Goldfield Ovens Loop Photoset • gummo • 2015-11-09 • HikeArizona.COM

Goldfield Ovens Loop, AZ

	2015-11-09
	26 by gummo

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Goldfield Ovens Loop

Phoenix, AZ

Goldfield Ovens Loop

Phoenix, AZ

Hiking	9.25 Miles	775 AEG

Hiking	9.25 Miles
	775 ft AEG

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Great day at the Goldfield Oven (Lovin') Loop. I started my hike at 10:41am. Prior to that I stopped at Granite Reef to photograph Red Mountain. A few birders were out at Granite Reef and some fishing folks as well along the river.

Originally, I was going to do Coon's Bluff, but Coon's Bluff was too crowded for me. Lots of birds were out along the river and in the desert. I was a bit surprised because birds tend to be more active in cooler weather. There were more people along the river than a usual Monday as well, but no one was on the trail.

I ran into a herd of horses along the river. A lot of them have white noses. As I was photographing the herd, I didn't see one large horse about 15ft behind me until I was finished.

The sand was awful to walk thru. It's a mixed blessing. The sand makes ambulation difficult, but at the same time, it keeps other bipedal mammals off the trail, so you get the trail to yourself. Also, Goldfield Oven Loop should be called Horse Poop Loop.

I got lost near the 6 mile mark and ended up on the road prematurely. While finding my way around, I stumbled upon a sweet lyre snake.

If someone would have bet me that I would see a lyre snake today, I would have lost that bet. I don't see lyre snakes too often (I've only seen 6 before), and November is a tough month for me to find snakes, so I was stoked to find one, and this fella was nice, full-grown, and healthy.

I searched the river for more birds and found a few near Saguaro Ranch (I think that's what it's called). I also heard a bald eagle in the distance. A lot of lizards started to emerge and be active close to the end of my hike. I had no energy to photograph them, but I was satisfied with what I accomplished today.

Fauna

Fauna [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Anna's Hummingbird Black-Crowned Night-Heron Black-Throated Sparrow Cactus Wren Empress Leilia Butterfly Giant Centipede Greater Roadrunner Green Heron Phainopepla Red-tailed Hawk Sonoran Lyresnake Sun Spider Tarantula Hawk White-Crowned Sparrow Wild horse Zebra-tailed lizard

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