The Seven Cataracts Adventure Hike: A Mountain Sliding, Canyoneering Exploration Into Willow Canyon

Arizona is an unbelievably magnificent, wildly various state with topography ranging from very low degree desert landscapes, to large mountain peaks and alpine forest ranges. Much more than any other geologic attribute nevertheless, Arizona is commonly renowned for its a lot of stunning and remote rock canyons, deep slot gorges, h2o falls and swimming pools which are scattered throughout the condition. Having said that, what I obtain even additional awesome, is that a lot of of these backcountry wilderness canyons can be accessed through “non-technological” canyon mountaineering routes which never demand ropes and are pretty much inside a one day’s excursion from possibly Phoenix or Tucson. For an outstanding late summer months to early tumble working day excursion and hike, if you are up for much more of an remarkable obstacle and an incredible and scenic day journey, then choose a mountain sliding, canyoneering climbing experience to Seven Cataracts, and check out Willow Canyon, Tucson, Arizona.

It was the Labor Working day holiday and early on Sunday early morning that I left Phoenix, about 6am, heading out of town on I-10 East and arrived in Tucson by 7:30am. At the Ina Road exit, I swung off the freeway and took a left, heading east 8 miles, and met up with the TLC Climbing Group, led and arranged by Eric Kinneman, at the Westin La Paloma Vacation resort and arrived by 8am. Due to the fact the parking was explained to be confined at the trailhead for this hike, we carpooled it alongside one another and established out for the day’s hike and journey heading east on Dawn Blvd. by 8:25am.

The wonderful drive on Sunrise Blvd across the northern stretches of Tucson and through the rolling foothills of the beautiful Santa Catalina mountains has always been a favored of mine. The Santa Catalina Mountains are Tucson’s best mountain assortment reaching all the way up to 9157 ft in elevation at its incredibly top rated, Mount Lemmon. To get there and to get to the trailhead for our hike, we zig zagged it throughout Tucson, driving east on Dawn Blvd to Swan Road, turned right (south), to River Highway, turned remaining (east), then a right on to Sabino Canyon Road, remaining onto Tanque Verde Street and headed east on Tanque Verde Highway until we reached the Catalina Freeway, aka the “Mount Lemmon Scenic Byway”, and then turned still left once again.

It was about 4 miles or so after generating the remaining switch on to the Catalina Freeway that you enter the Coronado National Forest and begin the winding ascent up into the rugged Santa Catalina mountains. Even though it truly is been a very long time considering that I was past there, I was still stunned at just how attractive and beautiful this push genuinely is. Instantly as you head on up in elevation beginning at 3000 toes, the sights are unquestionably breathtaking with just about every switchback and hairpin curve presenting a new and astounding rock development or attractive canyon vista off to the length. If you like to halt and consider a whole lot of photographs, as I usually like to do, you have a good deal of option to do so mainly because this travel gives a selection of vista factors to love alongside the way. On the other hand, at about mile marker 5, just earlier the Molino Canyon Overlook, there is a pay station wherever you ought to purchase a $5 Coronado Nationwide Forest day use recreation pass if you might be setting up on halting any where additional together the generate. We acquired the working day use passes, one particular each and every per vehicle and journeyed on for 3 additional miles right until we attained the Seven Cataracts Vista Stage, just previous Thimble Peak Vista and about at about mile marker 8 and about 1/3 of the way up to Mount Lemmon.

We pulled into the Seven Cataracts Vista point, and our trailhead, parked and began out on our day’s mountaineering and canyoneering experience by 9am. The see seeking down into Willow Canyon under was completely beautiful, but also exceptionally steep much too! Instantly, ideal from the starting, the drop off into Willow Canyon on this “day use” path was rigorous, to say the extremely least. Estimated to be approximately about a 1000-1300 feet descent straight down with a 60% quality on all loose filth, gravel and rocks, just about every one particular of us had to basically fall down to the floor on our “butts” and from segment to portion, slide it on down for about a complete of a ¼ of a mile till we experienced produced down to the bottom. What a website it was to see far too, seriously remarkable and a ton of entertaining! However, this “non-official” trail, largely employed by expert canyoneers, is rated really tricky, some even say treacherous or dangerous, so I would not endorse carrying out this hike on your own except if you are an skilled canyon hiker or have an professional canyon climbing guidebook with you.

