Caballo Trail - MSP • Hike • Arizona • All Triplogs • HikeArizona.COM

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

[ 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

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

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

Dec 11 2019

Yoder

Guides 8
Routes 70
Photos 3,208
Triplogs 273

59 male

Joined Oct 07 2017
Chandler, AZ

Gooseneck Trail - MSPC

Gooseneck Trail - MSPC

Phoenix, AZ

Hiking		Dec 11 2019
		Yoder • Triplogs 273

Hiking	6.50 Miles	392 AEG

Hiking	6.50 Miles	2 Hrs 50 Mns		2.67 mph
	392 ft AEG	24 Mns Break	10 LBS Pack

Linked

linked

[ checklist ] American Crow Black-Throated Sparrow Canyon Towhee Coyote Harris Hawk House Finch Northern Mockingbird Phainopepla

Partners

none

no partners

We combined parts of the following trails to make a 7.2 mile loop. Looks like RoudyandMe pretty much covered the same loop with the exception that he didn't hid the Caballo section of the hike, but tool the Marcus trail segment, a pretty minor deviation on the loop.
Caballo Trail
Rock Knob Trail
Gooseneck Trail
County Park Connector
Pemberton Trail
Rock Knob Trail
Caballo Trail

We started break of dawn and were rewarded with the reddest sunrise I have ever seen. Over all the hike was OK. Classic flat desert scenery. Pretty good area for birds. Trails were well marked, and extremely easy to follow. You can tell the Pemberton trail is a very popular bike trail. We only ran into one pair of bikers, but that was because it was a Wednesday, and quite early. No other encounters with people on this hike, which kind of surprised me for this area, I think everyone focuses on the mountains at this trailhead, so if you want to avoid the crowds, the flatter hikes to the East and North may be a better option, although the views are not as nice.

Flora

Flora [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Saguaro - Crested

Fauna

Fauna [ checklist ]

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J. Yoder

6 archives

Nov 09 2018

Guides 3
Routes 25
Photos 2,216
Triplogs 237

63 male

Joined Apr 22 2012
Fountain Hills,

Hog Heaven Extended Loop, AZ

Hiking		Nov 09 2018
		KBKB • Triplogs 237

Hiking	10.67 Miles	2,464 AEG

Hiking	10.67 Miles	5 Hrs 46 Mns		2.03 mph
	2,464 ft AEG	30 Mns Break	24 LBS Pack

no routes

Linked

11 linked trail guides

Hog Heaven Loop - McDowell Mountains

East End Peak - MSP

Windmill Trail - MSP

Coachwhip Trail - MMRP

Boulder Trail - MMRP

[ checklist ] Fairy Duster Staghorn Cholla Trailing Four O'Clock Turpentine Bush

Partners

none

no partners

Ben, Marilyn, Nora, and Kay joined me for a hike of most of the Hog Heaven Loop. We visited the East End Peak and continued back to Tom's Thumb Trail. At that junction, the rest of the group finished the Hog Heaven Loop by returning to the trailhead via Tom's Thumb Trail. I added on a few more miles... Down East End, left on Windmill, left on Coachwhip, left on Pemberton, left on Boulder, right on Marcus landslide, right on Caballo, which brought me back to the trailhead.

I had mentioned that I had a hard time finding the trail in a few spots on my hike of the Lost Wall Loop a few weeks ago. This wasn't a problem on the Hog Heaven Loop, though it is easy to get off route if you're not paying attention. I found the route finding to be easier than normal on this hike.

Recent rains seem to have firmed up the climber's access trails which make up the Hog Heaven Loop. It seemed less treacherous than normal.

I had been up the East End Trail two weeks ago. The descent seemed looser than expected, but then that aspect of things is often easier when going uphill.

The rest of the trails were in good condition. I noticed a couple of (recently made) bypasses around some erosion on Marcus Landslide.

After crossing over to MMRP, I noticed a bunch of pink ribbons attached to vegetation with clothespins. I think these mark the route for the upcoming horse event in MMRP - Lead, Follow, or Get Out of the Way.

