Backpacking Sycamore Canyon Wilderness Arizona - Yew Thicket Henderson Loop and the Basin Trail

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This was a 5 day backpacking trip in Arizona's Sycamore Canyon Wilderness, February 2020. I started at the Parsons Trailhead just north of the town of Cottonwood, AZ and headed out along the Packard Mesa Trail #66. Eventually Packard meets up with the Sycamore Basin Trail #63 which is the main trail that follows the length of the canyon. I ended up camping at the same spot for the first two nights near where the Dogie Trail #116 intersects the canyon bottom, as it was the only reliable water source. I ended up scrapping a planned loop of Casner Mountain that would have taken me further up-canyon. Instead I did most of the very scenic Dogie Trail as an out n' back on the 2nd day. Then I did an additional 3 day loop of the Yew Thicket Trail #52, Lonesome Pocket #61 and Henderson #53. This loop involves serious elevation gain. It was hot red rock desert at the bottom and snow covered, forested mesas on top.
Henderson #53 was an unexpected star of the show; who knew this red rock masterpiece was out there? Perfect trails but no people? What is this??
I returned back to the car same way I came in on the sycamore basin & parsons trails.
This was my first time backpacking in Sycamore Canyon. This place surprised me with its beauty, well maintained trail network and sparse hiker population. It's a wild and remote place that I'll be returning to soon...
Hope you enjoy this video!
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Filmed on a Panasonic Lumix G9 + Leica 12-60mm f/2.8
#sycamorecanyon #backpacking #arizona

Опубликовано:

22 фев 2020

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Комментарии : 59

@jackclarke9884 13 дней назад

This makes me want to go back to the Sedona area. I love Arizona, being from texas and doing most of my backpacking in the mountains of west texas i can truly appreciate the landscape of Arizona. I always feel like I’m in a truly wild place when in Arizona

@arizjones 3 года назад

Good choice to not climb Casner Mountain. That is a long steep haul and much of it is on an old rocky jeep trail. Most people that go out to where trail #53 meets #66 drive out in Jeeps from the Perkinsville area to go explore all the significant Native America Ruins in the area. And most people that go to the Parson Springs trail head, don't take the Packard Mesa trail, they are there to go up Parsons Springs trail to the springs and to the swimming hole. I enjoyed your video, thanks for sharing. Real important for people to understand that water is a problem in in Sycamore Canyon above Parsons Springs, and many of the water sources you found might not be there in the dry summer months.

@WildlandExplorer 3 года назад

Absolutely. I've dissuaded several people from going out there past March who told me they wanted to go in like May. It's just too hot/dry in that canyon above the spring. That cow tank was gross but it looks pretty dang reliable to me. Though the past year has had some of the lowest precipitation I've seen in a lifetime in AZ. I'm getting to the point of doing heavy water carries even in places where water is "reliable".

@danielriley6928 Год назад

This is great! I am planning a trip along a similar route, so it was great to find a video of someone who's done this already!

@WildlandExplorer Год назад

Cool, glad it was helpful! Don’t know if you’re aware but fires burned through there last summer and wrecked a lot of it. Yew thicket is probably a mess. I have another video from late 2021 if you search my channel, I documented a lot of its current state. Dogie was mostly untouched.

@marneedearman2947 Год назад

That was epic. Maybe some day I'll give it a whirl myself.

@jdmattii1581 5 месяцев назад

Lovin' this video! Thanks

@raygun8097 4 года назад

Wonderful video. Such beauty! Thank you for taking time to film this for the enjoyment of others. God bless.

@markwharton6108 4 месяца назад

I'm planning to do the Sycamore Basin, Yew Thicket, Lonesome Pocket, Henderson Trail loop next month with my little dog. I hope it has recovered from the 2021 Raphael fire. I'm hoping to camp at the top of the mesa basically where you did, and then hike the rest of the loop the second day. Just to be safe, and make things easier; I'm going to put a water cache at the top of the mesa a few days before the hike. Your video was very helpful. Thank you!

@WildlandExplorer 4 месяца назад

Water cache at that spot would be a good idea! Have a good trip! I think the blackened trees will still be around but the soil should have made some recovery by now.

@robertlange5587 4 года назад

Wow-- what an adventure, you rock man. Great job hauling all that water up hill.

@WildlandExplorer 4 года назад

Thanks Rob! That was the only bad part. In theory that cow tank down below would have allowed a lot less water carried up top but who knows when that thing will empty out.

