username
X
password
register
for free!
help
ArticlesGuidesRoutes
 
Photosets
 
 Comments
triplogs   photosets   labels comments more
Granite Trail - MMRP - 3 members in 36 triplogs have rated this an average 2.3 ( 1 to 5 best )
1, 2  Next
36 triplogs
login for filter options
Mar 12 2025
avatar

 Guides 117
 Routes 338
 Photos 11,399
 Triplogs 894

63 male
 Joined Dec 20 2010
 Sunnyslope, PHX
Tortoise Trail - MMRPPhoenix, AZ
Phoenix, AZ
Hiking avatar Mar 12 2025
kingsnakeTriplogs 894
Hiking7.46 Miles 470 AEG
Hiking7.46 Miles   2 Hrs   29 Mns   3.00 mph
470 ft AEG
 no routes
1st trip
Wife & I left home at 6:00 a.m. to avoid rush hour. Then, to kill time before dawn, I had a chicken-fried steak Grand Slam breakfast at Denny's in Fountain Hills. Many folks eat but don't exercise, some eat to exercise: I exercise to eat.

My plan was to hike a 7.0 mile loop -- a lasso if you count the first 250 feet -- of Tortoise, Wagner, Granite, Bluff, Stoneman Wash, and Pemberton Trails. It was drizzling as we arrived, but soon stopped. With an inch of rain the previous few days, I was hoping for flowers.

Tortoise Trail disabused me of that notion.

Wagner Trail had one brick red & darkening ocotillo. Scarey sign warning passers by not to wander near the maintenance yard, lest they get slapped with a class 2 misdemeanor.

Granite Trail had a small grotto of granite boulders. There’s a decrepit spring box next to the boulders. No flowers, but the clouds broke up enough I could see the mountains.

Bluff Trail would be a zippy downhill the direction I hiked it, away from the mountains.

Stoneman difficult, presumably for being sandy. Walking it was no problem. There’s guide posts, but it’s more a case of choose your own adventure. I’m glad I did. First, I found a nice cluster of penstemon. Further down, some beautiful saguaro.

When I arrived back at the Shallmo trailhead at noon, I was looking forward to a restorative ☘️ shake at Mickey D’s. Instead, my wife informed me that my SUV’s battery was dead. What a disaster. Suffice to say AI “customer service” is an abomination, and the bean counters who implement it deserve eternal fiery torture in the deepest pits of Gehenna.

Rumble Video: https://rumble.com/v6qqlea-hiking-mcdow ... -park.html
Vimeo Video: https://vimeo.com/1066364353
 Named place
 Named place [ checklist ]
[ checklist ]  East End  Troon Mountain
 Meteorology
 Meteorology [ checklist ]
[ checklist ]  Fire Burn Area & Recovery
wildflower observationwildflower observationwildflower observationwildflower observationwildflower observation
Wildflowers Observation Isolated
One cluster of hackberry beardtongue.
_____________________
http://prestonm.com : Everyone's enjoyment of the outdoors is different and should be equally honored.
 
Jan 07 2023
avatar

 Guides 16
 Routes 81
 Photos 1,269
 Triplogs 1,145

51 male
 Joined Apr 30 2008
 Tucson, AZ
Wagner - Granite - Bluff Loop - MMRPPhoenix, AZ
Phoenix, AZ
Hiking avatar Jan 07 2023
azdesertfatherTriplogs 1,145
Hiking4.70 Miles 289 AEG
Hiking4.70 Miles   1 Hour   35 Mns   3.00 mph
289 ft AEG      1 Min Break15 LBS Pack
 no routesno photosets
1st trip
Partners none no partners
Nice day for this hike. MMRP was full this morning with bikers but they were not in the western end of the park. Did the full loop, not the lasso loop.
_____________________
"I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived." — Henry David Thoreau
 
Oct 15 2022
avatar

 Guides 27
 Routes 670
 Photos 12,111
 Triplogs 857

56 male
 Joined Jul 05 2006
 Mesa, AZ
Wagner - Granite - Bluff Loop - MMRPPhoenix, AZ
Phoenix, AZ
Hiking avatar Oct 15 2022
DarthStillerTriplogs 857
Hiking12.09 Miles 645 AEG
Hiking12.09 Miles   4 Hrs   26 Mns   2.73 mph
645 ft AEG
 
