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| Hiking | 13.88 Miles |
3,796 AEG |
| | Hiking | 13.88 Miles | 5 Hrs 50 Mns | | 2.38 mph |
| 3,796 ft AEG | | | | |
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| no partners | | Early morning hike in the McDowells. This trail (and the McDowell Motherlode) has been on my radar ever since they populated in HAZ. I felt fairly confident about my ability to do the Thompson Peak Trail, but I have serious reservations about the Motherlode, especially after viewing the terrain after today’s hike. The Motherlode looks very challenging going north from Thompson Peak. Today’s hike was much more trail oriented.
Got to the Adero TH around 6am. Still dark out so I started out with a flashlight. Took the Promenade to the Sonoran Trail and then connected to the Dixie Mine. It was light out by the time I hit the Dixie Mine, so I was able to appreciated the trail and the surroundings. I had forgotten how much I had enjoyed hiking this trail. It is unfortunate that it is buried in the inconvenient Golden Eagle TH/subdivision. (Though, I suppose I should be grateful they don’t make that a community only access point). From the Dixie I briefly jumped on Thompson Peak Road before taking the Thompson Peak Trail. This trail is about a .3 miles past the Prospector juncture. The trail starts out pretty faint, but there is a cairn there and it is obvious if you’re looking for it. Almost immediately there is a split in the trail (.05 miles from the road). Take the left fork that leads in the general direction of Thompson Peak. Not sure where the right fork goes. That will be for another day. The trail does some steady climbing and then briefly flattens out before beginning the core of the climb. This stretch is pretty intense and had me taking a couple of breaks to “enjoy the view”. The scarring for this section is obvious from a distance and as you hike you get the idea that this might have been a road or wide trail back in the day. The grade is very steep so it’s kind of crazy to think that this would have been beneficial for much. Just below the towers there is a nice rock seat to rest your weary legs. I didn’t care to be around the towers for long, but I had to scramble up to the fence to make my way over to the road. Used the road for the descent. On the return trip, I retraced my steps except I took the Lower Sonoran Trail.
Very chilly day for a hike and bitterly cold at the top of the peak with the wind. Came across one puddle near the top that was still frozen over with ice at 9am. Didn’t see anyone until I was returning on the Dixie Mine. The closer I got to the TH, the busies it got. Overall, encountered 26 hikers, 3 bikers a a trail runner. Wildlife were 3 deers and a nicely antlered buck. |
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Route Editor
Route Scout
Route 
pain in check. Solid outing.
That was a barn burner! 
I've been thinking about this hike for a few years and finally completed it in the rain today. I'll admit that thesnake lit a fire underneath me to get it done. Thanks for the TL 
Much of this route also was familiar to the Torote Loops in the Sierra Estrella range. Could be a five star route except for all those god-damned jets overhead constantly!
