Mesquite Canyon Trail - MSP • Hike • Arizona • All Triplogs • HikeArizona.COM

Phoenix, AZ

Hiking		Jan 09 2025
		ScaredyCat • Triplogs 204

Hiking	7.21 Miles	2,183 AEG

Hiking	7.21 Miles	3 Hrs 54 Mns	2.05 mph
	2,183 ft AEG	23 Mns Break

no photosets

Linked

linked

Partners

none

no partners

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

Thursday was declared a paid holiday to honor the passing of 100 year old Jimmy Carter. Gave up after texting 5 friends, apparently most are working. Ok, I'll go out on my own somewhere that is normally too crowded for my preference.

Decided to head to Tom's Thumb TH to go for E End Peak. 48° upon arrival and of course, I was starting later than most would on here. A fraction of the vehicles I would expect to see. Score! Found the spot to leave the trail a lil before you'd reach E End Trail.

A steep climb up a use trail that is fairly easy to follow. Reach a solar generator just shy of the peak. I started a registry at the high point. Somewhat slippery on the way down. Added on Tom's Thumb+the lookout. Plus explored some side trails that were new to me.

Feb 07 2024

pseudalpine

Guides 59
Routes 1,100
Photos 1,191
Triplogs 1,290

male

Joined Jan 01 2023
Arizona

Sven Towers 1-3 and MSP 38 of 39, AZ

Hiking		Feb 07 2024
		pseudalpine • Triplogs 1,290

Hiking	8.18 Miles	1,637 AEG

Hiking	8.18 Miles	3 Hrs	2.89 mph
	1,637 ft AEG	10 Mns Break

Linked

10 linked trail guides

McDowell Mountains / Sven Tower I

McDowell Mountains / Sven Tower II

McDowell Mountains / Sven Tower III

McDowell Mountains / Girlie Man Area

McDowell Mountains / Morell's Parking Lot Rock

Caballo Trail - MSP

[ checklist ] Morell's Parking Lot Rock Rock Knob Sven Slab Sven Tower I Sven Tower II Sven Tower III

Partners

none

no partners

Fauna

Fauna [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Dog

Named place

Named place [ checklist ]

Meteorology

Meteorology [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Fog

4 archives

Jan 19 2024

johnlp

Guides 1
Routes 14
Photos 7,202
Triplogs 5,208

68 male

Joined Mar 16 2008
chandler,az

Phoenix, AZ

Hiking		Jan 19 2024
		johnlp • Triplogs 5,208

Hiking	10.44 Miles	817 AEG

Hiking	10.44 Miles	3 Hrs 13 Mns	3.35 mph
	817 ft AEG	6 Mns Break

no routes

Linked

7 linked trail guides

Saguaro Nest Trail - MSPC

Boulder Trail - MMRP

Gooseneck Trail - MSPC

Partners

partners

trekkin_gecko

Kelly and I got out to hike on some trails we hadn't been on in years. Trails are smooth and in great shape. Nice weather. Only saw a dozen or so others out hiking and a handful of mountain bikers.
Coffee and breakfast after. Thanks Kelly.

_____________________

“Good people drink good beer.” Hunter S Thompson

Jan 19 2024

trekkin_gecko

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

67 female

Joined Nov 17 2008
phoenix, az

Phoenix, AZ

Hiking		Jan 19 2024
		trekkin_gecko • Triplogs 4,660

Hiking	10.44 Miles	817 AEG

Hiking	10.44 Miles	3 Hrs 13 Mns	3.35 mph
	817 ft AEG	6 Mns Break

Linked

7 linked trail guides

Saguaro Nest Trail - MSPC

Boulder Trail - MMRP

Gooseneck Trail - MSPC

Partners

partners

johnlp

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

started from tom's thumb trailhead around 0800
the idea was marcus landslide over to pemberton and back on gooseneck
went through quite a bit of diamond fire burn on the northern part of the hike
cool temps to start with some high clouds
a lot of new territory for me, and i haven't hiked from tom's thumb in years
i like all the granite
good footing the entire hike with some small rolling hills
good suggestion john, thanks
breakfast at butters afterwards = yum

