Willow Creek to Saguaro Lake • Canyon Trip • Arizona • All Triplogs • HikeArizona.COM

Phoenix, AZ

Canyoneering		Apr 06 2023
		AZLOT69 • Triplogs 2,066

Canyoneering	7.20 Miles	910 AEG

Canyoneering	7.20 Miles
	910 ft AEG

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The rocks have definitely shifted from the rains, lots of standing water. Great time, saw no others

_____________________

It's best for a man to remain silent and be thought a fool, than to open his mouth and remove all doubt.
--Mark Twain

Mar 05 2023

chumley

Guides 84
Routes 750
Photos 18,650
Triplogs 1,777

50 male

Joined Sep 18 2002
Tempe, AZ

Goldfield wander, AZ

Hiking		Mar 05 2023
		chumley • Triplogs 1,777

Hiking	3.08 Miles	1,128 AEG

Hiking	3.08 Miles	2 Hrs 41 Mns	1.36 mph
	1,128 ft AEG	25 Mns Break

no routes

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2881 Consensus Loop - Goldfield Mountains

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Mave1878

patrickakabird

A buddy wanted to check out some new mods on his 4Runner and decided that the bulldog run would be a good option. I recruited Ryan to follow up some snowthings yesterday with desert things today. We drove a few miles before reaching an obstacle that isn't suitable for my build and set out on foot from there. A trio of jeeps were running the lower stretch and we watched them traverse some impressive obstacles before heading up a side canyon that vehicles can't do.

I enjoy the drive to get a little deeper in here, but it's getting abused, and I'd be happy to see the FS lock it up completely. There's a lot of pretty nature in these hills. We found some water and geology and flowers. Not bad for a random Sunday in March.

_____________________

two scoops!

Mar 12 2022

John10s

Guides 1
Routes 191
Photos 3,228
Triplogs 182

38 male

Joined Mar 01 2018
Chandler, AZ

Peak 2881 - Horns - Keyhole - Massif - Willow, AZ

Hiking		Mar 12 2022
		John10s • Triplogs 182

Hiking	11.56 Miles	2,479 AEG

Hiking	11.56 Miles	9 Hrs 39 Mns	1.51 mph
	2,479 ft AEG	2 Hrs Break

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Little Keyhole Saddle

[ checklist ] Canyon Lake Four Peaks Goldfield Mountains Mormon Flat Dam Saguaro Lake Weavers Needle

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TboneKathy

We headed to the northeast Goldfields to check out some new areas, and I cobbled together a few different points of interest from various routes and triplogs, mostly centered around the 2881 Consensus Loop, knowing we wouldn't have time to see them all today. We parked at the small pullout along SR 88 where the Consensus Loop starts and followed the route clockwise toward 2881 on a windy morning. The route leading toward the peak was extremely well-cairned...I recognized @Yoder's handiwork from hiking Sunset Arch a few months ago, and some of the cairns along the route today were as much artwork as they were trail markers

.

We circled around to the east side and then up to the peak, and the wind was almost unbearable on top, with gusts that must have been up to 40-50 mph. The views were great, but we didn't spend much time up there before heading down the more gradual slope on the north side.

[ youtube video ]

The traverse to Horns was a very scenic area, with a small arch along the route and a good size cave up in the formations behind us. I'd added the Little Keyhole Saddle route among the other points of interest, and after hiking down from Horns, @TBoneKathy waited while I took a quick detour to see if I could find the keyhole. I didn't have a specific location and didn't know what it looked like, but when I reached the spot where I thought it might be located, I did see a tiny, keyhole-shaped arch on top of a rock formation. The description said it was small, but this was only a few inches tall...someone who's been there will have to confirm if what I saw was actually Little Keyhole. If so, that's the smallest named rock formation I've encountered...if not, I guess I found Really Little Keyhole.

