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| Hiking | 3.67 Miles |
1,008 AEG |
| | Hiking | 3.67 Miles | 2 Hrs 9 Mns | | 2.22 mph |
| 1,008 ft AEG | 30 Mns Break | | | |
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| no partners | | Sprinkling and cool when I set out at 3:30. Thought I could get up and back in two hours, before darkness hit the upper parts of this rocky trail anyway. I wanted to get some elevation work. Also hoped to shoot some nice photos of the clouds. It would've been hard to lose the trail today with all the red ribbons marking the way for the Phoenix Summit Challenge.
Stopped to chat with a descending bearded man at the "Dixie Peak" sign. He said 800 had participated in the Challenge and had tamped down the trail making it slick in places. He also told me to be on the lookout for the Squaw Peak Tallus Snail, a rare species. Said they come out in the rain, absorb moisture and go back under rocks. He'd seen one on this trail, photographed it and posted it on Flickr, thinking someone would ID it. And sure enough, a University of Arizona professor did, the man said. I later looked up the snail on the Internet and found quite a few articles.
Surprised in this rainy weather to find about 10 people on the trail after the "Dixie" sign where the trail starts to ascend steeply. At the saddle, I took the longer circular route to the summit for the first time. The wind had picked up and it was getting chilly as I came up on top from the north. Didn't stay long. No one else up there. To the southwest, I saw a squall line in the Gila Gap, between South Mountain and the Estrellas, and didn't want to get caught in a similar downpour as darkness approached. Passed a young woman going up at a steady pace and knew she would have to descend in the dark. Got back to the 40th St parking lot at 5:35 in darkness, no problems. |
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Route Editor
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