1st trip
I did a version of this loop without the Bluff Trail. At the north part of the Pemberton Trail I saw some horse trails that aren't on any maps. I hiked one short spur of one to note it on my track. I may go back one day to hike those trails to see where they go. I took the Granite adn Delsie Trails out to the Pemberton Trail, then after the Lariat Trail, I took the Wagner and Tortoise Trails back to the lot.

the clear skies made for the best pictures at sunrise with some light cloud cover and the early light hitting the McDowells. After that the clouds rolled in, which made for drab lighting, but for comfortable weather to hike in. Missed the rain by a few minutes and was hit by light rain on the drive home. Still had plenty of time to spare from the bigger storms that hit later in the afternoon.
_____________________
 
Nov 19 2021
avatar

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

55 male
 Joined Nov 20 2012
 Phoenix, AZ
Pemberton Double Loop, AZ 
Pemberton Double Loop, AZ
 
Run/Jog avatar Nov 19 2021
BiFrostTriplogs 1,257
Run/Jog23.66 Miles 1,500 AEG
Run/Jog23.66 Miles   4 Hrs   58 Mns   4.76 mph
1,500 ft AEG
 
no photosets
1st trip
Partners none no partners
Had Friday off work so went out to McDowell Mountain Regional Park for a long trail run. The trails are all great for trail running and mountain bikers who basically own the trail. I did a shorter loop on Pemberton, Lariat, Bluff and Granite. Then finished up with full Pemberton loop. Last 4 miles really started to hurt but nice to get over 20 miles for first time this year!
_____________________
 
Nov 11 2021
avatar

 Guides 27
 Routes 670
 Photos 12,111
 Triplogs 857

56 male
 Joined Jul 05 2006
 Mesa, AZ
Pemberton Trail - MMRPPhoenix, AZ
Phoenix, AZ
Hiking avatar Nov 11 2021
DarthStillerTriplogs 857
Hiking10.77 Miles 726 AEG
Hiking10.77 Miles   3 Hrs   55 Mns   2.75 mph
726 ft AEG
 
Linked   linked  
Partners none no partners
With the holiday that I've turned into a 4 day weekend, I wanted to go do a hike, but didn't want to make a big deal or drive far. A quick drive up to McDowell Mtn Park seemed like the best way to go. Did a loop from the main staging area, Pemberton/Bluff/Granite. Nothing special or crazy, nice morning getting some exercise early in the sunny and cool weather. Looks like there was a setup for some kind of foot race, but it didn't seem too busy or crowded. Maybe it was for later this weekend.
_____________________
 
Jun 18 2021
avatar

 Guides 8
 Routes 70
 Photos 3,208
 Triplogs 273

59 male
 Joined Oct 07 2017
 Chandler, AZ
Granite Trail - MMRPPhoenix, AZ
Phoenix, AZ
Hiking avatar Jun 18 2021
YoderTriplogs 273
Hiking11.80 Miles 175 AEG
Hiking11.80 Miles   3 Hrs   44 Mns   3.50 mph
175 ft AEG      22 Mns Break10 LBS Pack
 
1st trip
Its the AZ summer season, so only option is for night hikes. Been wanting to get as much of the McDowell Mountain Regional Park hikes done that I can, Gate is locked before I start hiking, so have to hike into the park, this limits the options. The regional parks seem to be good places for night hikes because the trails are usually smooth, and mostly flat, especially here at MMRP.

