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| Hiking | 4.52 Miles |
1,308 AEG |
| | Hiking | 4.52 Miles | 1 Hour 47 Mns | | 2.74 mph |
| 1,308 ft AEG | 8 Mns Break | | | |
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| no partners | | Beautiful day in the Pinal's. I started out at 5 PM via the upper trailhead for Toll Road Trail (#200) about 8 miles up FR 112. The temperature at the trailhead was 84 degrees.
The first part of this hike is in a cathedral of mature 2nd growth Ponderosa Pines. This trail is clearly an old road and is just the first part of a beautiful, diverse ecosystem.
East Mountain trail takes off uphill at first somewhat gradually then leading to increasingly steep switchbacks. My impression of all trails that I have traveled in the Pinal's is of exceptional maintenance. Despite the proliferation of trees and forest I have rarely encountered deadfall.
The trail as it climbs and eventually reaching the ridge is much drier than Icehouse or Six-Shooter. The forest is a mix of oaks, junipers, Manzanita and pines.
The highlight of this trail for me are the views that reach to the east once the ridgeline that leads to East Mountain is reached. This viewpoint is expansive even on a day with haze and overcast conditions.
My 2 dogs who have been pretty lazy all summer accompanied me on this hike. They dragged along until we reached the highpoint of our journey. The temperatures could not have been warmer than the upper 70's prior to sunset. Once the sun went down it felt a little chilly.
We didn't continue to the top of East Mountain which I have done before, is off trail and is a little bit anticlimactic. I didn't travel too much further down the trail once the sun went down. We ran down the trail back to my truck and were back on the road by a little before 7.
This trail and the Pinal's in general represent my favorite escape within a short drive from the east valley given the tremendous beauty and elevation. |
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Wildflower seed in the sand and wind
May the four winds blow you home again |
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