Turd Hill • Hike • Arizona • All Triplogs • HikeArizona.COM

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Mar 05 2024

DixieFlyer

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

male

Joined Jan 07 2017
Fountain Hills,

Turd - Picacho, AZ

Hiking		Mar 05 2024
		DixieFlyer • Triplogs 1,374

Hiking	8.15 Miles	2,367 AEG

Hiking	8.15 Miles	5 Hrs 22 Mns	1.80 mph
	2,367 ft AEG	51 Mns Break

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Turd Hill

Sunset Vista Trail - Picacho Peak

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SecretMtnLover

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

I decided to go down and hike to Picacho Peak to check out the flowers there, and since I was in the area I also hiked up to the amazing summit of Turd Hill.

Turd Hill
(2.27 miles with an AEG of 300 feet)
This is my second time to hike this odoriferous peak, and this time was as good as the first. It was an easy hike across the desert floor, and then a bit of a scramble to get to the Top of the Turd. There were nice views of Picacho Peak and Newman Peak at the summit, along with some well fertilized creosote bush and fiddlenecks blooming.

Picacho Peak
(5.88 miles with an AEG of 2,067 feet)
This was also my second time to hike Picacho Peak. The first time I hiked on the Hunter Trail, so this time I hiked on the Sunset Vista Trail. The first couple of miles were relatively flat, but with a good bit of up-and-down.

There are nice views at the summit, but this hike attracts too many instagrammers for my liking -- there were cigarette butts and egg shells at the summit, but at least there weren't apple cores or orange peels. Of course, there was also the expected serenade from someone's music box. I much prefer wilderness summits where nobody else is around.

It was rather warm on the descent from the midday sun, which made some of the elevation gain in the last couple of miles unwelcome.

Flowers are decent this year, but are not the superbloom that was there last year. I don't think that it would be worth driving down there a very long distance just to see flowers.

Flora

Flora [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Bristly Fiddleneck Creosote Bush Desert Chicory Mexican Gold Poppy Scorpionweed

Named place

Named place [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Newman Peak Picacho Peak South Newman Peak Turd Hill

Wildflowers Observation Moderate
There was a good variety of flowers, but it is not a superbloom this year. There were some poppies, but not an abundance of them. There were a good many fiddlenecks, desert chicory, lupine, scorpionweed, and some white flowers that might have either been pincushion or buckwheat of some sort. There were no brittlebush blooming but there were a good many blooms on creosote bush.

_____________________

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

1 archive

Mar 03 2023

The_Eagle

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

69 male

Joined Jan 20 2009
Far NE Phoenix,

Flowers Ice Cream and Scat, AZ

Hiking		Mar 03 2023
		The_Eagle • Triplogs 2,760

Hiking	10.37 Miles	2,349 AEG

Hiking	10.37 Miles	5 Hrs 39 Mns		1.95 mph
	2,349 ft AEG	20 Mns Break	10 LBS Pack

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Hunter Trail - Picacho Peak

Sunset Vista Trail - Picacho Peak

Turd Hill

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Tortoise_Hiker

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

Denny through up this as a suggestion. Hoping to score on a flower explosion, I was in.

A 9am start and we started up Hunter. There was sign of many poppies, but it was still too cold for them to be open. Up, up, up, passing a bit of snow on the way to the saddle.

We negotiated the cable sections with little trouble and hit the top with about 10 already up there. After a snack break, we headed back down to the Sunset Vista trail and were lucky to miss any backup on the cable sections.

Once down to the flatter sections the flower show started. Some of the most impressive Coulter Lupine sections I've ever seen. Rock Daisies, Pincushion, Fiddleneck, Scorpionweed, Desert Chicory, Desert Bluebell and Poppies forever.

We made it to the Sunset TH and then continued around back to our starting point.

Being in the area there were 2 more must do's. First, a cherry dipped cone at the DQ. Next, time to cross the Turd off my list. This is an easy 2 mile RT hike, with a better than anticipated summit of the mighty Turd.

I think I set a personal high PPM of 13 on this hike, being in full tibber-mode

Flora

Flora [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Desert Chicory Emorys Rock Daisy Moss

Culture

Culture [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] HAZ - Selfie

Wildflowers Observation Extreme

_____________________

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

Mar 03 2023

Tortoise_Hiker

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

63 male

Joined Apr 02 2005
Mesa, AZ

Flowers Ice Cream and Scat, AZ

Hiking		Mar 03 2023
		Tortoise_Hiker • Triplogs 3,652

Hiking	10.10 Miles	2,204 AEG

Hiking	10.10 Miles	5 Hrs 39 Mns	1.90 mph
	2,204 ft AEG	20 Mns Break

no routes

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Hunter Trail - Picacho Peak

Sunset Vista Trail - Picacho Peak

Turd Hill

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The_Eagle

Bruce and I went down to see the Poppies and throw in a hike or two. The hike wore me out but the Lupine and Poppies put on a great show!! The trail was in the normal shape but I think I’ll bring the gloves next time. My hands were slipping a little coming down the chute. After the Picacho loop we grabbed a JJ dessert and headed over to Turd hill.
I did the Turd loop while Bruce hit the summit.
Great weather, hike, flowers, views, dessert and company! Thanks Bruce!! Like HAZ, you rock!!

