Bug Hollow Trail #548 • Hike • Arizona • All Triplogs • HikeArizona.COM

Guides 41
Routes 1,626
Photos 14,983
Triplogs 2,760

69 male

Joined Jan 20 2009
Far NE Phoenix,

Moist Mingus Dingus Meander, AZ

Hiking		Aug 25 2025
		The_Eagle • Triplogs 2,760

Hiking	14.28 Miles	3,128 AEG

Hiking	14.28 Miles	6 Hrs 58 Mns		2.32 mph
	3,128 ft AEG	49 Mns Break	10 LBS Pack

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7 linked trail guides

Mingus Inner Maze Loop

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joebartels

Route Recorded on Route Scout | Pop | Map | Popup | MapDEX

Looking for a hike, I checked around the state for the best chance of staying dry. The rain point forecast for all the usual suspects with palatable temps showed a minimum of a 40% chance. I thought I'd try something different and consult AI. I asked for the section in AZ with the least chance for rain through early afternoon. The answer was Prescott. So, off to Mingus.

An ominous start, with rain, thunder, and lightning on the drive up. It stopped once we hit Mayer.

Mescal Trail #547
(8:30 a.m. start, 68 degrees, and a light rain)

North Mingus Trail #105
This trail is starting to close in in spots, but it's probably my favorite part of the hike. We climbed through pristine stands of pines, oaks, and maples to the saddle at the 105/105A intersection. The rain continued.

Mingus Trail #105A
Going clockwise, I'd forgotten how much downhill there was. We lost elevation that would need to be regained. We passed some pretty areas before getting to the 106 intersection. The rain continued, and the temperature was 65 degrees.

View Point Trail #106
This trail rollercoasters over to the steepish climb to the rim. The temperature dropped to 61 degrees, and the rain continued.

North Mingus Trail #105
Back on this for the trip across the top of Mingus. Part way down, the rain stopped, and we had some lunch. It was 68 degrees and chilly. I checked the radar, and it looked like the rain could be over. Twenty minutes later, the umbrellas were up again. The hardest rain of the day hit for about 10 minutes and then backed off to sprinkles.

Bug Hollow Trail #548
The 400-foot climb up to the use trail always gets the heart pumping. Where this ends, a use trail begins. The use trail terminates into the Bug Hollow Trail. This trends down, back to the Mescal Trail. (rain...uh yep)

Mescal Trail #547
This section is also a favorite and took me back to the car

The theme of the day was rain—mainly light, with only one hard downpour, but the umbrella was in hand most of the day. I'm not complaining, but bragging. The temperature never even hit 70 degrees all day. For August, that's pretty much unheard of.

Flora

Flora [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Deers Ears

Meteorology

Meteorology [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Crepuscular rays

Autumn Foliage Observation None
Unexplained oak and maple leaves brown. Both off the trees and on the ground

Wildflowers Observation Isolated

_____________________

There is a very fine line between "hobby" and "mental illness."
Dave Barry

Aug 25 2025

joebartels

Guides 264
Routes 2,797
Photos 14,494
Triplogs 5,894

55 male

Joined Nov 20 1996

Mingus Mini Dingus, AZ

Hiking		Aug 25 2025
		joebartels • Triplogs 5,894

Hiking	14.37 Miles	3,177 AEG

Hiking	14.37 Miles	7 Hrs	2.34 mph
	3,177 ft AEG	52 Mns Break

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The_Eagle

Route Recorded on Route Scout | Pop | Map | Popup | MapDEX

Mescal Trail #547
We tap into this trail via an 0.25 mi use-trail* from a parking space we've used many times across the highway from #503A. *perhaps the continuation of #503A. It might be wise to park on the side of the road for your leaving direction, as it's a busy blind hairpin corner. Then we descended the forgettable 0.25 mi of #547 to #105.

North Mingus Trail #105
The lower end starts as either a trail or the distance a vehicle can be driven in from the highway double track. After the 3 Graves(crossless rock piles now), it continues as a nice walk to about 3 mi on our loop.

The next mile gains over 650 ft to #105A.

Mingus Trail #105A
0.7mi slightly descending drew zero complaints.

View Point Trail #106
This trail contours the steep east side of Mingus. I like it because it cruises above the in and outs of ravines just below.

On top of Mingus, we walk the road over to the hang glider launch. After a short session of posing on the launch pad and ignoring each other, we get back onto #105. It's a steep but short descent back to where we split off earlier. We enjoyed a lunch break along that stretch, too.

Bug Hollow Trail #548
After retracing our steps on #105, Bruce had a plan to hook into #548. We only tackled the middle third of this, which happens to be one of my favorite autumn trails. Oughta be sweet in about a month, unless you're a maple/aspen snob.

We completed the upper end of #547 to complete the double tooth lasso loop.

Synopsis
Miles of drizzle and light sprinkles pitter-pattered on numerous umbrella stretches. It was not hot; cool breezes for long stretches were nice.