_____________________

hazhole

1 archive

Oct 14 2023

Tortoise_Hiker

Guides 1
Routes 148
Photos 9,924
Triplogs 3,652

63 male

Joined Apr 02 2005
Mesa, AZ

Tom Lookout at the Eclipse, AZ

Hiking		Oct 14 2023
		Tortoise_Hiker • Triplogs 3,652

Hiking	6.19 Miles	1,520 AEG

Hiking	6.19 Miles	2 Hrs 53 Mns	2.34 mph
	1,520 ft AEG	14 Mns Break

no routes

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linked

Partners

partners

The_Eagle

Bruce and I got out for a morning adventure. It’s been awhile since I’ve done this one. Nice workout.
The eclipse was cool as well! A lot of people on the way down.
Great temps, hike, and company!
Thanks Bruce! Like HAZ, you rock!

_____________________

Tortoise Hiking. Stop and smell the Petrichor.

Oct 14 2023

The_Eagle

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

69 male

Joined Jan 20 2009
Far NE Phoenix,

Tom Lookout at the Eclipse, AZ

Hiking		Oct 14 2023
		The_Eagle • Triplogs 2,760

Hiking	6.19 Miles	1,520 AEG

Hiking	6.19 Miles	2 Hrs 53 Mns		2.34 mph
	1,520 ft AEG	14 Mns Break	5 LBS Pack

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linked

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partners

Tortoise_Hiker

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

Denny got me out of the house for a hike up to Tom's Thumb. We had the added treat of the Annular Solar Eclipse. Going up, the crowds were not too bad. A stop at the Thumb and then over to the Lookout.

Going down, the crowds thickened. We were lucky enough to run into people with glasses to look at the eclipse. We met them at the right time as the eclipse peaked. I tried unsuccessfully to take a photo through their glasses. I pointed out to Denny how you could see the status of the eclipse in the shadows and using your hands.

The other interesting thing about the eclipse is how the temperature dropped during the event. It was 78 degrees before, and just after the peak, it got down to 69 degrees.

It's good to stretch out with the turtle again.

_____________________

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

Jun 10 2023

BiFrost

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

55 male

Joined Nov 20 2012
Phoenix, AZ

Rock Knob Loop - MSP, AZ

Hiking		Jun 10 2023
		BiFrost • Triplogs 1,257

Hiking	5.84 Miles	727 AEG

Hiking	5.84 Miles	2 Hrs 48 Mns	2.19 mph
	727 ft AEG	8 Mns Break

Linked

linked

Caballo Trail - MSP

Black Mountain - Cave Creek

Partners

partners

slowandsteady

Loop around MSP in the heat. Did a bit of offtrail to connect some trails and shorten the hike. I like the Rock Knob area and this section of the McDowells in general. Mini rock domes scattered about make pleasant scenery....I'll have to come back in the winter when it's not so hot...I believe one of the rock domes would make a nice extended lunch spot

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1 archive

Feb 01 2023

The_Eagle

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

69 male

Joined Jan 20 2009
Far NE Phoenix,

Toms Black Thumb - Search for Bob, AZ

Hiking		Feb 01 2023
		The_Eagle • Triplogs 2,760

Hiking	8.75 Miles	2,782 AEG

Hiking	8.75 Miles	3 Hrs 28 Mns		2.63 mph
	2,782 ft AEG	8 Mns Break	12 LBS Pack

Linked

linked

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none

no partners

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

I went looking for @Bobp.
I checked out his 2 favorite haunts with no luck.

Perfect hiking weather. Both places were busy for a weekday.