We detoured off the main loop again and explored north toward Peaks 2178 and 2135 and saw a few arches, but I didn't have time to go up to the peaks. Next up was Canyon Lake Massif 2276. Hiking along SR 88 with all the road noise wasn't exactly a highlight today, but the views from the massif made it a worthwhile stop, and the wind had calmed down some by afternoon.

[ youtube video ]

We hiked back to the loop and headed south following Willow Creek. It was a lot more rugged than a lot of the other Goldfield creek beds, and we had to bypass multiple deep pools on the hike out. The official route has two of the pools marked, but we there were 4-5 that we ended up navigating around--all of them surprisingly deep given the dry conditions, though it looked like at least one was fed from a spring upstream. The final large pool had a lot of debris nearby...old irrigation tubing, buckets, rusty pipe, and other random stuff. That final section of the loop ended up being a lot and interesting than anticipated...there's a lot more going on down along the spring than you'd ever see just driving by on 88.

As expected, we didn't get to everything I'd mapped out, but it was a good day with a lot of variety in the terrain and scenery. In typical Goldfield fashion, we saw ~3x the number of arches as we saw other hikers today

. And I found a Leatherman multi-tool in the dirt on the way to Horns of Dilemma, which was a nice bonus.

Geology

Geology [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Natural Arch

Culture

Culture [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Boat / Ship Cairn

Named place

Named place [ checklist ]

1 archive

Jan 16 2021

adilling

Guides 1
Routes 192
Photos 7,676
Triplogs 305

60 male

Joined Dec 02 2014
Mesa, AZ

2881-Horns-Willow, AZ

Hiking		Jan 16 2021
		adilling • Triplogs 305

Hiking	7.33 Miles	1,640 AEG

Hiking	7.33 Miles
	1,640 ft AEG

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My plan this weekend was to hit Byous Butte and Hewitt Ridge, but there was a brush fire off Hewitt Station Road, so I wasn’t sure how that would affect the air up there. So, plan B was do a loop that I have long wanted to accomplish – Peak 2881, Horns of Dilemma and Willow Creek Wash. I have been checking out a triplog from @hikerdw that did this in the reverse – Willow Creek to the Horns and then up to 2881. I decided the other way would suit me better, plus I would get a sunrise from there if I arrived early enough.

I have hiked all three of these multiple times, but have never put them together as a loop.

The sunrise was worth getting up early for sure. Very vibrant. The clouds took over right after sunrise and made for a gloomy start. But they eventually burnt off and it was clear skies once I started down 2881 to the Horns.

The path up to 2881 is a nice hike. I have been up to the little ridgeline below the peak often, so getting there is no problem. I skipped the direct assault on the peak and opted to skirt the edge and work my way across and then up. Once I had my visit up at the summit, I started towards the ridgeline that would connect me to the Horns.

This area was new to me and I really enjoyed the views. There’s a kinda/sorta path to follow, but the route seems very clear either way. Once I made it up to the last saddle before the Horns, I felt some relief as most of the climbing for the day was over (or so I thought…ha ha).

I skipped climbing up to the Horns and instead hiked across the backside base and headed for Willow Creek. The last time I was in Willow Creek, I took it all the way to the Lake. There was some water in there that time. It was dry as a bone this time except for the large well at the first lower falls. My memory of that hike selectively erased all the bypasses I had to do. I went down the last time. This time I was going up.

A great loop. I saw no other human beings the entire hike. I did see some javelina down in the wash area. I really love this part of the Goldfields. So scenic and wild.

