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Willow Creek Day Hike
Goldfield Mountains
February 10, 2001
by Ted Tenny
  Route Map 
group
Group Picture

15 spirited hikers turned out for this canyon adventure and unexpected display of spring flowers: Steve Shaw, Geoffrey Kerr, Oden Algor, Candi Cook, Anatoli Korkin, David Waldman, Rick Scott, Adrienne Van Lew, Tom Van Lew, Chuck Parsons, Marilyn and John Guidorizzi, Tim Reiling, Stephen Trombitas, and hike leader Ted Tenny.

It was decidedly cool and breezy as we started from the scenic turnout between Apache Gap and mile 206 on highway 88.

sceptre
The Golden Sceptre is our landmark along Willow Creek.

Soon we escaped the wind by descending into the canyon formed by Willow Creek. Coats came off after we scrambled around the first waterfall on our way downstream. By then the sun was shining and the air was clean, cool, and invigorating.

Radios were carried but never used, as Ted stopped several times to regroup the hikers before they got too far out of sight.

Spring flowers were blooming. We saw patches of color above us on the slopes of the canyon and some flowers along the creek bed, although it’s only February.

Those who climbed hill 2276 were rewarded with a world-class overview of Canyon Lake and the surrounding mountains, amid a fantastic garden of Sonoran springtime splendor!

walk
Turn here to walk to the River Country.
lake lake
Hikers climb down to the water’s edge at Saguaro Lake.
lake
Saguaro Lake, from the overlook. [Chuck Parsons photo]
Footnotes:

What a difference 2 years can make! A tale of two organizations.

Willow Creek hike, Sierra Club, Ken McGinty, January 9, 1999:
• When we got to the narrows, where Willow Creek drops precipitously into some colorful pools of water, only one of the Sierra Club hikers actually went that way. The rest went with Ken on a higher but safer route.
• When we got down to the river, all of the hikers went back up the creek with Ken.
• When we reached the dam road, most of the hikers climbed hill 2276 with Ken.
Willow Creek hike, Motorola Hiking Club, Ted Tenny, February 10, 2001:
• When we got to the narrows, most of the Motorola hikers went down the narrows and one fell in the water. Only 4 went with Ted on a higher but safer route.
• When we got to the river, 3 of the hikers climbed the ridge on the east side instead of going back upstream along Willow Creek with Ted. They met us at the dam road.
• When we reached that dam road, only 4 hikers climbed hill 2276 with Ted.
2276
Top of the world! (hill 2276 is almost there, anyway)

It’s great to have choices! I wouldn’t have missed a minute of it.

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Arizona Trailblazers Hiking Club, Phoenix, Arizona
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updated March 16, 2018