DESTINATION Generic 38 Photosets
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| Nature Trail #60 - North Mountain Park, AZ | |
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| | Nature Trail #60 - North Mountain Park, AZ | | | |
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Nature Trail #60 - North Mountain Park, AZ
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| Hiking | 2.15 Miles |
394 AEG |
| | Hiking | 2.15 Miles | 2 Hrs 1 Min | | 1.98 mph |
| 394 ft AEG | 56 Mns Break | | | |
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| no linked trail guides |
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| no partners | | Since it seems to be the start of an early wildflower season, I did this trail to see how far along the large phacelia fields might be. Here,in early March of last year, the phacelia's purple flowers blended with the green leaves to create a sea of aqua in the basin on the S side of North Mountian. What I found today were large amounts of phacelia blooming and many, many more on the verge of exploding. Most of the creosote donned yellow flowers.
Started from 7th Ave TH, and walked the trail clockwise up a gentle slope made irksome by a quartermile of large, loose rocks. Noted three old mines in the area, two alongside the trail, one up high. Didn't help I was nursing a blister on the fourth toe of the right foot. The trail on the east side of the loop is virtually clean and follows a contour around to a saddle with nice views of Piesetewa, the Peak 2429 ridgeline and Papago Buttes to the east and the White Tanks to the west.
Crossed the two southside dams on the way back, noting the eastern one is almost half the length of the one on the west (.16 of a mi to .3). Stopped to check out an ascending hiker on the western slope of North Mountain with my small binos. Wanted to see how he dealt with the new "barrier" gate at the summit. Would he crawl under it or . . . ? This guy went around it, hardly breaking stride. Guess the barrier is only for the inexperienced hiker who might be intimidated. A waste of taxpayer money, perhaps.
Last year, I saw a squatter's camp up a ravine under a palo verde. A dark-skinned man was sitting there in the shade. No sign of the camp today except for some old clothing rotting by the trail. |
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Wildflowers Observation Moderate
Many Phacelia (purple) along the trail, particularly on the loop's west side. Bursage about to bloom. Creosote dotted with yellow flowers but not at max blooms yet. |
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