5 to 10 minutes of spotty sunshine near the end. I carried a little too much water for this sub-70-degree August hike. Any hike on Mingus is a winner for oak connoisseurs. A few moments seemed impossibly perfect for August.

Named place

Named place [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Mescal Spring

Autumn Foliage Observation None
It's not autumn but there were large stretches with a lot of green oak leaves on trail.

	Mescal Spring	Dry	Dry
	Moist from recent rain, otherwise appears dry

_____________________

- joe

Jun 12 2024

joebartels

Guides 264
Routes 2,797
Photos 14,494
Triplogs 5,894

55 male

Joined Nov 20 1996

Mingus Oaks and Butterfly with Gaddes, AZ

Hiking		Jun 12 2024
		joebartels • Triplogs 5,894

Hiking	18.31 Miles	3,366 AEG

Hiking	18.31 Miles	8 Hrs 37 Mns	2.58 mph
	3,366 ft AEG	1 Hour 32 Mns Break

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8 linked trail guides

Coleman Trail #108

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The_Eagle

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I suggested three reasonable hikes and Bruce picked the coolest/easiest option. FR104 is the turn off 89A and is now paved for a mile or two. Driving up, the camps or retreats were loaded. We parked in the big lot just before the smaller #106 lot.

North Mingus Trail #105
We hiked the road up to the hang glider launch, the south end of #105. The drop is steep with great views if you look past your feet. I much prefer to ascend but know how much Bruce hates the ascent. He ran down and played with Spotted Towhees at the junction while I inched down without dying.

Bug Hollow Trail #548
From #105 we utilize the nice shaded use-trail to Bug Hollow. It's the steepest 0.5-mile stretch of the day but almost goes unnoticed with good tread through the forest. A slight descent put us in good spirits on Bug Hollow for 0.8 miles.

Upper Mescal Trail #550
0.75 miles up to an 0.4 mile use-trail that delivers us to the Mingus Picnic/Rest Area we occasionally use as a starting point. The use-trail is notable for yellow bark locust thickets. Which is a semi-friendly stage between the nightmare bush stage and the tall 6-10 inch diameter tree version. Leveling out to the rest area we listened to a few house wrens.

Butterfly Trail #536 - Mingus
Whereas Bug Hollow is typically a cool bugless pocket, this nicer-named drainage was warmer and gnatty due to a stagnant trace of a creek after the full dam.

Middle Trail #537
Middle children are often excluded, ignored, or even outright neglected because of their birth order. That makes perfect sense if you hike this trail, but it gets the job done. Bruce once found a Fitbit along this trail. He attempted to contact the owner without success so it's one of the many stories replayed throughout the hike.

Lunch
We enjoyed lunch on a cool concrete picnic table.

Coleman Trail #108
I don't hike as much as grandpa push-ups & speedos, so this segment was cursing my world. To make matters worse, somebody moved my damn tree and killed it.

Gaddes Canyon Two Trail #9037
Despite 87° I love this trail. The new twist to us was a long stretch of poison ivy. Nearly a dozen times I heard... you brushed against it. I increasingly tried to avoid it but the concern is mute compared to avoiding the biting noseeums that deliver 10x pain.

Gaddes Canyon #110
Bruce carries postage-stamp-sized alcohol wipes so we attempted to remove the antigen oil urushiol. Either that worked or my legs were slathered in enough cryptobiotic dirt, cuz nothing has surfaced or itched a day later now.

Synopsis
Mingus is fabulous in the Autumn and a nice option otherwise. JBM,

joe

butterfly

mode, emitted a steady release of therapeutic joy throughout the hike. Zero hikers encountered. We would have passed more hikers along Inner Basin but not sure I could have dealt with BBM crying up a storm about a beautiful six-mile road walk.

Flora

Flora [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] New Mexico Locust Poison Ivy

Wildflowers Observation Isolated
Not much, it's almost summer.

	Butterfly Spring	Dripping	Dripping
	maybe a half quart a minute, anything more is an exaggeration.

Butterfly Tank

Dry

	Mescal Spring	Dry	Dry
	No such moisture was obsevered

	Mingus Lake	76-100% full	76-100% full
	As full as I recall and well-used, parking was full when we left.

_____________________

- joe

Jun 12 2024

Guides 41
Routes 1,626
Photos 14,983
Triplogs 2,760

69 male

Joined Jan 20 2009
Far NE Phoenix,

Mingus Oaks and Butterfly with Gaddes, AZ

Hiking		Jun 12 2024
		The_Eagle • Triplogs 2,760

Hiking	18.69 Miles	3,302 AEG

Hiking	18.69 Miles	8 Hrs 37 Mns		2.61 mph
	3,302 ft AEG	1 Hour 27 Mns Break	10 LBS Pack

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10 linked trail guides

Mingus Inner Maze Loop

Coleman Trail #108

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joebartels

Route Recorded on Route Scout | Pop | Map | Popup | MapDEX

Joe's week to pick and with the temps soaring, the choices were getting slimmer. Wally had a last-minute charging problem and bailed. After discounting Lion Peak, we settled on this loop that we've done many variations of over the years (usually in the fall for the colors). I like this figure 8 loop because the loops are divided almost in half. Parking the vehicle at the crossover spot allows you to carry half the water, leaving the remainder as well as your lunch in a cooler, with available picnic tables, restrooms, etc.