Flora

Flora [ checklist ]

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Jul 27 2018

Hog Heaven Loop - McDowell Mountains

Guides 3
Routes 25
Photos 2,216
Triplogs 237

63 male

Joined Apr 22 2012
Fountain Hills,

Hog Heaven Loop Plus, AZ

Hiking		Jul 27 2018
		KBKB • Triplogs 237

Hiking	5.15 Miles	1,644 AEG

Hiking	5.15 Miles	3 Hrs 45 Mns		1.55 mph
	1,644 ft AEG	25 Mns Break	24 LBS Pack

no routes

Linked

6 linked trail guides

[ checklist ] Gila Monster White-lined Sphinx Caterpillar

Partners

none

no partners

For Friday's Hike, I did the Hog Heaven Loop and added on a bit at the end.

I saw a Gila Monster on my way to Hog Heaven. Later, as I was descending from the East End, I saw a number of caterpillars munching on new vegetation. As I descended Tom's Thumb Trail, I saw some Caltrops (which I had at first misidentified as Mariposa Lilies).

Once I turned off onto Mesquite Canyon Trail (which was almost immediately after leaving the parking lot), I didn't see anyone until I got back to Tom's Thumb Trail. And, even then, the traffic on Tom's Thumb Trail was a good deal sparser than normal, perhaps due to the heat. A fellow from one of the groups I met asked me if the trail leveled off soon. (Yeah, eventually, but not soon.)

I noticed a fair amount of erosion on the Feldspar Trail as well on the lower sections of the climber's access trail that goes through Mesquite Canyon. It was somewhat eroded later on too, but as bad as those sections at lower elevations. There was no problem with following the trail, but it did made the footing a bit more interesting than normal. There were other sections which are normally loose, but which seemed to be scoured clean of the usual gravel which normally make these sections treacherous.

Flora

Flora [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Arizona Caltrop

Fauna

Fauna [ checklist ]

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1 archive

Jul 04 2018

Guides 3
Routes 25
Photos 2,216
Triplogs 237

63 male

Joined Apr 22 2012
Fountain Hills,

Lost Wall Loop plus - MSP, AZ

Hiking		Jul 04 2018
		KBKB • Triplogs 237

Hiking	11.23 Miles	3,123 AEG

Hiking	11.23 Miles	5 Hrs 23 Mns		2.12 mph
	3,123 ft AEG	5 Mns Break	26 LBS Pack

no routes

Linked

8 linked trail guides

Windgate Pass Trail - MSP

Windmill Trail - MSP

Partners

none

no partners

I like the climber's access trail that forms the interesting part of the Lost Wall Loop. It allows us to turn lasso hikes utilizing Tom's Thumb Trail into (more of) a loop hike. That's what I did (again) today...

For today's hike, I started off on the Lost Wall Loop. When I hit Tom's Thumb Trail (after passing Tom's Thumb, the pinnacle), I turned right (west) which took me to the Scottsdale side of things. I returned via Windgate, Windmill, East End, and Tom's Thumb Trail. When I got near the bottom, I added on an extra mile by doing Feldspar, Marcus Landslide, and Caballo.

I got an early start, so was able to hike in the shade when I got to the west side of the mountain. Hiking up East End was hard - it's steep and the breeze was mostly at my back, so I didn't feel it much. Thankfully, the higher I got, the breezier it got, so it did eventually make a difference.

I saw a bunch of other hikers and even one mountain biker who was somehow managing to ride his bike up Tom's Thumb Trail (from the Scottsdale side). I didn't see as many people as I was expecting though.

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Feb 16 2018

Guides 3
Routes 25
Photos 2,216
Triplogs 237

63 male

Joined Apr 22 2012
Fountain Hills,

Phoenix, AZ

Hiking		Feb 16 2018
		KBKB • Triplogs 237

Hiking	6.47 Miles	1,762 AEG

Hiking	6.47 Miles	4 Hrs 27 Mns		1.75 mph
	1,762 ft AEG	45 Mns Break	22 LBS Pack

no routes

Linked

linked

The Lookout from Tom's Thumb North

Partners

none

no partners

I led a group of seven on a hike starting from the Tom's Thumb Trailhead on Friday the 16th.

