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| Gateway - Thumb End - Bell, AZ | |
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| | Gateway - Thumb End - Bell, AZ | | | |
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Gateway - Thumb End - Bell, AZ
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| Hiking | 13.10 Miles |
2,922 AEG |
| | Hiking | 13.10 Miles | 6 Hrs 2 Mns | | 2.23 mph |
| 2,922 ft AEG | 10 Mns Break | 10 LBS Pack | | |
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| partners | | With the temps finally getting decent, I did my first hike in the valley since April. It was in the low 60s when we started at 6:30 a.m. and warmed up to the low 80s by noon.
We were in search of fall colors. Scratch that, we were in the McDowells
We arrived to a mostly empty parking lot and hit the trail. We took the loop clockwise and made the climb to Tom's Thumb, staying in the shade about 95% of the time.
Linda mentioned she needed to meet some of her relatives up top, so I showed her the Ogre's Den.
On the way down, she pointed out a hawk perched on top of a cactus that neither of us could identify. I'm sure the photos will be blurry, but it looked like a cross between a hawk and a seagull or maybe an albino hawk. There was a lot of white on it.
The east side of the Bell Pass Trail went smoothly in the full sun with an occasional breeze.
We took a short break at the top, then mostly coasted downhill to finish.
As we were finishing, I was able to provide a lady starting her hike with some helpful information. She was looking for some loop information and what to do if she saw a snake.
It got a little warm but nothing too crazy. It was great hiking with Linda again.
We didn’t have coffee after the hike.
Let the valley hiking season begin! |
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Mountain Spring |
Dry |
Dry |
| | | Dry where it crosses the trail. I wonder if the pipe broke further up, or if it just dried up. It used to be quite reliable. | | _____________________
There is a very fine line between "hobby" and "mental illness."
Dave Barry  |
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