July ROTM - West Clear Creek Saturday 7/21/18 (1 Viewer)

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Dimples

I owe my soul to the TRD store.
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Julys ROTM is going to be a beach day and optional night on the East side of West Clear Creek. There is a hike to get to the swimming hole. This can be done as a day trip or overnight. I plan to camp at the swimming area away from the vehicle. More details to follow.
Meet up at the Mustang gas station Google Maps 7:30 to 8:00 am.
 
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this is just east of Camp Verde you're talking?
 
Yes, not the bullpen area though. Closer to Lake Mary Rd.
 
In! :bounce:

Camping with my vehicle though..... how far of a hike in between?
 
Not sure the distance. I am having a hard time getting the trail number off of the hiking sites. I just need to pre hike it and see. Not an easy hike though as I understand it. I plan on hiking down after we get done wheeling then hike up sometime in the early to mid afternoon.
 
Stocker friendly trail?
 
Should be stocker friendly.

Are you talking about Tramway trail? Unlike Bullpen area the creek is down in a steep canyon at this point. No motorized vehicles. It's a steep hike down to the creek. Had a FJ40 to the edge a number of years ago. First time I went (1972) my buddy I went with assured me it was paved to the parking lot. As I remember it's about nine miles from Lake Mary to the trail head. I drove my Opel GT and made it to within a hundred yards of the trailhead. Next few times was in my 62 Impala. I would not call the trail down to the creek small child friendly. I know @Pitch has been there more recent.
 
I don’t think it is the tramway trail although it may be. It is listed as the West Clear Creek trailhead on google maps. Just south of Sundance canyon.
 
May very well be somewhere else. Only way I know to get to West Clear Creek off of Lake Mary road is west off of Lake Mary Road just north of where FR 211 heads to the east. I went by that forest road on Saturday but didn't pay attention to the number.

Looks like the forest road I'm talking is 81. Shows across from 211 on Google maps but it's just north of it. Came across 211 Saturday and on my navigation screen shows a road straight across from 211 but there isn't one.
 
Okay seen what your talking about now. Never been there but being it's in my backyard will have to make a effort to be there. As far as hike would ask @lcwizard since some of the pictures posted there were by the wizard himself.
 
Having hiked that trail many times, I can assure it is stocker friendly. Subaru friendly, in fact.
It is a strenuous hiking trail down, with rock hopping and climbing over logs. 700' elevation in 1/4 mile. But, once you reach the creek, it is amazingly beautiful.
 
700 feet of elevation ove 1/4 mile is maybe too much for most people. Many can’t handle the 1000 feet over a mile after the saddle on Humphrey’s. I’m cool with the hike but I’m curious what others think.
 
700 feet of elevation ove 1/4 mile is maybe too much for most people. Many can’t handle the 1000 feet over a mile after the saddle on Humphrey’s. I’m cool with the hike but I’m curious what others think.

I've been up to Doyle Saddle in the San Francisco Peaks a few times. Didn't bother me at all. But I drove up not hiked up. At that time it was the Weatherford road not trail. Makes you realize how much excess to public lands we have lost over the years.

On another note can't compare hiking up in the San Francisco Peaks to hiking in rim country. Guessing West Clear Creek is 7,000' or less. Humphrey's Peak is what about double that.
 
700 feet of elevation ove 1/4 mile is maybe too much for most people. Many can’t handle the 1000 feet over a mile after the saddle on Humphrey’s. I’m cool with the hike but I’m curious what others think.

I can do it but I won't like it.
 
I've been up to Doyle Saddle in the San Francisco Peaks a few times. Didn't bother me at all. But I drove up not hiked up. At that time it was the Weatherford road not trail. Makes you realize how much excess to public lands we have lost over the years.

On another note can't compare hiking up in the San Francisco Peaks to hiking in rim country. Guessing West Clear Creek is 7,000' or less. Humphrey's Peak is what about double that.

The peak is 12,660 ft. I was just comparing the elevation gain.

Most people that I have gone up with tap out at the saddle which is 11,300 feet.
 
The peak is 12,660 ft. I was just comparing the elevation gain.

Most people that I have gone up with tap out at the saddle which is 11,300 feet.

My comparison was how much less oxygen there is up in the Peaks as compared to the rim. Elevation change is double of the rim coming from the valley. Difference is once you are at the top in the Peaks it's down hill. Hiking down into West Clear Clear getting back to the vehicles is all up hill. People climbingcl up to the peak and give up heading back it's down hill. Once down at the creek have no choice but climb back out. Talked to semeone on mud about hiking down Tramway trail. He said he wanted to hike all the way down to the Verde Valley. He also said he heard it's usually a three to four day hike. He planned on doing it in a day. My response was PASS!
 
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Sounds just like some spots along the Black River on the San Carlos reservation..... Coming back up with a stringer of small mouth bass was brutal.
I was younger then, but I probably talk myself into doing it again.;)
 
Hiking into WCC wilderness is exposed (hot), steep, and loose with obstacles. Hike early; bring lots of liquids and salts. Hiking out late in the day can be brutal. Roads are high clearance, more so nearer the canyon rim.
 

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