As we are planning a long trip to Tanzania soon this will be our last outing in Arizona for some time. So we decide to try a longer hike to an area that we really liked before. We find a cache we never been to that is supposedly in a beautiful canyon near a cavern and decide that it fits the bill. The parking spot is probably the most popular in this area with many ATVs and horses starting from here but they are using a different trail than ours which is surprisingly free of other people.
With all the rain in the last weeks the desert is in flower especially the ocotillos which are quite beautiful to see as we continue on on the surprisingly well maintained dirt road.
We pass a few washes on the way and we enjoy the desert and the many birds however this stretch goes by fast as the trail is quite easy.
And then we start going up and down a bit which slows us down before descending into the Willow Creek wash that we are going to follow the rest of the way.
The going is still mostly easy but from time to time there are some rock blocks on the way that can be handled by most ATVs but we wouldn’t take a street car over them.
About two miles in we are hungry and find a nice spot in the shade of a rock tower to stop for some lunch snacks. We are not the first people here though, behind the rock we find grilling implements and other torture implements, maybe. But no other people luckily so we can eat our snacks undisturbed before moving on.
From here the scenery starts to get more and more dramatic with the canyon walls becoming higher and closing in.
Soon the road begins to get worse and worse and the canyon becomes more and more impressive hitting soon Sedona levels of beauty. We stop for some time enjoying the beautiful views in the late afternoon sun before moving on the find the cache.
But first we have to descend a rock shelf that is likely a small waterfall when the water is flowing. We can barely do it as humans but it seems some people did it in their cars, we are surprised that they survived really. And then we find the cache in a small cavern, really cool.
We now have to decide on whether to continue and why not? There is still some time so we continue on the deteriorating trail through the wash until we come out on the other side of the narrows. It is a beautiful place in Arizona and very few people know it, we feel blessed that we made it here.
In fact the road continues to the Saguaro Lake but we don’t have time or energy to go the whole day so we enjoy the impressive rock walls before turning around.
With the sun descending towards the horizon the rock walls take different hues of red, quite fascinating and beautiful. We enjoy the great views and the fact that there is no one else around.
Or so we think until we come face to face with a drone suddenly. A drone in the middle of the desert, what is happening? Soon we understand as we meet a stopped truck with two guys flying the drone for fun, we say our hellos and then move on, really weird meeting. We are now on the easy section of the trail and just as it gets dark we make it back to our car after a beautiful day out that we really enjoyed.
