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Monument Hill - B&M Wildlife Area - 5 members in 15 triplogs have rated this an average 2.6 ( 1 to 5 best )
15 triplogs
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Jan 04 2023
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 Guides 117
 Routes 339
 Photos 11,415
 Triplogs 895

63 male
 Joined Dec 20 2010
 Sunnyslope, PHX
Maricopa Trail: PIR to Tres RiosPhoenix, AZ
Phoenix, AZ
Hiking avatar Jan 04 2023
kingsnakeTriplogs 895
Hiking5.64 Miles 352 AEG
Hiking5.64 Miles   2 Hrs   14 Mns   2.53 mph
352 ft AEG
 
1st trip
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Despite hitting 1,000 combined hiking & biking miles for 2022, I slacked off through much of December. Day after Christmas, I got sick. Not Chinese Lung AIDs, but the same congestion & cough all night thing I used to get every winter until some guy in Wuhan decided Peking Bat sounded delicious. (Ironically, I was not sick a single day during the three COVID winters.) 🦠

I delayed hiking the Maricopa Trail for a week, but want to complete it before the end of the year. So, despite only three or four hours of “sleep”, I hiked from Monument Hill to Tres Rios. (For some reason the easement to the MTB trailhead was locked, despite there being no events at PIR.)

It doesn’t look like much, but Monument Hill is a steep little climb. Gravelly too. Mind your footing. Despite barely over 200 ft. of prominence, the summit of Monument Hill has great views due to miles & miles of flat surrounding terrain.

I have never had a problem with Panasonic DMC-TS5 pocket camera’s date/time stamp until a few weeks ago, when for some reason, in mid-hike, it decided to start setting photos’ “date created” to 2003-05-21. But still with correct time. Odd. Okay, whatevs. Reset date on camera.

On yesterday’s hike from PIR to Tres Rios, I took a few photos, then checked the camera’s date. The first few photos were okay, but the next couple were back to 2003-05-21. What the :pk:? Reset camera date again. Delete mis-dated photos; retake them; check; dates all okay. Off I go. Check an hour or so later and … dates screwed up AGAIN. No way I’m walking back.

I saw coots, a great egret and what may have been a dark-morph Ferruginous hawk — all too far away for my pocket camera. I would have fed the coots if they had stuck around. 😏

There was less graffiti than I expected on the Jersey barriers lining the road through the Base & Meridian (B&M) Wildlife Area. I made up for it by scouting up under the Avondale Blvd. bridge. The large cement culvert / pipe segments just past a mile also had graffiti. There wasn't much else to look at the first 1½ miles.

Hike Video: https://vimeo.com/787366249
 Fauna
 Fauna [ checklist ]
[ checklist ]  Honey Bee
wildflower observationwildflower observationwildflower observationwildflower observationwildflower observation
Wildflowers Observation Isolated
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http://prestonm.com : Everyone's enjoyment of the outdoors is different and should be equally honored.
  1 archive
Apr 05 2022
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 Routes 297
 Photos 6,928
 Triplogs 552

49 male
 Joined Dec 30 2007
 Avondale,Az
Monument Hill - B&M Wildlife AreaPhoenix, AZ
Phoenix, AZ
Hiking avatar Apr 05 2022
StoicTriplogs 552
Hiking2.10 Miles 255 AEG
Hiking2.10 Miles   1 Hour   20 Mns   2.10 mph
255 ft AEG      20 Mns Break40 LBS Pack
 no routes
1st trip
Linked   none no linked trail guides
Partners none no partners
A quick morning hike with the pup.
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  2 archives
Feb 07 2022
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 Guides 69
 Routes 37
 Photos 3,010
 Triplogs 2,387

55 male
 Joined Oct 24 2010
 Phoenix,Az
Monument Hill - B&M Wildlife AreaPhoenix, AZ
Phoenix, AZ
Hiking avatar Feb 07 2022
mt98dewTriplogs 2,387
Hiking0.83 Miles 230 AEG
Hiking0.83 Miles
230 ft AEG
 no routesno photosets
Linked   none no linked trail guides
Partners none no partners
Short hike. Leg has been sore for several weeks and I wanted to try something relatively easy to check it out. Short little loop. Worked my way up the west side and then topped out from the south. Didn’t stay up there too long. There were a couple of guys already up there photographing the area. The race track (the former PIR) showed some moderate activity. Not use to seeing that. Went down the northeast to close the loop. For an easy hike the leg was not happy. Sad days. :(
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Jun 29 2018
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 Guides 69
 Routes 37
 Photos 3,010
 Triplogs 2,387