_____________________

"Hiking is just walking where it’s okay to pee." –Demetri Martin

instagram: @andydilling

1 archive

Feb 08 2020

BiFrost

Guides 4
Routes 427
Photos 9,508
Triplogs 1,122

53 male

Joined Nov 20 2012
Phoenix, AZ

Willow - Massif - Salt - Dilemma - 2881 Loop, AZ

Hiking		Feb 08 2020
		BiFrost • Triplogs 1,122

Hiking	12.42 Miles	2,755 AEG

Hiking	12.42 Miles	8 Hrs 4 Mns	1.81 mph
	2,755 ft AEG	1 Hour 12 Mns Break

no routes

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joebartels

The_Eagle

Bruce put together a nice loop in the part of Goldfields I had not hiked before. It was mostly off trail so some tough miles but made up for it with the views. We started by hiking over to scenic overlook of Canyon Lake Massif. Took a break there for a few minutes before heading down towards the Salt River below the dam. We didn’t make it all the way to Salt River because difficult terrain but it was close enough for us.

Then we hiked up Willow Creek drainage up to the Horns of Dilemma where we had lunch and had great views of both Canyon Lake and Salt River below the dam. After lunch we continued in a southerly direction on a ridgeline which provided the best views of the day and some pleasant hiking. We took a break on Peak 2881 which I believe was the high point for the day. The only tricky part was coming off the peaks south slope which was loose scree mixed with cholla just for added sport factor. After that a bit more ridgeline and a drainage back to the vehicle.

Wildflowers Observation Isolated

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1 archive

Feb 08 2020

The_Eagle

Guides 9
Routes 1,101
Photos 11,862
Triplogs 2,141

67 male

Joined Jan 20 2009
Far NE Phoenix,

Willow - Massif - Salt - Dilemma - 2881 Loop, AZ

Hiking		Feb 08 2020
		The_Eagle • Triplogs 2,141

Hiking	12.42 Miles	2,755 AEG

Hiking	12.42 Miles	8 Hrs 4 Mns		1.81 mph
	2,755 ft AEG	1 Hour 12 Mns Break	14 LBS Pack

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BiFrost

joebartels

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

It was my week to come up with a hike. I did not have much time, so I went to an area on Route Editor I have not been to before, clicked to find all the routes in the area, and cobbled together a route that fit the bill. The majority of the route was from @hikerdw (thanks) with a couple of twists.

We started at a large pull out directly across from Little Four Peaks. From here we jumped into Willow Creek. The geology is quite stunning down here. There were some pools and drops we had to bypass, all quite easy.

We jumped out of Willow Canyon on our way over to the Canyon Lake Massif. This is an old Jeep road for awhile until reaching the saddle, where a well defined use trail is apparent. It's beginning is steep, but short lived. Stay on the high trail to get over to the east side of the Massif.
You get a great overlook of the Mormon Flat Dam on the way [ youtube video ] ,
but the payoff is the views of Canyon Lake. [ youtube video ]

Next up, is to try and get to Salt Creek at the end of Willow Creek. I suggested a shortcut from the planned track, trying out a feeder canyon into Willow Canyon. It worked out great and by the footprints in it, it's kind of popular. We got to within 75' or so of the Salt River. We stopped when we got to an area with 40' boulders and a 40' drop. It looks like you could potentially get down there, but we had other places to try out.

Back up Willow Creek until the turn off to the Horns of Dilemma. (I wonder where that name came from) In spots there is a good use trail and it peters out in others. We took lunch at the north base of "The Horns" in the shade.

Next stop was Peak 2881. It's a teaser with a few false summits. More Great 360 views. Getting up from the west, was far easier and safer than our retreat to the east. Steep, loose and slow.

This was another very nice sample of the Eastern Goldfields.

Wildflowers Observation Isolated
A couple of Dichelostemma capitatum here and there

	Willow Creek	Pools to trickle	Pools to trickle
	Pools the entire distance

_____________________

There is a very fine line between "hobby" and "mental illness."
Dave Barry

Feb 08 2020

joebartels

Guides 264
Routes 2,383
Photos 13,558
Triplogs 5,474

53 male

Joined Nov 20 1996

Willow - Massif - Salt - Dilemma - 2881 Loop, AZ

Hiking		Feb 08 2020
		joebartels • Triplogs 5,474

Hiking	12.44 Miles	2,906 AEG

Hiking	12.44 Miles	8 Hrs 3 Mns		1.78 mph
	2,906 ft AEG	1 Hour 4 Mns Break	7 LBS Pack

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BiFrost

The_Eagle

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

Bruce elongated a route by @hikerdw with a side trip. We headed out with the wrestling fan Kacklepelli. To put it lightly it's a smorgasbord of views. From the makeshift trailhead we followed a powerline road that faded before passing over FR 1817. Then we were in the true origin of Willow Creek heading down.