We opted to hit up the northern part of the loop first. Nice cool temps heading down the North Mingus Trail #105. The trail is loaded with oaks and maples which are beginning to encroach on the trail in many places. Good views to the north of Bill Williams, Sitgreaves, Kendrick, and the SF Peaks. To the west, the nearby Woodchute.

We've been using a steep 2-track, that turns into a pleasant non-official trail, short cutting to Bug Hollow #548. We wound our way over to our short road walk (now paved) to the Butterfly Trail. The water behind the dam was surprisingly full.

All this led to our vehicle, lunch, and a fluid refill.

The Trail #108 is my least favorite trail out here but necessary to complete the loop. It's rocky and hot, being exposed. It does afford some good views, but you must stop hiking to take them in. At this point, the JBM was in the yellow, fast approaching the red. I could hardly wait for the climb up Gaddes Canyon.

The Gaddes 2 and Gaddes Trails are pretty trails that climb 3.5 miles and 1300' back to our starting point. It's mostly under tree cover, helping with the heat approaching the mid-80s. The new problem this year seems to be the addition of quite a bit of PI. Not a moment too soon, we made it back to the car. Joe's meter had pegged and broken.

Culture

Culture [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Dam - Rock

Wildflowers Observation Isolated

	Butterfly Spring	Quart per minute	Quart per minute
	Running and the water behind the dam was close to full

Mingus Lake

76-100% full

_____________________

There is a very fine line between "hobby" and "mental illness."
Dave Barry

Oct 15 2023

ScaredyCat

Guides 2
Routes 207
Photos 93
Triplogs 204

male

Joined Aug 08 2020
Phx az

Prescott, AZ

Hiking		Oct 15 2023
		ScaredyCat • Triplogs 204

Hiking	11.58 Miles	2,245 AEG

Hiking	11.58 Miles	7 Hrs 55 Mns	1.61 mph
	2,245 ft AEG	43 Mns Break

no photosets

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Didn't realize I would end up being alone today. Therefore I decided to switch the route to one others pry wouldn't want any part of.

The pull out for bug hallow is easily missed. Had to throw it in reverse on the freeway.

This trail is easy. I then veered onto powerline Trail. This one receives lil use and is a bit overgrown.

Deviated from plan and figured why not try the bushwhack to n mingus as mentioned in write up. A bit better than expected but had some difficulty finding the next trail. Steeper climb was cut short at jct.

Took a diff off trail approach on way back. More direct but also higher difficulty. Dark by end of hike. Cell phone light helpful yet inadequate.

Autumn Foliage Observation Moderate
Exceeded my expectations.

Jul 22 2023

BiFrost

Guides 4
Routes 491
Photos 10,890
Triplogs 1,257

55 male

Joined Nov 20 2012
Phoenix, AZ

Prescott, AZ

Hiking		Jul 22 2023
		BiFrost • Triplogs 1,257

Hiking	10.09 Miles	1,975 AEG

Hiking	10.09 Miles	4 Hrs 45 Mns	2.47 mph
	1,975 ft AEG	40 Mns Break

no routes

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FOTG

John9L

Met up with 9L and Lee for this hike on Mingus Mountain. Starting from the picnic area off 89A on the Upper Mescal Trail we traversed the northside of Mingus. The climb out on Bug Hollow Trail was a bit hot but the trail is in really good shape. Some really nice switchbacks towards the top.

Once on top we took a nice long break and enjoyed the views. After the break we continued on the Rim trail passed the hang glider launch site. 9L then took us on some moderate off trail back to the road that we hiked the last 3/4 mile to the picnic area where we started. Fun day and a quick 10 miles!

_____________________

Jul 22 2023

FOTG

Guides 37
Routes 556
Photos 10,872
Triplogs 1,052

43 male

Joined Jan 21 2013
AZ

Prescott, AZ

Hiking		Jul 22 2023
		FOTG • Triplogs 1,052

Hiking	10.09 Miles	1,975 AEG

Hiking	10.09 Miles	4 Hrs 45 Mns	2.47 mph
	1,975 ft AEG	40 Mns Break

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BiFrost

John9L

I don't have a strong grasp of the trails we hiked, but this was a nice little loop on Mingus Mountain and it exceeded my expectations. In particular, the forested sections along the north side of the mountain proved especially scenic and I was impressed by the diversity of trees intermingled in the drainages that we traversed in and out of.

We started off on the Upper Mescal Trail and then continued on to the Bug Hollow Trail. Both trails proved pleasant in condition and scenery and I enjoyed the opening stretch through the mixed forest of conifers and hardwoods. The North Mingus Trail continued to exceed my expectations and I really enjoyed this stretch of the loop. There were a couple of warm stretches along here and the final climb will grab your attention a little, but it was an otherwise pleasant stretch of trail that included some scenic traverses of nicely forested drainages that possessed a diverse amount of trees ranging from oak, to maple, various firs, spruce, ponderosa and even some aspen up high. The trail was in great shape as well.

