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| Hiking | 5.80 Miles |
593 AEG |
| | Hiking | 5.80 Miles | 2 Hrs 10 Mns | | 2.68 mph |
| 593 ft AEG | | | | |
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| no partners | | I avoid hiking high elevations, like Strawberry Mountain, in the winter. Couple of inches of snow up there the last few days. No thanx. 
In previous winters, I’ve ranged far & wide, particularly to the Arizona Outback, in search of interesting hikes at lower elevations.
Last winter I started doing more hikes close to Phoenix: What I term “Locals’ Hikes“.
As our 10th anniversary was the night before, and I’d had a wee bit of champagne, I decided to hike Wild Burro Trail, Pipeline Canyon Trail and Cottonwood Trail, but only one way (north), rather than do an out & back. 
Lake Pleasant’s water levels ( http://pleasant.lakesonline.com/Level/ ) are 5-9 ft. below recent years, but the high water line is much higher, and marked by a distinct change in vegetation. I’m guessing the high water level is 30 ft. above the current depth of 1,664 ft. If Lake Pleasant was another 30 ft. higher, Wild Burro Trail would be along the shoreline in many spots. Instead, the shore is a couple hundred yards off. Still, it has the only decent lake views.
The high water line of Pipeline Cove extends a quarter mile west of the trail, which you can see on satellite view. There used to be a floating bridge there, but flash floods tore it from its moorings. It may not look it, but water has a tremendous amount of force, enough even to roll the bridge’s support blocks down channel. Pipeline Canyon Bridge’s wreckage, twisted with brush & guy lines, is 100 yds. away from its original location.
Because Lake Pleasant is low, Pipeline Cove is a dry crossing.
As I descended towards Cottonwood Trailhead, while looking out at the last sliver of Lake Pleasant view, I was startled when a previously unseen wild burro snorted me. I could see his herd moving in the palo verde.
There would be some shade on Cottonwood Trail, but shade was the last thing I needed as the sky was nearly 100% overcast. (It was so foggy at 8:30 a.m., that if those burros had been in the middle of Castle Hot Springs Rd., I very well may have hit them.)
Due to the sporadic sunshine, taking decent photos on my  pocket camera was difficult. There’s limited photo ops, anyway, on Lake Pleasant’s trails, particularly given the low water levels and people’s understandable reluctance to be on the water with temps in the 50s. Without flowers and bridge wreckage, I would have had nothing.
Despite the hike being short, and with minimal elevation gain, I had unusually sore quads on Saturday morning. 
Hike Video: https://vimeo.com/494789451 |
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Wildflowers Observation Light
Brittlebushgoing nuts. |
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| http://prestonm.com : Everyone's enjoyment of the outdoors is different and should be equally honored. |
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It turned into a big old petting zoo. Even after all the carrots were gone they followed me around for quite a while. Burros are good people.
pocket camera was difficult. There’s limited photo ops, anyway, on Lake Pleasant’s trails, particularly given the low water levels and people’s understandable reluctance to be on the water with temps in the 50s. Without flowers and bridge wreckage, I would have had nothing.