Willow is never tough, never boring, good little workout. We were minutes from the sun the whole friggin way down. Guess who dressed lite...lol On the brightside(gasp), views popped often around the bends.

Canyon Lake Massif was the side trip. Chums has yet to chastise my naming of this little gem, borderline seal of approval! It's a treat at sunrise and sunset. Unfortunately an annoying glare in harsh light. Views down on Mormon Flat Dam stole the show in better light.

Next we took the lowest tributary of Willow to Willow proper and the final hurrah to the Salt River. Cool tickle once and appears to be very popular by an army of foot prints. A bunch of HAZ'r tracks on MapDEX too.

Up and out of Willow we scattered then I led to the horns of dilemma for lunch. Other than Black Glass Canyon I'm not a huge Goldfield fan. The Horns of Dilemma is a rock solid knockout punch. Intriguing in itself but listen kid, the views. The Four Peaks to the Rolls. A few hikes directly across the Salt I enjoy, notably for the debatable history.

After lunch Karl took the lead and it was like watching the old fern grow. Totally exaggerated because he dishes out the trash talk with the best of 'em. 2881 was on our route. There was mumble of side skirting the ascent until solid reasoning entered. Turned out to be a double false summit ascent. Easy peasy tiptoe around cholla otherwise.

Then I got a big ol' slice of humble pie descending the flipside. A steep descent down loose terrain through a never ending lightly scattered cholla mine field. The guys were extremely patient with my miserably slow three point crawl down. Got lucky without a single slip, which would have been an ugly mess.

We checked out a litchen plastered ridge then backtracked to FR 1817 then back to square one.

Synopsis
The net views are tough to beat. Thoroughly enjoyed. Highly recommend for the avid. Not itchin' to return for a few years. I would not bring a dog I loved on this hike. Any car can access.

Culture

Culture [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Benchmark

_____________________

- joe

Dec 17 2016

arizona_water

Guides 9
Routes 118
Photos 1,079
Triplogs 118

32 male

Joined Mar 06 2016
Salt River Valle

Phoenix, AZ

Canyoneering		Dec 17 2016
		arizona_water • Triplogs 118

Canyoneering	2.70 Miles	392 AEG

Canyoneering	2.70 Miles	1 Hour 13 Mns	2.28 mph
	392 ft AEG	2 Mns Break

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I had a few hours set aside to hike on Saturday afternoon and I wanted to see if Friday's rains had created some surface flow in Willow Canyon. I think the name "Willow Creek" is just semantics. It's most always a dry canyon. So of course, there was not much surface water after the rain, but there were some small pools.

I had hoped to start hiking from the gate to Mormon Flat Dam, but there was a group of people shooting at the ridgeline. This made me really uncomfortable, so I turned around and parked at the intersection of the SRP Dam road and highway 88. I expected to have to bushwhack my way into Willow, but after following a jeep trail I noticed a clear-cut track headed north towards the bottom of the canyon. There were cairns marking this path, once you walk a few hundred meters past the jeep road. This was a pleasant surprise, and made the descent to the wash very quick and easy. This route continues to follow the canyon bottom, skirting the sides of the dry creek bed and crossing it several times. The entire time I heard gunshots from up canyon. This no longer bothered me, but I definitely was paying attention to my surroundings. My goal now was to find a route down to the river. The last 200 meters of Willow descend steeply to the river and there are a few sketchy down climbs. On the HAZ description for this hike, I didn't see any photos taken from the banks of the river. Now I know why. The last few down climbs are very steep, and I decided it wasn't worth the effort. There are great views of the river here, though!