Started at 12:44am and finished up at 4:28am. Spotted two tarantulas on this hike.

decided to make a 11 mile loop, 3.4 miles are on road :( and I got turned around at one road intersection (seems the trails are easier to figure out at night!) adding another 0.5 miles to the hike. Here is how I linked the trails to make the loop:
01. Road 01 (0.6)
02. Shallmo Wash (1.7)
03. Road 02 (0.1)
04. Tortoise Trail (0.7)
05. Road 03 (0.2)
06. Wagner Trail (1.1)
07. Granite Trail (1.9)
08. Bluff Trail (0.9)
09. Granite Trail (1.4)
10. Road Wrong Direction (0.5)
10. Road (2.5)
_____________________
J. Yoder
 
Dec 08 2019
avatar

 Guides 4
 Routes 93
 Photos 302
 Triplogs 697

51 male
 Joined Jul 05 2008
 Gilbert, AZ
Wagner Trail - MMRPPhoenix, AZ
Phoenix, AZ
Hiking avatar Dec 08 2019
adeniumTriplogs 697
Hiking10.66 Miles 663 AEG
Hiking10.66 Miles   3 Hrs   30 Mns   3.05 mph
663 ft AEG
 no routesno photosets
1st trip
Rainy day hike!
_____________________
 
Mar 17 2019
avatar

 Guides 3
 Routes 25
 Photos 2,216
 Triplogs 237

63 male
 Joined Apr 22 2012
 Fountain Hills,
Wagner - Granite - Bluff Loop - MMRPPhoenix, AZ
Phoenix, AZ
Hiking avatar Mar 17 2019
KBKBTriplogs 237
Hiking5.58 Miles 459 AEG
Hiking5.58 Miles   3 Hrs   54 Mns   1.79 mph
459 ft AEG      47 Mns Break24 LBS Pack
 no routes
1st trip
Partners none no partners
On Sunday afternoon, I hiked Wagner, Granite, Bluff, and then back on Granite and Wagner. Nick told me that the flowers were thick along the Granite Trail near the wash. He was right.

I saw lots of mountain bikers, but only a few other hikers while I was out.
wildflower observationwildflower observationwildflower observationwildflower observationwildflower observation
Wildflowers Observation Substantial
_____________________
 
Feb 08 2019
avatar

 Guides 3
 Routes 25
 Photos 2,216
 Triplogs 237

63 male
 Joined Apr 22 2012
 Fountain Hills,
Wash Day plus Marcus Landslide - MMRP/MSP, AZ 
Wash Day plus Marcus Landslide - MMRP/MSP, AZ
 
Hiking avatar Feb 08 2019
KBKBTriplogs 237
Hiking12.47 Miles 1,079 AEG
Hiking12.47 Miles   4 Hrs   49 Mns   3.04 mph
1,079 ft AEG      43 Mns Break25 LBS Pack
 no routes
1st trip
Ben, Marilyn, Mike, Bob, and Cathy joined me for a twelve and a half mile hike that took us all the way out to Marcus Landslide (starting from the Trailhead Staging Area).

Some of us saw javelina (and ravens) on our drive into the park. Later, during the hike, we saw jackrabbits, coyotes, deer, and more ravens.

We saw lots of flowers too. The poppies are especially thick in the Marcus Landslide area. The closer we got to this trail, the more poppies we saw. We saw brittlebush, lupine, fiddleneck, and owl clover too. The brittlebush seems to be drying up somewhat, whereas the fiddlenecks are just starting to emerge.
wildflower observationwildflower observationwildflower observationwildflower observationwildflower observation
Wildflowers Observation Substantial
brittlebush, poppies, lupine, owl clover, fiddleneck
_____________________
 
Jan 18 2019
avatar

 Guides 3
 Routes 25
 Photos 2,216
 Triplogs 237

63 male
 Joined Apr 22 2012
 Fountain Hills,
McDowell Meander, AZ 
McDowell Meander, AZ
 
Hiking avatar Jan 18 2019
KBKBTriplogs 237
Hiking12.03 Miles 823 AEG
Hiking12.03 Miles   4 Hrs   36 Mns   3.21 mph
823 ft AEG      51 Mns Break24 LBS Pack
 no routes
1st trip
Mike, Ben, Marilyn, Kay, Diane, and Marilyn joined me for a twelve mile hike in McDowell Mountain Regional Park and nearby McDowell Sonoran Preserve.

We hiked: Wagner, Granite, Delsie, Gooseneck, Rock Knob, Pemberton, Bluff Tr Wash, Granite, Bluff, Granite, and back on Wagner.

