Six scouts and their adult leaders set out to backpack into the Fossil Springs Wilderness area at the confluence of the Tonto and Coconino National Forests. The trailhead starts out on Deadman Mesa west of Strawberry, and drops steeply down 1,500 feet into the Fossil Creek Canyon below over 4 miles of exposed switchbacks. Once in the canyon, however, the reward is access to another of Arizona’s spectacular riparian areas.
