az adventure, see canyon - 09.05
See Spring Creek, Arizona
Summers in the Phoenix area are brutal. It is the Sonoran Desert, so of course the daytime temperatures are extremely high. Think 110-115 degrees. But it is the "low" temps that erode resolve. It isn't unusual for the coolest part of the morning to register in the upper 80's, or low 90's. To add insult to injury, one can be justified in describing summer as ranging between May and mid-October.
There are cool places to retreat in Arizona. Flagstaff. Payson. Sedona. Pinetop. During summer weekends, Phoenix residents flock to these places where crowds reduce their appeal (at least for me). When my brother recently suggested a day trip near Payson (with my nephews), on Labor Day weekend, I was skeptical. But I tagged along for a short hike on See Canyon Trail, near Christopher Creek, Arizona.
This way!
The See Canyon trailhead parking lot was not promising. Packed! We found a parking spot, gathered our gear, and headed up the trail. About 100 yards into our hike, we arrived at the first creek crossing and it was inundated with people splashing and playing in the cool water. Not exactly a peaceful moment in nature.
However, once we crossed the creek and continued up the trail, there was a precipitous drop in the number of people we encountered. The noise of visitors faded away and we were left with a bubbling stream, birds chirping, and the cool shade of the forest.
My brother and nephew on See Spring Trail
This was a wonderful, family friendly, trail for escaping the heat (and the crowds). A gradual incline, and rocks on the path made it enough of a challenge to appreciate a rest now and then, but nothing too taxing. If you choose to hike the entire length, the trail gets more difficult. We chose to meander, going about a mile on the main trail and then taking a short, slightly steeper, spur to See Spring (0.5 mile). The boys wanted to see the water "shooting" out of the ground. The "geyser," as they called it. We found the spot where the water bubbles out of the rocks. Beautiful, but not exactly the fountain the boys were hoping for. Still, they had fun playing in the water.
The forest along See Canyon Trail
I was pleasantly surprised by the beauty of See Canyon. I do a lot of hiking and fishing, but I had never heard of the trail. It was a wonderful alternative to the much busier Tonto, Horton and Christopher Creek areas. Once we made it past the first creek crossing, we essentially had the forest to ourselves (on Labor Day weekend). I'm already planning a return trip in October, hoping for fall colors.
🌲⛰︎ ོ ༄🌲