This map shows a shuttle hike that I did with Steve Maschue. We started at the Jim Thompson/Brins Mesa trailhead. The Jim Thompson trail follows a scenic traverse of Steamboat Rock before descending to the Wilson Canyon Trail. At the junction, we headed up Wilson Canyon as far as we could go before going back down Wilson Canyon and exiting at the Midgely Bridge.
Click on map to enlarge it, and then click on "original" size at the bottom. Map generated by MyTopo (Maptech) Terrain Navigator.
enlarge 50KB, 900x355 2 Jim Thompson Profile 01
Profile of the Jim Thompson Trail, starting at the Brin's Mesa Trailhead and ending at the junction with the Wilson Canyon Trail. Note that the actual profile is not this jagged.
Click on Thumbnail to view. Profile Generated by MyTopo (Maptech) Terrain Navigator program.
enlarge 48KB, 900x345 3 Wilson Canyon Profile 01
Profile of Wilson Canyon Trail from Midgely Bridge to viewpoint on ridge. Click on thumbnail to view. Profile Generated by MyTopo (Maptech) Terrain Navigator program.
enlarge 127KB, 800x600 4 001 View looking south from the Jim Thompson Trail near the trailhead.
enlarge 214KB, 600x800 5 002 Steve with the back side of Steamboat Rock in the background.
enlarge 339KB, 800x600 6 003 Desert Paintbrush along the trail.
See Indian Paintbrush
enlarge 292KB, 800x600 7 004 Another view of Indian Paintbrush along the trail.
enlarge 250KB, 600x800 8 005 Closer view of the back side of Steamboat Rock.
enlarge 356KB, 800x600 9 006 Firecracker Penstemon along trail.
See Firecracker Penstemon
enlarge 269KB, 800x600 10 007 Along the trail, the "Banana" Yuccas were in bloom.
See Banana Yucca
enlarge 312KB, 800x600 11 008 More Banana Yuccas.
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Steve and an agave, or "century plant", along the trail. The agave flowers only once and then dies.
See Agave for more info.
enlarge 316KB, 800x600 13 010 More yuccas.
enlarge 189KB, 600x800 14 011 View from trail with banana yuccas in full bloom.
enlarge 168KB, 800x600 15 012 Steve - traversing around Steamboat Rock before we descend into Wilson Canyon.
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More banana Yuccas - you can see that the blooms do, in fact, resemble a bunch of bananas.
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Sego Lily - a beautiful flower, that I first saw on a backpacking trip to the Seven Devils in Idaho.
See Sego Lily
enlarge 192KB, 800x600 18 015 Steve - looking across Oak Creek Canyon.
enlarge 198KB, 800x600 19 016 Bill at viewpoint along the Jim Thompson Trail.
enlarge 291KB, 800x600 20 017 Steve going up the Wilson Canyon Trail.
enlarge 34.19MB, 800x600 Download AVI 21 018.AVI VIDEO - Click Photo to View. Video of Small waterfall along the Wilson Canyon trail.
enlarge 24.30MB, 800x600 Download AVI 22 019.AVI VIDEO - Click Photo to View. Video of another waterfall a little ways up the trail.
enlarge 185KB, 600x800 23 020
The trail peters out after a while, so we crossed the creek and followed a vague path up the side of the canyon. The further up we went the more views we got.
enlarge 183KB, 600x800 24 021 Looking back down Wilson Canyon.
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Steve - this was about as far as we got. The Upper end of Wilson Canyon bluffs out with these imposing cliffs.
enlarge 36.17MB, 800x600 Download AVI 26 023.AVI VIDEO - Click Photo to View. Video of Steve heading up the hill.
enlarge 234KB, 600x800 27 024 Steve scrambled around this rock pillar to see if any "trail" continued on, but found none.
enlarge 47.11MB, 800x600 Download AVI 28 025.AVI VIDEO - Click Photo to View. Video of Steve scrambling around the rock pillar.
enlarge 287KB, 800x600 29 026
Claret Cup cactus flowers just below where we turned around and headed back down the canyon.
enlarge 312KB, 800x600 30 027 Another view of the Claret Cup Cactus.
