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| Hiking | 8.18 Miles |
447 AEG |
| | Hiking | 8.18 Miles | 3 Hrs 44 Mns | | 2.37 mph |
| 447 ft AEG | 17 Mns Break | | | |
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| no partners | | Continuing my tour of flat and easy trails, I decided to hit Jacob’s Trail for a pre-dawn start from the Crosscut TH off First Water Road.
I arrived a little before 5am and started off, hoping to hike 2.5/3 miles along the trail and then turn around for an easy 5-6 mile hike. No cars in the lot and I saw no others in the other two smaller parking areas off First Water Road on the way in. The summer heat is upon us, and I am not a good “hot” hiker, so starting early and finishing up before the blast furnace gets heated up is the rule for summer hiking in the Superstitions for me.
The sunrise was subtle and I stopped along the way at my favorite views for a some photos. I had one hiker pass me by when I was taking some sunrise shots, and once I made it over to the Siphon Draw, I did see a few hearty souls heading up. Even if I was younger and in better condition, the Flatiron when it’s going to be over 100 is a no-go for me.
At 3 miles, I was feeling good, so I decided to push it another mile and make it an even 8 mile out and back. I think my PT, stretching/exercising at home and taking it easy is letting my knee heal up pretty well.
When I turned around near Spirit Canyon, the shadow of the mountain was still covering most of the trail. By the time I made it back to the Siphon Draw, the sun was up and it was getting hotter. I saw a few people heading back down (they must have gone up in the dark?) and even a couple more heading up.
The trail is the same as always, nice and flat, well maintained, easy to follow and, of course, highly scenic as it skirts the northern and western edges of the Superstition massif. The way the mountain changes as you move along the trail is the highlight for sure.
There was some critter activity - lots of bunnies, lizards, quail, doves, etc. No snakes. I was hoping to see one. I've only seen 2 all year.
I still have weeks of PT and taking it easy before I am back to semi-normal. I will take this time to re-visit some of my nearby flat & easy favorites during the summer. |
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"Jobs fill your pockets, adventures fill your soul."
instagram: @andydilling |
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