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| Happy Hour Ridgeline Circumference - Double, AZ | | -
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| | Happy Hour Ridgeline Circumference - Double, AZ | | | |
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Happy Hour Ridgeline Circumference - Double, AZ
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| Hiking | 5.60 Miles |
625 AEG |
| | Hiking | 5.60 Miles | 1 Hour 56 Mns | | 2.95 mph |
| 625 ft AEG | 2 Mns Break | | | |
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[ show ]
| no partners | | Interesting day. Changed my somewhat planned route due to the high humidity for me but that's okay because I look forward to doing it when it's a tad nicer out. The temp was quite pleasant. I like this loop as it's somewhat roly poly and I can make it as steep... or not, as I want. I decided to do a counterclockwise and reverse circumference loop around Happy Hour Ridgeline. Now that it's nice, I need to actually do a little happy hour .
From 38th St TH. It's always fascinating how the sky can change the look of the topography. For example, I saw a lot more little quartz rocks scattered in this first part of the loop on the northeast side. The creosote also looked rusty. On top of that, the clouds were really doing not normal cloud things as they were long and creating wave shapes; almost like someone had taken a palette knife to flatten them and create waves and movement. I tried to photograph this several times today, including on the way home. It also looks like they got some rain today per the fresh tread marks on the trail.
I was surprised as I hiked around at how many hikers there were this time of day on a late Thursday AM. After I rounded the southwest corner I ran into that trail that I see when I'm coming down from VOAZ across the way. So today, I decided to check it out. It's an uphill that eventually takes you to a saddle that I usually come over when I'm out here. It is a major intersection for several trails.
I continued east and encountered quite a few more hikers and a few bikeriders. I decided to try a different trail as I got further north that takes you west to the trail to Happy Hour Ridge. I looped around and then did the circumference clockwise and also took a different trail on this east side. All of a sudden it seemed all the other hikers were gone. I took the normal trail down from that main intersection on the southside and on the 100 around to the northside. I roly polyed my way east and once down to level ground, I was distracted by the shapes of the clouds. I could also hear that low hum that I've noticed this year while hiking in this area. I don't know what causes it but I did try to record it.
I noticed some birds up on a saguaro and ended up taking some pictures and video of a few Gilded Flickers. I also ended up walking closer to the houses than I normally do as I was initially trying to get a picture of a roadrunner without success. However, I was actually rewarded as a bunch of Desert Sparrows flying around the great smelling creosote kept me company for a while. There must have been a few dozen of these birds flying around and talking. It made me smile and a great way to end my hike.
4 minute video with Flickers toward the end [ youtube video ]
WATCH 10:37AM-12:35PM, 5.46 miles burning 640 calories, 1497-1702 elevation. 120 avg bpm/150 max with 8% Zone 5 max, 33% Zone 4 anaerobic, 49% Zone 3 aerobic. Temp was a lovely 69.8, overcast with awesome swoops of clouds but 51% humidity with only an occasional breeze. |
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Wildflowers Observation None
Noticed some of the creosote had blooms. |
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For me, sometimes it's just as much about the journey as the destination.
Oh, and once in awhile, don't forget to look back at the trail you've traveled. |
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