Missed out on my Jordan Hot Springs backpack due to a flared bulging disk; haven't had that for at least 5 years (originated in 1998). Well after four days of non-activity and little improvement in the level of pain, I did a strength class last nite and while my back felt it, nothing extraordinary happened so I decided to get out on the trail.

I started from 38th St TH and headed west and up over the Happy Hour ridge area to Horseshoe VOAZ and over to 302 and then another Horseshoe #1A back over. I proceeded up a few more hills west and north and back around Happy Hour ridge to the TH. All trails were in good shape.
Quite a few hikers and bikers out; helped a few with directions but there were times when it was only me. And the usual discourse of un-leashed and leashed dogs; one leashed had a growl, I figure it didn't like what I was wearing or something, ha!

A nice morning with a reward of Q-Trip frozen cappuccino. My lower lumbar was fine. I seem to recall when this happened before it took a week to ten days for the pain to no longer be noticed. Oh and FYI, my knee has been fine for a few months now... just needed more time to heal.

I rounded up my niece for my Sunday hike, as to me it's still a little too warm to head out to the Supes... well unless I want to get up way before the crack of dawn.

I took Mia up to the Tibber Ridgeline via a new route (and there's still a different route to try yet of 3 possibilities); it's a heck of a climb but not bad for 445 feet in 1/2 mile. And then we headed west to the top of Tibber Ridgeline and over and down across to the VOAZ where we headed up again. This trail on the north side had some issues the last time I came down it but I didn't notice any trail issues on the way up (from the rain earlier this fall).

We headed down to the 304 and I took her contouring the side of the mountains over to 8 where we went around the front side of a couple little mountains and then thru the wash, east and then north. I got sick a little at the junction of the 8 (something about that junction) and then we powered up the little hill for the all down hill from here part.

In the past couple hikes I saw another trail that was in front of the mountain that the 8 goes around so we decided to check that out. It's kind of hard to spot as we almost walked by it. It takes you west and down thru a wash and then veers south but we were not happy with the heat so we took a short cut thru a deep wash and back out to another sort of trail and headed back to Tonto Jr.

It was fun to get caught up with my niece and to have company. I'm just not big on hiking alone as I just don't like spending that much time talking inside my head to myself. We would have hiked further but it did start to get a little warm and no breeze. Surprisingly, there weren't nearly as many folks and dogs and bike riders out on the trail as there was last Sunday.

This weekend, it's back to some Arizona Trail .

ok, that was interesting. Once again, I didn't quite pull off what I intended to do. There's just too many trails out there. After studying the satellite maps with a combination of trails plus the one I did back in 2012, I think I figured it out. In 2012 I came to this intersection and instead of turning east (left) I turned west and thus, I goofed .

In 2012 the Plan was to do a loop finishing off with Peak 2429 at the last rather than the beginning:
8 to 100, 100 to 1A, 1A to 304, 304 to 8B to 8A to 8, Peak 2429 to 8.

What really happened:
8 to 100, 100 to 1A, 1A forever to 100 to 8

Well today, I wanted to see if I could get a toned down variation of my intended route from 2012 right, at least the turn. WRONG again! but close I think...

It was chilly for my 1PM start. The parking lot was full both when I left and when I came back. I headed out west and ended up on who knows what trail but it was above the ravine so it was interesting. I eventually hooked up with #100 hoping to hook into the 1A at the brief intersection I saw on the Preserve printout I had with me. Thank goodness I had that, not that I could get lost but so that I could try and find the way I wanted to go.

I did get to that intersection but the sign had that horseshoe on it so I didn't think it was the right 1A route. I learned eventually that the signs with horseshoe designations have options . I could have taken that but decided to backtrack to the 1A sign I had stopped at moments ago thinking that was not the place I had been in 2012. So up I went on the #1A and then I came to another sign saying "Irregular Link". Many HAZers have said this is a fun trail, though not on my printout; it had the word "Link" in it so surely it might get me to the 304.

It is indeed a fun trail that comes down to the 302. I got to a saddle and the views to the north and east were very nice. I also thot maybe one of those two hills was the Happy Hour Hill or it could be the next one further east. I calculated it could take me about an hour to join K&K if and when I get the Happy Hour hill invite . And then it was up just a bit more to the top of the Irregular Link. Yep, that was pretty cool. Down the hill from there I came to a choice of 302/1a east or west but I figured east is the way I wanted to continue. So up again I went where I came to views looking to the SE.

On the way down the #302/1a I encountered a couple girls who were gingerly making their way down and talking about needing hiking boots. I suggested hiking shoes as another option because they too stick to the rock and sure makes hiking a lot more fun. It's a bit of a trek down where I then encountered a woman and her two very young children attempting to climb up this trail. She was encouraging a turn around soon. I suggested it was a bit slippery coming down which she acknowledged.

I get to the little saddle and once again have two choices. I find the #304 and get to the bottom of that and have another choice. It could go around the mountain in front of me but then again, maybe not so I took the 304 to the east. Feeling confident I would find the next trail I was looking for even though I got to the #1A junction not thinking I should be going on that trail again but I took it anyway. There were a couple other straggler trails but I chose one where I saw people east of me. It did finally join up with #8 .

I have to say I enjoyed that side of the LV Yates. I've been to the saddle on the east side of the trail and always wondered where that trail went. On this west side you get to go thru the wash a couple of times and then up to the saddle where there is a bench to tie your shoes. The next one and a third miles to the TH was time to make up some ground. Earlier I had been stopping quite a few times to look at my map to verify where I was and where I wanted to go. I look forward to the challenge of tackling 302 from the southeast side as I think it will be more difficult.

When I started out it was 95 and when I finished it was only 106 nice. Well I truly enjoyed this hike. I was sure what to expect when I started but this gave me a diffrent look at the North Phoenix Mountain. I look forward to doing this in the spring when everything is in bloom.