Sandy Bob Canyon and the waterfalls

The original plan for today was to hike up Miller Peak at 7am with Ellen. Heavy rains began to fall around 4am and lasted all morning. We agreed to cancel the hike. A few hours later I learned that it was sunny in Bisbee so Ellen decided to join me on a short hike into Sandy Bob Canyon. It had been three years since I had been there and it is only a 26 mile drive to the trailhead.

We met at the Fry's parking lot in town and drove there together. Minnie and Sadie were in the back seat. Sadie whined a lot, but mostly because she had to use the bathroom and as soon as we were parked and getting our packs ready, both dogs relieved themselves. Sadie was anxious for a hike as it's been a few week for her since her last hike. She was looking good, running well, and I forsaw no problems with her.

We got started at 11:08am. The western sky was still dark and stormy but it was sunny overhead. We were the only vehicle parked here.

The trail starts out for 1.5 miles as an ATV trail along a ridgeline moving northwest. After heavy rains or snow melt this can be a very muddy experience. While there were a few deep mud pools, this section was surprisingly dry and didn't slow us down. Yellow wildflowers lined the trail. This is the most flowers I have seen here.

This was my first time leading this hike; I had always gone as a follower with other hiking club members. Finding the abandoned trail was difficult, but in the end it was only because we cut off the main ATV trail too early; the old trail was further on the path at an old cairn that now stood as a pile of knocked-over rocks between some sotols. Once we found this trail I had no problem getting us to the landmark oak tree at a lower ridgeline. Again this section was heavily overgrown with grasses and flowers and hard to follow. A few openings in the tree line offered vistas toward the canyon we were headed to.

We made it to the oak tree within 30 minutes on the trail. That seemed fast. Now, if only we could find our way back on the return hike! Would the dogs help track our scent back to the main road? Neither dog is as good as Sara ever was.

From the landmark oak tree it was harder to find the trail. There were a few small cairns on the ground, and several trees had pink or green tape on branches to lead the way, but it was still difficult. Luckily I knew what direction we had to go and that we were going downhill to follow the drainage that would guide us to the main creek bed. Again, this was overgrowth with tall grasses that hid many smaller rocks and chollas. Paying attention here to footage was important. The dogs were panting with thirst and were on the lookout for water. They were the first ones to find water and we followed that water to the bigger sources downhill.

Once we were in the main canyon, hiking was much easier. There was plenty of water in the watering holes. Even Minnie, who's proven that she likes water, swam in a few of them while Sadie gingerly would avoid getting wet. The cool water refreshed them both. While Ellen and I wore water sandals, neither of us were ready to get wet, either.

The rock slabs along this creek are the prettiest part of this hike. The creek meanders downhill in a northerly direction as the canyon walls rise. There is no vista here. Two spur canyons could also get people lost, although we noticed larger cairns above to guide the way. Local rumor was that Mexicans were growing marijuana in a side canyon and that one could still find growing devices in hidden side canyons, but we didn't spot anything or anyone else. The only thing we noticed were recent flood water remnants that had flooded foliage and bent grass along the creek bed. This would not be a safe place during a flash flood.

While there wasn't as much water as I had expected (I thought for sure recent rains would allow for a more obvious flow of water) there were some deeper pools in which Minnie had to swim to get to the other side. That water was tempting!

Ellen enjoyed the bushwalk/hike and even discovered a flooded mine near the end.

The waterfall at the end of the hike was not flowing hard, but the three main pools were full of water. After showing Ellen the view from above--the drop down to the last pool is pretty impressive--we stayed at the upper most pool to eat lunch and give the dogs treats. Minnie explored the edge while Sadie stayed next to me. This is where Minnie hit a slick section and slid down from the upper pool to the middle pool, whining all the way. That dog definitely has an adventurous spirit whereas Sadie prefers to stay close to me. Luckily she wasn't hurt, but luring her back up to the upper pool wasn't easy as she was unsure of the rocks.

The slide from the upper pool to the middle pool could probably hurt a human because of the rock surface, but Minnie seemed unphased. The slope was not too steep for her. If it had been a direct cliff drop, I would not have sat so close to this edge.

If Minnie was traumatized by the slide, she wasn't for long, as she continued on with her playful, inquisitive mind. She even let me pose her with a set of antlers I found off the trail.

Sitting near the waterfall with no one else around is worthwhile. Even Ellen, who had never been here, was amazed. She would come back here with her caving friends. After 30 minutes of resting and enjoying the views, we started on the return trip, which didn't seem to take us as long as expected. We found the trail easier than expected. Away from the water, though, both dogs began panting more, so we rested twice for them in the shade. The last mile would prove the driest for them as there is no water source once away from the drainage until one gets back to Juniper Flats and the red rocks.

We made it back to the truck at 3:15pm, making this a four-hour hike. We could hear thunder from another front coming up from Sonora; the skies southeast of Bisbee were dark. Now the Huachuca mountains were clear, which allowed for a storm-free drive back home. Both dogs were tired, but Minnie insisted on playing fetch once we were home. Does that dog ever rest?!?!

It began raining again later in the evening.

Ellen had asked me whose land this was we hiked on. I honestly never thought about whose land this was as locals come here to target shoot and hike or just to walk around the rocky cliffs to enjoy the view and drink beer. Googling "Sandy Bob Canyon" only brings up maps to the road with the same name (which appears to run at the far northern terminus of the canyon).