Seven Falls to Phoneline Loop

I wasn't sure I'd be up for an 18-mile hike after Wednesday's near debacle on Blackett's Ridge, but I actually felt great today. 

I'd always wanted to hike the Bear Canyon Trail past Seven Falls. Seven Falls is a moderate, low-hanging fruit of a hike that attracts primates by the hundreds on the weekends. I first hiked it nearly 30 years ago, and again in 2017 and 2021. While I've long loved the Seven Falls hike for the beauty and, well, the falls, I was always curious as to what lay north of Seven Falls and Thimble Peak, and I was pleasantly surprised. I have hiked north of Phoneline once before, while on another 18-mile hike, the out-and-back to Hutch's Pool, with friends Stan and Misty in 2020, so I had some idea of the topography. 

This loop is officially called Seven Falls to Phoneline, and rated as a hard hike. It's actually composed of four trails: Bear Canyon, East Fork, Sabino Canyon, and Phoneline.

The water was flowing at Seven Falls, due in no small part to the rains we had a week ago.

We had five crossings of the creek, mostly boulder hopping. Didn't get wet, which is a plus at the beginning of a long hike.

Boulder hopping GIF (Courtesy of Misty Atkins).

Thimble Peak, around which we would somehow get.

Another shot of the falls.

Looking back down Bear Canyon, whence we'd come. Sprawly invasive primate habitat in the background.

Lots of water everywhere this day.

The blue skies gave way for clouds around noon providing a dramatic backdrop as the landscape opened up beyond the canyon.

A panorama near the apogee and the midway point.

The trails were a little overgrown as most folks don't venture out this far. We saw three hikers in all past the Seven Falls. 

After Bear Canyon, we took the East Fork Trail to the Sabino Canyon Trail and finally to the Phoneline trail to complete our loop. There was a surprising amount of fresh trail work. The fires and monsoons of the past two years really took a toll on the landscape, especially the trails which were eroded away in spots. Good to see the U.S. Forest Service is on top of things here in the Coronado Wilderness.

Beautiful Sabino Canyon.