I am a public school teacher who loves to hike. This channel documents trips from around Arizona, New Mexico and Colorado. I'm not monetized or algorithimized. I get my news from the Wall Street Journal, not Tik Tok. Creating videos that feature good music and beautiful places is a hobby. I post to share with friends and family, and to inform those who are planning hikes in the beautiful southwest. I hope you enjoy my videos.
That looked like a GREAT trip! My son and I were on a work trip , tried to get to the canyon, once in December,and again in March. The road to the canyon was closed due to snow both times. Thanks for sharing your visit to the canyon!! 👍
For my audibly impaired fellows: Freedom don't come easy, babe When your spirit's flyin' up among the clouds And when you're faced with the wise man's road You gotta know where to go Sun and the stars are a travelin' man's companion Leadin' the way for his journey East and west, wherever you go, mm Leadin' the way The first to come Showin' the way for his children Now it's up to you Do you know you're pullin' through Man, it's not easy and you know it Children in a happy place They're always smiling Showin' all their love with no deception Treatin' each other like brothers and sisters do, yeah, yeah Children in a real good place, they're always tryin' Jumpin' and playin' in the middle of the afternoon Just havin' a ball, don't worry at all, yeah Leadin' the way The first to come Showin' the way for his children Now it's up to you Do you know you're pullin' through Man, it's not easy and you know it Children in a happy place They're always smiling Showin' all their love with no deception Treatin' each other like brothers and sisters do, yeah, yeah Children in a real good place, they're always tryin' Jumpin' and playin' in the middle of the afternoon Just havin' a ball, don't worry at all, yeah
Was there this past weekend dealt with people partying and drinking, from what I heard locals aren’t very welcoming of out of towners and heard a lot are unhappy about people hiking the trails returned to my vehicle damaged with broken windows and spray painted “Go Home” :(
I'm sorry to hear about this experience! I've camped/hiked/backpacked the Santa Barbara area 5 or 6 times in the last 4 years and I've never experienced anything remotely like that. Lots of people use these trails and I've never had any problems with the locals.
Hi Tato. The first week in October 2017. That little creek in the video (Reavis Creek) is perennial. Even in a dry year it usually has water near the Fireline Trail Junction.
Nice video! We're heading to Santa Barbara campground this weekend but only planning day hikes this trip. Thanks for sharing, we are inspired to maybe come back for backpacking another time.
I really enjoy your videos. We’ve hiked the Gila several times and always love it. I’m interested in this route y’all took. If you don’t mind me asking what trails did you take once you left prior cabin? Thanks, Charlie
Charlie, from Prior Cabin we took Trail 25 to Trail 30 and Trail 30 back to Trotter on Middle Fork. Several nice campsites on Clear Creek just before Trail 165/30 junction. I've read that the water is pretty reliable Clear Creek. It's a great loop, but it doesn't get to those super high volcanic cliffs on the Middle Fork. Let me know if you want more info. Happy trails.
Awesome cabin! I didn’t know that was there! I assumed, on my hike, that Franz spring was dry. Now I have to go back and check that cabin out. Thanks for sharing!
Yes, with the exception of day 2, because it was above tree line. Our campsite on night two was after we had descended down from the high country. Even at Moon Lake there are trees in the area although nothing at our actual campsite. Hope you can make it. It was a great trip.
The West Fork of the Gila is a beautiful trail with lots of river crossings. We did the trail to Hell's Hole and then back tracked. That year there were Rock Rattlers everywhere. Our dog alerted us that there was one near our tent. At Hell's Hole did you see the big cave or overhang? Many people could take cover in it if need be. If you stay on the West Fork trail there is a nice surprise 6 miles further up. My husband and I have hiked the Gila Wilderness for 30 years and usually stay for 2 weeks at a time. So many wild fires have decimated the interior and the trails are almost nonexistent. The dead fall is tiring.
Hi, The old culvert you came across was the old BLM gauging station. The creek ran in that area before massive flooding changed the streambed. Also, the large flood you referenced was actually in late July, 2006, more or less the same volume as the flood of Oct 1983. The argument continues to this day as to which of these was larger. The uprooted trees you saw were from the flood of Sept. 2, with the flow reaching 4000 cfs in the morning darkness, possibly the most since 2006, although the numbers are still provisional. In the very narrow section you probably remember, we estimated the water was 15-20 feet deep. And the curious concrete wall; an old (possibly as much as 100 years) water diversion system for farming. Hope you enjoyed your trip- Don, BLM volunteer wilderness steward.
Great video! What a cool hike! I'm thinking of doing this hike next summer. How did you plan it? Maps, etc. Love the old school Switchfoot and the Tarptent Notch! I have a Stratospire 2.
Sorry I'm so late getting back with you. The best map I found was the National Geographic series. It doesn't have mileages so I had to do some searching online. In my opinion, our six days hit the perfect window. If you go earlier than this you will have more snow on the trails; if you go later the monsoon rain season is full force. The Silverton Durango train has a nice website with a schedule. They cater to backpackers. You can come out late or early and your exit ticket is still good. Good luck.
Great video. I’ve done several hikes up the middle fork and back. I’ve been thinking about doing this loop. Thanks for sharing and great info on doing this loop.
Thanks, Charlie. If you can, go from The Meadows to Hell's Hole on the West Fork and come down the WF. I think the 8 miles downstream from Hell's Hole is my favorite part of these two canyons.
Thanks, Pap. June 5-8, 2017. The original plan was to make it to Bear Valley. I read on another RU-vid video that there is usually water there at Bear Valley Spring and the Little Blue Creek if you can get there in late spring/early summer. We weren't expecting rain, but the elevation was low enough that it was very pleasant and not too cold.