On the return, I spent some considerable time trying to find an alternative route back around the cliff face of the river and hoped to meet up with the SRP road that way. This option quickly cliffs-out, and so then I tried to go up and over. This also proved to be too difficult (maybe if I hadn't sprained my ankle last week on a trail run

). I ended up walking back up Willow Canyon and exiting up the side canyon that leads directly to the SRP gate on the access road. Thankfully, the target practice party had ended and there was no one in sight. For some reason, I got this idea that I just had to see Mormon Flat Dam, so I walked through the open gate. But just as I passed by the NO TRESPASSING sign, an SRP truck drove around the corner and stopped me. Hmmm. Maybe some time in the future...

Willow Canyon is great. And the cairned route is really easy to follow.

	Willow Creek	Pools to trickle	Pools to trickle
	Several scattered small pools from recent precip.

_____________________

- there's nothing like finding Water in the Desert -

2 archives

Dec 03 2016

hikerdw

Routes 266
Photos 2,961
Triplogs 539

64 male

Joined Aug 16 2009
Mesa,AZ

Willow-Horns-2881, AZ

Hiking		Dec 03 2016
		hikerdw • Triplogs 539

Hiking	8.09 Miles	1,944 AEG

Hiking	8.09 Miles	6 Hrs	1.50 mph
	1,944 ft AEG	37 Mns Break

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[ checklist ] Four Peaks Goldfield Mountains Saguaro Lake Superstition Mountain

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Wanted to check out the Goldfields Willow Creek so I threw a loop together that took us down the creek, across to the Horns of Dilemma, then back to the trailhead via Peak 2881. Not a bad loop if you enjoy canyon and off trail hiking. I wasn't sure what to expect from Willow Creek but we both really enjoyed it. The hiking was pretty easy and the routes around the 3 drop offs and the Narrows were straight forward, just remember right/right/left/right

The hike across to the Horns was well marked where we had lunch. Now the tougher part of the hike started. We had hiked this 2 years ago which helped with the route finding. The cholla's were out in full force and both of us picked up several jumpers along the way. Luckily we both had long pants. The views on top of peak 2881 were fantastic. From the peak it was just a short way back to the Apache Gap TH. Great hike, great weather, solitude :y:

My posted route is pretty good with the exception of the exit off peak 2881. We elected to drop off the south side which was pretty steep and loose. Best to back track down to the north and then take the route around the east side of the peak.

Named place

Named place [ checklist ]

_____________________

Expect to self rescue

Aug 19 2016

Guides 4
Routes 5
Photos 3,371
Triplogs 767

53 male

Joined Aug 20 2009
Mesa, AZ

Phoenix, AZ

Canyoneering		Aug 19 2016
		RickVincent • Triplogs 767

Canyoneering

Canyoneering

no routes

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Quick in and out of Willow Creek via the Waterfall Trail. Creek was dry. Water in some of the big pools upstream. Heard, but never saw, a rattlesnake under some boulders. It started rattling, warning us to stay away. We heeded that suggestion.

_____________________

This is my gym. I have to travel down a bumpy road to get there. There are no treadmillls, no machines, and no personal trainers. I walk..I run..I breathe the fresh air. I can go any time I want, as much as I want and there is no membership fee.

1 archive

Jan 15 2015

AZLOT69

Guides 177
Routes 249
Photos 9,071
Triplogs 2,066

72 male

Joined Feb 12 2002
Gold Canyon, AZ

Phoenix, AZ

Canyoneering		Jan 15 2015
		AZLOT69 • Triplogs 2,066

Canyoneering	4.50 Miles	665 AEG

Canyoneering	4.50 Miles
	665 ft AEG

Canyon Hiking - Non-technical; no rope; easy scrambling; occasional hand use

A - Dry or little water; shallow or avoidable water; no wet/dry suit

II - Normally requires a half day

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Fun day, no others around.