In addition to doing the Lost Wall Loop, we visited the Lookout and, after descending Tom's Thumb Trail, we turned off onto Feldspar. We hiked a short ways on Marcus Landslide and returned via the Caballo Trail.

The climber's access trail that forms part of the Lost Wall Loop was firmed up by the rain that we had several days earlier. This trail normally has some really loose sections, but this wasn't really a problem for our hike on Friday.

I don't hike the Lookout Trail very often, so we added it into the mix. After doing the ridge over to and past Tom's Thumb, the Lookout is kind of anticlimactic. It was cool to be able to look down at Windgate Pass though.

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Dec 16 2017

tibber

Guides 21
Routes 1,183
Photos 36,909
Triplogs 1,571

69 female

Joined Feb 26 2004
Phoenix, AZ

Marcus Landslide Clover Loop, AZ

Hiking		Dec 16 2017
		tibber • Triplogs 1,571

Hiking	8.17 Miles	1,040 AEG

Hiking	8.17 Miles	3 Hrs 35 Mns	2.39 mph
	1,040 ft AEG	10 Mns Break

Linked

8 linked trail guides

Boulder Trail - MMRP

Partners

partners

slowandsteady

My Monday hike got cancelled so I texted Kathy to see if she was up to anything. Yep, "Karl has to run. We were going to go to the 128th street Toms Thumb Trailhead. He was going to run and I was going to do Toms Thumb-Windgate-Coachwhip-Marcus Landslide Loop. Then...drum roll...Tacos and Tequila!" Well she got me with the Tacos and Tequila. Altho I revised the loop since we had to meet Karl at the end and I didn't know if I could get 'er done in time.

After taking the dirt road 128th St from Dynamite to the TH, we met Scott from Tucson. It was definitely cool and I kept my vest on the whole time. We headed out to the Marcus Landslide Trail which I think is a pretty trail. You get to see cool big boulders and of course the landslide, Submarine Rocks, the fountain and in the distance the Superstitions and Four Peaks. It was an overcast day and there was also a haze above the river.

We hooked up with the Boulder Trail to take us over to the Pemberton Trail. We did encounter a few bike riders on these two trails but very few hikers. Next up was the Rock Knob Trail and it was a beauty. You go through a cholla forest and reach an old pay station. We enjoyed the views in this area all around. From there we hooked up with the Caballo Trail (.4 mile) which I had planned as an out and back but as it turned out, it takes you up to the Tom's Thumb TH so we took that route.

We took a quick restroom break and continued up the Tom's Thumb Trail looking for what my route called the East End Trail (not the one on the south side) that becomes Mesquite Canyon Trail but it is actually called Feldspar Trail. Of course there was much more traffic on Tom's Thumb Trail but once we turned off on to Feldspar, we were back on our own again. Feldspar was a pretty trail too with nice views to your right and ahead. We did encounter an REI class instructor as they would be having a class today. There are several climbing route access points from this trail. I always enjoy the Sven Slabs area. It just looks like it would be fun to climb up there.

We were about back at the TH when Karl called to ask where we were and when we looked toward the parking area we could see him. So it was good timing. Karl had left the lights on in his vehicle so Tonto gave it a jump and then we were off for "Tacos and Tequila" ! at Juan Jaime's. We sat out in the sun as we experienced very little of that this morning on our hike.

[ youtube video ]

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For me, sometimes it's just as much about the journey as the destination.
Oh, and once in awhile, don't forget to look back at the trail you've traveled.

Dec 16 2017

slowandsteady

Routes 67
Photos 966
Triplogs 694

51 female

Joined Jan 05 2012
Phoenix,AZ

Marcus Landslide Clover Loop, AZ

Hiking		Dec 16 2017
		slowandsteady • Triplogs 694

Hiking	8.17 Miles	1,040 AEG

Hiking	8.17 Miles	3 Hrs 35 Mns	2.39 mph
	1,040 ft AEG	10 Mns Break

no routes

no photosets

Linked

8 linked trail guides

Boulder Trail - MMRP

Partners

partners

tibber

Hike for chips and salsa!

