Uploaded June 2022 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Attempting to Through Hike West Clear Creek
Attempting. That's the key word here. I wish I could leave that part out.
So I knew this was a long shot. I've been all over West Clear Creek. The Hanging Gardens, the White Box, Maiden Falls, Bullpen Ranch and much, much more. I know this area. So I am fully aware that it is the most rugged country that I've ever hiked in. Rattlesnakes, bears, long swims, cold water, moss covered boulders, poison ivy, thorn bushes....West Clear Creek is beautiful but it doesn't really like being hiked.
Which made me really, really, REALLY want to hike it. It's taken me years to work up the nerve to try. But I finally felt I knew enough about the place and had enough experience to give it a shot. Although I don't like starting things thinking I'm going to fail, I was well aware that failure was the likely outcome here. My plan was to start on the north end from the Maxwell Trail, then hike downstream as far as I could on day 1. There were several exit trails within the first 5~6 miles. If things were going badly, I could easily get out. Because that's yet another issue with West Clear Creek; there are long sections where there is no exit from the canyon. Once you start on those areas, you are fully committed. So I would see how it went while still keeping options open.
And surprisingly, it was going very well. I started a little after noon, and by 5 PM, I was looking for a campsite. I was averaging 1.1 miles per hour, including stops. When I was moving, I was making 1.4 mph. That may not seem like much at all, but for country as rough as West Clear Creek, it's great. I had honestly figured I would make about 0.7 mph or less. So I got close to the last exit before the first long, committing section and set up camp. I was pretty ecstatic.
Then I tried sleeping. The temperatures were supposed to be in the 60's at night. Sure, that was for Camp Verde, but I figured it wouldn't be much colder than the 50's in the canyon. After all, it was June in Arizona.
I was wrong. After about 1 or 2 hours of sleep, I awoke shivering. I'd packed so light that I didn't have the layers I usually would bring. I didn't anticipate cold being an issue. If I had to guess, it was in the 30's. I originally thought it wasn't that cold, but my camera batteries started failing, which only happens when it's really cold. To make matters much worse, the bivy I had brought - the Black Diamond Twilight Bivy - was soaking wet on the inside. It had trapped condensation, and now I was cold AND wet. I had read reviews saying condensation was an issue, although many reviews loved the thing. So when I was sleeping, I left the bug net open and had my face on it, figuring it would let the bivy air out. I also was breathing out through the netting, thinking that would keep any moisture from my breath out of the bivy.
That was not the case.
I spent the rest of the night laying in a wet bivy, trying to just make it until morning. Eventually, I gave up on the bivy entirely and just sat on a rock and tried to keep from getting hypothermic. After watching the sun slowly creep down the opposite canyon wall, it was warm enough for me to pack up and get on my way. I had already messaged Tina with my Garmin that I was aborting the trip and needed a ride. I'm so lucky to have such an amazing and understanding wife! Now all I had to do is get out of the canyon.
So I started hiking maybe 1/10 of a mile downstream to the Wilbur Canyon sneak exit. And wow. What a tenth of a mile. This was the toughest section of 'trail' I've ever encountered. And it also started almost immediately with a long swimming section. Eventually I made it to the Wilbur Canyon exit and I climbed up out of the canyon. From there I walked 5 or 6 miles along forest roads toward the highway where Tina picked me up.
West Clear Creek.....I love it. I hate it. Each time I visit I swear I'm not going back and yet I always do. Right now the scratches, bruises and bug bites are a little too fresh for me to commit to another trip. But I'll be back.
Music by Epidemic Sound:
Feeling Minnesota - Gavin Luke
Fjallsippa - Strom
Better Tomorrow - Sayuri Hayashi Egnell
Ain't Gonna Live Like This No More - Bo the Drifter
If you click on the links below - and especially if you buy from these links - I'll get compensation. So that would be cool. No, I'm not sponsored by them, but I love the products.