_____________________

It's best for a man to remain silent and be thought a fool, than to open his mouth and remove all doubt.
--Mark Twain

Oct 04 2014

Guides 4
Routes 5
Photos 3,371
Triplogs 767

53 male

Joined Aug 20 2009
Mesa, AZ

Phoenix, AZ

Canyoneering		Oct 04 2014
		RickVincent • Triplogs 767

Canyoneering	2.50 Miles

Canyoneering	2.50 Miles

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Accessed the creek via the Waterfall trail further downstream. Traveled upstream towards a few pools. Still very light running water. Not much more than a trickle. Signs of some major flow through this area from the heavy rains less than two weeks earlier.

_____________________

This is my gym. I have to travel down a bumpy road to get there. There are no treadmillls, no machines, and no personal trainers. I walk..I run..I breathe the fresh air. I can go any time I want, as much as I want and there is no membership fee.

Mar 02 2014

Guides 4
Routes 5
Photos 3,371
Triplogs 767

53 male

Joined Aug 20 2009
Mesa, AZ

Phoenix, AZ

Canyoneering		Mar 02 2014
		RickVincent • Triplogs 767

Canyoneering

Canyoneering

Canyon Hiking - Non-technical; no rope; easy scrambling; occasional hand use

no routes

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Accessed the creek via the Waterfall Trail further downstream. Figured Willow would have some nice flow after the previous nights rain, and I wasn't disappointed. With everything being wet, colors were brilliant and the desert did not look thirsty anymore.

Flora

Flora [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Hopbush

Named place

Named place [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Willow Creek

_____________________

This is my gym. I have to travel down a bumpy road to get there. There are no treadmillls, no machines, and no personal trainers. I walk..I run..I breathe the fresh air. I can go any time I want, as much as I want and there is no membership fee.

Nov 17 2013

Guides 4
Routes 5
Photos 3,371
Triplogs 767

53 male

Joined Aug 20 2009
Mesa, AZ

Phoenix, AZ

Canyoneering		Nov 17 2013
		RickVincent • Triplogs 767

Canyoneering	1.00 Miles

Canyoneering	1.00 Miles

no routes

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Again, not much of a hike...just scoping out the area. This time I drove further downstream and entered near the old corral which leads out towards a big waterfall. The waterfall was flowing, but not much beyond a trickle. I walked around up top then hiked down to the creek level and viewed the falls from below.

Named place

Named place [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Four Peaks

_____________________

This is my gym. I have to travel down a bumpy road to get there. There are no treadmillls, no machines, and no personal trainers. I walk..I run..I breathe the fresh air. I can go any time I want, as much as I want and there is no membership fee.

Nov 17 2013

Guides 4
Routes 5
Photos 3,371
Triplogs 767

53 male

Joined Aug 20 2009
Mesa, AZ

Phoenix, AZ

Canyoneering		Nov 17 2013
		RickVincent • Triplogs 767

Canyoneering	1.25 Miles

Canyoneering	1.25 Miles	2 Hrs	0.63 mph

no routes

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Wasn't sure where I wanted to go today. Jumped on the 88 and started driving. Decided to scout out this canyoneering hike I had heard about in the past. I hiked in pass the first 3 big drop-offs. I worked around most of them on the way down canyon, but found them quite easy to climb out of on the way back. Still, these climbs required some exposed moves, so caution and care should be exercised. I found myself traversing around the edges of pools to get to the pour-offs where I made my ascents. I imagine this wouldn't be quite as easy if water were flowing through here.

Today I kept it short, only going in about 0.6 miles. Yet another hike that I can add to my hikes close to home list (30 minutes or less from house to trailhead).

