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| Hiking | 12.84 Miles |
3,263 AEG |
| | Hiking | 12.84 Miles | 7 Hrs 17 Mns | | 2.01 mph |
| 3,263 ft AEG | 53 Mns Break | | | |
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| no partners | | Tom's Thumb has been on the list for a long time and I finally got around to it. This was my first hike from this trail head. Nice big parking lot, restrooms, and guides offering direction. The lot was pretty full, but I still managed to find a good spot.
The trail at the start was ok, but it was rocky and you have to watch where you put your feet. Not much looking around while walking or you're liable to trip and fall. A fair number of people hiking in both directions. The miles in I reached the junction with the Toms Thumb trail and turned left while everyone else heading in the same direction went the other way. Yay!
It was a cool morning, and along Tom's Thumb Trail the wind was blowing making it quite chilly. But the trail started getting steep and soon I was sweating and not feeling cold at all. The trail headed up a wash and then after a while turned right and went up towards a side ridge towards the Thumb. Lots of switch backs, then some nice views, and then finally I was up even with the Thumb. As I got closer I could see that there were more and more people. They were all coming up from the trail head on the other side which is a shorter and apparently a very popular hike.
I brought lunch to eat at the Thumb, but it was way too windy and too crowded anyway. So I headed down along the trail to a sheltered spot with a nice rock to sit on, and I rested and ate.
After lunch it was the East End Trail. Steep with lots of loose gravel made it a bit treacherous. But the views were nice. Saw the big fountain in Fountain Hills, the Supes, Sunrise Peak, and Four Peaks. Eventually the trail levelled and was much more enjoyable. Eventually I saw a sign for scenic viewpoint and checked that out. There was a nice stone bench with a view of Tom's Thumb. Then another the miles got me back to the start.
All in all very enjoyable hike. Especially the loop part because there were few other people. This is on my list of hikes to do again. |
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