We saw a lot of mountain bikes out in the morning - more than usual for a Friday. There was a group at Jackass Junction (near Granite Tank) that was working on fixing a flat. There's now a bike repair station there, complete with tubes in a mailbox. It works on the honor system - you take what you need and bring back supplies when you next ride by.

Anyway... all of these trails were in great shape. The desert was incredibly green w/ lots of flowering plants too.
_____________________
 
Dec 14 2018
avatar

 Guides 3
 Routes 25
 Photos 2,216
 Triplogs 237

63 male
 Joined Apr 22 2012
 Fountain Hills,
Wash Day - MMRP, AZ 
Wash Day - MMRP, AZ
 
Hiking avatar Dec 14 2018
KBKBTriplogs 237
Hiking11.42 Miles 814 AEG
Hiking11.42 Miles   4 Hrs   14 Mns   3.06 mph
814 ft AEG      30 Mns Break24 LBS Pack
 no routes
Mike, Nick, Bob, Sara, Kay, John, and Marilyn joined me for the Friday Morning Hike in McDowell Mountain Regional Park.

We hiked Tortoise, turned right on Pemberton and then turned right into the arroyos across the trail from the pond. We made our way up to Pemberton and then entered another wash prior to hitting the Bluff Trail. We followed this wash into Stoneman Wash where we hiked NW until we reached the Bluff Trail. We returned via Bluff, Granite, and Wagner.

Kay said that she saw an owl while we were in the arroyos, but I missed it. I did see a bunch of ravens though.

I was amazed at the amount of wolfberry bushes with fruit. Some of the fruit was quite large (for wolfberries).

When we weren't in the washes, we saw a bunch of other trail users, mainly mountain bikers.
_____________________
 
Nov 16 2018
avatar

 Guides 3
 Routes 25
 Photos 2,216
 Triplogs 237

63 male
 Joined Apr 22 2012
 Fountain Hills,
Wagner-Delsie-Gooseneck-Rock Knob-Bluff - MMRP, AZ 
Wagner-Delsie-Gooseneck-Rock Knob-Bluff - MMRP, AZ
 
Hiking avatar Nov 16 2018
KBKBTriplogs 237
Hiking11.80 Miles 827 AEG
Hiking11.80 Miles   4 Hrs   19 Mns   3.20 mph
827 ft AEG      38 Mns Break24 LBS Pack
 no routes
1st trip
Sara, Marilyn, Marilyn, Ben, Mike, and Nick joined me for the Friday morning hike in McDowell Mountain Regional Park.

Starting from the Wagner Trailhead, we hiked: Wagner, Granite, Delsie, Gooseneck, Rock Knob, Pemberton, Bluff Wash, Bluff, Granite, and Wagner.

We saw other hikers and some mountain bikers too.

We saw a red tail hawk while we were on the Gooseneck Trail. Near the end, we saw a bunch of ravens circling - we think that there may have been something dead or dying below them.

The wash below the Bluff Trail seemed more densely vegetated than I remember it being in the past. We also encountered a deeply eroded trench - perhaps three feet deep - that I don't remember seeing before. That was in one of the washes though. As noted in other triplogs, trails in the park are in good condition.
_____________________
 
Oct 19 2018
avatar

 Guides 3
 Routes 25
 Photos 2,216
 Triplogs 237

63 male
 Joined Apr 22 2012
 Fountain Hills,
Wagner-Granite-Pemberton-Delsie - MMRP, AZ 
Wagner-Granite-Pemberton-Delsie - MMRP, AZ
 
Hiking avatar Oct 19 2018
KBKBTriplogs 237
Hiking9.75 Miles 646 AEG
Hiking9.75 Miles   3 Hrs   26 Mns   2.95 mph
646 ft AEG      8 Mns Break24 LBS Pack
 no routes
1st trip
Partners none no partners
Marilyn, Jill, Mike, and Bob joined me for the Friday morning hike in McDowell Mountain Regional Park.

