Getting back out in Minnow Canyon

Minnow Canyon, 3AI
2.3 miles
Tonto National Forest – Superstition Wilderness, tributary of Fish Creek
12/22/08, 11/15/09

The fall in Arizona is wedding season and just about every weekend I am either shooting a wedding, assisting another wedding photographer or photographing an engagement session and for that reason it has been over a month since I have been on rope (my last canyoneering trip was Imlay in Zion). I have started to get that antsy feeling of needing some quality time in the wilderness. Sunday was finally a day when both David and I could go canyoneering together, along with our good friend John. Having shot a wedding all day on Saturday I had some criteria for our outing- I didn’t want to drive far, I didn’t want to get wet if possible and I would like a relatively short day. Shooting weddings are a joy but I generally come home extremely wired and I did not want to wake up super early Sunday morning. David suggested Minnow Canyon in the Superstitions. It was a perfect choice. David had also done Minnow Canyon last year with Mike.

The coolest thing about Minnow are all the caves created by fallen boulders, with earth and vegetation filling in the gaps. This makes for the true canyon bottom below a second level above. Creativity and route finding is necessary to navigate through the two tiered maze. There is one 150- foot rappel towards the end of the canyon.

David and John jogged the 2+ miles back to the car as I waited with the packs happy to be out enjoying a beautiful fall afternoon in Arizona.

-Laura (click here to see my wedding website)

David reads a map.

John down climbs a boulder.

Laura walks through a boulder cave.

Laura walks through a boulder cave.

John on rappel.

David rappels

Mike cleaning the rope.

Looking down Fish Creek Canyon and the Apache Trail from Minnow.

Cold and wet in Tango Canyon

Tango Canyon, 3BIII
5.7 miles
Tonto National Forest – Superstition Wilderness, tributary of Lower Fish Creek
01/04/09

.

Tango Canyon is a fun little adventure that requires a GPS to locate; at least we needed a GPS to find it. David and I did this canyon with John and Kim on a cold and rainy day in January. Hiking to the canyon requires fighting through evil catclaw brush and very careful route finding. The technical portion of the canyon has a few nice rappels. The last rappel of the canyon is a 70- foot drop-off into an alcove. Because of all the rain the final rappel turned into a pleasant little waterfall, splashing us as we descended. The hike out is along Fish Creek Canyon. We finished after dark.

-Laura

Ominous clouds roll in while looking down into Fish Creek Canyon.

Kim hikes on the approach to Tango Canyon.

John looks out onto the Superstition Mountains.

John on rappel.

David on rappel as John looks on.

Kim reacts to being sprayed by cold water at the end of the 70- foot rappel.