55 male
 Joined Oct 24 2010
 Phoenix,Az
Monument Hill - B&M Wildlife AreaPhoenix, AZ
Phoenix, AZ
Hiking avatar Jun 29 2018
mt98dewTriplogs 2,387
Hiking0.77 Miles 230 AEG
Hiking0.77 Miles      21 Mns   2.20 mph
230 ft AEG
 no routesno photosets
Linked   none no linked trail guides
Partners none no partners
After work "hike". Something close to home. Always have done this as an in and out from the west side. Today, did this as a loop. Up the west side (good portion of which is dirt road), down the east side. A little (I mean little) exposure on this side. Some nice of the Gila. The east side is a little shorter in distance than the the west side. Saw a few lizards and fishermen (seems odd saying that, but that is what people come to this spot for primarily) and that was it.
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Dec 06 2016
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 Guides 69
 Routes 37
 Photos 3,010
 Triplogs 2,387

55 male
 Joined Oct 24 2010
 Phoenix,Az
Monument Hill - B&M Wildlife AreaPhoenix, AZ
Phoenix, AZ
Hiking avatar Dec 06 2016
mt98dewTriplogs 2,387
Hiking1.12 Miles 230 AEG
Hiking1.12 Miles
230 ft AEG
 no routesno photosets
Linked   none no linked trail guides
Partners none no partners
Short hike with wife. Nice to get out with, even for a short hike.
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Apr 23 2016
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 Guides 2
 Routes 10
 Photos 42
 Triplogs 894

58 male
 Joined Jul 12 2012
 Oro Valley, AZ
Monument Hill - B&M Wildlife AreaPhoenix, AZ
Phoenix, AZ
Hiking avatar Apr 23 2016
SpiderLegsTriplogs 894
Hiking0.60 Miles 230 AEG
Hiking0.60 Miles
230 ft AEG
 no routesno photosets
Linked   none no linked trail guides
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Livi-Divvi
Was over at Estrella Park for a race and hit this on the way home and get Olivia another peak to add to her list.
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See my pics on Instagram @tucsonexplorer
 
Apr 19 2016
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 Guides 110
 Routes 2,250
 Photos 8,982
 Triplogs 2,604

45 female
 Joined Dec 24 2007
 Ahwatukee, AZ
Tres Rios WetlandsPhoenix, AZ
Phoenix, AZ
Hiking avatar Apr 19 2016
LindaAnnTriplogs 2,604
Hiking8.97 Miles 358 AEG
Hiking8.97 Miles   3 Hrs   59 Mns   2.50 mph
358 ft AEG      24 Mns Break
 
1st trip
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Nice morning hike with a friend. He said he'd buy me lunch if I drove to his side of town. Deal.

I'm not really into birds, but it was nice to see a good variety of them up close. And I liked the turtles. Went up Monument Hill over by PIR, then turned around and headed back to the cars.
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Stop crying and just go do the hike.
  1 archive
Jan 01 2015
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 Guides 4
 Photos 542
 Triplogs 573

46 male
 Joined Oct 19 2010
 Mesa, AZ
Monument Hill - B&M Wildlife AreaPhoenix, AZ
Phoenix, AZ
Hiking avatar Jan 01 2015
Charger55Triplogs 573
Hiking0.60 Miles 230 AEG
Hiking0.60 Miles      20 Mns   1.80 mph
230 ft AEG
 no routesno photosets
1st trip
Linked   none no linked trail guides
Partners none no partners
As Pam and I were heading back to my vehicle after Margie's Peak we got to talking about birding. A half hour later I'm sitting in the only greasy spoon open in Buckeye on New Year's Day when it dawns on me how close I am to the Gila River. A quick check of the internet and it's off to B&M Wildlife Area to scope the area out for a future birding trip (when I have my camera and binocs). One upside of this detour is that I can bag a small peak while I am there. When I get there I notice lots of garbage, graffiti and some riff raff in the parking lot. It was also quite crowded down by the river, but would probably be an okay area to explore early some morning. On the way out I hit up the peak. Certainly not as daunting a climb as Margie's Peak, but some nice vistas nonetheless.
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"I've driven across deserts, driven by the irony, that only being shackled to the road could ever I be free"
- Frank Turner "The Road"
 
