Echo Canyon & Mountain Rescue

Weather:  95º, humid, sun

Time:  36 minutes

About this Hike:  After a week visiting family in Upstate NY it was time for a good Phoenix hike again.  Much heavy restaurant food was consumed, all washed down with plenty of local craft brews.  It was time to sweat it out and get back to feeling good about myself again.

Parking was abundant this morning, although other hikers slowed me down a few times.  That, and the scorching desert sun, plus monsoon humidity, did nothing to help my time to the top.  The views from the summit were exceptionally clear this morning, with haze being heaviest over the east valley. 

On descent I moved wrong and hurt my right shoulder.  It's not severe at all, but it put a damper on the remainder of the hike and left me pondering ominous what-if questions.  However, as I slung myself down the steep embankment where there's just one railing for both sides, I noted a guy with cuts on the side of his face also gripping the railing.  He was conversing with other hikers as he worked his way down, so I didn't think much of it. 

Distant sirens began to approach the Echo Canyon parking lot.  As I finished the railings and rounded the railroad-tie stairs, the parking area came into view.  Fire trucks and EMTs were pulling in.

As I neared the trailhead, EMTs laden with the big wheel and other life-saving gear were on the ascent.  An EMT asked a hiker in front of me if she'd seen the guy and they discussed his injury.  It was the guy I saw with the scrapes on the side of his face.  I hope he's OK, and I wouldn't be surprised if we get the story on tonight's local news. 

This afternoon as I type my blog my right shoulder is fine.  It maybe feels a bit tight, but then again I've been having a lot of unrelated shoulder problems these past few weeks.  I have much to be grateful for including a beautiful, safe hike this morning.

Post-Monsoon Camelback Echo Canyon

Weather:  97º, humid, sun

Time:  35 minutes

About this Hike:  Temps might be lower, but humidity is waaay up.  Last night we had a thorough soaking from the third monsoon storm in a row. I'm not complaining though; we need this rain bad.

The humidity definitely slowed me down a bit, what with frequent water breaks.  Otherwise, the mountain wasn't overly crowded today, but it wasn't desolate either.  Parking in the main lot was easy.

The trails were well dried out, as the desert soil seems to do.  Erosion from rain and hikers' boots is definitely prevalent on the Echo Canyon trail right now. 

At the summit there were gnats and dragonflies everywhere, hence why I didn't stay long.  Today was a routine, enjoyable monsoon-season hike.

See Canyon #184 - Up the Rim

Weather:  88º, humid, partly cloudy

About this Hike:  See Canyon has been on the bucket list for a while now.  A last-minute deal at Kohl's Ranch outside of Payson meant this was to be another rim weekend. 

See Canyon trail traverses the Mogollon Rim, and if you're daring (as we were), allows you to hike up the entire rim in just under four miles.

There are two trailheads for #184.  One is in the little community of Christoper Creek just off AZ-260 E, and this is the one we opted to park at.  From Christopher Creek Loop, you simply turn onto FR 284 (confusing, since the trail number is 184) and follow it to a large parking area.  FR 284 is a good dirt road with a few sections that might be considered light rock crawl.  Other than that it's good, packed dirt. 

The other trailhead is on top of the rim.  It branches off from FR-300, also known as Rim Road.  Think of this like the Grand Canyon:  Get the easy downhill part over with first, and then hike back up it afterward!

We're the type who like to eat the frogs first...  This meant climbing the rim first and then taking it easy on the way down.  The hike starts in typical, beautiful Arizona high-country forest.  There are several crossings over Christopher Creek, which had just the right amount of water following weeks of monsoon activity this summer.  It's noteworthy to mention that the numerous washes along this trail were otherwise dry. 

Trail 184 eventually begins its steady ascent to the top of the rim.  The worst is at the end, with a steep section of light scree that requires some careful hand and foot work to ensure stable footing.  Shortly thereafter the sound of OHVs becomes more apparent.  Rim Road comes into sight. 

The hike down is a nice way to decompress.  Christopher Creek is at ~5,900 feet, while the Rim Road trailhead sits at close to 7,900 feet.  This hike involves nearly 2,000 feet of elevation gain in just under four miles! 

While we didn't see abundant wildlife on this hike, we did meet a few interesting fellow hikers. These included people with loppers and axes that mercifully were not something out of a horror movie... In fact, they were part of a service organization that maintains the trails.  A sign denotes this not too far from the trailhead.  Their service was appreciated, as soft, monsoon-fed grasses were making for some light bushwhacking in spots. 

Last year some people at Beaver Creek near Sedona were water angels to another hiker that was with me (and didn't prepare accordingly).  Our hike might've been cut short if they hadn't saved the day with an extra water bottle.  I've wished to pay this forward, and today was our chance.  We met a friendly, but exhausted couple on trail in need of some extra water.  Word of advice:  Trail #184 is NOT a mountain biking trail.  Unless, that is, you like carrying your bike up 2,000 feet over nearly four miles.

Epilogue:  This hike took about four hours total.  Next on the agenda was a drive up Rim Road to Bear Canyon Lake for some kayaking.  One more beautiful canyon-bound, pine-enshrouded, rim lake checked off the bucket list. 

On the way up to Bear Canyon Lake we spotted the Rim Road trailhead for See Canyon #184.  We also spotted a familiar couple now on their mountain bikes pedaling along Rim Road. Kind of ironic...