When we had all safely slid our way down and reached the bottom and just after a rapid team picture, Eric started top our team on our canyoneering exploration even further down into Willow Canyon, scrambling, boulder hopping and class 3 climbing via partly jogging drinking water falls. Seriously attractive and breathtaking landscapes all the way down way too! We ongoing on for about a ¼ mile wherever we experienced attained a genuinely great jogging falls and liked the prospect to interesting off, rest and love the peaceful tranquility and magnificence of this remote and lesser regarded wilderness canyon. Meanwhile, Eric, along with numerous other adventurous users, journeyed on for a different 1/3 to ¼ mile, and following additional scrambling, boulder hopping and course 3-4 climbing, arrived at a beautiful 100 foot water drop and a larger swimming hole deep enough he stated that even with a bounce off a 10 foot cliff, they could not strike base! Amazing!

Following about an hour or so crack, we determined it was time to commence generating our way again. Now it was time for the most tough section of our canyoneering journey, making it back again! So we began our trek again by means of Willow Canyon the exact same way we arrived, scrambling, boulder hopping, wading by way of the swimming pools, then climbing it again up by the water tumble. It only took a shorter time however and within minutes we had all manufactured it safely back again up and to the foundation of the side of the hill we had at first “slid” down on before. It was in this article that we fulfilled back again up with Eric then broke up into two teams. You could decide to either make the ascent in the exact same location you arrived down with the 60% grade on all unfastened dirt and gravel, where Eric said it was for each individual 3 techniques up, a slide of one or two back. Or my pal Dan determined it seemed like if you took it up a small even further down to the remaining, you could a lot more simply climb it straight up the rocks and cliff and up to the top rated. So myself, along with a number of other customers followed Dan’s guide and hand about foot, we little by little and cautiously climbed it, section by part until we safely attained it again up to the top. Wow, for me and someone who’s worried of heights, and not expert at rock climbing, it was difficult but a ton of entertaining and outstanding workout far too!

At the time back at the major and at the 7 Cataracts Vista parking good deal, we waited for the ultimate associates to properly return, then by 12:15pm we obtained again into our vehicles to drive the relaxation of the way up to Mount Lemmon for lunch at the Iron Door Cafe. The views along the way were being once again, stunning as you make your way from elevation 5000 ft on up to the Mount Lemmon Sky Valley, elevation around about 8200 feet. Even though the symptoms of the devastating 2003 Aspen fire were being visible, it was nonetheless quite beautiful and the temperatures by this time of day, low to mid 80’s and pretty neat and refreshing.

On the other hand, with the 2.5 hour hold out at the cafe, thanks to it becoming a weekend and also a getaway, we made a decision it was best to flip about and head back alternatively.

We arrived back in Tucson at about 2pm and immediately after an exceptional lunch at a little restaurant termed Renee’s Organic and natural Oven on Tanque Verde Highway, we arrived back again at the Westin La Paloma Resort by 4pm, where people of us who had just arrived down for the day, headed back to Phoenix from there to return residence all over again by about 6pm.

In all, it was truly an remarkable canyoneering exploration and waterfall climbing adventure with the TLC Hiking Team, diligently investigated, properly planned and considered by to the last detail by Eric Kinneman himself. Definitely had it all, astonishingly lovely, exciting, nevertheless also pretty difficult. I think that this hike is greatest summed up while in Eric Kinneman’s have words in which he estimates, “The 7 Cataracts Waterfall Experience Hike is an awesome hike that I hugely recommend folks using. It will take a look at your fears, give you an unbelievable exercise routine and take you by way of some outstanding canyons, and a 100 foot waterfall and swimming hole, rarely found by any individual. What extra could any individual request for!”