After topping out, we walked the rim trail to the road and then took a series of surprisingly pleasant trails along with a little cross country travel and a quick paved road walk back to the car.

A nice day out on Mingus overall, specifically, the first half of the hike. I might have to get on the bandwagon and try to catch some fall colors on the North trail.

_____________________

Jul 01 2023

John10s

Guides 25
Routes 376
Photos 5,897
Triplogs 346

40 male

Joined Mar 01 2018
Chandler, AZ

Mingus Double Loop, AZ

Hiking		Jul 01 2023
		John10s • Triplogs 346

Hiking	13.68 Miles	3,057 AEG

Hiking	13.68 Miles	7 Hrs 49 Mns	2.04 mph
	3,057 ft AEG	1 Hour 6 Mns Break

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[ checklist ] Benchmark Grave - Unidentified Informational/Interpretive Sign Paraglider Spring Box

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TboneKathy

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We headed north to higher elevations again to avoid the near-record 114° in the Valley. Traffic on I-17 slowed things down a little at times, but it could've been a lot worse with the holiday weekend. We parked in a large pullout along 89A near Mescal Tank (labeled "Mescal Trail #547 Parking" on Google Maps)--though it would've been possible to drive down the forest road and park there--and got started around 8:40AM.

We started clockwise on North Mingus Trail #105 and took the short detour off the trail to see the three unmarked graves at the small cemetery...it'd be interesting to know the history behind those. The real elevation gain starts around two and a half miles in, and we continued on #105 toward the top, with great views of Sedona and the San Francisco Peaks in the distance. As we approached the final switchbacks, we saw two parasailers.

On top, we paused briefly at the N. Mingus benchmark (labeled 7721, though the topo maps show 7739) and continued south, where we saw the first hikers of the day, then a bunch of people hanging out around the overlooks and the hang glider launch...but no hang gliders. From there, we followed the forest roads over to View Point Trail #106 and started descending around the SE side of the mountain. We took advantage of one of the few shady spots along #106 and paused for a snack break on the way down. The trail is a little overgrown in places, but the brush isn't sharp or thorny.

We closed the upper loop on 105A and backtracked along 105 to an unmarked road/unofficial trail that gained a little elevation and eventually connected with Bug Hollow Trail #548. Road noise picked up again along 89A, and we ate a late lunch with two miles to go, then it was smooth sailing from there--flat/downhill and mostly shady as we completed the lower loop on Mescal Trail #547.

Coincidentally, this was the second consecutive weekend we ended up following a recent Eagle/trekkin_gecko/LindaAnn/rayhuston route...both nice higher-elevation options, so thank you all for posting those

. This one had a little overlap with a Mingus route we hiked two years ago [ triplog ] but mostly consisted of new trails for us. We had good weather today--warm but not terribly hot--and other than the area near the hang glider launch, we only saw one other hiker all day. And traffic wasn't bad returning on I-17, so that was a nice bonus.

Fauna

Fauna [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Horned Lizard

Culture

Culture [ checklist ]

Named place

Named place [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Mescal Spring San Francisco Mountains - Kachina Peaks Wilderness

Mescal Spring

Dry

	Red Seep Spring	Dry	Dry
	Dry spring box; didn't look closely at the spring itself.

May 31 2023

Guides 41
Routes 1,626
Photos 14,983
Triplogs 2,760

69 male

Joined Jan 20 2009
Far NE Phoenix,

Mingus-Dingus, AZ

Hiking		May 31 2023
		The_Eagle • Triplogs 2,760

Hiking	14.05 Miles	3,057 AEG

Hiking	14.05 Miles	6 Hrs 26 Mns		2.54 mph
	3,057 ft AEG	54 Mns Break	14 LBS Pack

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	LindaAnn	rayhuston
	trekkin_gecko

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I took a couple of Mingus virgins up to sample the terrain and perfect temps. We had a late start because of my GS duties and were hiking just shy of 11:00am. We parked just off of 89A in lieu of dropping down on the road to Mescal Tank. It is now a high clearance road with some washouts.

We began the 1500' climb to the top of Mingus. Even with the cools temps, I was moist with the climb up. The breezes dried that up almost immediately. The shade of the nubile oaks and maples on the way up was whimsical.

We stopped at the top at the picnic tables for a brisk lunch.

Now on the rocky descent on the Viewpoint 106 trail we continued our upper loop. The air was clear, which afforded us great views to red rock of Sedona and further to the still snowy peaks in Flag. We noticed 2 fires burning towards Williams and Flag, which Linda later determined were prescribed.

Back on the 105 trail again, we detoured up an old 2 track the ended at a use trail that Joe and I had used in the past and ultimately joined with the #548 Bug Hollow Trail. We completed the lower loop on the Mescal #547.

