Garfias Wash - Hell's Canyon Wilderness

Hell's Canyon Wilderness spans 9,951 acres of backcountry a few miles northwest of Lake Pleasant and about 25 miles north of Phoenix. The most popular trail and easiest to follow begins at the Spring Valley Trailhead on Castle Hot Springs Road. The trail ends at Garfias Wash but I hiked 1.8 miles up the wash. This area is mostly volcanic rock from the Cretaceous and Tertiary periods with some granite and schist from the underlying Precambrian core. This is a fun and challenging area to explore with very few people around. I saw one person all day. I hiked 9 miles round trip.

Being alone in the wilderness is soothing. It reduces my OCD and depression. I also have type 2 diabetes and my blood sugar is always normal when I go hiking. The mental and physical health benefits are enormous. The wilderness allows me to feel normal and unwind. It's what I look forward to after working at Walmart.

A waterfall of algae.

I brought my tripod with.

My car at the trailhead.

Western Diamondback Rattlesnake - Hell's Canyon Wilderness

While hiking in Garfias Wash at Hells Canyon Wilderness, I heard a quiet rattle and saw this Western Diamondback Rattlesnake about 3 feet in front of me. It then decided to hide from me under this bush. So I sat down 6 feet away and began photographing this beautiful snake. It was a tricky shot, and took several tries. I forget I have OCD when I see these beautiful but dangerous snakes. When photographing rattlesnakes it requires my total concentration. I need to compose a good photograph and remain safe at the same time, and resist the urge to get closer. That pushes the OCD far into the background of my brain. I sat six feet away for this photo.

Governor's Peak - Hell's Canyon

Hell's Canyon is located in Arizona near Lake Pleasant. The trail is easy to follow until you drop down into Four Tanks Canyon. After that, once you begin to ascend Governors Peak, the trail is overgrown and can be difficult to follow, but rock cairns frequently mark the route.  The trail is 6 miles round trip.

The false peak.

The false peak.

Governors Peak on the left.

Governors Peak

Governors Peak

The view from Governors Peak

Peak 3465 - Hells Canyon Wilderness

On December 12, I hiked 11.4 miles round trip on the Walkin' Jim Trail to the summit of Peak 3465. The hike took me 8 hours and 55 minutes. It is located in the Hieroglyphic Mountains near Lake Pleasant. On the entire hike I only passed one person. I love the solitude of solo hiking, with no other hikers around. It's incredibly peaceful. Since I have OCD, these long solo hikes are my medicine for anxiety.

Peak 3465

Peak 3465

Peak 3465

On the summit of Peak 3465

Me on the summit of Peak 3465

On the summit of Peak 3465

On the summit of Peak 3465

On the summit of Peak 3465

On the summit of Peak 3465

Peak 3465

The route