Hawknest Trail - MSPN Photoset • Crzy4AZ • 2014-12-25 • HikeArizona.COM

Hawknest Trail - MSPN, AZ

	2014-12-25
	6 by Crzy4AZ

3 labels

Hawknest Trail - MSPN

Phoenix, AZ

Hawknest Trail - MSPN

Phoenix, AZ

Hiking	2.92 Miles	194 AEG

Hiking	2.92 Miles
	194 ft AEG

Linked

none

no linked trail guides

Partners

partners

	Baby4AZ	GI Jones
	LilGuy4AZ

Christmas Day hike - I'm not sure I've ever hiked on Christmas before. Have to sift through my old triplogs to see : rein :

To make the ATC Challenge list (see HAZ forum post) - All Trails Club Challenge - for the McDowell Sonoran Conservancy, I am trying to decide which of the newer trails to include for the list. There is a gap between what is out there to hike and the 3 published City paper maps of northern, central, and southern regions of MSP. More trails exist than are noted on the maps. They will likely update once the Phase 2C Area new trails of 2015 are complete (50 new miles of trails!!!!). However, people are out and about on some of the old but new trails already in the northern section.

Old but new .... meaning that the trails have been around for a long time (?? can't get more specific) as AZ State Land Trust trails "Granite Mountain Multiuse Area" (was administered through AZ Game and Fish. You needed a permit if you had an off road vehicle but the trails were used by hikers, bikers, and equestrians.

So in 2012 the City of Scottsdale very very very wisely took advantage of lower land prices and scooped up 6,400 acres around this area (for $88.2 million dollars - see page 66 of the book "The People's Preserve by Joan C. Fudala).

Anyway....super long story made even longer with unnecessary history - I dragged the family out to the most northern part of the MSP that I've ever touched. We were a few yards from the Tonto National Forest border at the end of the segment. I was armed with 3 maps (1 of which was top secret - pretty thrilling for a middle aged mom hiker) and I still couldn't quite figure out how Hawknest Trail is going to connect to Dove Valley, etc. I need more time out there but it takes for freakin' ever to drive from our house up there - I need a small airplane or helicopter to do my work for MSC/MSP!!! :lol:

Sunset was gorgeous. Most of the trail is kind of boring - there's a pretty stretch with old saguaro - but otherwise the trail itself not nearly as pretty as the very close by Dove Valley Trail and Coyote Canyon trail. Was weird to see Brown's Mountain way off in the distance and be situated between Granite Mtn and Cholla Mtn but few miles north. Never had that perspective before.

I will be so excited to see how the new 50 miles play out in 2015. I will certainly keep this group posted as I learn information. After kids are in bed tonight, I will post pictures and one screen shot of PAGE 8 of the publicly available map of future trails in Phase 2C area. Going to be an awesome addition.

Best spent tax money in Scottsdale :M2C:

#ItsYourPreserveScottsdale

Named place

Named place [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Brown's Mountain - Scottsdale MSP Cholla Mountain 3,406 - MSP North Granite Mountain - MSP

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