The old Bear Canyon trail switch I used to cut 20 minutes off my hike

I've been hiking the Bear Canyon arroyo since I was a kid, but last month I noticed a faint path veering off near the big cottonwood about halfway in. I figured it was just a dead end, but I followed it one Saturday and it loops around that steep wash that always slows me down. Turns out some old-timer cut that trail decades ago to avoid the sand during monsoon season. Saved me a solid 20 minutes on my usual loop. Anyone else stumble on hidden shortcuts around the foothills that aren't on the maps?

2 comments

2 Comments

sam_murphy3926d agoMost Upvoted

Honestly, I found something similar once but it was totally accidental - I took a wrong turn chasing a rabbit and ended up on a ridge that shaved almost half a mile off my afternoon loop. The catch was it dumped me out right next to a rattlesnake den, so I only use it in cooler weather now. Tbh, these old shortcuts are gold but they always come with some weird catch nobody warns you about.

avery_lopez26d ago

Is it just me or does every good discovery like that come with some weird "fine print" you didn't sign up for? It reminds me of finding that perfect parking spot downtown that's always empty - turns out it's a loading zone between 8 and 10 AM, so you either get a ticket or you're up at dawn. Even the shortcuts in life that save you time seem to demand some kind of trade-off, like you're bartering with the universe or something.