Walk on Water in the Aravaipa Canyon Wilderness

A jaunt down a trudge is a much less in what water can lift out.

“Don’t repeat anybody about this space.” Right here is my rock climbing accomplice’s entreaty after two days in Aravaipa Canyon. With its thousand-foot-real partitions, the canyon offers a chunky-immersion lesson in what barely water can lift out if given relatively about a time. Below the colour of big sycamores, we’ve spent a weekend sloshing by map of the knee-deep water, scrambling up side canyons, and catching glimpses of bighorn sheep balancing on rock ledges between the saguaro cactuses and dense streamside vegetation. As a substitute of the sheep—and raccoon-fancy coatis that succor attempting to amass our meals—we’ve had this rock cathedral fully to ourselves. “Don’t repeat anybody about this space,” he repeats. Sorry, mature buddy, nonetheless areas this special have to be shared.

Flip-by-flip from the West trailhead

Dip into Aravaipa Canyon and take hang of your map roughly 5 miles up the streambed to Horse Camp .

Proceed approximately three.5 miles alongside the canyon flooring, following faint client trails and wading by map of ankle- and knee-deep water, to Deer Creek Canyon. (Despite being marked “Hell’s Gap Canyon” on some topos, Deer Creek Canyon is anything else nonetheless: It’s soundless, narrow, and nontechnical.)

Stumble on the easy canyon as prolonged and some distance as you fancy. (The author became round on the spring about 2 miles in, nonetheless it goes farther.)

Retrace your steps assist to the West trailhead.

Campsite: Horse Camp (mile 5)

Nestled in a grove of sycamores, a handful of sandy platforms rise above the water the establish Aravaipa and Horse Camp Canyons intersect. Create a basecamp on the one the establish several mesquite trees offer privateness from the “plug.” Out of your backcountry digs, explore Horse Camp Canyon, the establish some easy scrambling lands you on the foot of a 50-foot-real pour-off.

Natural world

Unlit bears, bighorn sheep, and both of Arizona’s deer species call Aravaipa dwelling, nonetheless possibly the good (read: cutest) resident is the white-nosed coati. Despite the indisputable fact that uncommon within the U.S., this relative of the raccoon hangs out in sizable groups for the length of the canyon. They spy fancy diminutive shadowy endure cubs with prolonged, monkey-fancy tails. (Retailer your meals in critter-proof sacks; coatis are harmless, nonetheless playful.)

Alternate solutions

This route offers the highest logistics, nonetheless in case you may well have a 2nd automobile (and don’t thoughts up to four hours of further force time), fling away a shuttle on the East trailhead (32.898658, -110.418427). On day two, dart 7.four miles by map of Aravaipa from Horse Camp to your automobile to fabricate it a 12.four-miler and not utilizing a backtracking.

DO IT Trailhead 32.897602, -110.569803;
24 miles southeast of Hayden on E. Aravaipa Rd. Season Year-round; winter brings solitude, nonetheless pack for freezing heart of the night temps and frigid river crossings. (Bear in thoughts neoprene socks and even
rubber boots.) Allow Required ($10 + $5/person per day); make from game.gov. Personalized device ($15)

Originally posted 2018-02-11 23:39:56.