Ice / Skates

January 15, 2025

We hesitated to return to Skates Canyon. It's one of our favorite hikes, but we knew this area was hit hard by the Trout Fire of 2025. Would the slot be full of burnt timbers? Would it be washed out by post-fire floods?

With eight other members of our Gila Hikers hiking group, we set out to find out.

The frost was scintillating on dew-soaked grasses. Can you see all the different colors?

Beautifully etched sheets of ice on the canyon floor.

Frozen ghosts of small springs.

We were pleased to see that there was no major new deadfall in the slot.

However, the old logjams were covered in ice and extremely treacherous.

With a bit of MAD (Marion-Alan-Dennis) engineering and a hand up, everyone was able to negotiate the drop and continue upstream.

Sunshine beginning to light up the slot.

Blue sky glimpsed through the narrow slot overhead.

The waterfall at the end of the canyon, flowing nicely and decorated with lots of ice crystals.

Gravity helped us negotiate the drop on the way back.

But those dark spots on the big log? Pure ice!

Lots of different techniques ...

... all highly successful!

Snacking on a sunny ridge after emerging from the ice box. What a fine day!