Starting from the Wagner Trailhead, we hiked Wagner and then Granite. At the largish wash that Granite crosses just before it starts heading back uphill to the Bluff, we turned west into that wash and stayed in the wash until we got to Pemberton. We then took Pemberton and then Delsie which brought us back to the Granite Trail. From there we took Granite and Wagner to return to the trailhead.

The wash has a boulder problem to get up some rocks near the point where Granite crosses the wash. Recent rains have eroded away some of the ground around the rocks where some scrambling is required. As a result, a key foothold is now out of reach for many hikers. (And, for those who can reach this foothold, the stemming move to go upwards might be too difficult - this was my wife's problem when she tried it.) There is an alternate scramble with some mild exposure to the right. There's also a way to bypass this scrambling altogether off to the left.

We saw a number of mountain bikers. We also some two deer, though there may have been more, just west of the Pemberton.

The morning started cool but warmed up to be fairly comfortable by the time we finished.
_____________________
 
Sep 28 2018
avatar

 Guides 3
 Routes 25
 Photos 2,216
 Triplogs 237

63 male
 Joined Apr 22 2012
 Fountain Hills,
Wash Day - MMRP, AZ 
Wash Day - MMRP, AZ
 
Hiking avatar Sep 28 2018
KBKBTriplogs 237
Hiking11.29 Miles 823 AEG
Hiking11.29 Miles   5 Hrs      2.61 mph
823 ft AEG      40 Mns Break26 LBS Pack
 no routes
Heather, Linda, and I hiked an 11+ mile loop for our Friday hike in McDowell Mountain Regional Park.

Starting at the Trailhead Staging Area, we hiked Pemberton towards the "pond". We opted to skip visiting the pond - it's little more than a muddy watering hole. We continued on in some of the arroyos which eventually feed Stoneman Wash. We eventually crossed the Tonto Tank Trail and then made our way over to the Pemberton near the Bluff Trail. We hiked a short ways down Bluff Trail Wash and then took a turn into a wash which feeds this wash. Other washes took us back towards Stoneman though along the way, we visited an area with lots of granite boulders. We did eventually end up in Stoneman Wash and hiked NW towards Granite. We hiked back via the Granite, Wagner, and Tortoise trails.

We saw two rattlesnakes, one deer, at least one rabbit, quail, and lots of butterflies. I got a photo of the first snake and I may have gotten a photo of some of the butterflies. The second snake made its way into some nearby bushes too quickly for me to get a good photo. Likewise, I found the butterflies hard to photograph.

We also encountered numerous mylar balloons - I lost count, but it was at least half a dozen. We picked them up and disposed of them at the end.

The trails that we hiked were in good condition. It was fun hiking the washes too.
 Flora
 Flora [ checklist ]
[ checklist ]  Desert Senna
_____________________
 
Sep 07 2018
avatar

 Guides 3
 Routes 25
 Photos 2,216
 Triplogs 237

63 male
 Joined Apr 22 2012
 Fountain Hills,
Wash Day - MMRP, AZ 
Wash Day - MMRP, AZ
 
Hiking avatar Sep 07 2018
KBKBTriplogs 237
Hiking7.78 Miles 584 AEG
Hiking7.78 Miles   3 Hrs   18 Mns   2.70 mph
584 ft AEG      25 Mns Break26 LBS Pack
 no routes
Marilyn and Bob joined me for the Friday morning hike in McDowell Mountain Regional Park.

We hiked Wagner, Granite, and Bluff, which led us to Stoneman Wash. We hiked parts of this wash and explored some of its tributaries. Return was via Granite and Wagner. These trails are in good condition. It was a pleasure hiking in the washes since recent rains have eliminated the horse churn often found in Stoneman. For the most part, the wash surfaces were reasonably firm and made for easy hiking.

We saw lots of butterflies and moths, a number of lizards, a javelina, a rattlesnake (probably Western Diamondback), a hawk, and an owl.
 Fauna
 Fauna [ checklist ]
[ checklist ]  Ants  Javelina
_____________________
 
Aug 10 2018
avatar

 Guides 3
 Routes 25
 Photos 2,216
 Triplogs 237

63 male
 Joined Apr 22 2012
 Fountain Hills,
Wagner-Bluff-Gooseneck-Pemberton - MMRP, AZ 
Wagner-Bluff-Gooseneck-Pemberton - MMRP, AZ
 
Hiking avatar Aug 10 2018
KBKBTriplogs 237
Hiking13.42 Miles 784 AEG
Hiking13.42 Miles   4 Hrs   37 Mns   2.96 mph
784 ft AEG      5 Mns Break23 LBS Pack
 no routes
1st trip
Another solo Friday hike for me...

