White Box & Hanging Gardens of WCC, AZ :: Question by discobob

[discobob]

I was planning on doing a backpacking trip through this section in a couple of weeks. Would that be a bad idea considering the recent fire just north of the canyon plus monsoon season? Would we be walking right into a potential flash flood?

[chumley]

The recent fire was low-impact and should not play a factor.

Most areas in WCC provide reasonable places to seek safety during a flood event, including Hanging Gardens. The White Box, however, would be a bad place to be.

As with any trip into a canyon during monsoon season, I would keep an eye on the forecast. Should there be storms in the area, keep in mind that WCC drains a watershed as far as 20 miles from the gardens.

[toddak]

Are you planning to continue downstream past Hanging Gardens to exit at Bull Pen? Like chumley said, most of the canyon is fairly wide and you could get up and away from the creek in the event of a flood. But there are also a few more narrows sections below Hanging Gardens, and there are no established escape routes to the rim until you reach WCC Trail #17.

Here's a report from someone who got caught in a flood in that section:
https://hikearizona.com/photoset.php?ID=11985

[ALMAL]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3UEVoVl9zO4
Love the sound of the creek in this video...

[discobob]

Are you planning to continue downstream past Hanging Gardens to exit at Bull Pen? Like chumley said, most of the canyon is fairly wide and you could get up and away from the creek in the event of a flood. But there are also a few more narrows sections below Hanging Gardens, and there are no established escape routes to the rim until you reach WCC Trail #17.

I thought you could get out at Rim Tank, or is that not possible without technical climbing?

[discobob]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3UEVoVl9zO4
Love the sound of the creek in this video...

Holy crap! Looking at the weather forecast it seems like it's just a bad idea to head into WCC next week. >50% chance of T-storms every day.

[joebartels]

@discobob
indeed
while July - August are the drag of summer, May & September are safer when storms aren't popping daily

[toddak]

@discobob
I haven't done Rim Tank canyon. But based on the HAZ description and having done a lot of canyons with the author (vaporman), ascending Rim Tank is probably pretty sketchy, especially with backpacking gear.

[discobob]

Welp, any ideas on a good place for a 2 night backpacking trip next week? I'm thinking Mt. Baldy looks nice. It will still probably be rainy, but at least no flash floods. Anyone know how hard it is to get a permit to the top on short notice?

[joebartels]

fyi
I've hiked straight up out of the immediate left where Meadow Canyon begins. It's very steep, loose and lots of cacti but it did work

[toddak]

here's an old forum topic about Rim Tank
https://hikearizona.com/dex2/viewtopic.php?t=1542

[discobob]

I've hiked straight up out of the immediate left where Meadow Canyon begins.

Could you by chance give me a GPS coordinate for where that route starts? Is it on the east or west rim of Meadow Canyon?

[joebartels]

@discobob
https://hikearizona.com/map.php?QX=6365
I just remember a broad leaved tree at the bottom, extremely steep but enough roots and/or brush for hand holds, a few seemingly gymnastic moves around cacti then we were on top without incident, hint of a use-trail for a short section

[Peter_Medal]

@joebartels
How funny Joe... we camped up top where you ascended .... feeling frisky and too excited for our rap into meadow the next day we did a midnight hike down the route you came up but just 1/4 mile... on the way back up, Carlos got bit by a snake, drew blood but non-venomous. I saw a bright reddish/orange Scorpion.

[chumley]

@Peter_Medal
Bit by a non-venomous snake, or a dry strike by a rattler?

[discobob]

@discobob
https://hikearizona.com/map.php?QX=6365
I just remember a broad leaved tree at the bottom, extremely steep but enough roots and/or brush for hand holds, a few seemingly gymnastic moves around cacti then we were on top without incident, hint of a use-trail for a short section

Thanks. That helps a ton.

[Peter_Medal]

@chumley
Probably a rattler and most likely a "dry bite".... bite was about mid ankle. It did not rattle.