Filmed on: GoPro Hero 9 Black: amzn.to/3qAGJcv
Attempting to Through Hike West Clear Creek
Attempting. That's the key word here. I wish I could leave that part out.
So I knew this was a long shot. I've been all over West Clear Creek. The Hanging Gardens, the White Box, Maiden Falls, Bullpen Ranch and much, much more. I know this area. So I am fully aware that it is the most rugged country that I've ever hiked in. Rattlesnakes, bears, long swims, cold water, moss covered boulders, poison ivy, thorn bushes....West Clear Creek is beautiful but it doesn't really like being hiked.
Which made me really, really, REALLY want to hike it. It's taken me years to work up the nerve to try. But I finally felt I knew enough about the place and had enough experience to give it a shot. Although I don't like starting things thinking I'm going to fail, I was well aware that failure was the likely outcome here. My plan was to start on the north end from the Maxwell Trail, then hike downstream as far as I could on day 1. There were several exit trails within the first 5~6 miles. If things were going badly, I could easily get out. Because that's yet another issue with West Clear Creek; there are long sections where there is no exit from the canyon. Once you start on those areas, you are fully committed. So I would see how it went while still keeping options open.
And surprisingly, it was going very well. I started a little after noon, and by 5 PM, I was looking for a campsite. I was averaging 1.1 miles per hour, including stops. When I was moving, I was making 1.4 mph. That may not seem like much at all, but for country as rough as West Clear Creek, it's great. I had honestly figured I would make about 0.7 mph or less. So I got close to the last exit before the first long, committing section and set up camp. I was pretty ecstatic.
Then I tried sleeping. The temperatures were supposed to be in the 60's at night. Sure, that was for Camp Verde, but I figured it wouldn't be much colder than the 50's in the canyon. After all, it was June in Arizona.
I was wrong. After about 1 or 2 hours of sleep, I awoke shivering. I'd packed so light that I didn't have the layers I usually would bring. I didn't anticipate cold being an issue. If I had to guess, it was in the 30's. I originally thought it wasn't that cold, but my camera batteries started failing, which only happens when it's really cold. To make matters much worse, the bivy I had brought - the Black Diamond Twilight Bivy - was soaking wet on the inside. It had trapped condensation, and now I was cold AND wet. I had read reviews saying condensation was an issue, although many reviews loved the thing. So when I was sleeping, I left the bug net open and had my face on it, figuring it would let the bivy air out. I also was breathing out through the netting, thinking that would keep any moisture from my breath out of the bivy.
That was not the case.
I spent the rest of the night laying in a wet bivy, trying to just make it until morning. Eventually, I gave up on the bivy entirely and just sat on a rock and tried to keep from getting hypothermic. After watching the sun slowly creep down the opposite canyon wall, it was warm enough for me to pack up and get on my way. I had already messaged Tina with my Garmin that I was aborting the trip and needed a ride. I'm so lucky to have such an amazing and understanding wife! Now all I had to do is get out of the canyon.
So I started hiking maybe 1/10 of a mile downstream to the Wilbur Canyon sneak exit. And wow. What a tenth of a mile. This was the toughest section of 'trail' I've ever encountered. And it also started almost immediately with a long swimming section. Eventually I made it to the Wilbur Canyon exit and I climbed up out of the canyon. From there I walked 5 or 6 miles along forest roads toward the highway where Tina picked me up.
West Clear Creek.....I love it. I hate it. Each time I visit I swear I'm not going back and yet I always do. Right now the scratches, bruises and bug bites are a little too fresh for me to commit to another trip. But I'll be back.
Music by Epidemic Sound:
Feeling Minnesota - Gavin Luke
Fjallsippa - Strom
Better Tomorrow - Sayuri Hayashi Egnell
Ain't Gonna Live Like This No More - Bo the Drifter
If you click on the links below - and especially if you buy from these links - I'll get compensation. So that would be cool. No, I'm not sponsored by them, but I love the products.
Filmed on: GoPro Hero 9 Black: amzn.to/3qAGJcv
