Webber Weekend

Weather:  85º clouds and sun, humid

About this Hike:  This weekend consisted of two hikes:  West Webber Canyon on Friday and then East Webber Canyon on Saturday. 

I've visited West Webber a couple times previously. Since the relatively low-grade fire that went thru there in September of 2024, I wanted to see how the area is recovering. It's never total decimation, and there's plenty of healthy forest left. Around West Webber creek the bigtooth maples and other deciduous trees are  growing in thick. The weather was cloudy and humid for this hike, although it never rained. 

I encountered some cattle in West Webber Canyon, including a protective bull watching over the herd and calves. I gave him plenty of space, and oddly enough, seemed to find a side trail. Some of the trees were pink-tagged while large, black lengths of PVC hose piping were run along the creek. It definitely was not unexplored territory. 

If I had the time, I could have continued on Geronimo Trail to East Webber, but Friday was just a quick afternoon hike. I came back today (Saturday) and opted to start East Webber by parking below the rim at Geronimo Trailhead. The first 2.7 miles of this hike follow what looks like old roads that are fairly exposed and hot. You're bypassing the private property perimeter around Geronimo Camp. Cutting thru the camp would be a great shortcut, as they've built their own trail access. If only...

I guess we can thank the Geronimo Campers (I believe its Boy Scouts) for the trail markers along Webber trails. These far exceed the standard used by the USFS to mark trails. Not to mention, I believe Geronimo campers do some maintenance on these trails, too. 

Regardless, I reached the entrance to East Webber and then the real fun began. This area also suffered a fire a few years ago. Much like West Webber, fire damage seems to be minimal with plenty of healthy and in-tact forest to enjoy. The scenery is often old-growth ponderosa, spruce, and fir. Their trunks are blackened, yet the crowns are green and healthy. The forest floor was alive with a green carpet of ferns. 

The trail meanders along Webber Creek, crossing a few times. The creek was flowing good today, although not so much as to make crossings difficult. The trail began to get a little more overgrown, and I reached a yellow sign indicating 'Swimming Hole.' In fact there was a nice pool of water with a trickling waterfall. This made a good lunch break spot.

Beyond the swimming hole the trail begins to deteriorate quickly. The map indicates it may go on a bit further, but I wasn't about to go bush whacking. The overgrown canyon had an eerie feel to it, and I figured there was a reason the GPS track stopped here. 

I made good time on the hike back, spurred on by a looming thunderstorm on top of the rim. Eventually I got rained on, but it was a welcome respite on what was a hot day for hiking. Regardless, I'm glad to have enjoyed both ends of Webber Canyon.