It'll be awhile before I go back to the Toms Thumb TH. Construction has traffic totally buggered up on Happy Valley Road east of Scottsdale Road

Black Mountain 2.38 Miles, 1222 AEG
Toms Thumb/Lookout 6.37 Miles, 1560 AEG

_____________________

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

Aug 13 2022

The_Eagle

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

69 male

Joined Jan 20 2009
Far NE Phoenix,

Muggy Morning McDowell Meander, AZ

Hiking		Aug 13 2022
		The_Eagle • Triplogs 2,760

Hiking	6.81 Miles	1,592 AEG

Hiking	6.81 Miles	2 Hrs 32 Mns		2.78 mph
	1,592 ft AEG	5 Mns Break	8 LBS Pack

no photosets

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linked

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none

no partners

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

Yesterdays storms look like they hit this area pretty good. There were plenty of spots on the way in on Happy Valley Rd where bulldozers had pushed dirt off the pavement. I only had .48 inches 10 miles west of this TH, they had much more. 77 degrees and 77% humidity when I left the house.

I was hoping for a potential @BobP sighting, but it appears he was in Flag. It's August, and the McDowells are unexpectedly green. I lost the clouds and there was no breeze on the climb, so I was glistening just a smidge.

Out to the end of the Lookout Trail to take a quick break to dry off in the light breeze.

I hadn't been out to the Thumb in quite awhile, so I hit that on the way back. Saw a guy on a mountain bike climbing the hill and called him crazy. He replied "Thanks!"

_____________________

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

Jan 09 2022

BobP

Guides 2
Routes 251
Photos 4,593
Triplogs 3,212

63 male

Joined Feb 26 2008
Scottsdale, AZ

Phoenix, AZ

Hiking		Jan 09 2022
		BobP • Triplogs 3,212

Hiking	7.60 Miles	2,724 AEG

Hiking	7.60 Miles
	2,724 ft AEG

Linked

6 linked trail guides

Partners

none

no partners

_____________________

https://www.seeitourway.org
Always pronounce Egeszsegedre properly......
If you like this triplog you must be a friend of BrunoP

1 archive

Jan 01 2022

BobP

Guides 2
Routes 251
Photos 4,593
Triplogs 3,212

63 male

Joined Feb 26 2008
Scottsdale, AZ

Phoenix, AZ

Hiking		Jan 01 2022
		BobP • Triplogs 3,212

Hiking	7.19 Miles	2,554 AEG

Hiking	7.19 Miles
	2,554 ft AEG

Linked

linked

Partners

none

no partners

I decided I'm gonna hike more this year. On and off trail. I hit peak 3,949 for the first time dodging the cholla gatekeepers. First time on Lookout in forever. Didn't see anyone on the trip to East End Peak. Then saw a few people on East End trail. Then the hoards from Tom's back to the trailhead. I had 3 layers on at times and was still cold. Happy New Year!

_____________________

https://www.seeitourway.org
Always pronounce Egeszsegedre properly......
If you like this triplog you must be a friend of BrunoP

Dec 26 2021

BobP

Guides 2
Routes 251
Photos 4,593
Triplogs 3,212

63 male

Joined Feb 26 2008
Scottsdale, AZ

Phoenix, AZ

Hiking		Dec 26 2021
		BobP • Triplogs 3,212

Hiking	2.25 Miles	739 AEG

Hiking	2.25 Miles
	739 ft AEG

no photosets

Linked

none

no linked trail guides

Partners

none

no partners

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

Did some exploring off of this trial. Fun stuff.

_____________________

https://www.seeitourway.org
Always pronounce Egeszsegedre properly......
If you like this triplog you must be a friend of BrunoP

2 archives

Feb 26 2021

DixieFlyer

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

male

Joined Jan 07 2017
Fountain Hills,

Toms Thumb Super Duper Loop, AZ

Hiking		Feb 26 2021
		DixieFlyer • Triplogs 1,374

Hiking	12.00 Miles	3,730 AEG

Hiking	12.00 Miles	6 Hrs 39 Mns	2.35 mph
	3,730 ft AEG	1 Hour 32 Mns Break

Linked

9 linked trail guides

McDowell Mountains / Hog Heaven

Windgate Pass Trail - MSP

Partners

none

no partners

I decided to make my once-a-year appearance at the Toms Thumb TH and do this figure 8 loop, which is a combination of the Hog Heaven Loop and the Toms Thumb-Wingate-East End Loop.

