Bob Bear Trail News Today

Rescue crews could face another busy season for emergencies in Fossil Creek, according former Pine-Strawberry Fire Chief Gary Morris.

The US Forest Service has agreed to let Gila County maintain the road down to Fossil Creek from Strawberry, to allow rescue crews to reach the canyon bottom.

It took them nine hours round trip, but Gila County Supervisor Steve Christensen and Gary Morris, a member of Tonto Rim Search and Rescue, hiked the Flume Trail into Fossil

The Fossil Creek recreation area -- a popular hiking area known for its streams and waterfalls -- will remain closed through at least the end of the year potentially as late as fall 2022, to undergo assessments and repairs following the Backbone Fire and this season's monsoon storms.

The closure, which could potentially extend into fall 2022 or later, was prompted by concerns of post-fire risks including flash flooding.

On Sunday, just before 4 p.m., Tonto Rim Search and Rescue was dispatched to Water Wheel off Houston Mesa Road for a man who had fallen and hit his head. The man was unconscious for a while, but had come to by the time TRSAR volunteers arrived. Water Wheel Fire and Medical District firefighters were already on scene when TRSAR arrived and had tended to the man, who was visiting the area with his family. They were reportedly from the Valley. When the man came to, he had a seizure, which was â€...

If you go Hiking Time: 4 - 6 hours (round-trip), this does NOT count the time spent at the creek or in the water. Rating: Strenuous, 1,500 feet elevation change over four miles between the trailhead and the springs. Hot with little shade in the warmer months. Wear appropriate footwear (e.g., hiking boots) and carry at least a gallon of water per person. Notes: No motorized vehicles or mechanical equipment, including mountain bikes and remote controlled aircraft. Spring water is not suitable for...

In the past week, the volunteer group has responded to five rescues. “It is a pretty busy start to the year,” said TRSAR Commander Bill Pitterle. The rescue season typically kicks off in May when the weather warms up and unprepared hikers find themselves in need of help because of dehydration. But recent warm temperatures meant things started sooner than normal. “We had some warm weather come faster than normal,” he said. “It caught a lot of people off-guard in terms of...