Eleven enlightened Trailblazers started out from the First Water Horse Staging Area on a gorgeous March morning. We hiked a connector trail to the road down to the windmill, and then followed an unmarked trail southeast along First Water Creek.

Soon we were on the Second Water Trail, heading down to Pearce Mine Wash, named for John Pearce, who operated the open pit mines farther south at the head of the canyon. Then we hiked on up to Garden Valley. The Second Water Trail crosses the stream twice, passing by a waterfall and some delicately eroded rock formations.

When we got up there we had a distant view of Apache Gap Mountain and the Garden Valley Arch. Then we visited an archaeological site, which was inhabited in the 14th century When Chaucer was writing his Canterbury Tales. “There are more sites in Arizona than there are archaeologists,” Ted assured us.

Garden Valley has depression contours, so it holds water after a big rain. But this time it was dry as we walked northwest on the Hackberry Spring Trail. There’s now a side trail that seems to go to the pass where the Military Trail begins. We continued along the slope of Hackberry Mesa and on over to the pass where the horse trail splits off.

From the pass, the Hackberry Spring Trail drops down to First Water Creek, steeply in places. We met hikers going the other way.

Once you get down to the creek there are seven stream crossings. They are exciting when the water is gushing in First Water Creek, but today it was a mere trickle.

Hiking the creek we managed to get separated. When Ted got to the junction where a tributary flows into First Water Creek, half the hikers were nowhere in sight. Mike, Jeanne, Joe, and Darlene stayed with Ted, while everyone else went another way.

The five of us took a trail that goes from the creek to the Horse Staging Area. Miraculously, the other six got back to the trailhead at the same time we did. Overall, it was a scenic hike in ideal weather. Thanks to all of you for going with me!

Ted