I started out by heading up to the HangnailThumbnail, which is on the ridgeline south of East End Peak. This is steep and a bit slippery climb, with some class 2 and class 3 climbing that is ever-so-slightly exposed in a couple of places. I got a good workout on this portion of the hike, and then did some class 2 hiking over to East End Peak. It's always nice to be on the highpoint of the McDowells.

The descent from East End down to the Tom's Thumb Trail is steep and slippery on loose dirt and pea gravel, but I took my time and made it down with no problem.

I did not go to Toms Thumb, but I did make a sidetrip to The Lookout, which has some nice views of the McDowells.

Once I got back on the Toms Thumb Trail, I made the steep descent on mostly rocky terrain to the Windgate Pass Trail. This was my least favorite part of the hike, due to the rocky terrain. Going up to Windgate Pass was uneventful, then it was on to the steep uphill climb on the East End Trail back to the Toms Thumb Trail. You'll get a good workout on this portion of the hike.

Once back on the Toms Thumb Trail, it was uphill for a bit, and then downhill back to the TH.

Not surprisingly, there were quite a few people out in the afternoon going back down to the TH once I got back on the Toms Thumb Trail. I did not see anyone on the hike until I descended from East End and got to the Toms Thumb Trail.

It was a nice day for a hike, although the full sun was not too welcome on the climb up on the East End Trail. Thankfully the temperature was not too hot and there was a bit of a breeze.

Flora

Flora [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Barrel Cactus - Compass Barrel

Geology

Geology [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Basalt Granite Quartz

Culture

Culture [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Reference Mark

Named place

Named place [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] East End Tom's Thumb

Wildflowers Observation None
There are no wildflowers yet...hopefully there will be some in the coming weeks

_____________________

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

Oct 27 2020

LosDosSloFolks

Routes 70
Photos 3,081
Triplogs 601

70 male

Joined Feb 10 2019
Cave Creek, AZ

Tom's Mesquite Hog, AZ

Hiking		Oct 27 2020
		LosDosSloFolks • Triplogs 601

Hiking	2.40 Miles	632 AEG

Hiking	2.40 Miles
	632 ft AEG		4 LBS Pack

no routes

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Our objective was to do a small loop and add in the exploration of Mesquite Canyon and the high point which the rock climbing community calls "Hog Heaven". We took the Tom's Thumb summit trail up and then cut over on the Feldspar to Mesquite Canyon. An un-named use trail follows the sandy wash entering the canyon then breaks off and the climb begins in earnest. Route shown in photoset.

Great views abound in Mesquite Canyon. And great big rocks live here to. We were the only hikers in the area but we could hear climbers commands echoing off the walls. We finally saw the group of 4 doing climbs and rappels off of a large rock across the way. They even waved.

Definitely more friendly than the masked up fashionistas going up Tom's Thumb.

As we neared the summit the hike turned into 3 points of contact climbing which Cathy put up with for a while then told me in no uncertain terms that she was stopping and for me to go on and finish. I made it almost to the top...within 50 yards, but it turned into a very steep two hands and two feet crawl up and over boulders nearly straight up. Lots of catclaw too. With some leather gloves and a larger pair of stones it would have been no problem at all.

I made my way back down to Cathy and only slipped and fell twice.

I'm going to be sore tomorrow I think. Great hike though in a beautiful section of desert.

