Garden Canyon (Fort Huachuca)

Garden Canyon was the playground for military personnel on Fort Huachuca for as long as l can remember. Families and army units have had picnics here for years; Apache tribes hunted here even longer.  I first came here in 1986 for my Army Individual Training (AIT) and was enthralled with the beauty. Several very challenging and beautiful trails start in this canyon and loop through some very strenuous but beautiful landscape. There are several fee picnic areas near the creek in the lower canyon, and training sites off the road for military personnel training new soldiers in various skills. (I was on one such training event when we had to interrupt the training because several Mexicans who had crossed the border had walked into our camp thinking we were a small town. They asked for food and water and we had to wait for the US Border Patrol to come get them before we could resume training!)

There are several historic and protected pictograph sites higher up the road, and more recently, ancient Indian burial grounds found in the area. In the winter, migratory eagles are spotted in Garden Canyon. There is a lot to see and do here. There is a lot to see and do in this canyon for people of all fitness levels and interests. The area is also open to civilians, with proper identification.

I was first in this canyon in 1986, when I came to Fort Huachuca as a young Specialist ready to start my advanced individual training, or AIT. Soldiers who were assigned to this post and who couldn't yet go off-post to hike had Garden and Huachuca Canyon as their only outlets. This canyon was always very busy with army families from post just picnicking or hiking short trails with children. The area brings back memories of unit-sponsored rapelling and "road marching." This canyon road is no longer what it once was!

Garden Canyon saw severe damage this summer from three tropical storms in September: Norbert, Odile and Simon, with flood waters washing boulders and trees downstream and creating new flows. I decided to take the three hiking dogs there after a few errands in town. I hadn't been up this canyon all year and wanted to see the new canyon and the damage from the storms. A recon party from the hiking club had been there early in the morning to check out Sheelite canyon, to see of potential trail maintenance we could do, but I overslept for that meet-up and decided to go later, on my own, just up the road. I definitely got to see the damage, which starts a 1/4 mile from the second gate.

The road into the upper canyon is now closed a mile before the dirt road begins. The dirt road was badly damaged and is now severely eroded in parts, especially where the creek meanders next to the road, or where cement culverts reinforced the water flow. The two picnic areas are now overgrown and look abandoned. (That didn't take long!) I parked the van with three anxious dogs in it as close to the gate as possible. Other cars were nearby but I only saw one couple hiking back on the road as they were returning from their adventure. I quickly took the dogs off the road and to the creek so that the dogs wouldn't bother them. (They were luckily oblivious to the people)

I came to this hike totally unprepared. I brought no camelback, snacks or water. What was I thinking? I didn't even bring a jacket in case it got cold in the shade. My original plan was just to "check out the canyon" for a bit but ended up hiking the entire road passed the old Boy Scout hut. That is a four-mile walk going one-way. The damage is impressive, much like Hunter Canyon, and I don't see the US Army repairing this road any time soon. It already feels abandoned. The good news is that wildlife will come back, now that there is less human activity up here.

I started the hike at 1:50pm. I didn't have my leashes with me, so I had to watch out for other people. I kept the dogs off the road and along the creek, where they enjoyed the rushing waters. Other than the older couple coming toward me, we never saw another soul. Hiking up Garden Canyon, which used to be an easy road walk, is now in parts a strenuous rock climb! One footbridge to the lower Pictograph site is destroyed, but the pictograph sites are both intact.

Fall colors are now visible along this stretch, but by the time I got to the higher elevation, I was losing daylight. Most of my photographs were in the shade, doing the fall hues no justice. I kept walking up the road, curious to see what was ahead of me. The worst damage was along the road where the creek was next to the road. Damage was far less when the creek moved away from the road. But small boulders and water cracks remained all throughout this hike.

I should have started this hike earlier so that I could hike longer up this canyon. I don't think I was ever past the old Boy Scout cabin. And whatever happened to the old Boy Scout cabin? Was it demolished to prevent illegal border crossers from using it as shelter? There's not even any indication that a cabin was once there.

I made it perhaps a half-mile past the old cabin site before I turned around. Only the time is what forced me, as I knew I needed to be back at the van by 6pm. Sunset is now at 5:50pm and I do not like hiking alone in the dark where wildlife mingles. Sure enough, on our return hike we came across a young bear. The dogs didn't bark but I saw it scrambling up a steep slope, trying to get away from the dogs. The ironic thing is, when I first saw the bear I thought it was Zeke chasing after something, and was curious as to what he was chasing. Zeke was not chasing anything, though. All three dogs stayed on the road and just watched the bear intently. They probably knew the bear was bigger and meaner than them! I'm glad nothing happened, and we continued hiking back downhill.

It was dark by the time we left the canyon. Two cars came in (I thought we had to be out of the canyon an hour before dark?) The one wind fan on post was lighted up nicely, and I pulled over to get a photo of it.

I stopped at the Shoppette near the main gate of Fort Huachuca on my drive home. I bought some milk, a 12-pack of bottled beer, and three hotdogs that had been under a heat lamp, one for each dog. I left the buns behind.

"I got these three hotdogs for my dogs" I told the cashier. "We just got done with a hike!"
"Yeah, we get that a lot!" replied the cashier. The hotdogs looked like they had been under the heat lamp for a while. All three dogs ate their hotdog with gusto. Later on at home the other dogs got some treats, too, but I always give the hiking dogs more.

All three dogs slept soundly that night. Zeke was too tired to bother Sammy, whom he likes to annoy, and we all had a peaceful night.