Wildflowers Observation Extreme

_____________________

Tortoise Hiking. Stop and smell the Petrichor.

2 archives

Feb 27 2023

DixieFlyer

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

male

Joined Jan 07 2017
Fountain Hills,

Turd Picacho, AZ

Hiking		Feb 27 2023
		DixieFlyer • Triplogs 1,374

Hiking	6.17 Miles	2,061 AEG

Hiking	6.17 Miles
	2,061 ft AEG

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Turd Hill

Hunter Trail - Picacho Peak

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

This was a hike to two peaks that I have never bagged before:
1) Turd Hill
2) Picacho Peak

Turd Hill
They say that if you are feeling down in the dumps and want to wipe the blues away, a hike to Turd Hill will be just what the doctor ordered, and I certainly can't disagree!

I hiked up to Turd Hill first. I crossed a railroad track, crossed underneath a fence, and then walked through open country on the desert floor to the peak. It was a bit of a scramble to get up to the summit, but it was fun. There were 3 black vultures sitting on the summit, and they didn't seem to want to leave, but they eventually did.

I saw some reports from 8 years ago where people complained about bees at the summit, but I did not encounter any today. Of course I was there early on a breezy morning with temperatures in the low to mid 40's, so if any bees were around they likely would not have been active anyway.

Picacho Peak
After hiking Turd, I drove across I-10 to the state park and hiked up the Hunter Trail to Picacho Peak. I enjoyed the portion of the hike from the saddle up to the summit better than the lower part, at least on the way up.

This one was easier than I thought that it would be, although a couple of places were a bit sketchy, even with the cables.

Synopsis
I enjoyed doing this combo, and I might do it again sometime.

Stats for the 2 hikes are below. Stats above are the sum of the two
Turd: 2.73 miles with 174 feet of AEG
Picacho: 3.44 miles with 1,887 feet of AEG

Flora

Flora [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Mexican Gold Poppy

Fauna

Fauna [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Black Vulture

Wildflowers Observation Substantial
There were LOTS of nice poppies in the area around the trailhead, but there wasn't much else.

_____________________

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

2 archives

Dec 28 2015

Tortoise_Hiker

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

63 male

Joined Apr 02 2005
Mesa, AZ

Turd Hill

Tucson, AZ

Turd Hill

Tucson, AZ

Hiking		Dec 28 2015
		Tortoise_Hiker • Triplogs 3,652

Hiking	2.30 Miles	197 AEG

Hiking	2.30 Miles	55 Mns	2.51 mph
	197 ft AEG

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I hiked this on the way back from Tucson so I could have a cherry dipped cone. I went up on the southwest end and across to the summit. I stayed on the east side a little to long on the way down and found the bees

. I crossed back over and made it down before they got angry. Then I headed back and got my cone.

_____________________

Tortoise Hiking. Stop and smell the Petrichor.

Nov 24 2015

The_Dude

Guides 1
Routes 136
Photos 1,367
Triplogs 364

47 male

Joined Jun 10 2011
Phoenix, AZ

Turd Hill

Tucson, AZ

Turd Hill

Tucson, AZ

Hiking		Nov 24 2015
		The_Dude • Triplogs 364

Hiking	2.45 Miles	233 AEG

Hiking	2.45 Miles	52 Mns	3.00 mph
	233 ft AEG	3 Mns Break

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I had a long day driving down to our Cochise yard and back, so I did not have much time for hiking. That left me with my number 2 option...I have been making the drive to Tucson for almost 20 years now in some regular fashion, and this is a little feature that has caught my eye ever since that first trip down. It is just such an alien looking feature amongst its surroundings. Glad that today was the day I could wipe it off the list for good. There was some effort involved, but upon completion there was a definite feeling of...satisfaction. I opted for a similar track to JJ's, parked at the travel center and then hopped the tracks, under the barbed wire, and an otherwise uneventful stroll across some flat land. Hopefully I can get in a bigger hike this long weekend.