Always a good time hiking with the group. Good conversations and bantering.

Culture

Culture [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Benchmark

Wildflowers Observation Light

	Mescal Spring	Dripping	Dripping
	Moist

Mescal Tank

Dry

_____________________

There is a very fine line between "hobby" and "mental illness."
Dave Barry

1 archive

May 31 2023

rayhuston

Guides 1
Routes 447
Photos 4,407
Triplogs 938

68 male

Joined Mar 09 2012
Gilbert, AZ

Mingus Meander, AZ

Hiking		May 31 2023
		rayhuston • Triplogs 938

Hiking	13.73 Miles	2,949 AEG

Hiking	13.73 Miles	6 Hrs 26 Mns	2.37 mph
	2,949 ft AEG	38 Mns Break

no photosets

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	LindaAnn	The_Eagle
	trekkin_gecko

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I suggested a Mingus hike a few weeks ago. Perfect weather made it a go. Bruce invited Kelly and Linda along to provide extra targets for his whimsical shenanigans.

Bruce pulled together a nice sampler of trails. This being my first time hiking up here I was soaking it all in. Absolutely gorgeous. Even the chug up the Mingus trail switchbacks, though difficult, was delightful. How is it possible that I never hiked up here before?!

Due to a later start, it was past noon when we reached the summit. We stopped for lunch near the hang glider launch site. There was a nice breeze up top. After the ascent up Mingus, the breeze hit my moist shirt and gave me chills.

Our descent took us around the mountain to the other side where we had great views to the east. Once we closed the top loop, the trek back down was familiar and quite a bit easier. We passed the time with fun banter, catching up on goings on at HAZ, some gossip, until the next uphill section. Only a few hundred feet, but…ugh.

The remainder of the hike was a peaceful, shady, late afternoon jaunt on a gentle downhill slope. A soft landing after a wonderful hike. Thank you Bruce for putting this together. Outstanding. Kelly and Linda, it was great to see you both again. A most enjoyable day!

_____________________

4 archives

May 31 2023

trekkin_gecko

Guides 10
Routes 673
Photos 7,281
Triplogs 4,660

67 female

Joined Nov 17 2008
phoenix, az

Mingus Meander, AZ

Hiking		May 31 2023
		trekkin_gecko • Triplogs 4,660

Hiking	13.46 Miles	3,107 AEG

Hiking	13.46 Miles	6 Hrs 27 Mns	2.41 mph
	3,107 ft AEG	52 Mns Break

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	LindaAnn	rayhuston
	The_Eagle

bruce arranged a hike on mingus mountain
after rescheduling a couple of times, it was on
we set out just before 1100
all of these trails were new to me
i've only done one other hike on mingus, on the other side of the mountain
nice uphill to the top, which created some moisture
we checked out the benchmark and the hang glider launch and had lunch in the picnic area
down a rocky stretch but soon enough back on pine needle covered trail
lots of maples, oaks and pines with plenty of shade, making for a whimsical experience
retraced part of the track, then another loop with a shorter uphill and a pleasant gradual downhill back to the start
nice to hike in the cool woods with good views of woodchute, verde valley, sedona and the peaks
more trails to explore, too
always good to hike with linda and bruce, and good to get out with ray again
thanks for doing the driving, ray
good times

Culture

Culture [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Benchmark

Wildflowers Observation Light

_____________________

hazhole

May 31 2023

LindaAnn

Guides 110
Routes 2,246
Photos 8,982
Triplogs 2,600

45 female

Joined Dec 24 2007
Ahwatukee, AZ

Mingus Meander, AZ

Hiking		May 31 2023
		LindaAnn • Triplogs 2,600

Hiking	13.37 Miles	2,938 AEG

Hiking	13.37 Miles	6 Hrs 28 Mns	2.42 mph
	2,938 ft AEG	57 Mns Break

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	rayhuston	The_Eagle
	trekkin_gecko

Route Recorded on Route Scout | Pop | Map | Popup | MapDEX

Got the invitation to hike Mingus, and I was in. Bruce needed his beauty sleep, so we all got started a little before 1100. Headed up North Mingus Trail, which is a trail I’ve always liked. The sun shining thru the fresh maples and oaks shading the trail made for a whimsical journey. As we climbed higher, clear views opened up to the north. After the saddle, the trail steepened, and the whining increased a bit, but it’s still a pretty nice climb.

Once up top, we enjoyed the views to the north and east, sent a paper airplane off the hang glider launch, then found a picnic table for lunch. The cool breeze quickly dried my moist shirt from the ascent. We pondered the seating situation in the restroom (there was a plastic chair set in there, facing the toilet) then decided we didn’t really want to know.

After that, we walked across the top over to the top of View Point Trail and headed downhill off the east side of the mountain. The top half mile or so of that trail is not my favorite—steep, loose, and rocky—which is one of the reasons I brought a trekking pole. After that initial descent, the trail is nice, along with 105A which we took to complete the upper loop. Saw one deer along 105A.

