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| Hiking | 8.30 Miles |
837 AEG |
| | Hiking | 8.30 Miles | 3 Hrs 48 Mns | | 2.34 mph |
| 837 ft AEG | 15 Mns Break | | | |
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| no partners | | I was looking to do an eight to ten mile hike at 8,000 ft. for more altitude acclimation, before doing higher Elden hikes, and the Secret Trail looked to be just the thing. First, to get, to the upper Elden Mountain hikes is an adventure in itself. I went up Elden Springs Road off US 89, as I knew it was straight and without drop-offs – but it is a truly lame road. Free of rocks, but bumpy and extremely narrow, even for one car. I don’t know how an oncoming car could pass on 50% of this road. After the hike I went down the Schultz Pass Road toward US 180. From previously hiking the Schultz Creek Trail I knew this road bordered a ravine most of the way. The road is in good condition, but very curvy with steep drop-offs, so beware! Passing is possible.
The Secret Trail starts at the same trailhead parking lot as the Sunset Trail and the upper end of the Schultz Creek Trail. The trail itself is noted by tall Ponderosa Pine, meadows, and at its crest has good panoramic views (see photos). I took the Secret Trail to where it meets the Moto Trail – which was not my intention. If you want to take the entire Secret Trail you have to take the Newham Trail, as they overlap, which was not marked with signage in any way. So I took the Moto Trail down to the AZT. This required some map skills, and picking my way over some fire roads, and a “gas pipeline clearing as well. Once you get down to the AZT it is clear route back to the trailhead.
This a good out of the way trail. I encountered only one biker and just one other hiker – who was doing the whole AZT from the Mexican border up. |
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Route Editor
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