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| The Prize! Cibecue Falls |
When it’s snowing you really don’t want to spend a lot of
time thinking about climbing boulders and wading through water for a hike with
your girlfriends. But when you are an
official member of “Arizona Women of Adventure” you may not have a choice. Two days of steadily falling spring snow had
interrupted our warm, sunny weather and plans for my first hike of this very
special and remote canyon. I expected our hike to be cancelled by Sara, our
organizer and four time veteran of the remote, physically demanding Cibecue
Canyon Falls hike near the White Mountains of Arizona. But
what Woman of Adventure doesn’t quicken to the call of a 4 mile bouldering,
wading, steep canyon wall hike with a thundering water fall at the end?
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| Entrance Through the Indian Reservation |
No matter how many times you hike into a steep canyon, it’s
always a thrill. Lucky for the six of
us, the drive to the trailhead took us down, down, down from our 7,000 ft home
elevation of the Mogollon Rim. As we
descended we got below the snow line. We
knew we would be picking our way through the water and climbing boulders, so the
absence of fluffy, white stuff was a
psychological boon if nothing else. The
water was still what you would call “fresh” if you are hard core. Downright cold if you are a “wimper”
As we parked at the trailhead I switched from my “water
shoes” to my serious hiking boots. There
was nothing tropical about this hike and some of the boulders we had to climb
were room sized. I decided that if there came a point where I couldn’t feel my
feet from the cold water, I at least wanted a good grip on the rocks. Lucky for us, one of our group is a geologist
and we came to see the rocks and boulders as very special instead of obstacles.
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| Rapids and Boulder Add Interest for the Jaded Hiker |
“Are you ready for this” the “other Julie” called out
when were forced into the water where the trail fizzled and the boulders were
swallowed by steep canyon walk. I can't
say that I entered that water with enthusiasm, but most of enjoyment in an
adventure is attitude. They don’t call us adventurous for nothing! Plus, outings like this improve your fitness
and focus. With a combination of steep
boulders and thigh deep water over loose rocks you have to consciously place
every footstep.
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| Steep Canyon Walls with Tributaries Lead to Salt River |
As it turned out the water started to feel warmer the
closer we got to the end of the canyon and headwaters. The water and “trail”
zigged and zagged so much that every so often a totally new scene would unfold
before us. Cibecue Canyon is a steep canyon of basalt and colorful quartzite. From down in it, you can never see all of it
or even much of it as it rises in mighty stacks around you. With dozens of boulders
to go around or over we migrated more and more to wading across the Cibecue
Creek rapids with our walking poles for stability. Better to fall in the water
than to fall from a boulder!
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| A Hardcore Group of Adventurous Women |
At last, we raised our arms and gave Tarzan yells when we
turned a corner and saw the 100 foot waterfall at the canyon head. The waterfall thundered down into a deep pool
that in better conditions begged skinny dipping. As we gathered on the rocky beach for lunch,
we realized every step was worth this; drive through the snow, climb those
boulders, slip on those rocks in the rapids, and yes, perhaps a touch of
hypothermia….we WILL go back. Next time
will seem so easy.
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| Two Julies Middle Name Adventure |
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| Ready For Bouldering |
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| Ready For Wading |
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| Picking A Reasonable Route Through the Boulders and Rapids |