After the saddle again, we headed back down North Mingus, then onto a use trail/old road Bruce assured us was legitimate. The short climb felt a little rough, but after that, the rest of the lower loop, along Bug Hollow and Mescal Trails was excellent. That lower loop might be a good option for my kids and dog in warmer weather.

We finished up late afternoon and headed back to the heat of the Valley. Great day, with a great mix of trails. Nice to see Bruce and Kelly again, and good to catch up with Ray since it’s been a minute since we’ve had a chance to hike together. Thanks to Kelly for supplying the vehicle, and thanks to Ray for driving!

Culture

Culture [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Benchmark

Wildflowers Observation Light

_____________________

Stop crying and just go do the hike.

May 13 2023

DixieFlyer

Guides 99
Routes 1,484
Photos 16,072
Triplogs 1,374

male

Joined Jan 07 2017
Fountain Hills,

Mingus Mountain, AZ

Hiking		May 13 2023
		DixieFlyer • Triplogs 1,374

Hiking	11.67 Miles	2,732 AEG

Hiking	11.67 Miles	5 Hrs 21 Mns	2.48 mph
	2,732 ft AEG	39 Mns Break

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[ checklist ] Cemetery Iris Claret Cup Cactus Cliff Fendlerbush Cliff fendlerbush New Mexico Raspberry Spreading Phlox Tufted Evening Primrose

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This was a CCW lollipop loop going up the north side of Mingus Mountain to the summit. I had not done this hike in 3 years, so I was overdue.

We parked along 89A in what google calls the "Mescal Trail #547 Parking Area". We started on the Mescal Trail for a short distance, then went on the Bug Hollow Trail for a bit, then followed a road, and finally got on North Mingus Trail #105 to the summit. On the descent, we took View Point Trail #106 and Mingus Trail #105A back to Trail #105, thus completing the loop. Then we went back to the TH the way that we came up.

This was a pretty nice hike actually -- nice vegetation, good views, and some flowers to look at along the way. The ascent was mostly shaded on our early morning ascent. We were in full sun most of the way down on the View Point Trail, but then clouds started to form, and we were in shade the last 4 miles or so. In fact, we heard some thunder and I thought that we might get rained on. Thankfully we stayed dry though.

The trails were in decent shape, although some vegetation is starting to encroach over the trails -- it is not too bad at this point though.

Synopsis
I enjoy this hike and should do it more often than every 3 years. I noticed lots of big tooth maples on the North Mingus Trail, so if you time it right this could be a good hike to do in the fall.

Flora

Flora [ checklist ]

Fauna

Fauna [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Bumblebee

Culture

Culture [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Cag Shot Intrepid Back Shot Post Hike Grub Stone Dwelling

Named place

Named place [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Mingus Mountain San Francisco Mountains - Kachina Peaks Wilderness

Meteorology

Meteorology [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Cumulonimbus

Wildflowers Observation Moderate

_____________________

Civilization is a nice place to visit but I wouldn't want to live there

Oct 07 2022

PrestonSands

Guides 170
Routes 148
Photos 5,914
Triplogs 2,097

48 male

Joined Apr 12 2004
Tucson, AZ

Prescott, AZ

Hiking		Oct 07 2022
		PrestonSands • Triplogs 2,097

Hiking	10.30 Miles	2,335 AEG

Hiking	10.30 Miles
	2,335 ft AEG

no routes

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ryan321

Prescott trip with Ryan, day 1:
Mingus looked comparatively storm free, so I stitched together a route on the drive up. We parked at the 89A highway summit and walked the Mingus road to Butterfly Trail. We followed Butterfly’s spaghetti-bowl route through stands of recently thinned ponderosa and muddy logging debris to the northern tip of Mingus Mountain, where we could see towering thunderstorms approaching quickly from the east. We made a quick descent on North Mingus’ upper ridge to get to lower ground, enjoying the rugged, forested slopes immensely. The storms faded before they hit us, thankfully. Saw just a hint of maples starting to change. We followed North Mingus Trail west to the unmarked connector trail that took us to Bug Hollow Trail, and then went off trail for a bit as I wanted to check out the mystery pit I had seen from afar on a brushy slope. Would it be a mine, or a cave? Neither. It was a large trench dug into limestone bedrock for some unknown reason. And there were two of them. Ryan and I dropped down through the thick brush to Mescal Trail and followed it up canyon to Upper Mescal Trail. At precisely 5:30 we turned onto trail 530 (Old Dump Trail according to Prescott NF’s website…great name), and made the short trek back to our trailhead. Headed into Prescott for the night afterward for Mexican food. Great hike, lots of variety, and Ryan’s first in-depth Black Hills/Mingus hike.