Named place

Named place [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Four Peaks

_____________________

This is my gym. I have to travel down a bumpy road to get there. There are no treadmillls, no machines, and no personal trainers. I walk..I run..I breathe the fresh air. I can go any time I want, as much as I want and there is no membership fee.

Dec 04 2012

AZLumberjack

Guides 4
Routes 17
Photos 4,107
Triplogs 493

82 male

Joined Feb 17 2010
Apache Junction,

Phoenix, AZ

Canyoneering		Dec 04 2012
		AZLumberjack • Triplogs 493

Canyoneering	1.36 Miles	665 AEG

Canyoneering	1.36 Miles	1 Hour 13 Mns	1.12 mph
	665 ft AEG	22 Hrs Break

Basic Canyoneering - Scrambling; easy climbing/downclimbing; frequent hand use; rope recommended; easy exit

B - Up to light current; wading/swimming; possible wet/dry suit

II - Normally requires a half day

no routes

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I just got an OHV permit for the Bulldog Canyon area so I wanted to check it out a bit more. As I researched the area, I came across the Willow Creek to Saguaro Lake description written a couple of years ago by AZLOT69. As I read the well written hike, I was thinking that there may be a bit of exaggeration, but it sounded exciting so I drove out along the Apache Trail to check it out.

I parked my truck at an old weathered corral (33deg 32.3913 by 111deg 27.1814) and followed a now closed 4WD trail down to a small wash (note: this is about at the half-way point of AZLOT69's hike description) Some debris on the brush in the wash indicated that there had been a good flow probably during the summer's monsoon season. This wash soon ended in a 30 foot, undercut, vertical washout that offered no direct way down. So I retraced my tracks and found a steep grade leading down to the main creek, now dry, where I could continue my hiking.

The canyon was so narrow in places that if I extended my arms, I could touch both walls. Lots of boulders to scramble on/over/around and pools of water to avoid, and before long, I encountered another blockage. This impass was in the form of a deep pool surrounded by steep, slick rock walls and again no direct way through.

OK.....AZLOT69 was accurate in his description, the hike does require a lot of up-and-around if you choose not to go the technical equipment route. I didn't have either the equipment or the time, so I returned to my truck. But this area looks like a lot of fun and I hope to return when I have the time to check it out further.

	Willow Creek	Dry	Dry
	There are several pools that are too deep to wade across unless prepared to get wet.

_____________________

On every trip into the Superstitions, I find another Gold Mine. Today the mine was filled with Memories. I can not wait for the next trip.

Aug 14 2012

gummo

Guides 10
Photos 12,829
Triplogs 248

male

Joined Oct 23 2010
mesa

Phoenix, AZ

Canyoneering		Aug 14 2012
		gummo • Triplogs 248

Canyoneering	4.50 Miles	665 AEG

Canyoneering	4.50 Miles
	665 ft AEG

no routes

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I saw only one diamondback rattlesnake on this hike, but last week on a previous hike close to this area, I saw 10 diamondbacks. I've noticed that a lot of the diamondbacks, and some of the desert black-tailed rattlesnakes, are thinner this year. Perhaps, the drought and higher winter temps are stressing them out. I haven't seen enough diamondbacks (I've seen roughly 25 this year) to suggest that there stress within the diamonback population. The one in the photoset looks thin to me and was not striking at all.

Fauna

Fauna [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Western Diamondback Rattlesnake

_____________________

Dec 27 2011

AZLumberjack

Guides 4
Routes 17
Photos 4,107
Triplogs 493

82 male

Joined Feb 17 2010
Apache Junction,

Willow Springs Basin

Willow Springs Basin

Phoenix, AZ

Hiking		Dec 27 2011
		AZLumberjack • Triplogs 493

Hiking	10.00 Miles	305 AEG

Hiking	10.00 Miles	3 Hrs 45 Mns	3.08 mph
	305 ft AEG	30 Mns Break

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A very interesting hike would be an apt description for this day's trek. I have often been intrigued by the Goldfield Mountains but thought they were just running areas for ATV's and Jeeps, and as it turns out, I was right. But I parked my truck at the Weavers Needle Vista parking area along the Apache Trail just a short distance from First Water Road to explore the area.

