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| Hiking | 5.66 Miles |
582 AEG |
| | Hiking | 5.66 Miles | 1 Hour 57 Mns | | 2.90 mph |
| 582 ft AEG | | | | |
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[ show ]
| no partners | | Three years ago, I hiked the other “half” of Ocotillo Trail and Sidewider Trail, from Apache Wash Trailhead, at the east end of the Phoenix Sonoran Preserve. Today, I hiked the western half from Desert Hills Trailhead. The most interesting feature of Desert Hills Trailhead — which I didn’t notice until I returned — were the rusty iron cholla skeleton latticework shading the cabana. I was too busy checking out the giant fan. I’ve never seen one at a trailhead before. 
Starting on Ocotillo Trail, I hiked counter-clockwise so I would not be “chasing” the sun: Rather than fighting glare, the sun would be mostly quartering my photos, giving them shadowy depth. Or would with a better camera than a second generation iPhone SE.
I wasn’t expecting any flowers at all, so today was a pleasant surprise, Just light coverage, but better than nothing.
After 2¾ miles, Ocotillo Trail climbs 75 ft. in a quarter mile to it’s intersection with Sidewinder Trail. Sidewinder Trail turns back to the north & west, climbing another 200 ft. in the next 1⅓ miles to just below the summit of antenna hill / Hill 2158.
Sidewinder Trail wraps around the upper reaches of two bigger washes. At the top of the first, there was new home construction going on. At the top of the second, there is a 50 yd. connector to the paved antenna access road (7th Ave.) That’s where the only real shade of this loop was located.
From the shady spot, Sidewinder Trail was a quick mile downhill back to Desert Hills Trailead. It wasn’t a destination hike, so I was done by lunch time, picking up my kind of hiking food — fries, Filet-o-Fish and a Shamrock Shake — on the way home. 
Rumble Video: https://rumble.com/v4e4vxc-hiking-the-p ... serve.html
Vimeo Video: https://vimeo.com/914143385 |
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| http://prestonm.com : Everyone's enjoyment of the outdoors is different and should be equally honored. |
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Route Editor
Route Scout
