Trailblazers are ready to brave Aravaipa. {photo by Michael}

Gail, Marie, Debbie, Robbi, Greg, Janet, Anna, Tom, Li, Kenneth, Lisa.

More of the trailblazers in the Galiuro Mountains. {photo by Tom}

Twelve hearty trailblazers met and drove to Aravaipa on an early Sunday and easily found a parking spot at 9am. You must have a permit to park here and we had two groups. We had 10 in one group and 2 in the other. The weather was mild and we headed down to Aravaipa Creek. The creek is the trail, so there is a 100% chance of you getting wet. The parking lot is in the desert, but with the trail being the creek the temperature was very nice. The hardest part of this hike is the exit, out of the nice trees and into the hot desert up a hill.

One lane bridge on the way to the trailhead. {photo by Li}

Time to start the hike. {photo by Li}

We stopped to pick up one person who came from Tucson. I expected them to park in the collage lot, but the gate was closed. I did not even know the lot had a gate. We found a good spot for them to park and we were off to the trailhead. We crossed an old one lane bridge, that everyone got out to take pictures of. A little after we got started on the trail, three Javelina were wilking down the trail in the same direction we were going. They stopped by the creek, so everyone got a look. They then decided to make a run for it and we never saw them again.

Javelinas by the creek. {photo by Michael}

The group heading up stream. {photo by Michael}

Aravaipa is special because it has water, trees and wildlife. The west side that we came in on is easy to get to from Phoenix, The road is mostly paved, with only the last couple of miles being good dirt road. The east side road requires 4-wheel drive and has been known to flash flood. As we walk both in the water and on dirt trail beside the creek you can see the lush vegetation on both sides.

Four gals on a rock. {photo by Tom}

Need to cross the fallen tree. {photo by Michael}

Tunnel of trees. {photo by Michael}

Lush vegetation. {photo by Michael}

The creek is only ankle deep today. If you want there are places in the creek that are more than ankle deep. In the spring and monsoon the creek can be 10 foot deep in the slot. You do not want to be in the creek at those times. The slot is a narrow place where the creek has cut though the Galiuro Mountains to exit in a few miles into the Gila river.

Walking the trail. {photo by Michael}

Taking a cooling dip in the slot. {photo by Tom}

The group in the slot. {photo by Michael}

Relaxing in the water. {photo by Li}

Lunch in Aravaipa. {photo by Li}

Posion white lily. {photo by Debbie}

Two orange flowers. {photo by Debbie}

Funnel spider. {photo by Debbie}

Old settler chimney. {photo by Debbie}