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Dec 02 2017

jochal

Guides 2
Routes 25
Photos 1,890
Triplogs 604

41 male

Joined Sep 13 2009
Mesa, AZ

Phoenix, AZ

Hiking		Dec 02 2017
		jochal • Triplogs 604

Hiking	9.30 Miles	1,542 AEG

Hiking	9.30 Miles	3 Hrs 20 Mns	2.83 mph
	1,542 ft AEG	3 Mns Break

no routes

no photosets

Linked

linked

Windmill Trail - MSP

Coachwhip Trail - MMRP

Partners

none

no partners

Up and down East End, Coachwhip to Pemberton, then Rock Knob and Caballo trail.

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Oct 27 2017

Guides 3
Routes 25
Photos 2,216
Triplogs 237

63 male

Joined Apr 22 2012
Fountain Hills,

Phoenix, AZ

Hiking		Oct 27 2017
		KBKB • Triplogs 237

Hiking	5.05 Miles	1,529 AEG

Hiking	5.05 Miles	3 Hrs 47 Mns		1.91 mph
	1,529 ft AEG	1 Hour 8 Mns Break	29 LBS Pack

no routes

Linked

linked

Partners

none

no partners

Sara, Linda, and I hike a little over five miles in the Tom's Thumb Area. Starting from Tom's Thumb Trailhead, we hiked Tom's Thumb Trail to the first climber's access trail on the right. We hiked this trail up to the ridge, past Tom's Thumb, and then back down to Tom's Thumb Trail. We then made our way down the climber's access trail which leads past Gardener's Wall which eventually led us back to Tom's Thumb Trail again. We then turned right on Feldspar, and right on Marcus Landslide where we stopped to look at a mushroom rock that's near where the old parking lot was for climbing at Sven Slab. I then showed Sara and Linda the climbs on the Hawk/Energizer Boulder. (We just looked; we didn't do them.) After that, we returned to the Marcus Landslide Trail, where we almost immediately turned left on the Caballo Trail which we took back to the parking area.

We saw a tarantula as we descended Tom's Thumb Trail. We saw five deer, one with a tracking collar, on the Caballo Trail.

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Jun 18 2016

mt98dew

Guides 69
Routes 37
Photos 3,010
Triplogs 2,387

55 male

Joined Oct 24 2010
Phoenix,Az

Phoenix, AZ

Hiking		Jun 18 2016
		mt98dew • Triplogs 2,387

Hiking	1.11 Miles	52 AEG

Hiking	1.11 Miles	22 Mns	3.03 mph
	52 ft AEG

no routes

no photosets

Linked

none

no linked trail guides

Partners

none

no partners

Since I had driven so far to do my run at Brown's Ranch I decided to drive over to Tom's Thumb TH and do this little trail and get it off the "get 'er done" list. Did a short clockwise loop. Caballo - Marcus Landslide - connector trail back to Caballo. I actually prefer (and would suggest) this over the entry point of the Marcus Trail. The Caballo Trail is more intimate (single track), you avoid the sandy wash (that is on the Marcus Trail) and you have nearby parking with minimal competition. The length of this trail is virtually the same as the Marcus Landslide Trail and will get you to your destination just as readily. Encountered 2 hikers on the way back and several rabbits and lizards.

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Mar 18 2016

Guides 31
Routes 135
Photos 2,699
Triplogs 615

52 female

Joined Apr 02 2007
Scottsdale, AZ

Phoenix, AZ

Hiking		Mar 18 2016
		Crzy4AZ • Triplogs 615

Hiking	3.80 Miles	100 AEG

Hiking	3.80 Miles
	100 ft AEG

Linked

linked

McDowell Mountains / Knob Hill

Partners

none

no partners

Late afternoon hike - kids have babysitter. Crossed from Preserve into MMRP and climbed up the back of Rock Knob from Park side. GORGEOUS brittle bush e-v-e-r-y-where. Field of gold. Couple of deer down below snacking.