Culture

Culture [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Informational/Interpretive Sign

Named place

Named place [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Four Peaks Humboldt Mountain

_____________________

"If you wait, all that happens is you get older"

6 archives

Feb 05 2020

DixieFlyer

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

male

Joined Jan 07 2017
Fountain Hills,

Hog - Thumb - Windgate - East Loop, AZ

Hiking		Feb 05 2020
		DixieFlyer • Triplogs 1,374

Hiking	12.00 Miles	4,137 AEG

Hiking	12.00 Miles	6 Hrs 22 Mns	2.28 mph
	4,137 ft AEG	1 Hour 6 Mns Break

Linked

9 linked trail guides

Windgate Pass Trail - MSP

[ checklist ] East End Fort McDowell Indian Reservation Fountain Lake The Flatiron Thompson Peak Tom's Thumb Weavers Needle

Partners

none

no partners

I was looking for a hike close to home, and was wanting something different than going to the Lost Dog Wash TH; so I decided to head out to the Tom's Thumb TH. It has been a little over a year since I had been there, so I was overdue. I decided to do a Figure-8 loop that was a combination of the Hog Heaven Loop and a loop that utilized the Tom's Thumb/Windgate Pass/East End Trails. For good measure, I added an out-and-back hike to the Tom's Thumb Lookout.

I began the hike by doing the Hog Heaven Loop CW. This was my favorite part of the hike -- it was a steep and sometimes slippery climb up to the HangnailThumbnail Rock Formation. There was a fair amount of rock climbing and scrambling on this portion of the hike -- more than I remembered from previous times doing it. I then went over to East End -- the high point in the McDowells -- and hung out for a while. Then I descended down to the Tom's Thumb Trail, and did the Tom's Thumb-Windgate Pass-East End Loop CCW. The descent from the Tom's Thumb Trail down to the Windgate Pass Trail was my least favorite part of the hike -- it was fairly rocky and a bit steep, and did not offer much redeeming value imho. The trek up the East End Trail was as tough as ever!

The weather was good for this hike -- it was a tad cloudy in the morning but sunny in the afternoon. It was 38 degrees when I started a little after 9:00 AM, and was 49 when I got back to the TH.

Flora

Flora [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Chuparosa Ocotillo

Geology

Geology [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Goethite

Culture

Culture [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Benchmark Reference Mark Solar Power Summit Register Log

Named place

Named place [ checklist ]

_____________________

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

Jan 04 2020

Tim

Guides 10
Triplogs 432

63 male

Joined Feb 25 2002
Scottsdale

Phoenix, AZ

Hiking		Jan 04 2020
		Tim • Triplogs 432

Hiking	8.25 Miles	1,780 AEG

Hiking	8.25 Miles	3 Hrs 30 Mns	2.36 mph
	1,780 ft AEG

no routes

no photosets

Linked

none

no linked trail guides

Partners

none

no partners

Carolyn and I pushed off from the trailhead at 10:40 with the temperature at 56 degrees and clear and sunny. A beautiful day. I hadn't been to the White Tanks in a while and forgot how pretty and remote they are for a County Park. We made a loop of the Mesquite, Willow Canyon, Ford Canyon and Mesquite trails. This counter clockwise loop came in at 8.25 miles with 1,780 feet of AEG in 3.5 hours.

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Dec 18 2019

LosDosSloFolks

Routes 70
Photos 3,081
Triplogs 601

70 male

Joined Feb 10 2019
Cave Creek, AZ

Phoenix, AZ

Hiking		Dec 18 2019
		LosDosSloFolks • Triplogs 601

Hiking	5.12 Miles	741 AEG

Hiking	5.12 Miles	2 Hrs 45 Mns	2.12 mph
	741 ft AEG	20 Mns Break

no routes

Linked

linked

Partners

none

no partners

We were the last people in America to get cell phones, and the last people to get a computer and I'm sure it's a safe bet that we were also the last HAZ members to finally hike this little "walk & gawk" (courtesy of @tibber) lasso loop trail. Well it's done, so there you go! Route shown in photoset.

We added on a second loop using the Feldspar Trail on the return and glad we did. There is a canyon we passed with a trail going back for the rock climbers that looks great. We will be coming back for that and to get up to Tom's Thumb...another unscratched itch.