Sep 27 2014
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 Guides 69
 Routes 37
 Photos 3,010
 Triplogs 2,387

55 male
 Joined Oct 24 2010
 Phoenix,Az
Monument Hill - B&M Wildlife AreaPhoenix, AZ
Phoenix, AZ
Hiking avatar Sep 27 2014
mt98dewTriplogs 2,387
Hiking1.05 Miles 230 AEG
Hiking1.05 Miles      39 Mns   1.62 mph
230 ft AEG
 no routesno photosets
Linked   none no linked trail guides
Partners none no partners
Mid morning hike with my wife. Decided on Monument hill because it was close by and we had never done it before. The hill and trail were uninspiring. Though the view of the Gila was ok. I imagine the sunsets could be very nice from that location. Wife was kind of stoked because she deals with land surveys and this is relevant to what she does. Felt a little consciousness about using the trail without permission. But there were no signs posted anywhere about private land, and only at the very top was there sign indicating tribal land. The monument and markers are on tribal land.
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Jun 24 2014
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 Guides 2
 Routes 10
 Photos 42
 Triplogs 894

58 male
 Joined Jul 12 2012
 Oro Valley, AZ
Tres Rios WetlandsPhoenix, AZ
Phoenix, AZ
Run/Jog avatar Jun 24 2014
SpiderLegsTriplogs 894
Run/Jog3.50 Miles 230 AEG
Run/Jog3.50 Miles      38 Mns   5.53 mph
230 ft AEG
 no routesno photosets
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One of my favorite places to get in an easy run and it's only 5 minutes from my house. But to get one thing off my chest, what is it about people who fish? No matter where I have gone hiking or running, if the trailhead is shared with fishermen the area is always disgusting. Pulled into the parking lot of Tres Rios over by PIR. The first quarter mile was a filled with trash, beer cans, empty gas station bladder busters, pizza boxes and other assorted fast food wrappers. Go on the other side of PIR and the trailhead for the hiking loops over there might have a banana peel or two and maybe a empty gel packet if that.

Started off the run and ran into nature's own swamp cooler. The temperature dropped about 10 degrees as soon as I crossed over the bridge by the parking area. There was a slight breeze coming off the water, almost made it feel chilly. Ran out to the top of the diversion dam and along the top of the dam for about 1.5 miles. Then came back by following one of the trails along the water back to the base of Monument Hill. Took a quick spin up to the top of Monument Hill then trotted back to my car.

Saw lots of birds, a pack of javelina and snuck up on a coyote. Was able to get within 10 yards of the coyote before he noticed me.
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See my pics on Instagram @tucsonexplorer
 
Feb 15 2014
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 Guides 2
 Routes 10
 Photos 42
 Triplogs 894

58 male
 Joined Jul 12 2012
 Oro Valley, AZ
Monument Hill - B&M Wildlife AreaPhoenix, AZ
Phoenix, AZ
Hiking avatar Feb 15 2014
SpiderLegsTriplogs 894
Hiking0.60 Miles 230 AEG
Hiking0.60 Miles      45 Mns   0.80 mph
230 ft AEG
 no routesno photosets
Linked   none no linked trail guides
Partners none no partners
Doing a twofer today. Girlfriend wanted to get out of the house to stretch her legs and I convinced her to try Monument Hill as it's only 5 minutes from our house. Probably the most garbage strewn hike in the area, only to get worse when NASCAR comes to town in two weeks.

Great views of the area and we found a horseshoe on the trail. One of the hidden gems of the westside.
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See my pics on Instagram @tucsonexplorer
 
Dec 05 2013
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 Guides 2
 Routes 10
 Photos 42
 Triplogs 894

58 male
 Joined Jul 12 2012
 Oro Valley, AZ
Monument Hill - B&M Wildlife AreaPhoenix, AZ
Phoenix, AZ
Run/Jog avatar Dec 05 2013
SpiderLegsTriplogs 894
Run/Jog4.20 Miles 230 AEG
Run/Jog4.20 Miles      40 Mns   6.30 mph
230 ft AEG
 no routesno photosets
Linked   linked  
Partners none no partners
Another day for a leisurely run. Parked at the base of Monument Hill and ran north towards the diversion dam. Scrambled to the top of the dam and ran along the dam ended. Then worked my way back on the dirt roads just south of the dam until I got back to Monument Hill. Finished the run with a quick ascent up Monument Hill.

