CIBECUE FALLS

OF ALL THE BACKCOUNTRY EXPERIENCES IN THE WHITE MOUNTAINS REGION, ONE OF THE MOST REWARDING IS A BOULDER-HOPPING TREK TO CIBECUE FALLS.

Cibecue means "surrounded by red cliffs." It's an Apache word that comes to life along a creek of the same name. Ashoog is another Apache word, one that means "thank you." And that's how you'll feel - thank-ful, grateful, beholden - for the opportunity to explore the red cliffs, the creek and the 50-foot waterfall that stands as a dramatic denouement to the day's adventure.

Of all the backcountry experiences in the White Mountains region, this is one of our favorites. As Robert B. Whitaker described it in our July 1965 issue: "Cibecue Creek cuts a wilderness swath between unspoiled canyon walls for forty-five miles in one of the most primitive areas of Eastern Arizona. Its secretive journey passes ancient Indian ruins, clusters of beargrass wickiups, virgin stands of ponderosa and oak, and multihued cliffs unmatched in brilliance and natural splen-dor. And the dense forest and foreboding canyon guarding this shy mountain stream abounds with bear, lion and other game spe-cies, while her crisp waters hold good num-bers of brown and rainbow trout."

Although a hike along the creek - a tributary of the Salt River - requires some boulder-hopping and probably some wet feet, you won't regret the effort. Instead, you'll be grateful for the opportunity. Ashoog.

TRAIL NOTES: A hike to Cibecue Falls requires a permit from the White Mountain Apache Tribe. And a hike beyond the falls requires a guide. At press time, the tribe did not employ one. For more information, contact the White Mountain Apache Tribe at 928-338-4385 or www.wmat.nsn.us. AH

CIBECUE