Malpais Trail - MSPN • Hike • Arizona • All Triplogs • HikeArizona.COM

Basalt Ridge Trail - MSPN

Axle Grease Trail

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Ride with Dan and Carey

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Jan 09 2022

mt98dew

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

55 male

Joined Oct 24 2010
Phoenix,Az

Phoenix, AZ

Run/Jog		Jan 09 2022
		mt98dew • Triplogs 2,387

Run/Jog	10.76 Miles	84 AEG

Run/Jog	10.76 Miles	2 Hrs 3 Mns	5.25 mph
	84 ft AEG

no routes

no photosets

Linked

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no linked trail guides

Partners

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Early morning run in the McDowells

I got to the Brown Ranch TH a little after 7am. Wanted to do a “loop” involving the Malpais trail. (The Malpais is an in and out trail, so this was more of a loop with a tail). Went in on the Brown Ranch Road trail. Literally, a former road. Not one of the more creative trails in the park, but a good way to get north. Connected to the Corral trail. More of a single track, but still a “repurposed” trail. If your looking for it there is some “pre-trail history” in the (Brown/Corral trail) area that can tickle your imagination. From here connected to the Buckshot trail. Nice single track trail with little elevation. Typical for the McDowell system. Hit the Hawknest trail next. Wasn’t sure if I should go north or south from this junction. Ended up going the wrong way. But luckily the next junction was only a bend away and this junction had trail info that got me correctly oriented. Turned around and had to go a little over a .25 miles to reach the Malpais trail. The trail is aptly named, with parts of it looking like decomposing asphalt. The basaltic rock didn’t make up the entire trail, but it was a common theme for first part of it. The trail does quite a bit of twisting and turning as it makes its way west, crossing Powerline #1 trail and the West Express trail. Oddly, the trail crosses into State Trust Land. Technically speaking this requires a permit, but I felt that as long as I stayed on the trail I would be ok. As you go west, homes start to line the northern scape, marring the Sonoran vista. But the desert foliage is heathy and diverse and the trail is engaging which more than make up for the homes and the trail ending at the Legend Parkway Rd. Turned around and made my way back the way I came. Going back, I believe I took a slightly more direct route: taking the HawkNest to the Basalt Ridge Trail to the Upper Ranch Trail. Nice loop. Always enjoy my time in the McDowells!

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May 22 2021

Guides 27
Routes 669
Photos 12,096
Triplogs 856

56 male

Joined Jul 05 2006
Mesa, AZ

Powerline Road #2 Trail - MSPN

Phoenix, AZ

Hiking		May 22 2021
		DarthStiller • Triplogs 856

Hiking	11.84 Miles	600 AEG

Hiking	11.84 Miles	4 Hrs 29 Mns	2.68 mph
	600 ft AEG	4 Mns Break

Linked

6 linked trail guides

Latigo Trail - MSPN

Powerline Road #1 - MSPN

West Express Trail - MSPN

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no partners

My original plans fell through to hike another section of the BCT with the I-17 lane restrictions all weekend, so I decided to head up the MSPN preserve and hike the sections of the powerline roads that I had never done yet. got started about 6:15am from Pima-Dynamite, but it felt later with the sun already above the horizon and the lot pretty full.

Just as I was starting along the Powerline Road #1, Brian was running the other way finishing up his morning run. We stopped and chatted for a few minutes and then I was on my way. I took PL Road #1, Latigo, PL Road #2, Upper Ranch, Brown's Ranch Road, Malapais, PL Road #1 again, West Express, Rawhide Wash, and PLRoad #1 straight back to the trailhead.

Biggest sight to see was the nest on Malapais Trail. I think I've seen that there last year or 2 years before. Got a good view of the mama hawk feeding her babies breakfast. the trail goes right below the saguaro they've nested in. I didn't linger too close or too long, wondering how stressful that might be for them to have the traffic below close by.

While walking in the Rawhide Wash, I thought I saw a biker zipping by the other way along the Powerline Road #1, but then I realized it was too far away to see. I turned to look and saw that it was deer running full speed. No chance at all for a picture.

Got back right around 11am and called it a day. temperature was perfect all morning, didn't even drink half my Camelbak bladder.

