DESTINATION Moonlight Trail - San Tan MRP 1 Photoset
2024-07-21 | |
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| Hiking | 3.88 Miles |
132 AEG |
| | Hiking | 3.88 Miles | 51 Mns | | 4.56 mph |
| 132 ft AEG | | | | |
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| no partners | | First hike of a daily double. Actually came out to work on the San Tan-Maricopa Trail connector, but if I’m this far east I feel I should hit the San Tan trails as well. I entered the preserve from its main TH and the development that has occurred along Thompson Rd., which is the main artery to this TH is amazing. Homes are going up on both sides of the road and it looks like there is some development even closer to the preserve. Got there a bit early so I had to wait for the gates to open, but I was on the trail shortly after 5am.
I wasn’t looking to do much. Just wanted to visit one of the trails, before hitting the connector trail. Decided on the Moonlight Trail. Short and immediate access from the TH. I did a loop going clockwise; in on the Moonlight, north and then east on the San Tan and then back to the TH on the Goldmine. All the trails were very wide, easy to navigate. There was some elevation on the Moonlight and then a roller coaster for the San Tan as it topped several small hills. I seemed to have picked the wrong direction. I was going against the on flow of traffic.
Temps weren’t too bad. The geothermal winds were kicking in, which made it kind of pleasant. With the exception of a few rabbits, there was no wildlife. As I returned to the parking area it looked like a fire was burning just east of Hunt Highway. I heard sirens in the distance, it didn’t see anything on the evening news so it must have been quickly contained. |
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