the trail generally runs in a westerly direction, sometimes in the bed of the canyon and sometimes on the benches above on one side and then the other.
Within the first quarter mile after the trail junction, we were greeted by the first view of a ravine cut through the red rock of Sedona with a roaring stream running through it. We were high on a bench above. Pressing westward into the canyon, we now started numerous, frequent stream crossings. We were able to stay dry through the first several of these. Further on, we encountered our first of several crossings that lacked convenient boulders for hopping and stepping across. From here on every crossing required wading. The creek was high and the water was cold. Very cold. Foot numbing, bone chilling cold. After all, this water had started the day as snow and had not warmed up much past the melting point. My son and I changed from boots to sandals before the wading started, but the rest of our group had to slog through the water in their boots.
We made camp at about mile 3 on a bench high above the creek on the south bank. Four of the young men and I then went on with day packs. (We were working on a ten mile hike for the Hiking merit badge, which requires five 10 mile hikes and one 20 mile hike.) In the next 3.5 miles, only once were we fortunate enough to cross the stream without getting wet - on a fallen log spanning the stream. The views got better and better. Deep cut ravines with pour offs. And at about the 5.5 mile point a thundering waterfall. (Photos 9, 10, 11 and 12) The photos do not do the waterfall justice. It was far deeper than the photos depict and filled with flotsam and foam in the deep pools at the base. By the way, photos 11 and 12 show my young companions jumping around at the top of the falls. This was not part of the trail. It was a side excursion engineered by youthful exuberance.
Moving on deeper into the canyon, and now about a mile high, we found large patches of snow. Perfect for a snowball fight. Though sandals may be superior to boots for the stream crossings, I cannot say the same for crossing snow fields. But sandals did not seem to detract from the fun of one snowball combatant.
Somewhere after the waterfall, about mile 5.7 the canyon takes a turn to the north. Two side canyons come in from the left (west). Up to this point, the trail was really pretty good, distinct, easy to follow and generally fairly clear of fallen timber. Now the trail began to deteriorate, becoming harder to find and follow, overgrown and blocked by timber fall. We struggled on with this for a while until we achieved our mileage goal and then headed back to camp at mile 3, arriving about 5:30. The water seemed even colder on the way back and the air was certainly chillier.
This hike is one of the Arizona's hidden treasures. I guess that is why it is called Secret Canyon. |
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Route Editor
Route Scout
According to the topo, Pine Mountain is 6814. The high point south-southeast of the peak is 6810, so the trail is not higher than Pine Mountain, but even the boys hiking with us were tall enough to look down on Pine Mountain from the 6810 point (which also offers a wonderful vista). I have uploaded a photo of the topo map.