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Apr 12 2020

Nightstalker

Routes 189
Photos 7,236
Triplogs 1,740

57 male

Joined Apr 25 2011
Goodyear, AZ

Pima and Dynamite Black Diamonds, AZ

Mtn Biking		Apr 12 2020
		Nightstalker • Triplogs 1,740

Mtn Biking	16.70 Miles	922 AEG

Mtn Biking	16.70 Miles	2 Hrs 58 Mns		7.31 mph
	922 ft AEG	41 Mns Break	13 LBS Pack

no routes

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Latigo Trail - MSPN

Tarantula Trail - MSPN

Hackamore Trail - MSPN

Axle Grease Trail

Partners

partners

SCA

Met up with SCA at Pima and Dynamite to do a hard core Black Diamond ride on the west side of MSPN this morning. Rode Latigo, Rock Tank, Dare A Sarah, Scorpion, Snake Eyes, Tarantula, Hackamore, Malpais, Axle Grease, and Hawksnest. The black diamond trails weren't all that challenging and the hard parts all had bypasses. Regardless, MSPN is definitely my favorite place to ride in the valley! With the smooth trails and easy climbs, you can just ride on and on. I did manage to ride over my first rattle snake this morning and it was a BIG one. I was flying across Rock Tank, came around a turn (there are many), there he/she (I didn't check) was. We were both very surprised, but I think I did manage to out scream the rattler. At least, that's what Carey claims

Wildflowers Observation Substantial

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Mar 21 2020

Guides 27
Routes 669
Photos 12,096
Triplogs 856

56 male

Joined Jul 05 2006
Mesa, AZ

Owl Hoot Trail - MSPN

Owl Hoot Trail - MSPN

Phoenix, AZ

Hiking		Mar 21 2020
		DarthStiller • Triplogs 856

Hiking	13.70 Miles	655 AEG

Hiking	13.70 Miles	4 Hrs 58 Mns	2.76 mph
	655 ft AEG

Linked

6 linked trail guides

Basalt Ridge Trail - MSPN

Partners

none

no partners

Finally got a chance to head out here and hike the Owl Hoot Trail. Since it's so remote, it makes for a long hike, so I wanted to wait until the gates are open when I get there and not start later, like after 7am.

Very few people in the parking lot or at the building when I started. Saw one biker early on for the first 7+ miles. Took Brown's Ranch Road to Hawknest and Stagecoach, then took the Owl Hoot Trail out to the Legend Trail Parkway. I didn't feel like taking the same way the whole way back, so I decided to walk along the Legend Trail Parkway down to where the Malpais Trail comes out, then I took that back to the Stagecoach. I then made the choice to take the Basalt Ridge and Upper Ranch Trails back to the trailhead instead of Brown's Ranch Road. I was hoping I might see a little less traffic along that route, but it was pretty busy. The last 2.5 miles I saw more people than the rest of the morning up to that point. Parking lot was also packed when I finished.

Saw a hawk sitting on a boulder on the Malpais Trail just after I got on it from the Legend Parkway. Then later on the other end of the Malpais Trail, I saw a big nest in a saguaro that I hadn't seen on my way out, which was being guarded by a mama hawk.

I switched back to an old pair of boots that are getting to the end of their usefulness, but have still been good for longer distance hikes compared to my older Merrells. Not anymore. My feet were hurting the last few miles of this hike, and there were a few expected blisters when I changed shoes at the end. Nothing too bad. My time was really great starting off, but I got slowed down quite a bit at the end. Oh well.

Fauna

Fauna [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Harris Hawk Red-tailed Hawk

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Nov 09 2019

Guides 27
Routes 669
Photos 12,096
Triplogs 856

56 male

Joined Jul 05 2006
Mesa, AZ

Phoenix, AZ

Hiking		Nov 09 2019
		DarthStiller • Triplogs 856

Hiking	13.40 Miles	571 AEG

Hiking	13.40 Miles	4 Hrs 44 Mns	2.83 mph
	571 ft AEG

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Malpais Trail - San Tan MRP

Axle Grease Trail

Partners

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no partners

I've been wanting to hike the newer section of the Stagecoach Trail that's in the upper northwest corner of the preserve. It's pretty remote to get to, so it's a longer hike, making it a better idea to wait until the weather is cooler to do it. I was thinking it would be more like 15+ miles, but it was only just over 13. The weather was perfect the whole time. The trails here are smoother, so I could make much better time than along the rockier trails I've been hiking recently. I got done in about the same amount of time it normally takes me to do 10 miles or less.

From the Brown's Ranch TH, I took the Brown's Ranch Road Trail to Hawkest, Malpais, then Stagecoach. At the end of the Stagecoach Trail, I headed south a bit on the Powerline Road Trail, and headed back on the West Express Trail, which I think used to be the Axle Grease Trail. Not sure why they changed the name. Coming back on the West Express, a plane was overhead flying loop de loops and making a lot of noise. When I looked up, I could see he was leaving trails to show off the loops.

Brian mt98dew was supposed to try to make it with me for this hike. I thought I wouldn't get to the TH until 6:45am, but I was way early and there before the gate even opened. I kept expecting to see him catching up to me, but he never did. Back at the TH he left a note on my car saying he took an unexpected route. It can be confusing getting to the Stagecoach Trail knowing which turns to take at several trail junctions. Also got a note from Brian SunRay, so the HAZ community was out in force today.