Wildflowers Observation Substantial
brittle bush confluent

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Jan 23 2016

McDowell Mountains / Sven Slab

Guides 31
Routes 135
Photos 2,699
Triplogs 615

52 female

Joined Apr 02 2007
Scottsdale, AZ

McDowell Mountains / Sven Slab

Phoenix, AZ

Hiking		Jan 23 2016
		Crzy4AZ • Triplogs 615

Hiking	2.23 Miles	433 AEG

Hiking	2.23 Miles	1 Hour 10 Mns	2.09 mph
	433 ft AEG	6 Mns Break

no photosets

Linked

linked

Partners

partners

	Baby4AZ	GI Jones
	LilGuy4AZ

Family hike after nap. Finished just as sun was setting. Took TT trail to Feldspar - then spontaneous detour up the rock climbing route to Sven Slab. We didn't climb Sven Slab at all - but we took that trail up to a small saddle and the kids climbed all over everything! Liberating to let them climb anywhere they want off these climbing routes since we don't do that on the regular trails. Little billy goats tonight instead of tender chickens LOL. Dinner at Juan Jaime's off Hayden - which was delicious - then home and bedtime routine.

I noticed for the first time off Feldspar an old ranch road and a fence! Have never noticed it before. And revegetation/ripping of that road growing in well.

And this mini-loop is so perfect for kids: 2.2 miles and four different trails. Linking heaven LOL.

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Jan 20 2016

New2hyk

Photos 5,768
Triplogs 259

59 female

Joined Jan 04 2012
scottsdale, AZ

Phoenix, AZ

Hiking		Jan 20 2016
		New2hyk • Triplogs 259

Hiking	6.50 Miles	850 AEG

Hiking	6.50 Miles	2 Hrs 30 Mns		2.89 mph
	850 ft AEG	15 Mns Break	10 LBS Pack

no routes

Linked

linked

[ checklist ] Desert Mistletoe Desert Night-Blooming Cereus Saguaro Wolfberry

Partners

none

no partners

Started around 8am and hardly anyone in the parking lot

. Didn't run into anyone until towards the end of hike :y:

. What are the odds

Birds were all in the let's get pictures taken today mode

Weather was beautiful. Felt like AZ weather.

Flora

Flora [ checklist ]

Fauna

Fauna [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] American Kestrel Black-Throated Sparrow Canyon Towhee Cardinal Desert Cottontail Gambel's Quail Gila Woodpecker Harris Antelope Squirrel Honey Bee Ladder-backed Woodpecker Mule Deer Northern Mockingbird Phainopepla Rock Squirrel White-Crowned Sparrow

Wildflowers Observation Isolated

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2 archives

Jun 13 2015

Guides 31
Routes 135
Photos 2,699
Triplogs 615

52 female

Joined Apr 02 2007
Scottsdale, AZ

Phoenix, AZ

Hiking		Jun 13 2015
		Crzy4AZ • Triplogs 615

Hiking	0.40 Miles	52 AEG

Hiking	0.40 Miles
	52 ft AEG

Linked

linked

Partners

none

no partners

New-ish sign for the tiny 0.2 mile connector from Marcus Landslide to Caballo trail. Sign says to "Tom's Thumb TH Equestrian Staging Area". Just wanted to touch the earth of the trail to be sure I was up to date on All Trails Club designation. Beautiful sunrise. The baby saguaro arm at the entrance to equestrian area had one nice bloom - first time I've ever caught one open.

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2 archives

Dec 14 2014

Guides 31
Routes 135
Photos 2,699
Triplogs 615

52 female

Joined Apr 02 2007
Scottsdale, AZ

Phoenix, AZ

Hiking		Dec 14 2014
		Crzy4AZ • Triplogs 615

Hiking	1.40 Miles	75 AEG

Hiking	1.40 Miles
	75 ft AEG

Linked

linked