Arizona Canyons 2012
In early October 2012, I joined friends Hal Tompkins, Terry Erickson, Jeff Fisher, Helga Zimmerman, and Frank King for some Arizona Canyoneering. Eric and Jan Simpson were also there and did some hiking. Hal had picked several potential canyons from Todd Martin's book "Arizona Technical Canyoneering" published in Oct 2007. We met in Flagstaff and drove to the Kelsey Trailhead in Sycamore Canyon.
The following day Sunday, October 7, we did Little Lo Canyon. It was an interesting technical canyon but the approach was quite long. On Monday we returned to Flagstaff and drove south on Interstate 17 to Camp Verde. After turning east on highway 260, we set up a car camp just south of West Clear Creek. The trailhead is north of Highway 260 between Camp Verde and Payson at the end of forest road 142E. Helga, Terry, and I arrived early enough to do Little Bear Canyon that afternoon. On Tuesday, we all did Sundance Canyon. Like Bear Canyon, it was quite beautiful but this one had a 180-foot free rappel at the end. Both canyons are tributaries of West Clear Creek and we were able to exit via a trail climbing back out directly to our car camp.
Read MoreThe following day Sunday, October 7, we did Little Lo Canyon. It was an interesting technical canyon but the approach was quite long. On Monday we returned to Flagstaff and drove south on Interstate 17 to Camp Verde. After turning east on highway 260, we set up a car camp just south of West Clear Creek. The trailhead is north of Highway 260 between Camp Verde and Payson at the end of forest road 142E. Helga, Terry, and I arrived early enough to do Little Bear Canyon that afternoon. On Tuesday, we all did Sundance Canyon. Like Bear Canyon, it was quite beautiful but this one had a 180-foot free rappel at the end. Both canyons are tributaries of West Clear Creek and we were able to exit via a trail climbing back out directly to our car camp.