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Apr 13 2019

Mave1878

Routes 48
Photos 59
Triplogs 6

50 male

Joined Apr 12 2017
Gilbert, AZ

Malpais Trail - San Tan MRP

Phoenix, AZ

Hiking		Apr 13 2019
		Mave1878 • Triplogs 6

Hiking	7.94 Miles	583 AEG

Hiking	7.94 Miles	2 Hrs 29 Mns	3.31 mph
	583 ft AEG	5 Mns Break

no photosets

Linked

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Partners

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First observation 100 yards from Rock Peak TH (fee area - $7) was the deep sandy washed that would be a majority of the Rock Peak > San Tan > Malpais lasso loop - hiking is gonna be a little extra work today.
Made decent time through the wash noticing Rock Peak seemed totally doable and intriguing. Just past ST/RPW near a bench is a cool crested saguaro worth a quick break to admire. Next stop was the 2nd junction w/Malpais trail so I could loop back to closer RPW on ST. Seemed like 80% of Malpais was straight wash, especially on the second half closet to Malpais Hills which loom over the trail the entire hike along with great views of Rock Peak and Goldmine Mountain to the N.
Overall, Trail was super easy to follow with minimal AEG. I will say though... if you don’t like sandy washes, I wouldn’t recommend this hike.

Wildflowers Observation Isolated
Ocotillos, buckhorn cholla and Hedgehog cacti were blooming, but wildflowers were quickly dying off.

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Sep 20 2018

Sun_Ray

Routes 144
Photos 1,145
Triplogs 1,238

77 male

Joined Sep 09 2004
Scottsdale, AZ

Phoenix, AZ

Hiking		Sep 20 2018
		Sun_Ray • Triplogs 1,238

Hiking	5.30 Miles	171 AEG

Hiking	5.30 Miles	1 Hour 57 Mns	3.15 mph
	171 ft AEG	16 Mns Break

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Partners

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Working to complete all the trails in the Scottsdale McDowell Sonoran Preserve. Every time they add trails and update the map I need to hike the addtional trails so I can say "I've hiked ALL the trails in the Preserve". The new area accessed from the Pima/Dynamite Trailhead (just a parking lot for now) is in the SW corner of the preserve and I need to hike some trails in the NW area. So... to cut the distance I parked 1/2 a mile from the corner of Pima/Westland on Westland West of Pima. There is a zig/zag in this area that creates a large legal to park area. I walked to the Preserve from this area and took a temporary connector trail to Malpais Trail and back the same way. With dog Kai.

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Brian
Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday......there is no SOMEDAY!

1 archive

Aug 05 2018

Guides 27
Routes 669
Photos 12,096
Triplogs 856

56 male

Joined Jul 05 2006
Mesa, AZ

Phoenix, AZ

Hiking		Aug 05 2018
		DarthStiller • Triplogs 856

Hiking	9.90 Miles	542 AEG

Hiking	9.90 Miles	4 Hrs 2 Mns	2.45 mph
	542 ft AEG

Linked

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This was the first hike I've done in the Phoenix area since June 3, so it was the first real HOT hike of the year for me. Sycamore Canyon last month had it's moments, but this was the first real Sonoran desert oven heat hike. Not bad being that we're already a week into August.

I think my body is still acclimating to the cooler weather hikes I've been doing, so I kept this a simple, mostly flat hike. I just started jogging a week earlier since my knee was starting to bother me last April, and the first couple of runs in the heat and humidity were brutal.

I noticed that a new trail was posted on the updated Scottsdale maps, the Malpais Trail. This can be kind of confusing because there already is a Malpais Trail in San Tan Regional Park to the south. I hiked the Brouwn's Ranch Road Trail out to there, then hiked to the end of the Temporary Connector Trail to the Legend Trail Parkway and back. It seems as though the western end of the Temporary Connector Trail has been re-routed. I walked along the sidewalk over to where it looks like it used to be and noticed both the work done to obscure the trail and the "No Trespassing" signs. Noticed some spurs for unmapped trails that will hopefully be on the Scottsdale maps soon enough. Hiked a bit on them so that they're easily seen on my track.

The heat wasn't too bad, but I'm still getting used to exercising out in it. Saw a bunch of bikers, and a few other hikers. Finished before 10:30am.

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Nov 02 2017

mazatzal

Routes 36
Photos 2,658
Triplogs 1,347

67 male

Joined Jul 28 2004
Scottsdale, AZ

MSPN loop, AZ

Hiking		Nov 02 2017
		mazatzal • Triplogs 1,347

Hiking	14.00 Miles	890 AEG

Hiking	14.00 Miles	5 Hrs 40 Mns	2.47 mph
	890 ft AEG

Linked

7 linked trail guides

Cholla Mountain Loop - MSPN

Maverick Trail - MSPN