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Arizona Trailblazers
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Garden Valley Loop Day Hike
We met at the First Water Trailhead at 7:30, hoping to get an early start
before the weather turned warm.Ê We handed out the radios, took our group photo
and were on our way by 8:00. Those attending were: Tom and Jeannie Van Lew with
our dog, Sandy, Kim Hackbarth, Anne Lewis, Larraine Mather, Kay Davis, Frank
Carpenter, Stephen and Andrea Schauer, Jim Kranzberg, Michelle Pagano, Elaine
Cobos and Bill Ruppert.ÊFour others had headed out ahead of us led by Gail
Roberts. We took the Second Water Trail, which headed east, and crossed First
Water Creek - a rocky creek bed that was dry as usual.ÊWe continued east
following Second Water Trail over to Garden Valley.ÊGarden Valley is a very
flat area covered with mesquite trees and chain fruit cholla cactus. We stopped
at the junction with the Black Mesa Trial to try to find the pottery chards and
Indian grinding stones I had been told were there.ÊAfter looking on both knolls
near that intersection and finding nothing, we proceeded on to the trail across
Garden Valley.
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We continued up First Water Creek from Hackberry Spring a short distance and
then turned to go up the wash. The terrain changed often along this portion of
the trail.ÊFor a while we were in a canyon with sheer walls, but then the sides
were lower and sloped more gently.ÊNext we were in a narrow section were we
where boulder hopping.ÊFinally, the trail opened up to show us grand views of
the Superstitions and Weavers Needle.ÊWe soon found ourselves in another cholla
forest near the horse trailer parking lot.ÊAfter a short hike up the road were
again at the trailhead parking lot and it was only 10:30! Everyone seemed
pleased that even after such a nice hike, we still had half a day left for
chores or fun.
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| Home | Club Info | Officers | Meeting Minutes | Activities | Trip Reports | | Hike Descriptions | Trip Planning Guide | Lessons Learned | Links | Arizona Trailblazers Hiking Club, Phoenix, Arizona For comments regarding this site contact . Updated August 21, 2005 |
The trail swung north east across Garden Valley where it dropped down into a
ravine and continued on to Hackberry Spring.ÊAlong this part of the trail we
met up with Gail Roberts and her three friends. At the trail junction on the
saddle a horse trail to the left headed down to First Water Creek, but our hike
continued on the right branch.ÊIt was near here that Sandy decided to go off
trail and learned the consequences of her actions - a Teddy Bear Cholla piece
became imbedded in her forearm. Dr. Tom again got out his trusty Gerber
multipurpose tool (he had practice during the Canyon de Chelly trip) and was
able to quickly remove the cholla.