Starting from the Wagner Trailhead at McDowell Mountain Regional Park (MMRP), I hiked Wagner, left on Granite, right on Bluff, left on Pemberton, right on Rock Knob, right on Gooseneck. When I came to the county park connectors which led back into the park, I took the connector that brought me over to the Saguaro Nest Trail. I hiked a short ways on Saguaro Nest and then (finally) took the connector which brought me back into MMRP. At that point, I got back onto the Pemberton and headed east, turning right on Lariat, then left on Granite. That led me back to Wagner which led me back to my truck.

The trails were in remarkably good shape after the storm that hit the area on Wednesday evening. I didn't see much evidence of serious erosion, though it was obvious that the washes had flowed heavily for a time. I saw a significant amount of water in Granite Tank - probably the most I've ever seen in that tank.

I saw several mountain bikers early on and then one more out on Gooseneck. After that, I saw no one until I got back to the parking area. There, I saw Susan Davis, who used to hike with our group a number of years ago. She still comes to the park, but restricts herself to hiking the roads.

As I was driving out of the park, I saw a dump truck leaving after having dumped a load of sand (presumably from road cleanup) along the side of the park road near the entrance. Just outside the park, I saw other machines working on clearing the section of road where Shallmo Wash crosses the road. On Wednesday evening, I stopped to look at Shallmo Wash from the driveway connecting the Four Peaks / Horse Staging area with the main park road. It looked like a small but turbulent river.
wildflower observationwildflower observationwildflower observationwildflower observationwildflower observation
Wildflowers Observation Isolated
Senna, Barrel Cactus
_____________________
 
Jul 20 2018
avatar

 Guides 3
 Routes 25
 Photos 2,216
 Triplogs 237

63 male
 Joined Apr 22 2012
 Fountain Hills,
Wagner-Delsie-Stoneman-Bluff Lasso - MMRP, AZ 
Wagner-Delsie-Stoneman-Bluff Lasso - MMRP, AZ
 
Hiking avatar Jul 20 2018
KBKBTriplogs 237
Hiking10.34 Miles 686 AEG
Hiking10.34 Miles   3 Hrs   19 Mns   3.28 mph
686 ft AEG      10 Mns Break24 LBS Pack
 no routes
1st trip
For the Friday Hike at MMRP, Bob and I hiked a 10+ mile lasso starting from the Wagner Trailhead.

We hiked: Wagner, right on Granite, right on Delsie, left on Pemberton, left on Stoneman Wash, right on Granite, left on Bluff, left on Granite, right on Wagner. Without Wagner, this makes a long skinny loop which almost touches on Granite near the Stoneman intersection and the Delsie intersection - these aren't very far apart. It was nice though to do a route which didn't involve retracing our steps until we got back to Wagner.

We met a mountain biker at the top of Delsie. He had started from the bottom of the park and was planning on riding to Brown's Ranch! (Is there water at Brown's Ranch TH? He mentioned something about refilling water there.) He hadn't done this route yet and was wondering whether to turn right or left just after crossing into the Preserve. (I told him to stay left in order to get to Gooseneck. Otherwise you end up on Saguaro Nest.)

Bob and I saw an owl as we were hiking Delsie. I've been seeing a lot of owls lately.

We saw a few other mountain bikers too, but there weren't many of them today.
_____________________
 
Jun 15 2018
avatar

 Guides 3
 Routes 25
 Photos 2,216
 Triplogs 237

63 male
 Joined Apr 22 2012
 Fountain Hills,
Wash Day - MMRP, AZ 
Wash Day - MMRP, AZ
 
Hiking avatar Jun 15 2018
KBKBTriplogs 237
Hiking9.72 Miles 594 AEG
Hiking9.72 Miles   3 Hrs   18 Mns   3.10 mph
594 ft AEG      10 Mns Break24 LBS Pack
 no routes
Mike, Bob, Sara, and Jill joined me for a morning hike in McDowell Mountain Regional Park.

