Sandy Bob Canyon

It was Ellen's idea to hike this canyon again.  We last did this on September 7, 2013 and I last did it with Ryan a year later.   We invited HollyW and SusanM but neither could come. Susan had a Corvette Club function. 

I was concerned that my head cold, which developed mid afternoon last Wednesday, would get worse, but I felt fine at reveille.   

There have been some changes since our last visit. Houses are getting built on the rocky flats. There is now a small shrine to "Quin" in the parking area. The rutted ATV trail is now graded and graveled.

We agreed to meet  at 9am above the Mule Tunnel.  I arrived early, giving me enough time to clean up the parking area of beer cans and bottles, as I hate just standing around and waiting.  There was quite  a bit of trash here!  The parking area must be a popular place to hang out and drink beer while gazing out at the view facing Sierra Vista.  

The flats are now privately-owned by an older couple, Jim and Camilla, but they allow hikers to walk through their land to the waterfall.  We happened to see them drive by and I let them know what our plans were.  They allowed us to walk through without hesitation.  Their newly-adopted dog Zeus, a chocolate Lab, was excited about getting to sniff Hansel from the open driver's window.  Camilla gave us precise instructions for the trail: "It's at the end of the second drive way on the right!"

It was 39F when we started our hike at 9:20am.  I never took off Kevin's green hoodie.  It warmed up to 54F but I kept the hoodie on because I was sweating and taking the hoodie off would have chilled me.  Some of the deeper pools of water had thin layers of ice. Clouds were absent with a gentle breeze.  It was a good day to hike.

The old ATV trail is now graded and reinforced with gravel.  It becomes a private road  half-mile down.  The trail is now at the mile mark before it leaves the road and switchbacks downhill another 0.4 miles.  We could see dried horseshoe prints here.  It took us 32 minutes to get to the first saddle where we began our bushwhack.  It took us another hour to hike the next 1.5 miles to the falls.  

I led the hike, but since I hadn't been on it in nine years, I hiked downhill too far to the northeast before getting on the drainage that one follows to the falls.  There was no water until we were  half-mile from the dry falls.

Hansel enjoyed the hike.  He jumped up on the rocks but never strayed far, and he took advantage of the water.  

The only wildlife we encountered was a Scarlet kingsnake.  It resembles the more venomous coral snake.  I initially screamed when I saw the snake near the water, but once we got a good look at the color scheme and the rhyme "Red on yellow, kill a fellow, red on black venom lack" we were at ease.  Hansel showed no fear, either.

There were no wildflowers.  All had gone to seed.  We only came across one Indian paintbrush near the drainage that provided some red.  We both had plenty of seeds from the waist down!

 

There was no water trickling from the falls.  The falls were in the shade, making them hard to see from where we sat, across the horse shoe bend and directly facing the falls.  We rested here for a lunch snack.  Hansel and I ate some leftover wheat tortilla shells from last weekend's climb up Gold Hill.  

We didn't stay long as we were both getting chilled.  We opted to continue our hike making  a big loop, hiking up a drainage I had hiked years ago when Rod from the hiking club led this hike. I never could find the trail back, a single track near the ridgeline.  It was still a scenic hike with views over other water falls in the area.

The hike was 6.2 miles long and took us four hours.  I know we went out of our way getting to the canyon,  but at least we weren't stalled by fallen flora or cliffs.

We met the landowners again once we were back on Juniper Flats road.  They were driving by. Again Camilla asked us cheerfully how we liked the hike.  But now I was glad to be on terra firma again.  The loose rocks made my angles weak.

A medical helicopter in Tombstone canyon closed the Old Divide road into Old Bisbee, so we just took the Mule tunnel into town.  We both wanted a snack at the Bisbee Coffee Company.  That place has the best coffee in town.  I had a hazelnut mocha latte and Ellen had  huge slice of apple pie.  I had a real meal at Neariah's in Bisbee-San Jose.  It was my first visit and I had very filling Sonoran enchiladas.  I took half of it home to eat later. 

My very first YouTube upload!