I did this 20 miles loop over two nights/3 days in mid February with my dog Bo. An Oldie but Goodie (see previous post from '08
http://thisnotionoflife1.blogspot.com/2008/03/2008-backpacking-trip-1-mazatzal.html), the Willow Trail-Dutchman-Verde Trail offers some challenging hiking in serious solitude. I have to say that everything after Willow Spring until Dutchman Spring (nights 1 and 2 respectively) is heinous: poor trail conditions, non-existent cairns, lots of sun exposure, and very little water. For future trips, I'll probably just go to Willow and back.
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| View along the ridge approaching Willow Spring. |
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| Side trail to Willow Spring campground where Bo and I spent the first night. |
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| Very cool find: A humming bird nest (about the size of a shot glass) with mom tending to it was just down stream from my camp. I was able to stand on an adjacent ledge and get this zoom-in shot without disturbing her too much. |
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| The quartzite canyon slots beneath Willow Spring forming pools of varying depths. |
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| Looking up canyon in Willow Spring slots. Bo the Dog, who couldn't descend further, can be seen peering at me from some 50 feet away. I traveled down canyon a bit more before fear of Bo trying to follow me down the cliff turned me back. It's possible that the canyon included some rappels down stream. I'll have to return with a rope one of these years to find out as it did look promising. |
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| Junction of Willow and Dutchman. Dutchman is the suffer fest that I took to day # 2's campsite, Dutchman Spring. Again, I don't recommend this section. The area was burned badly in the 2004 Willow Fire, making the physical challenge of the terrain not at all worth it. No more pics after this....I was too tired. |
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