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| Hiking | 8.54 Miles |
1,028 AEG |
| | Hiking | 8.54 Miles | 3 Hrs 10 Mns | | 2.70 mph |
| 1,028 ft AEG | | | | |
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| no partners | | It’s a long drive from Sunnyslope to Queen Creek, so it’s been three years since I last hiked here. I was hoping to at last find some of the brittlebush, creosote and African daisy currently blooming in the Phoenix Mountain Preserve. I hiked Dynamite, San Tan, Moonlight and Goldmine counter-clockwise from the still under construction Goldmine TH.
Dynamite is rated moderate, but the elevation gain is barely noticeable. No more than slightly rocky, in spots. The few saguaro are young, and I saw no flowers. Nice views from the Sparks bench.
San Tan is somehow rated “moderate-difficult”. Maybe that is for mountain bikes at the south end of the park? I dunno. At the north end, it is wide, smooth and fast. Also popular. As are all the trails in the middle of the park. Though it loops around most of the park, I was only on it for a mile.
Moonlight Trail is rated moderate. Really, though, it is easy: West-to-east, Moonlight rises only 130 ft. in 1⅓ miles, ending at the welcome center. Heading west, it would be a zippy mountain bike ride. Still no flowers, but I did enjoy the saguaro.
I was wearing my Camelbak, but feeling a bit parched, so I stopped in the welcome center for a Gatorade and a water. I chugged the Gatorade before I even made it to the cash register. 
Goldmine is rated difficult and “hazardous” — which is fair for its middle third. The mile from the welcome center to San Tan Trail is a wide, smooth and zippy downhill mountain bike run. So, keep your head on a swivel. North of San Tan, Goldmine is steep & broken. Not bad hiking, but I sure would not ride it!
There’s two saddles, both with benches. At the second, more northerly bench, there are several informal trails. The one to the north is a steep little climb to a small hilltop outlook. I elected to save it for a future hike.
Descending north from the second bench is where I believe Goldmine gets its rating: The initial 1/10 mile drops a whopping 170 ft. And it is slippery. After that initial drop, Goldmine "levelsout" out at 400 ft. in the next 1/2 mile.
I arrived back at Goldmine TH about 12:30 p.m. The temp was 75℉, but it felt warmer. Supposed to be in the 90s next week! 
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Crud! Didn't mean to click post ... |
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Wildflowers Observation None
The rest of the Valley is at least showing brittlebush, creosote and African daisy. Here? Nada. Not a single bloom.  |
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Route Editor
Route Scout
Route 
](https://hikearizona.com/dex2/images/smilies/eusa_wall.gif "Brick wall"){kind=small}
, FYI the porta potties are MIA. Started up Goldmine Trail which was shaded until just below the peak only about 6 others going up this side and about the same coming up the other side as I descended. Once at the multi trail junction near the park headquarters took the San Tan Trail to the Stargazer Trail then Moonlight and shortly before reacquiring the San Tan Trail this started to feel like a bad idea . Notice a quick onset of mild symptoms of heat exhaustion so stopped at a rare , maybe only, shady spot on the trail which happens to have a picnic table, besides 2 liters of water had also carried a couple of frozen water bottles and I poured what was melted so far on me and my hat. Continued to push on at a slower pace in the now completely deserted and very quiet trails, heck even the lizards know to stop scurrying about when it’s too hot. Finally felt better at least mentally on reaching the Dynamite Trail saddle knowing it was all down from there , repeated the melted cold water on me and the hat and a slight breeze was stirring. Passed a couple of bike riders on this stretch and arrived at the trailhead to find a fire/ EMT vehicle there, not sure why they were there and glad I didn’t need them. Took a couple of hours of hydration to feel “normal”. Looking back not sure why I decided to hike in a shadeless desert with 109° predicted high 
I think the cooler temperature last weekend made me forget how quickly it can get hot on days like this , thought it be fine to finish by 1000, should have heeded the warning at the bottom of this page and planned to finish by 0800.
. Possibly to deter bike riders trying to enter the park from here.Started a little late about 0600 as the park opens at 0500 , still finished before the oven heats up at 1000. At the beginning several young ladies jogging up Goldmine Trail from the headquarters then less numbers going up to the Goldmine Mountain saddle and peak, then by around 0800 the park had emptied out as all these trails are unshaded. Saw about half dozen bikes and 4 horse riders, no wildlife. Visited the Hermits cemetery and the War Memorial. Took a few pictures but decided not to post as the air quality made for lots of haziness today 
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