Canyoneer Wilbur Canyon Coconino National Forest, AZ

Jun 08, 2020 — After doing Bear Canyon and Sundance Canyon about a year ago with Matt, we were excited to add another canyon that drains into West Clear Creek to our resumes. Wilbur Canyon fit our requirement for being a half-day excursion. What we didn't foresee is quite how poor the road would be to get to the trailhead. Only high clearance vehicles with good tires can make it out there. Expect to add 6+ miles to your day without the proper vehicle.

We parked at a point along the road that made sense to drop to the west into Wilbur Canyon. We entered the watercourse as soon as we made it down, but you can avoid a few obstacles by staying on the rim for a few more hundred feet before dropping in. Some minor pools to either wade through or avoid, some gymnastics over a log or two, and short down climbs/partner assists brought us to the first rappel (80 feet, the longest of the canyon), and some incredibly colorful narrows.

The second rappel was short and into a wide and shallow pool. The third rappel was short and we decided to handline it instead of rappel, but put us into a narrow pool with a big log that we all successfully balanced on to avoid swimming. The third rap could be done as a two-stager with the fourth, but a bolt was in place so we took advantage of it for the fourth rappel. This rap was the prettiest in my opinion, a colorful and narrow drop into a slightly darker section of the canyon where the walls were much closer together.

A couple of handlines/downclimbs led to the final rappel into a warm pool. A 20 foot swim brought us into West Clear Creek, where we enjoyed the sunlight and tall, pretty sandstone walls before heading east. All too quickly, we had to start looking for the escape route out of West Clear Creek, and we all wished we had more time to walk through this pretty area. The only reasonable-looking weakness is the one we took, and it ended up being correct. However, its steepness led to a few rocks being kicked, so I recommend wearing helmets. A few Class 3 moves kept the ascent interesting, and we saw two rattlers on the way up. It's a bit relentless, but only lasts a few hundred feet. The slope mellowed out and we followed a social trail until it disappeared under pine needles, but we soon found ourselves on the terrible road we drove in on, spotting Matt's Jeep shortly after.