@barnabasik 3 года назад

Great content! ...A new version of Joey Coconato videos ;) But good version. Greetings from Europe.

@WildlandExplorer 3 года назад

You are too kind! Thank you.

@OmarCasillas 4 года назад

I was searching for the sycamore falls and came across your video. Very nice man!

@WildlandExplorer 4 года назад

Thank you Omar!

@ThisNomadicIdea 4 года назад

I did the Casner Mt Loop (going up Casner) in 2009. It was a tough climb but offers amazing views. To my knowledge there is only one campsite on Casner and it's small. Coming down Taylor Cabin Trail is interesting, fun and steep. Often it was hard to pick up the trail once you drop down into the Canyon. Picked up Sycamore Basin and then Packard Mesa completing the loop back to Parson's TH.. Going back in October to do Dogie to Taylor Cabin. QUESTION: Was your campsite on the Dogie - Basin Trail before or after Sycamore Creek crossing? Great Video. We visit often. One of the most beautiful places in AZ. Thanks for posting. - Scott

@WildlandExplorer 4 года назад

Thanks! The campsite along dogie was right on the west bank of sycamore creek, so you'd need to cross if you were coming in from the sycamore pass TH. As you can imagine, filming the hikes slows me down quite a bit. Otherwise doing all the climbing up Casner would not have been bad. Hopefully I'll get out there again, it sounds pretty cool.

@muddywaters1934 3 года назад

Great video, such amazing landscape and views...would have liked to see more of the ruins. Sorry you had to hike it 3 times to get all the camera shots of you coming and going! lol

@WildlandExplorer 3 года назад

Thanks! It ends up being a fine balance between showing too much and too little - and then there is the problem of very little daylight for filming in February. I like for people to still be able to go out there, explore and find things for themselves too, but I understand not everyone is able to make it out there. Sometimes I don't even realize I was looking at ruins until I get back and review the footage when editing!

@DavidHerringtonOutdoors 4 года назад

Awesome video again! Coconino is one of my favorite places to hike and backpack, and I haven't had the chance to get out in that area yet. Reminds me of the Sedona area, but more backpacker friendly instead of day hike. I dig the lack of people, part of the reason I backpack!

@WildlandExplorer 4 года назад

I agree with you on the solitude. I didn't think it was possible to get within spitting distance of AZ red rock without seeing one of those pink tour jeeps.

@DavidHerringtonOutdoors 4 года назад

@@WildlandExplorer I'm definitely learning so much about different areas from watching your channel. I appreciate the long format, it gives you the chance to really show off the areas you go to. I don't know anyone really out here that's into backpacking, so these really help me find new adventures

@WildlandExplorer 4 года назад

@@DavidHerringtonOutdoors Thanks again my friend! I was sort of iffy on the long format for a while. There are some myths floating around about how no one wants to watch a long youtube video but they are what inspired me to get into this hobby as well. A 5 minute video can be helpful but I want to learn as much as I can visually about an area before I go since I'll usually be relying on myself if I get into trouble.

@DavidHerringtonOutdoors 4 года назад

@@WildlandExplorer all of your videos have literally been the best research I've found for our "local" areas. I agree, needing to know as much as possible beforehand is crucial, especially here in Arizona. Proper planning, knowing distance, water sources, camping, etc is life-saving info out here. I think these type of videos are the most helpful.

@StephanieHughesDesign 3 года назад

Excellent thru hike videos. Awesome. Questions: What backpack capacity size and weight did you use? I have on older Dana Design Terraplane which is a bit heavy for me. It's about 6,000 cu inch I think. You have more gear than I may have?

@beachlifecoastalart470 3 года назад

I'll be in this area starting mid Sept and looking forward to some portions of this at any rate! thx

@WildlandExplorer 3 года назад

No problem that's why I make them. Have an awesome time out there!

@arizjones 3 года назад

Might be pretty hot in mid September.

@ozarksandbeyond4416 4 года назад

Binge watching your videos. Great quality. The shadow of your camera looks bigger than a GoPro. I have an A6300 but it’s horrible in the sun. Overheats pretty bad. Thanks for another great video.

