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8 triplogs
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Dec 30 2017
avatar

 Routes 1
 Photos 14
 Triplogs 8

54 female
 Joined Jan 08 2014
 Phoenix, AZ
Waddell to Ford Canyon to Willow to Mesquite, AZ 
Waddell to Ford Canyon to Willow to Mesquite, AZ
 
Hiking avatar Dec 30 2017
alittlediamond • Triplogs 8
Hiking9.50 Miles 1,595 AEG
Hiking9.50 Miles
1,595 ft AEG
 no routesno photosets
1st trip
Linked   linked  
Waddell Trail
Willow Canyon - White Tank Mountains
Partners none no partners
Ford Canyon is my favorite hike in the valley so I do this loop at least once a year. Somehow I hadn't done it yet in 2017 so I got it in right at the end! It was a lovely day, perfect weather. This hike is my favorite because it has everything - you start out in the desert, climb a mountain, do some route finding, then some rock scrambling, then hike a dry creek bed, then a prairie, all mostly in solitude. A quick side trip brings you to a waterfall (dry this time), then a couple of canyons to look down, then a regular Phoenix trail with lots of other hikers (Mesquite). It's great!
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Jan 02 2017
avatar

 Routes 1
 Photos 14
 Triplogs 8

54 female
 Joined Jan 08 2014
 Phoenix, AZ
Camp Creek FallsPhoenix, AZ
Camp Creek Falls
Phoenix, AZ
Hiking avatar Jan 02 2017
alittlediamond • Triplogs 8
Hiking3.00 Miles 378 AEG
Hiking3.00 Miles
378 ft AEG
 no routes
1st trip
Linked   none no linked trail guides
Partners none no partners
After rain on New Year's Eve and New Year's Day, the creek was full and the waterfall was flowing strong! The dogs loved playing in the water and climbing on the rocks. We had the entire place to ourselves on the way in and saw 3 other groups on the way out.
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Feb 15 2016
avatar

 Routes 1
 Photos 14
 Triplogs 8

54 female
 Joined Jan 08 2014
 Phoenix, AZ
Massacre FallsPhoenix, AZ
Massacre Falls
Phoenix, AZ
Hiking avatar Feb 15 2016
alittlediamond • Triplogs 8
Hiking4.90 Miles 1,014 AEG
Hiking4.90 Miles
1,014 ft AEG
 no routesno photosets
1st trip
Linked   none no linked trail guides
Partners none no partners
We didn't quite make it to the falls. Some hikers and horseback riders reported that there were swarms of bees in a stinging mood near the canyon wall. They showed us their stings and we chose not to continue. We spent some time on the overlook instead and had a great time anyway.
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Jan 16 2016
avatar

 Routes 1
 Photos 14
 Triplogs 8

54 female
 Joined Jan 08 2014
 Phoenix, AZ
Cave Creek / Skunk Tank LoopPhoenix, AZ
Cave Creek / Skunk Tank Loop
Phoenix, AZ
Hiking avatar Jan 16 2016
alittlediamond • Triplogs 8
Hiking10.25 Miles 1,892 AEG
Hiking10.25 Miles   5 Hrs   30 Mns   2.05 mph
1,892 ft AEG      30 Mns Break
 no routesno photosets
1st trip
Linked   linked  
Cave Creek Trail #4
Skunk Tank Trail #246
Partners none no partners
We originally picked this hike because we saw it in an article about good winter hikes. I would recommend this more for spring when the trees have leaves, but definitely not for summer - too much direct exposure. We were not prepared for how cold it was compared to the Valley. We knew it would be a few degrees colder, but it was probably 10 degrees colder. When we started at a little after 9:00 am, the ground was covered with frost. This proved to be a good thing as the area received a lot of rain two weeks ago and the Cave Creek #4 trail was VERY muddy. Frozen mud is much easier to deal with than melted mud, so we had a good reason to stop cursing the cold weather.

There was a good amount of water in the creek but not as much as I expected given the recent rains. The dogs enjoyed splashing around during our creek crossings. At the final crossing, clumsy Hoppy missed a rock on his jump and ended up going for a full-on swim. All the bipeds managed to stay dry for the entire hike.

We loved the creek on Cave Creek #4 and the varied terrain on Skunk Tank. We saw one couple out there (who kindly alerted us to the final creek crossing and saved us from hiking into nowhereland) and no one else for the entire hike.

We did see a few wildflowers in bloom so the season is starting early.
wildflower observationwildflower observationwildflower observationwildflower observationwildflower observation
Wildflowers Observation Isolated
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Nov 30 2014
avatar

 Routes 1
 Photos 14
 Triplogs 8

54 female
 Joined Jan 08 2014
 Phoenix, AZ
Black Canyon City TH to Table Mesa Road, AZ 
Black Canyon City TH to Table Mesa Road, AZ
 
Hiking avatar Nov 30 2014
alittlediamond • Triplogs 8
Hiking14.00 Miles 2,350 AEG
Hiking14.00 Miles
2,350 ft AEG
 no routes
1st trip
Linked   linked  
Black Canyon City TH to Little Pan Loop - BCT
Little Pan Loop from Table Mesa Road TH - BCT
Partners none no partners
We dropped a car at Table Mesa trailhead and were dropped off by a friend at the Black Canyon City trailhead. It was a gorgeous day and a gorgeous hike. We saw quite a few mountain bikers and a few ATVers but no other hikers.

The jeep trails were not confusing but sometimes it was hard to pick up the trail at the river crossings. The river bed is quite wide. We found it best to follow the bike treads but at one point there were so many ATV and motorbike tracks that we couldn't find the bike tracks. We figured it out and built up the little cairn that we overlooked.