Only downside to the run is how much trash is still left over from the NASCAR race last month. Luckily the fans can't waddle that far and most of the trash is confined to the first third of a mile from the parking area.
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See my pics on Instagram @tucsonexplorer
 
Feb 01 2013
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 Guides 1
 Photos 1,148
 Triplogs 219

54 male
 Joined Jul 14 2011
 Phoenix, AZ
Monument Hill - B&M Wildlife AreaPhoenix, AZ
Phoenix, AZ
Birding avatar Feb 01 2013
burntlizardTriplogs 219
Birding4.06 Miles 230 AEG
Birding4.06 Miles   4 Hrs      1.02 mph
230 ft AEG
 no routes
1st trip
Linked   none no linked trail guides
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Made my way through all the accessible marsh areas. There was plenty of water and tons of birds, but my P/S camera does not zoom well, I need a real birding set up (300-400mm lens :))

I was the only car there at sunrise, which is a nice change. The scurvy types, boozers and people who leave garbage were not around. What a shame.....these uneducated/ignorant people can really trash a beautiful area.

The city could spend hundreds of man hours, just picking up garbage, it really irritates me :SB: - that our citizens are that stupid and inconsiderate, or just plain ignorant :gun: :gun: And the poor birds, its ironic that the best habitats are in scum-ball areas, like the Gila, Rio Salado, Salt River basin. These morons need to realize, just how fortunate they are :bdh: Ok.......I get it! the end!
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Jan 20 2013
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 Guides 8
 Routes 12
 Photos 1,918
 Triplogs 662

39 female
 Joined Dec 02 2009
 Grand Canyon
Monument Hill - B&M Wildlife AreaPhoenix, AZ
Phoenix, AZ
Hiking avatar Jan 20 2013
HippyTriplogs 662
Hiking0.60 Miles 230 AEG
Hiking0.60 Miles
230 ft AEG
 no routesno photosets
1st trip
Linked   none no linked trail guides
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chumley
Well that was educational. :D
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Canyon Freak Adventures!
  1 archive
Jan 20 2013
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 Guides 94
 Routes 842
 Photos 22,068
 Triplogs 1,994

52 male
 Joined Sep 18 2002
 Tempe, AZ
Monument Hill - B&M Wildlife AreaPhoenix, AZ
Phoenix, AZ
Hiking avatar Jan 20 2013
chumleyTriplogs 1,994
Hiking0.62 Miles 230 AEG
Hiking0.62 Miles      20 Mns   1.86 mph
230 ft AEG
 
1st trip
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Hippy
On our way to Rainbow Valley, I decided that I had to experience where it all began, and made my way to Arizona's Initial Point. After bagging a small peak next to Estrella Mountain Park and realizing I probably should have looked at the map a little bit more closely, we drove back east a couple of miles and bagged the correct peak! Simple hike, surprisingly many people in the B&M Wildlife area enjoying the beautiful weather and sunset. Sure wouldn't want to be here on a race day. Only one other person up on the hill though.

I had read that you need permission from PIR to hike the hill, but the track was open and plenty of people were milling about and didn't seem to care at all about us being on the hill. Despite knowing the boundary of the Reservation, I didn't see any signs, barricades, or other obvious markers indicating that meandering a few yards onto Res land was in any way discouraged. But that was my experience. Proceed at your own risk.

It was cool to see the monument. It's a must-visit site for any other nerdy people like me who like benchmarks and such.
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I'm not sure what my spirit animal is, but I'm confident it has rabies.
 
average hiking speed 1.82 mph

WARNING! Hiking and outdoor related sports can be dangerous. Be responsible and prepare for the trip. Study the area you are entering and plan accordingly. Dress for the current and unexpected weather changes. Take plenty of water. Never go alone. Make an itinerary with your plan(s), route(s), destination(s) and expected return time. Give your itinerary to trusted family and/or friends.

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