Autumn Foliage Observation Isolated

Butterfly Tank

76-100% full

_____________________

"…you never know when a hike might break out" -Jim Gaffigan

Sep 22 2022

PrestonSands

Guides 170
Routes 148
Photos 5,914
Triplogs 2,097

48 male

Joined Apr 12 2004
Tucson, AZ

Prescott, AZ

Hiking		Sep 22 2022
		PrestonSands • Triplogs 2,097

Hiking	8.60 Miles	1,755 AEG

Hiking	8.60 Miles
	1,755 ft AEG

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Arriving in Prescott mid-afternoon, storms over the Bradshaws looked hideous, so I headed east to a less stormier Mingus Mountain. A hike below the mountain top seemed safer from any potential lightning. I started hiking from the highway up Mescal Trail for a bit, then veered off trail to follow the old wagon road up to Bug Hollow Trail’s west end. I then went east on Bug Hollow through patches of gooey clay mud over to hill 6772, and then turned south onto an unsigned but cairned new trail I had seen a couple of years ago. This little shorty trail drops you off onto a side 4x4 road that connects with North Mingus Trail. I took North Mingus east for a bit, stopping to explore another mystery road that climbed up the north slope of Mingus (dead end), and then turned around to head back to Bug Hollow. Took the new trail again, got rained on for a bit, and then returned to Bug Hollow Trail to follow it north back to Mescal Gulch. Lots of wildflowers on hill 6772 and a beautiful stormy sunset. Reached the highway and my starting point at dusk and then headed into Jerome for dinner at the Haunted Hamburglar.

Wildflowers Observation Moderate

_____________________

"…you never know when a hike might break out" -Jim Gaffigan

Jul 16 2022

Hiker_Em

Photos 16
Triplogs 19

female

Joined Jan 08 2020

Prescott, AZ

Hiking		Jul 16 2022
		Hiker_Em • Triplogs 19

Hiking	3.30 Miles	683 AEG

Hiking	3.30 Miles
	683 ft AEG

no routes

no photosets

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This was a new area to me. It was a beautiful, wooded wander that had some open areas for views of Sedona’s red rock. Definitely got buggy during some parts of the hike with the monsoons the area has been receiving.

Apr 30 2022

Guides 41
Routes 1,626
Photos 14,983
Triplogs 2,760

69 male

Joined Jan 20 2009
Far NE Phoenix,

Mingus North - Mint Julep Loop IV, AZ

Hiking		Apr 30 2022
		The_Eagle • Triplogs 2,760

Hiking	17.44 Miles	3,216 AEG

Hiking	17.44 Miles	8 Hrs 14 Mns		2.40 mph
	3,216 ft AEG	58 Mns Break	12 LBS Pack

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Jerome-Prescott Wagon Road #503A

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joebartels

Route Recorded on Route Scout | Pop | Map | Popup | MapDEX

We've done multiple Mingus combinations/configurations throughout the years. It's an easy drive to get to and offers various elevations to take advantage of the seasonal temps. In the fall you can try to time the colors with the oaks and Maples.

We started in a small parking area directly across from where we'd finish on the J-P Wagon Road 503A at a refreshing 51 degrees. We dropped down to the Mescal Trail #547 and immediately lost another 10 degrees. Enjoying the tall pines it gently climbs until we met the Bug Hollow Trail #548. With a bit of off trail we looped in the Upper Mescal Trail #550 taking this back to Bug Hollow.

My favorite trail on the loop is always the Powerline Trail #549. You gain about 400 feet on this trail taking in vast views to the north, from Bill Williams to the west, to the peaks in Flagstaff. As @PrestonSands talked about in his 2012 triplog, we noted fresh bear activity along the majority of this track. Every time we come across "The Well" pipe [ photo ] as Joe calls is, we are always curious as to how deep it really is. This time we unscientifically timed a dropped rock until it his water at the bottom at 2.64 seconds. It's close to the 3 seconds in this mathematical explanation Professor Joe Bartels put together for us. [ youtube video ] . So we no longer have to guess. The old road turns into a single track before it finally disappears. As long as you stay to the east side of the drainage here, you will shortly run into a very nice use trail, quickly taking you down to the North Mingus #105.

The 105 takes you down to the Mescal Gulch area. This starts an off trail climb to meet up with a well used MTB trail used by evidently crazed MTB'ers. This is without a doubt the steepest, loosest portion of our loop. We have trouble staying upright hiking. Not a clue how the MTB'ers don't seriously hurt themselves.

We had lunch and lunched at Walnut Springs before finishing off the last six miles of the hike on the Jerome-Prescott Wagon Road 503A
We only saw 2 people and their dog all day long and that was in the last 100 yards of the hike.

Flora

Flora [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Cliff Fendlerbush Cliff-Rose Horehound Spreading Phlox Stansbury cliffrose

	Mescal Spring	Dripping	Dripping
	The ground was damp in the area

Walnut Springs

Quart per minute

_____________________

There is a very fine line between "hobby" and "mental illness."
Dave Barry

Apr 30 2022

joebartels

Guides 264
Routes 2,797
Photos 14,494
Triplogs 5,894

55 male

Joined Nov 20 1996

Mingus North - Mint Julep Loop IV, AZ

Hiking		Apr 30 2022
		joebartels • Triplogs 5,894

Hiking	16.74 Miles	2,907 AEG

Hiking	16.74 Miles	8 Hrs 15 Mns	2.30 mph
	2,907 ft AEG	58 Mns Break

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7 linked trail guides

Mescal Gulch - Hull Canyon Connector

Jerome-Prescott Wagon Road #503A

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The_Eagle

Route Recorded on Route Scout | Pop | Map | Popup | MapDEX

Bruce opted for the fourth running of the North Mingus circuit loop I created in 2012. Which he fine-tuned many moons ago through a hollow with towering pines over an understory of oak bliss.