The wind today was brutal. Seemed we were bucking it no matter what our direction of travel. Even with my stampede string on my chin I lost my hat several times. The five miles felt more like eight or ten. The park seemed very busy at the parking lot and trailhead but we encountered very few people once on the trail.

Named place

Named place [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Rock Knob Tom's Thumb

_____________________

"If you wait, all that happens is you get older"

1 archive

Aug 25 2019

Crzy4AZ

Guides 31
Routes 135
Photos 2,699
Triplogs 615

52 female

Joined Apr 02 2007
Scottsdale, AZ

Phoenix, AZ

Hiking		Aug 25 2019
		Crzy4AZ • Triplogs 615

Hiking	2.00 Miles	432 AEG

Hiking	2.00 Miles	1 Hour 12 Mns	1.82 mph
	432 ft AEG	6 Mns Break

no photosets

Linked

linked

Partners

none

no partners

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

Overnight at BF new house - chickens and monkeys - after sip & see house warming pool party yesterday.

Woke up 4:30am. Oldest monkey Will packed up his mountain bike in the truck. He is on his school mountain bike competitive team. Got to TT TH at 5:25. Showed him map for Marcus Landslide. Made meet back plan. Tested cell phones.

I went up part of Hog Heaven route so I could look down on Marcus Landslide trail. Got legs all scratched up without noticing it until I took a break. Saw 3!!!! Great Horned Owls and got some video too. They were sleeping same mesquite tree when I came down. I assume was not 3 must have been 4? Seems weird 3. But I have limited knowledge of owl behavior. They were just so massive. Same wash where I’ve seen Gil’s monster and deer and javalina on previous hikes at dawn.

Humid today. I was completely in the shade except right at top where I took a break. Waiting for Will now . He sent me pics of a bleeding knee but without any call for rescue. He’s close to hitting Eagle Scout - self sufficient smart kid. He has an elk tag this Fall for walk in area. I told him he need to bulk up if he’s going to haul one out even quartered is heavy. He has friends ready to help. Has been two years of dating Christian. I’ve enjoyed getting to know his boys. My tender chickens love to spend time with them. Six of us in small time quantities is good. Then going back to our own home quarters just the three of us - is how I like it.

_____________________

May 27 2019

Nate_F

Routes 215
Photos 1,337
Triplogs 124

53 male

Joined May 26 2017
Phoenix, AZ

Phoenix, AZ

Hiking		May 27 2019
		Nate_F • Triplogs 124

Hiking	3.94 Miles	1,525 AEG

Hiking	3.94 Miles	3 Hrs 14 Mns	1.38 mph
	1,525 ft AEG	23 Mns Break

Linked

linked

Partners

none

no partners

Hog Heaven. This one has been on my list for a while, and with the beautiful late-May weather, I did it. This was my first time doing this one so I took my time with it. I followed the track on my Route Scout and well-placed cairns and did just fine. Mind you, this was just the loop and nothing else, so maybe my mileage was a little short. Next time, I plan on adding Tom's Thumb and going back the North side down the climber access trails to make an ultimate Hog Heaven Loop!
The weather was good; very gusty though. It can be hard to climb along the ridge when the winds are gusting; there is some exposure. Also, the dried grass meant a lot of stickers in my shoes and socks. And cuts on my legs!

The wildlife was great on this hike. A pair of cardinals (male and female) in a tree halfway up, and a Gila Monster on the trail too! The other wildlife were the Humans going up and down the trail to Tom's Thumb. Really good hike!

Wildflowers Observation Isolated

_____________________

Mar 17 2019

Crzy4AZ

Guides 31
Routes 135
Photos 2,699
Triplogs 615

52 female

Joined Apr 02 2007
Scottsdale, AZ

Phoenix, AZ

Hiking		Mar 17 2019
		Crzy4AZ • Triplogs 615

Hiking	2.46 Miles	310 AEG

Hiking	2.46 Miles	59 Mns	2.54 mph
	310 ft AEG	1 Min Break

Linked

linked