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| Hiking | 7.08 Miles |
1,117 AEG |
| | Hiking | 7.08 Miles | 3 Hrs 31 Mns | | 2.01 mph |
| 1,117 ft AEG | | | | |
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| partners | | The second hike for this weekend was much easier and much less of a drive, only 10 minutes away. The weather app showed lightning 27 miles away on the west side of the mountain we climbed the day before. It was pretty cloudy when we left the lodge, but no lightning or thunder apparent.
Started on the trail at 5:27am, which has to be a record for me at a start time. It looks like the trailhead was moved another quarter mile or more north and the trail extended. We noticed that the track was further in from where we parked, but there was no more road to drive. Later we noticed a berm that was built up and beyond that looked like the remains of a road that nature is gradually reclaiming.
This hike is super easy, and the scenery is really nice. The trees give shade and cover from rain, and the creek is visible at all times. The high canyon walls at times reminded me of looking up at the South Rim of the Grand Canyon from Phantom Ranch. The creek flow was spotty for the first two miles until the junction with the Burro Trail. After that the sound of running water is constant.
We opted to start off with rain gear since it was trying to rain on the way in. About a mile and a half in we got a steady drizzle that lasted about an hour or so. After that, the sun was breaking through here and there, lighting things up a bit and making it look nicer.
The weather stayed cool and comfortable, which made it very nice again as a contrast to the heat and mostly dry terrain in Phoenix right now. We didn’t see too many birds, which this area is known for, but I could hear them the entire time. Much nicer sound than the cicadas from two weeks ago at the Cochise Stronghold. I recognized a few bird calls from the Route Scout app, although I couldn’t remember the name(s). There were also a few bird calls that I’ve never heard before. I was able to get one photo of a bird that stayed still long enough to let me get a shot. The last mile out is when I saw all the hikers for the day, slackers who slept in until 7am. They mostly appeared to be birders.
Finished up just after 9am and got home before 2pm, making very good time. It was a little bit of an adventure getting onto I-10 from this area heading up the dirt road that had several washouts, but it wasn’t too bad. Overall a very good weekend getting out of the heat and also away from the masses, no small feat this time of year. |
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Route Editor
Route Scout
