A Well-traveled Letter

I really didn't need to stand in the middle of the road - our pickup had it effectively blocked - but when Gary Esquivel from Kearny drove up, I made sure he stopped. "Is that Battle Ax Butte?" I demanded, pointing at a tortured, convoluted monolith south of me. When Gary agreed the offending mountain was indeed the infamous Battle Ax, I pointed north and said, "Then, is that black canyon White Canyon?" "No, ma'am. You've passed White Canyon. It's the one with the white walls. That's why it's called White Canyon. You can't miss it," Gary explained. Then he looked at me dubiously and added, "But maybe you'd better let me lead you there, just in case." Sufficiently humbled, photographer Bernadette Heath and I rolled up our topo maps and dutifully followed Gary back to the trailhead leading into White Canyon, which, true to his word, had white walls. Gary left us with a final comment: "Be careful now. There might be a lion or something in that canyon." I tried to judge if he was teasing us or not, but I couldn't tell. White Canyon Wilderness encompasses 5,800 acres - small compared with other Wilderness areas. Only 45 miles southeast of Mesa and 7 miles south of Superior, it's perfect for day walks or even extended hikes for the more ambitious. The condition of the dirt access road depends on how long agoit rained. To be on the safe side, take a high-clearance vehicle. White Canyon and Walnut Canyon constitute the main attractions, but a number of smaller canyons also offer scenic hikes. These canyons drain south to the Gila River, their rocky features softened by the lush growth of willow, oak and black walnut trees and a variety of cacti. A unique geologic feature, the Rincon escarpment towers over the valley floor. This jagged circle of white and red cliffs, beautiful in the first morning sunlight, takes some effort to reach. We located White Canyon near sundown when the

CAUNY

COMMENTS LIKE Watch out for the rattlesnake and Saw a Gila monster made me nervous I soon forgot to worry about the critters as I became enthralled by the BEAUTY OF THE PLACE.

cliffs held a soft, golden glow. Since motorized vehicles are banned in the Wilderness, we camped near the boundary line under some unusually large mesquite trees and set out early the next day, a cool November morning. That is a great time to be there;