July Gila Trails Update

In this Newsletter:

- Current Conditions

- Day Adventures

- Backcountry Adventures

- Trails Projects

Current Conditions

Monsoons are here!

Fire Danger: Fire danger for our area is lowering, but this could change if the monsoons dry up. Always put out your campfire.

Lightning: Monsoons also mean increased lightning. Plan your adventure accordingly.

The Gila is known for high lightning activity. Lightning can strike anywhere.

Here are some tips for lightning safety.

Heavy Rain: Rain intensity is spotty and varied. It could downpour in one area, while only a mile away, it can be dry. Plan your water sources accordingly. Localized storms can often produce more rain than predicted in the overall forecast.

Flash Floods: Be prepared for flash floods, especially if it is raining upstream when hiking in a canyon. Remember to think big picture rather than if it is raining on you.

River Gauges: The rivers have already risen some during last week's downpours. Will these rain amounts continue? Who knows, but if they do, you should check the River Gauges before planning your adventure.

Temperature Swings: Expect temperature swings throughout the day as temps build, then fall during rain storms and then potentially build again.

River Trail Vegetation

What to expect when traveling river trails in the summer.

Check out the photos below.

A trail? Recently maintained?

Yes and yes.

While this river trail was maintained less than a month ago, the rapid growth of clover and other river vegetation presents a significant challenge. In years like this, when the clover flourishes, it can reach over 4 feet in height, obscuring the trail. The small cairn in the picture is a testament to this, as it's mostly hidden by the vegetation, making navigation more complex.

Typically, much of the clover dies in early September, making travel more straightforward as long as the rivers are not flooding. Willows still block the view at the river crossings but not as intensely.

Please note that the vegetation issue mainly occurs where the trail is in the river bottom, rather than on a bank. Once you find the trail up the bank, traveling should be more manageable until you reach the next low spot in the trail, where it crosses the river.

Adventure at your own risk.

Trail conditions change.

Recreate Responsibly

Day Adventures

Tadpole Ridge Trail #232 - More Improvements

Thanks to dedicated trail adopters, Tadpole Ridge Trail has seen additional trail improvements. This well-loved trail is hard to maintain since extensive brush grows up tall every year, and burned trees are still falling. It takes dedicated individuals to make this possible.

Here are the updated trail improvements.

Miles refers to Highway 15 trailhead as the start of the trail:

Logged

Mile 1 to 5

Tread

Mile 4.2 to 5ish - redid the tread starting from where the trail drops down the north east side of the ridge. A major transformation!

Lopped/Brushed

Mile 3.2 to 5. And....in the next week, they plan/hope to finish lopping between mile 1.5 and 3ish. Then, the trail will be completely brush-free for a few months.

Hikers should keep in mind that the brush grows back quickly in some sections. So the best time to experience the trail would be in the near future - from mid-July to mid-September.

Also, because the trail is maintained by just a few volunteers, people should not expect it to be in a constant state of perfect maintenance.

Note: The trail is not suitable for mountain bikes. Only very experienced horsemen should attempt it, as there are very precipitous drop-offs in places and uneven tread that can break off on the downhill side if a horse steps close to the edge of the trail.

Check out the other day's adventure below that is more suitable for Equine and MTN biking.

Plan accordingly..... This wonderful trail is high on a ridge making it high exposure in a lightning storm. Please check the weather before traveling this trail and keep an eye on how the clouds are building when you are up there.

Interactive Map

Route Info

CDT from Little Walnut to the Signal Peak Road

This section of the CDT, 16+ miles, has multiple access options for out-and-backs. The trail offers varied ecosystems, from pinion /juniper to ponderosa and mixed conifer.

Thanks to the Forest Service Silver City Trail Crew and a dedicated CDT Trail Adopter, the trail has been logged and mostly brushed. Note that there is locust that grow back quickly near the Signal Peak Road. Expect it to be brushy in that section.

An access trail to the CDT, Little Cherry Creek Trail, was also logged and offers additional options for adventures in this area.

Note that some of the trailheads are not ideal for horse trailers.

CDT at the junction with Sawmill Wagon Road Trail

Little Cherry Creek Trail

Interactive Map

Geospatial Map

Backcountry Adventures

South Fork Whitewater Trail #212

This stunning canyon and oasis is a great adventure for those on foot. Sadly, it is NOT accessible for equine. Damaged in the 2013 post-fire flooding, this trail was a tangle of logs, brush, and missing trail tread.

Thanks to considerable effort by the Forest Service Trail Crew and a Conservation Corps, this trail has been reopened from Whitewater Creek to Camp Creek Saddle.

Expect added vegetation since this is a creek hike.

There are a few ways to access this trail:

This trail improvement is part of a bigger goal, which is to reopen a loop involving Little Whitewater Trail, South Fork Whitewater, and Whitewater. Stay tuned as additional trail work is accomplished this autumn.

Interactive Map

Geospatial Map

Getting to White Creek Flats

White Creek Flats is in the center of the Gila Wilderness. Located in a valley nestled between 3 mesa tops, access to this area requires many miles of travel and multiple switchbacks descending into the valley. (Unless one braves the many many river crossing on the West Fork Trail.)

Some access this area via Aeroplane Mesa Trailhead while others travel in from Gila Cliff Dwellings area.

Thanks to Gila Back Country Horsemen, two of the three switchback options into White Creek Flat have been logged. On the intense Trotter Trail # 30 switchbacks, they removed a hazard tree on a steep sidehill that was even challenging for hikers to navigate.

They also logged some additional trails in the area around Lilley Spring and Prior Cabin. Check out the map.

Interactive Map

Geospatial Map