@WildlandExplorer 4 года назад

Thanks again! The few videos since Nov 2019 have been done on Panasonic gear - either a GX85 or G9 (usually the G9) it's big and heavy - almost DSLR size but I really like that camera lot for both video and stills. I don't think any camera is perfect, you always get trade-offs but the G9 is damn close! At the time I almost pulled the trigger on an A6500. But the winter sale on the G9 & lens were too good to pass up. By the way - you got yourself a new subscriber as well!

@ozarksandbeyond4416 4 года назад

I’m amazed at the size of the wilderness areas out in your neck of the woods. Really can’t do 6 day trips out here in the same wilderness. Here in Missouri and Arkansas ours are 4 - 12,000 acres. Couldn’t imagine having 150,000 acres to hike in.

@shorty3636 4 года назад

Great video man. New sub here 👍. Looking forward to watching more of your videos. What tent were you using on this trip? I couldn't tell for sure if it was the Z-packs duplex. And what pack are you using and what do you like about it?

@WildlandExplorer 4 года назад

Thanks! It is indeed the duplex and it's as good as everyone says it is. Backpack is an Osprey Exos 58. It's become my workhorse pack; if you ask me it's perfect for the desert. About as lightweight as I would go (2.5lbs empty) while still being able to haul over a weeks worth of food and I've carried at least 10 liters water for dry stretches, close to 50 lbs at times and it still hangs in there.

@0l_pops531 3 года назад

Thanks for the video...I'm intentionally looking for beautiful hikes with solitude (not so famous). This hike fits that description. What was the National Geographic map you used, #854?

@WildlandExplorer 3 года назад

Hi there, thanks for checking it out! Yep it is #854.

@dmn3773 4 года назад

new sub checking in, can't wait to dive into your content.

@WildlandExplorer 4 года назад

Thanks! I hope you enjoy!

@dmn3773 4 года назад

@@WildlandExplorer So far it's good stuff man! Q for you you... When you're doing desert stuff with limited hanging (for your food) opportunities, do you typically just find a bush 100-200 feet from your shelter or do you put your refuse/food in a loksak/bag and just sleep with it? Also, what kind of critter encounters have you had in the supes?

@WildlandExplorer 4 года назад

@@dmn3773 Thanks again! I have never been in a situation where I couldn't find something to hang my food bag off the ground. Even at a campsite high on a desert mesa there were some trees a couple hundred feet from the site. The main nuisance is finding trees that don't want to rip you to shreds. One benefit of doing these videos though is that I have the option of hanging it off my tripod at night. The biggest issue out on the lower desert wilderness is mice and it seems to work for that. If I were in the middle of a saguaro forest I would probably store in on the ground in my ursack.

@DavidHerringtonOutdoors 4 года назад

Trying to decide if I want to explore this area, or drop into the Supes later this week! I've got Thursday though Monday open, and can't decide! Water is everywhere right now in the Supes... Ugh

@WildlandExplorer 4 года назад

I imagine there'd be more water in Sycamore now than when I was there in mid Feb thanks to the storm that came through a couple days later. There are definitely large pools up that canyon. The only thing I'd advise on Sycamore is to give yourself a full day to get down into the canyon if you start from Packard/Parsons. If you want to get into the canyon faster I'd use FR 525C and start in on the Dogie Tr. 161 from Sycamore Pass TH.

@DavidHerringtonOutdoors 4 года назад

I just don't know if I want to kick my own ass with all the elevation 🤣 I'm 1000% with you on the whole switchback thing, LMAO. There's parts of Second Water from Boulder Canyon that make me want to die, and that's just steep LOL

@WildlandExplorer 4 года назад

@@DavidHerringtonOutdoors The way in/out of the canyon isn't too bad because it's over a long distance and is never that steep. But on Yew Thicket the switchbacks were a total pain though on the way up the loop, not just the elevation but higher up near the top of the pass the ground was loose and some overgrown spots did not make for pleasant hiking. Come to think of it I would not advise going down Yew Thicket trail from the top - that would suck.

@DavidHerringtonOutdoors 4 года назад

@@WildlandExplorer I may just save that bit of exploring to do with someone instead of solo, lol. I think I'd rather plan it out a bit more, instead of going in blind. And I'm in Scottsdale, so the Supes are almost my backyard. Guess I just made my decision for this week 😂. I may just go to the Pine TH, and hit the Highline for a couple days, out and back... I suck at decisions

@WildlandExplorer 4 года назад

I bet Highline is great in March. I’ve only been there in Summer. Can’t wait for warmer rim weather. Enjoy!