Great video, beautiful place, and great narration voice of course. I have driven through the Gila but have never hiked it. Your videography was stunning, loved it! Thanks for sharing and taking us along with you!
Just found this video- you're in my stomping grounds! We've been filming some hiking videos as well, and watching yours gives me many ideas. Can't wait to get back up there into the Gila!
I’m due to get back there as well. It was cold and rainy for that Snow Lake hike, need to get back when the weather is a little nicer. I’ll check out your channel.
@@KurtPapke I was in the area a few weeks ago, and it was a muddy mess, with lots of water. I'd bet the streams are too high to cross right now, but should be good in a few weeks. I'll be out exploring. Yes; check out our channel. We're musicians, so there are both music videos and outdoor videos; our two passions. ;)
My husband and I have been hiking the Gila Wilderness for almost 30 years. This is a great hike. We have stayed for 10 days so we could hike to Lilly Park, Iron Creek, The Meadows and many other places. The great thing about the Gila Wilderness is that the trails connect to another and you can go anywhere in the wilderness. The longest hike we have done in the Gila was 16 days over the top at Miller Springs. What a great time. This summer we actually rafted the main Gila in 9 days. The fishing was fantastic.
After a career in the NPS in some beautiful places I still consider Lilly Park to be the finest place I may have ever been. Like you, my wife and I have crossed and criss-crossed the area or over 30 years. We worked at the Bearwallow tower for several fire seasons. God Bless Aldo Leopold.
@@juancuatrolados8527 Wow. I just missed Lilley Park when I did my loop in Nov 2017. I turned up Hells Hole Canyon and crossed over to the Meadows. Maybe I need to do another loop this year, just a little longer and hit Lilley!
@@KurtPapke Snow Lake down the Middle Fork to Trotter, up past Clear (?) Creek to Lilly Park. Then toward the West Fork past Quentin Spr. to Turkey Feather Pass and back to the Middle Fork via Clayton Mesa. The stuff of dreams.
Thanks for the videos! Nicely done. I'm headed to the Gila in the spring of 2020 and was excited to hear you say the Gila is ideal for hammock campers.
Just wanted to thank you for this video. I made this hike, inspired largely from your video, back in June 2019. Wonderful, low-stress hike! From Snow Lake, I hiked ~8 miles down Middle Fork #157 and stayed near the intersection of Trotter Trail #30 for the first night. For the second night, I continued on down #157 for approx. 9 miles just past the intersection of Trail #730. For the third night, I doubled back to the same campsite I stayed at on the first night. The next day, I hiked back out to Snow Lake. This one checks alot of boxes: beautiful country, ample source of water, no punishing climbs, plenty of solitude. Hopefully, sometime soon, I hope to make the loop suggested by commenter juan cuatrolados: Snow Lake to Lilley Park, to Turkey Feather Pass, back to Snow Lake. Thanks again for sharing!
I really appreciate you sharing your experience. I am hoping to head back there in 2 weeks for a weeklong hike beginning right near the cliff dwellings NM. Good stuff!
@@KurtPapke Looking forward to the video of your upcoming trip! I'm hoping to return in about 4 weeks myself. What general direction do you plan on traveling, or should I wait for the video :) ?
Enjoyed the video, thanks for sharing... I've made two trips to the Gila already and your videos have been more than helpful... Looked like you had better "water crossing" shoes on this adventure..
Very perceptive! Yes, the minimalist sandals allow the feet to dry quickly, but the river beds are just too rocky to walk all day in them. I still brought them along to use as camp shoes, so that my feet could air dry in the evening before hitting the sack. I have more Gila trips on my bucket list - I have a hiking buddy that is a big fan of the Crest trail, we are going to try and do that in the Spring.
Depends on what you are looking for. There's always a mess of people going to/from Jordan Warm Springs, so if you want solitude you might want to avoid that. My fave so far in the Gila is this loop hike that includes the West and Middle fork: ua-cam.com/video/e7alUMY5Pu4/v-deo.html
Kurt Papke love the video you sent me as well. If you split that second 17 mile day in half is there good camp spots along that way as well? I like the look of that loop! Want to hopefully do a 5 day 4 night trip in late March early April
Hermoso lugar gracias ❤
Thanks for sharing this 'great video'; loved all the scenery. Narration and Text were very informative.
Thanks Rich! If you haven't already hiked the Gila, it's definitely worth the trip!
Love this area. We moved here in 2019 and we basically border the Gila in the Mimbres valley.
An outdoorsman’s paradise around here.
You are a lucky guy to live there!
Has anyone fished the first 3-5 miles below the dam? If so, what did you catch?
Great video, beautiful place, and great narration voice of course. I have driven through the Gila but have never hiked it. Your videography was stunning, loved it! Thanks for sharing and taking us along with you!
Thank you for your kind words! I want to do more hiking in the Gila, but it's a bit of a drive from Tucson.
Just found this video- you're in my stomping grounds! We've been filming some hiking videos as well, and watching yours gives me many ideas. Can't wait to get back up there into the Gila!
I’m due to get back there as well. It was cold and rainy for that Snow Lake hike, need to get back when the weather is a little nicer. I’ll check out your channel.