I got into my hiking gear, cleared the GPS and struck out, going North across Hwy 88 and into the dry wash. The immediate area was a series of horse trails, jeep/ATV tracks and some hikers boot prints. The wash was wide and ideal for walking with a mix of sand/gravel and stretches of solid rock. The Jeeps & ATV's seem to have little regard for the scenic area and are trying to climb every ledge and steep grade in sight (and it would only get worse further in) :gun:

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I decided to stay off the trails and stay in the wash, which proved to be the exciting part of the hike. Soon I was in a very narrow canyon area which had a white solid rock base, cut deep in places by the erosion effects of the water. Holes in this rock were filled with standing water from the last rains but were useful as steps to descend to the lower levels. A length of Galvanized pipe ran for a long distance along the West side of the wash that at one time carried water to Tanks further down the wash.

It wasn't long before the wash widened with a continuous sand/gravel base and a lot of dense green foliage dominated the sides. Further up, the mountains provided outstanding scenery with a lot of Saguaro and stands of Cholla dotting the sides. Slot canyons had been formed by the streams entering the wash and I investigated some of them and found them to be very interesting. One of these canyons had a drill rod stuck in the rock above a 15 foot falls.

As I continued on, the jeep/ATV trail joined and left the wash at several places, so there was a lot of traffic that ran the wash rather than the trails. I was beginning to see more plastic water bottles, plastic ATV parts, even a rider's glove littered the wash. At one place I came across some doggie poo in a zip-lock baggie (When dog poo will dry up in a couple of Arizona days, why would someone put it into a zip-lock bag to preserve it for a thousand years?) :yuck:

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I continued down the wash enjoying the quiet (the Jeeps & ATV's weren't running today) and the scenery. There were a lot of birds around and they seemed to pay little attention to my presence. At places the sides of the canyon closed in with cliffs towering high above making for some beautiful stretches of the hike.

When my GPS told me I reached the 5 mile mark, I had now overlapped the Willow Creek to Saguaro Lake posted hike. Along the West side of the wash, another canyon was showing itself and looked pretty tempting, but I was running low on time and put this in my memory banks for a future hike (coordinates 33-deg 32.448, 111-deg 28.948). So I reluctantly made an about face and headed back up the wash. :-({|=

When I got to the white rock area again, I had to climb up the rocks and in doing so, my new camera somehow slipped out if its bag and fell on the rocks, landing in the sand below.

I can't repeat what I said then, :--:

but after retrieving my camera, the lens cover had come off and the optional ND (neutral density) filter was cracked across its face ](*,)

. Now I know why I bought a $25 screw in lens filter, that fracture could have been my $400 camera :doh:

. Fortunately the camera still works and I was able to take some photos of fall foliage that still existed along the wash.

So I had an interesting day and an almost expensive lesson, but there's still hope for the regions within the Goldfield Mountains, if you can find the remote trails where the ATV's can't travel. :y:

Fauna

Fauna [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Costa's Hummingbird

Autumn Foliage Observation Isolated

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On every trip into the Superstitions, I find another Gold Mine. Today the mine was filled with Memories. I can not wait for the next trip.

Nov 20 2010

AzTEC

Routes 2
Photos 2,117
Triplogs 109

53 male

Joined Jan 04 2005
Mesa, AZ

Phoenix, AZ

Canyoneering		Nov 20 2010
		AzTEC • Triplogs 109

Canyoneering	4.50 Miles	665 AEG

Canyoneering	4.50 Miles
	665 ft AEG

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Oct 22 2010

Grasshopper

Guides 48
Routes 503
Photos 9,278
Triplogs 567

77 male

Joined Dec 28 2006
Scottsdale, AZ