There was water in the river but not a lot. We were able to walk across the little rocks and not get our feet wet.
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Aug 23 2014
avatar

 Routes 1
 Photos 14
 Triplogs 8

54 female
 Joined Jan 08 2014
 Phoenix, AZ
Cibecue CreekGlobe, AZ
Cibecue Creek
Globe, AZ
Hiking avatar Aug 23 2014
alittlediamond • Triplogs 8
Hiking4.00 Miles 240 AEG
Hiking4.00 Miles
240 ft AEG
 no routes
1st trip
Linked   none no linked trail guides
Partners none no partners
The drive in was just fine. We parked before the creek crossing, as the creek was pretty high from the big storms we've gotten the past 2 weeks.

The storms also caused the creek to be chocolate brown. The area was absolutely gorgeous but I plan to come back again next summer and hope for clearer water. The water was so dark that you couldn't see even an inch deep. This made it impossible to see rocks just below the surface and left us unable to judge the water depth anywhere. This was a fun challenge but it took us a lot longer to reach the waterfall because of it.

The water was usually about ankle to mid calf deep, except towards the end where we got some places that were over waist deep when trying to avoid the very thick and deep mud on the sides of the canyons. Water temp was chilly but definitely not cold. Air temp was in the low-mid 80's so it was perfect.

It was a gorgeous day, no signs of the monsoons we've been having recently and we had a great time.

water 1 out of 5water 2 out of 5water 3 out of 5water less than max Cibecue Creek Medium flow Medium flow
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Aug 23 2014
avatar

 Routes 1
 Photos 14
 Triplogs 8

54 female
 Joined Jan 08 2014
 Phoenix, AZ
Sawmill Canyon - San CarlosGlobe, AZ
Sawmill Canyon - San Carlos
Globe, AZ
Hiking avatar Aug 23 2014
alittlediamond • Triplogs 8
Hiking1.00 Miles 470 AEG
Hiking1.00 Miles
470 ft AEG
 no routesno photosets
1st trip
Linked   none no linked trail guides
Partners none no partners
This hike was a bust and a waste of a $20 permit. We followed the directions on this site and a few others, but we had to be in the wrong area. We parked in the pullout/lookout area 3 miles from the bridge. There was a kind-of/maybe trail in the distance but it didn't look all that accessible so we went to see the lookout just before the 3-mile one and the one right after the 3-mile one. Those were pretty much sheer cliffs so they definitely weren't the right place.

We went back to the 3-mile lookout, parked, and made our way very clumsily down hill. There may have been a fall or two. We got to the kind-of/maybe trail and followed it til it disappeared. We were no closer to the river and could see no way down. We bushwhacked a bit and after causing a few mini rock/dirt slides, we realized that this was too dangerous to continue. We then couldn't find the kind-of/maybe trail to go back so we just headed in the right direction and hoped for the best. There may have been a few more falls, cuts, scrapes, and contusions along the way as we tried to make it back up the steep slope. We finally decided the best idea would be to head straight up, climbing rocks, to the highway and walk along it back to the car.

We had a really fun time trying to get somewhere, but in the end we got nowhere and did not see Sawmill Canyon. Most expensive mile I've ever hiked. However, if I priced it out by cuts and bruises, I definitely got my money's worth.
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Aug 09 2014
avatar

 Routes 1
 Photos 14
 Triplogs 8

54 female
 Joined Jan 08 2014
 Phoenix, AZ
Horton Creek Trail #285Payson, AZ
Horton Creek Trail #285
Payson, AZ
Hiking avatar Aug 09 2014
alittlediamond • Triplogs 8
Hiking7.80 Miles 1,743 AEG
Hiking7.80 Miles   4 Hrs      1.95 mph
1,743 ft AEG
 no routesno photosets
1st trip
Linked   none no linked trail guides
Partners none no partners
I hiked the trail up to the springs and then tried to hike the creek itself or the trail along the creek on the way back.

It was a summer Saturday so I expected a ton of people and thus felt comfortable and safe hiking alone. I started the hike at 9:00 am. On the way up, I saw the requisite Boy Scout Troop hiking out. Other than that, I didn't see many people at all for the whole trip. On my way back I stopped for lunch and a trio with their dog joined me for a bit. I saw the most people around 1:00pm starting their hikes as I was finishing up and heading back to my car.

The trail along the creek was tempting me on the way up, but I stuck to the jeep trail or the walking trail that runs mostly parallel to it as much as I could. When I got to the spring there was only one other couple there. They left by the time I took a few pictures so I was all alone to enjoy the area.

I headed back in the creek. There was a lot of scrambling over fallen trees and debris, in and out of the water. After a while I decided the going was too conducive for a sprained ankle and thus, it wasn't very safe to do by myself. Besides, my feet were becoming numb from the really cold water. It's much colder than Beaver Creek or West Clear Creek! I scrambled up the ravine and bushwhacked along the upper ravine with the creek in sight. I went up and down the ravine a few times to keep in view of the creek. Some places I was able to walk very safely in the creek. Eventually the creekside trail started up and I took that the rest of the way back. It crossed the stream a few times.

It was a beautiful hike. I'd like to bring some friends next time so I can tackle the creek the whole way back without fear of getting broken and having no one near to help me. :)
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average hiking speed 2 mph

WARNING! Hiking and outdoor related sports can be dangerous. Be responsible and prepare for the trip. Study the area you are entering and plan accordingly. Dress for the current and unexpected weather changes. Take plenty of water. Never go alone. Make an itinerary with your plan(s), route(s), destination(s) and expected return time. Give your itinerary to trusted family and/or friends.

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