Eight started and eight returned: Herm, Rudy, Jim, Gary, Garth, Eileen, Mike, and Bill.

It was listed as EXPLORATORY, and it was just that. Awesome adventure.

As we met, the skies appeared to be clearing from the rains we had the day before. However, as we got closer to Superior the clouds thickened as they blanketed the snow-covered peaks to the left, on Apache Leap.

We parked the vehicles at MP162 and by 8:00 we were walking. We hiked a low clearance drivable road to “LR”. The secondary road was wet, muddy, and rutted – quite different than when Bill did this portion in mid December, 2012.

We followed a cow path and skirted a round a water-filled earthen tank. After “R3” we lost the trail. However, at “R4” we reacquired it and followed it upstream until our hike took a turn to the southeast.

We followed the down stream flowing creek. When we got choked out we went high, only to see remnants of a trail on the other side. We hiked down and crossed the creek to join the game trail that soon faded to non-existent.

The process was repeated several times until we reached our first big falls at “WF”.

At the south most confluence of the two creeks that feed White Canyon Wilderness, we headed northeast. Finding walking room next to the creek became a challenge. The canyon walls narrowed in and grew higher as we plodded up stream. The darkening skies enhanced the anxiety of what lies around the next bend. Would we face a dead end canyon waterfall? Would we find a deep pool? Would we have to turn back?

Pool. Herm did some rock tossing. Not enough. No choice. Eileen led the way. Knee deep and then some, depending to your leg length.

Another convergence. Sighting a possible way out we choose to ignore the GPS heading to “E4” and took the canyon to the left. We scrambled out. Relief.

Our hike became a “roller-coaster” of ups and downs as we crossed washes that feed the main canyon to our right.

We aborted our effort to reach “E5” and set our goals on”E6”.

The group re-entered the canyon. Unknowing Bill and Mike made the mistake of staying high too long, which made entering more difficult. No sooner were we down than we found a trail that took us back up and above a slot canyon that appeared dry.

One more bushwhack climb out and then back down as we headed toward “S1”

Wet feet and all, we headed toward White Water Spring that fed a large round metal tank. The canyon was starting to open up. Arriving at “E10” brought both good and bad ... the road ... the rain.

We stopped in Superior for food at “Los HERMANos,” as Herm so proudly pointed out.