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Feb 08 2015

Jim

Guides 73
Routes 176
Photos 10,174
Triplogs 2,324

46 male

Joined Sep 08 2006

Turd Hill

Tucson, AZ

Turd Hill

Tucson, AZ

Hiking		Feb 08 2015
		Jim • Triplogs 2,324

Hiking	0.90 Miles	250 AEG

Hiking	0.90 Miles	45 Mns	1.20 mph
	250 ft AEG

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chumley

This was Chumley's idea, and while not the highlight of the day out, the evening was gorgeous for views. Like he said, up down, up down, around, and done. Oh, and BEES! Also, that rock is great for scrambling on.

Named place

Named place [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Turd Hill

_____________________

Feb 08 2015

chumley

Guides 94
Routes 840
Photos 22,055
Triplogs 1,993

52 male

Joined Sep 18 2002
Tempe, AZ

Turd Hill Ridgeline Loop, AZ

Hiking		Feb 08 2015
		chumley • Triplogs 1,993

Hiking	0.92 Miles	252 AEG

Hiking	0.92 Miles	1 Hour 43 Mns	0.54 mph
	252 ft AEG

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Turd Hill

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Jim

With warmer weather upon us, I decided I wanted to head for higher elevations. Inexperienced in the ways of peak-bagging, I enlisted the help of one who seemed to be the most logical choice on HAZ, some guy nicknamed "summit kokopelli".

Not wanting to be thwarted by the steam produced by the chilly morning air, we opted for a late start and made the 20 mile dirt road drive to the trailhead. Recent rains left parts of the road muddy and previous users had left plenty of skid marks. If only there was another railroad crossing a little closer... ](*,)

Perhaps a route on foot from the DQ is the best option?

Once in the shadow of this extraordinary feature on the desert floor, I was surprised to learn of it's ruggedness. This is definitely a solid scramble, and there are some nice sheer cliffs where you could use some real climbing moves if you wanted to. There are numerous alcoves, shallow caves, arches, and windows. Some are worth exploring, but keep an eye out for bees. We encountered two active nests and one defunct honeycomb site. Luckily at this time of year and time of day, the bees were not particularly active.

I spooked a beautiful great horned owl out of a nice nesting spot, and there were many points of avian turd on this pile of poo.

We began on the northwest and traversed the ridge to the southeast before dropping down to the desert floor and reascending a different route and returning along the ridge back toward the truck. At the end we dropped off the north side and did a quick flush around the base to view it from all sides.

On the way out, I was devastated to learn that DQ was not serving ice cream. I was really in the mood for chocolate soft-serve but had to settle for a fudge bar. :whistle:

* Special thanks to Sirena for recommending this ridgeline and encouraging me to put my fears aside to achieve this worthy goal! Kudos also to JJ and LP for blazing the trail and providing valuable photos and information during my extensive pre-hike research.

Named place

Named place [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Picacho Mountains Picacho Peak Turd Hill

_____________________

I'm not sure what my spirit animal is, but I'm confident it has rabies.

1 archive

Oct 20 2013

JuanJaimeiii

Routes 596
Photos 9,604
Triplogs 2,400

58 male

Joined Jan 30 2011
Chandler, AZ

Turd Hill, AZ

Hiking		Oct 20 2013
		JuanJaimeiii • Triplogs 2,400

Hiking	2.30 Miles	197 AEG

Hiking	2.30 Miles	50 Mns	2.94 mph
	197 ft AEG	3 Mns Break

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Turd Hill

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johnlp

Many have gazed upon this beauty from afar. Today John and I decided to tackle the turd.

We parked at the Picacho Peak Plaza and made our way across the desert floor. Once at the pile we realized we would not be the first to summit. There was evidence of others before us. Toilet paper, broken glass, and an empty cigarette pack would be the indicators.

Up top we must have stired up some bees. John got stung and then one came after me. We made quick time getting down the eastern side and then headed back to the Plaza. Good times!

Named place

Named place [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Turd Hill

_____________________

Oct 20 2013

johnlp

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

68 male

Joined Mar 16 2008
chandler,az

Turd Hill, AZ

Hiking		Oct 20 2013
		johnlp • Triplogs 5,208

Hiking	2.30 Miles	197 AEG

Hiking	2.30 Miles	50 Mns	2.94 mph
	197 ft AEG	3 Mns Break

no routes

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Turd Hill

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JuanJaimeiii

The monolith that is Turd Hill sits alone on the desert floor. Many extreme hikers and climbers alike shudder at the name. This day the beast would give up the summit, but not without a fight.

Warning signs of fecal matter and a perished raptor couldn't keep us from our assault on the towering mount. Bee attacks were met with flailing arms and high pitched screams, but we maintained our determination.

In the end triumph was ours, Turd Hill had fallen. :y:

Named place

Named place [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Turd Hill

_____________________

“Good people drink good beer.” Hunter S Thompson

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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