@@KurtPapke I was in the area a few weeks ago, and it was a muddy mess, with lots of water. I'd bet the streams are too high to cross right now, but should be good in a few weeks. I'll be out exploring. Yes; check out our channel. We're musicians, so there are both music videos and outdoor videos; our two passions. ;)
My husband and I have been hiking the Gila Wilderness for almost 30 years. This is a great hike. We have stayed for 10 days so we could hike to Lilly Park, Iron Creek, The Meadows and many other places. The great thing about the Gila Wilderness is that the trails connect to another and you can go anywhere in the wilderness. The longest hike we have done in the Gila was 16 days over the top at Miller Springs. What a great time. This summer we actually rafted the main Gila in 9 days. The fishing was fantastic.
What a great comment! I totally agree, and I want to return in 2019 to do a much longer hike from the same spot. The Crest trail is also on my list.
After a career in the NPS in some beautiful places I still consider Lilly Park to be the finest place I may have ever been. Like you, my wife and I have crossed and criss-crossed the area or over 30 years. We worked at the Bearwallow tower for several fire seasons. God Bless Aldo Leopold.
@@juancuatrolados8527 Wow. I just missed Lilley Park when I did my loop in Nov 2017. I turned up Hells Hole Canyon and crossed over to the Meadows. Maybe I need to do another loop this year, just a little longer and hit Lilley!
@@KurtPapke Snow Lake down the Middle Fork to Trotter, up past Clear (?) Creek to Lilly Park. Then toward the West Fork past Quentin Spr. to Turkey Feather Pass and back to the Middle Fork via Clayton Mesa. The stuff of dreams.
Thanks for the videos! Nicely done. I'm headed to the Gila in the spring of 2020 and was excited to hear you say the Gila is ideal for hammock campers.
You'll love the Gila! Be prepared for constant wet feet though.
Love the Gila forest, great video have you gone back?
The video was about my 3rd trip to the Gilda. I was supposed to return in Spring but it was canceled due to Covid :-(
One of the best hikes on the CDT alt route , colors look great
Did you notice any trout in the river? Thinking about going up there to fish
Nope didn’t see any fish :-(
Just wanted to thank you for this video. I made this hike, inspired largely from your video, back in June 2019. Wonderful, low-stress hike!
From Snow Lake, I hiked ~8 miles down Middle Fork #157 and stayed near the intersection of Trotter Trail #30 for the first night. For the second night, I continued on down #157 for approx. 9 miles just past the intersection of Trail #730. For the third night, I doubled back to the same campsite I stayed at on the first night. The next day, I hiked back out to Snow Lake.
This one checks alot of boxes: beautiful country, ample source of water, no punishing climbs, plenty of solitude.
Hopefully, sometime soon, I hope to make the loop suggested by commenter juan cuatrolados: Snow Lake to Lilley Park, to Turkey Feather Pass, back to Snow Lake.
Thanks again for sharing!
I really appreciate you sharing your experience. I am hoping to head back there in 2 weeks for a weeklong hike beginning right near the cliff dwellings NM. Good stuff!
@@KurtPapke Looking forward to the video of your upcoming trip! I'm hoping to return in about 4 weeks myself.
What general direction do you plan on traveling, or should I wait for the video :) ?
@@crushmandible6030 Sadly the trip was just canceled. NM is keeping their shelter-in-place restrictions in effect until May 15.
Enjoyed the video, thanks for sharing... I've made two trips to the Gila already and your videos have been more than helpful... Looked like you had better "water crossing" shoes on this adventure..
Very perceptive! Yes, the minimalist sandals allow the feet to dry quickly, but the river beds are just too rocky to walk all day in them. I still brought them along to use as camp shoes, so that my feet could air dry in the evening before hitting the sack. I have more Gila trips on my bucket list - I have a hiking buddy that is a big fan of the Crest trail, we are going to try and do that in the Spring.
Great video!
Thank you for your kind comments!
Pretty country.
It is. Many people don’t realize how lush the riparian areas of the southwest are.
When in Oct. did you hike this? Very nice colors.
Oct 22-25. The colors were great, the weather not so much.
What month was this filmed?
October 22-25
@@KurtPapke thank you
Awesome video Kurt. I want to go down here in March. I hear tell the middle fork and west fork are the way to go. Would you agree with that?
Depends on what you are looking for. There's always a mess of people going to/from Jordan Warm Springs, so if you want solitude you might want to avoid that. My fave so far in the Gila is this loop hike that includes the West and Middle fork: ua-cam.com/video/e7alUMY5Pu4/v-deo.html
Kurt Papke love the video you sent me as well. If you split that second 17 mile day in half is there good camp spots along that way as well? I like the look of that loop! Want to hopefully do a 5 day 4 night trip in late March early April
Oh yeah. There are good campsites all along this route.
@@KurtPapke I can't wait! Thanks for the info Kurt!
Thanks for the video...We love our Home state of NM.....Check out our Drone video on our channel if you like....Thanks again.
"Southern NM from the air in 4K"? Some spots I recognized, but it would be nice if you labeled the location.
Gila pronounced like HELA.
Yep, I *thought* I pronounced it correctly in the video.