Starting from the Wagner Trailhead, we went across the main park road, then on Tortoise, and right (SW) on Pemberton. When we came to Stoneman Wash, we turned south and then took a feeder wash west crossing Pemberton. Continuing west and somewhat north we eventually came to some deep arroyos. Working our way into one of them, we headed back towards Pemberton again and briefly visited the very, very low pond. (The pipe feeding it has become disconnected again; I told Ranger Amy about it after our hike.) At that point, we made our way back to Stoneman Wash.

We could have kept going north in Stoneman Wash which would have been my preference. But one of our group had done a glute workout a few days earlier and was really feeling it after trudging through the washes for at least 5 miles. So, instead, we made things a bit easier and returned via Granite and Wagner.

We saw an owl several times while in one of the washes. Later we saw some bees. We also saw some rabbits.

It's really dry out. I hope we get some rain this weekend.
_____________________
 
May 11 2018
avatar

 Guides 3
 Routes 25
 Photos 2,216
 Triplogs 237

63 male
 Joined Apr 22 2012
 Fountain Hills,
Wash Day - MMRP, AZ 
Wash Day - MMRP, AZ
 
Hiking avatar May 11 2018
KBKBTriplogs 237
Hiking6.86 Miles 417 AEG
Hiking6.86 Miles   2 Hrs   40 Mns   3.05 mph
417 ft AEG      25 Mns Break24 LBS Pack
 no routes
Another "wash day" - sort of - in McDowell Mountain Regional Park.

Ranger Amy rode her bike with us for part of our hike, so I opted to stay on hard packed trails for the initial part of the hike. Starting from Wagner TH, we crossed the street and hiked Tortoise to Pemberton, turned right and followed Pemberton to the pond.

The water level in the pond was very low today. We found that the pipe which fills it had been disconnected from its water source. Amy fixed it, though at the rate of flow that I saw, it could well lose more water to evaporation than be filled by the trickle coming from the pipe.

After the pond, we hiked some of the washes to the west. We met up with Amy again on Tonto Tank. Amy continued west on Tonto Tank while we made our way over to Stoneman Wash and then NW on Stoneman Wash, meeting Amy again at the intersection with the Bluff Trail. When we hit Granite, Amy turned right to check on some stuff going on in the Campground while the rest of us took Granite and then Wagner back to the trailhead.

We saw lots of rabbits today, but not much else in the way of wildlife. We hiked an arroyo where we had seen a number of long eared owls earlier this year, but they were not there today.
_____________________
 
Apr 06 2018
avatar

 Guides 3
 Routes 25
 Photos 2,216
 Triplogs 237

63 male
 Joined Apr 22 2012
 Fountain Hills,
Wagner-Granite-Delsie-Pemberton-Bluff - MMRP, AZ 
Wagner-Granite-Delsie-Pemberton-Bluff - MMRP, AZ
 
Hiking avatar Apr 06 2018
KBKBTriplogs 237
Hiking10.22 Miles 640 AEG
Hiking10.22 Miles   3 Hrs   34 Mns   3.16 mph
640 ft AEG      20 Mns Break24 LBS Pack
 no routes
1st trip
On Friday, we did a lollipop route at McDowell Mountain Regional Park. We hiked Wagner, right on Granite, right on Delsie, left on Pemberton, left down the wash adjacent to the Bluff Trail, right on Granite, left on Bluff, left on Granite, and right on Wagner - which brought us back to the trailhead.

Ranger Amy joined us on her bike for part of our hike and also took the group photo.

Conditions were dry, though the trails were in fine shape. Almost no flowers to be seen.
wildflower observationwildflower observationwildflower observationwildflower observationwildflower observation
Wildflowers Observation Isolated
Hedgehog
_____________________
 
average hiking speed 2.72 mph
1, 2  Next

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.

helpcommentissue

end of page marker