The solo choir of a spotted towhee was loud in the cool morning mountain air. The road walk portions through the pines were filled with dandelions and evidence of thrifty bears.

The hint of use-trail we bridge #549-to-#105 has a slight autumn crunch covered in pine needles sprinkled with sap.

Encountered a cordial couple walking their poodle in the final half-furlong. Rare for us not to offend someone along the hike by swearing like gangsters but these trails rate low in trendsetting circles.

Synopsis
Another solid day hike from chilly to borderline whining temps. Originally hiked from the bottom clockwise, we wised up to CCW but started higher. CCW from the bottom might be a better use of natural shade and energy. Retiring my "Salmon Speed Cross 5 2021 - Pair 2" after a lousy 400 miles tracked. Tread is gone. Snug slippers now... lol

Flora

Flora [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Apple Cliff Fendlerbush Spreading Phlox

Wildflowers Observation Light
Cliff Fendlerbush was most prominent but purists deduct brownie points for shrubs, occasional good swaths of verbena on the north half, hints of Indian paintbrush, isolated Spreading Phlox, perhaps Packera quercetorum too

_____________________

- joe

Mar 30 2022

LJW

Routes 154
Photos 1,505
Triplogs 266

31 male

Joined Jun 02 2019
Phoenix, AZ

Gaddes - Burnt Loop, AZ

Hiking		Mar 30 2022
		LJW • Triplogs 266

Hiking	23.60 Miles	4,350 AEG

Hiking	23.60 Miles	9 Hrs 44 Mns	2.87 mph
	4,350 ft AEG	1 Hour 30 Mns Break

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12 linked trail guides

Yaeger Cabin Trail #111

Yaeger Canyon Trail #28

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none

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Route Recorded on Route Scout | Pop | Map | Popup | MapDEX

Same idea as last summer with two basic goals: hike the length of Gaddes and Burnt Canyons and find a better route down from West Rim to Powerline. With the cold front coming and going the day before, it seemed like a good day for water in the creeks and clouds above and below View Point Trail. Ended up super good timing and maybe the best day I've spent on Mingus. Started at Mescal Tank with North Mingus.

North Mingus and View Point had been trimmed back since the summer, so rain and snow melt on the trailside brush was mostly a nonissue. A little muddy but nothing too bad. North Mingus a mix of forest and views. Clouds below to the north were even better once on View Point. Walked above, below, and inside them until topping out on Mingus.

Quarter inch of snow on top of Mingus Mountain that had mostly melted by sundown. Gaddes Canyon had a trickle in the snowy top of the trail and below the road on Black Canyon Trail. Once into Black and Burnt Canyons the flow picked up. Not too strong but more than a trickle. Clouds rolled overhead the whole way. Burnt canyon is mellow with a better and better forest heading up. The upper mile or two is picture perfect open ponderosa forest. The middle section had some smooth, rocky sections that are awesome with water flowing. The going is relatively easy the whole way, not much to maneuver around or bushwhack through.

Diverted from the end of Burnt Canyon up to the tank North of Kendall Peak. On the way noticed a pair of graves with a metal sign that read "Ram Dog" from which a grey collar hung. Walked the road with some corner cutting to Yaeger Cabin Trail. Passed the only person I saw all day on Yaeger Canyon and then commenced the mile or so roadwalk to Butterfly. Straight through the woods from Middle To West Rim and then over to the edge of the mountaintop.

I took a ridge NW off the very northern tip of the mountain. It was a way better track down than last time, and though a moderate bushwhack I was on Powerline in twenty minutes. On the way down enjoyed views of Humphreys and Sedona that shine in the last couple hours of the day. Straightforward trip back down. On the day saw the one person, two coyotes, a half dozen deer, and lion tracks near the upper Black Canyon TH and Mingus Lake.

Burnt Canyon

Light flow

Butterfly Tank

76-100% full

	Gaddes Canyon	Light flow	Light flow
	Pools/trickle higher up, below the road light flow

2 archives

Oct 02 2021

toddak

Guides 13
Routes 38
Photos 1,651
Triplogs 577

60 male

Joined Nov 15 2005
Jackson, CA

Prescott, AZ

Hiking		Oct 02 2021
		toddak • Triplogs 577

Hiking	19.00 Miles	3,500 AEG

Hiking	19.00 Miles	8 Hrs	2.38 mph
	3,500 ft AEG

no routes

Linked

8 linked trail guides

Coleman Trail #108