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| Hiking | 5.20 Miles |
1,100 AEG |
| | Hiking | 5.20 Miles | 3 Hrs 20 Mns | | 1.56 mph |
| 1,100 ft AEG | | 3 LBS Pack | | |
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| no partners | | I got to the trailhead at about 9:15am. There was a large group of people in the parking area with music blasting so it was obvious some kind of event was taking place. I ignored the crowd and started off on my journey. The first section of the trail was mostly flat and quite easy. It really started climbing once I reached the access road to the water tank and continued a moderated steep ascent from there. Once I got about 1.5 miles into the hike the group from the parking area started catching up with me. Apparently Texas Roadhouse was sponsoring a charity hike that morning and since it was the first day of Spring break a vast majority of the participants were ASU students. I didn't let the crowd deter me and kept on my way stopping after strenuous sections to catch my breath and take in the view. It was a very good climb up to the Buena Vista Rd and was mostly flat from Buena Vista to the TV Tower Rd. Once I reached the end of the Holbert trail I got on the National trail and went about a quarter mile where I could stop and take in the views away from the crowd. This portion of South Mountain is absolutely beautiful and I very much enjoyed sitting there by myself and admiring it. On the way back down the charity hike diverted everyone off the trail and through a canyon where the Dobbins lookout extension breaks away. This was very difficult for me as I am not in the best shape. There were sections with 5-6' drops where you really had to think about where to aim your feet and where to hold on. It took me quite a bit of time to get through here and even needed some help to get down one drop. After that it was smooth sailing down to the parking area with a few stops to let my knees and hips rest up.
This was my first time up this trail and I really enjoyed it. Next time I hope to make a loop taking Holbert up to the National trail, the National to the Kiwanis trail and Kiwanis to the Box Canyon Loop back to my car. |
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Wildflowers Observation Light
Brittle Bush, Hedgehog Cactus |
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