Soldier Trail to the Soldier Falls

Beautiful day for a hike—temps in the mid-70s, clear skies, and very little wind until our return. Unlike the Blackett's Ridge hike, which has a similar elevation gain, this hike's ascent was front-loaded; from the trailhead we immediately started to climb. The Soldier Trail ends up at a prisoner camp dating to the 1930s (the government used prison labor to build roads in the Santa Catalina Mountains) as well as a series of water falls and pools and cliffs, the latter used by the local climbing and repelling community. A fairly short and easy hike, but with lots of variety packed in.

Ten hardy hikers led by our fearless leader, Stan. From the trailhead, the trail immediately and steeply ascends.

Stan, peering into Soldier Canyon. Lots of water running today.

Soldier Canyon.

We hike across this glade before turning north (left) just before reaching the rock formation in distance.

Some sort of foundation from the prison camp. According to the Park Service website:

The name “Prison Camp” came from the Federal Honor Camp begun in 1937 to house federal prisoners supplying labor to build a road for access into the Santa Catalina Mountains. Prisoners had been convicted of federal crimes ranging from immigration law violations to tax evasion to bank robbery.
During World War II, many of the prisoners of this camp were conscientious objectors whose religions prohibited them from serving in the military. Some were Japanese Americans protesting the “Japanese American Relocation,” the largest forced removal and incarceration in U.S. History that started after the Japanese Navy attacked Pearl Harbor in 1941.

Also in the neighborhood is the Gordon Hirabayashi Campground, named after a prisoner who protested the Japanese internment in WWII.

We took a little detour on our return (see map above for a loop at the end of the route. This was a steep rocky descent past the water falls and pools to the stream bed below, then another steep scramble up rocks to the trail we came in on.

One of the many refreshing pools.

This crevice was precipitous to the floor.

Waterfall.

Waterfall no. two.

Hikers we followed as we were't entirely sure of this spontaneous detour's route.

Lots of lichen-covered rock formations (reminding me a little of the Chiracahuas, a hundred miles to the east.

Look closely and you might be able to spot the climber.