Isabella Trail #377 • Hike • Arizona • All Triplogs • HikeArizona.COM

Prescott, AZ

Hiking		Jul 22 2025
		wallyfrack • Triplogs 1,691

Hiking	12.13 Miles	2,479 AEG

Hiking	12.13 Miles	5 Hrs 21 Mns	2.68 mph
	2,479 ft AEG	49 Mns Break

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LindaAnn

The_Eagle

A weekday hike with Bruce & Linda. We almost didn't have a parking spot by Bruce made one. The hiking group at the trailhead went the other way so no crowding on the trail.

Trail 377 was a climb but in good condition. The temps were nice early and the off and on cloud cover kept it nice. We chose to hike counterclockwise on the loop and the climb kept going.

Trail 307 was in good shape as well. There are the occasional rocks or roots to step over but easy going. I enjoyed the downhill sections the most.

There were some deer out, some big rocks and some good views. The cabin was interesting and though we tried to extract, the arrows in the tree were stuck good. It was nice to get out on the rail with Bruce & Linda again.

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Jul 22 2025

LindaAnn

Guides 110
Routes 2,246
Photos 8,982
Triplogs 2,600

45 female

Joined Dec 24 2007
Ahwatukee, AZ

Prescott, AZ

Hiking		Jul 22 2025
		LindaAnn • Triplogs 2,600

Hiking	12.13 Miles	2,479 AEG

Hiking	12.13 Miles	5 Hrs 21 Mns	2.68 mph
	2,479 ft AEG	49 Mns Break

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The_Eagle

wallyfrack

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We followed a line of cars up Walker Rd and to the Isabella trailhead. They were bunched up, trying to figure out how/where to park, meanwhile, Bruce created a spot for himself. We jumped out of the car, anticipating having to get a fast start to get ahead of the large group of members of the Prescott Hiking Club (avg age—92, they were already electing Bruce as their new president), but they were luckily headed in the opposite direction.

Reasonable temps as we headed up Isabella Trail. The ascent is steady, but nothing crazy. We still whined. Upon reaching Groom Creek Trail, we opted to hike it counter-clockwise, and headed towards Spruce Mtn. Saw some deer. At the top, the woman on duty at the tower invited us up. We chatted with her for a few minutes, then headed over to the picnic tables for a quick snack.

Saw more deer as we headed downhill and west. Plus some hikers and ladies on mules. Looked around the boulders for a few minutes. After passing the Groom Creek trailhead, the ascent began again. Warmer temps were noticeable. Moments of shade from the clouds were much appreciated. Made another stop at the cabin. After that, the climb was steeper. Conversation and insults waned as we trudged uphill. We all breathed a sigh of relief as we reached Isabella again and began the much anticipated descent for our finish.

Solid weekday hike for some decent mileage. Good to hike with Bruce and Wally again!

Culture

Culture [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Humor

_____________________

Stop crying and just go do the hike.

2 archives

Jul 22 2025

The_Eagle

Guides 41
Routes 1,626
Photos 14,983
Triplogs 2,760

69 male

Joined Jan 20 2009
Far NE Phoenix,

Spruce Loop with Issy, AZ

Hiking		Jul 22 2025
		The_Eagle • Triplogs 2,760

Hiking	12.52 Miles	2,394 AEG

Hiking	12.52 Miles	5 Hrs 20 Mns	2.76 mph
	2,394 ft AEG	48 Mns Break

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LindaAnn

wallyfrack

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The drive in was interesting on the usually quiet Walker Road. On the dirt portion, we slowly began picking up more traffic, which we started following. We patiently waited for them to peel off into one of the many driveways, but that never happened. All four or five vehicles pulled into the Isabella Trailhead (TH), the same one we were going to. The trailhead was now at capacity and then some.

We scrambled to get going and start in front of them. Luckily for us, this group from the Prescott Hiking Club was heading over to hike Mt. Davis.

Isabella Trail #377
It was a glorious 64 degrees at the beginning of this hike. This is a pretty steep one to start, climbing 600 feet in 1.25 miles before terminating at the Groom Creek Loop. Deer and squirrels were the fauna theme of the day.

Groom Creek Loop Trail #307
Continuing counter-clockwise, we made our way over to the Spruce Mountain Fire Tower. We were invited up into the cab and had a conversation with the current lookout. Next up was the bouldering area. On the way, we passed more mule deer that let us pass within 10 feet with almost zero fear. The bouldering area is always an interesting maze to explore.

Next was the 4-mile, 1,100-foot climb to meet the Isabella Trail. We stopped for a short lunch at Cole's Cabin before continuing up to Isabella and the downhill return to the car. It was in the 60s and 70s all day, with scattered clouds and freshening breezes.

Good catching up with Linder and Walter!

Fauna

Fauna [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Mule Deer

Named place

Named place [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Granite Mountain

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There is a very fine line between "hobby" and "mental illness."
Dave Barry

Jan 11 2025

Whiffer

Guides 3
Routes 161
Photos 477
Triplogs 147

70 male

Joined Jan 02 2016
Prescott, AZ

Groom Creek Issabella, AZ

Hiking		Jan 11 2025
		Whiffer • Triplogs 147

Hiking	10.00 Miles	1,934 AEG

Hiking	10.00 Miles	5 Hrs 2 Mns	2.04 mph
	1,934 ft AEG	8 Mns Break

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Groom Creek Loop Trail #307 is a popular moderately strenuous, nearly 9-mile hike up to the Spruce Mountain Ranger Station and back down to the trailhead on Senator Highway, 7 miles south of the Yavapai County Courthouse in downtown Prescott, AZ. This hike is a little over a mile longer (for a total of 10 miles) and a bit more strenuous by taking Isabella Trail #377 from the ridge of Spruce Mountain down to Walker Road, for an extra 650 feet of elevation gain on the way back. The title of this hike uses the spelling "Issabella" on the sign at the turnaround at Walker Road.

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4 archives

Sep 16 2023

ScaredyCat

Guides 2
Routes 207
Photos 93
Triplogs 204

male

Joined Aug 08 2020
Phx az

Prescott, AZ

Hiking		Sep 16 2023
		ScaredyCat • Triplogs 204

Hiking	9.87 Miles	1,918 AEG

Hiking	9.87 Miles	4 Hrs 43 Mns	2.62 mph
	1,918 ft AEG	57 Mns Break

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4WD to park at TH or you can park a single car sideways across from it. Isabella trail is steep. Lost one participant during this section. We then took the longer portion of the loop.

Fairly chill till you reach GC TH. A bit further in, the trail grows rockier and steeper. We then took the unmarked, steep and unmaintained shortcut trail.

Great outing with wonderful people. Tasty italian restaurant afterward.

Jun 24 2023

DixieFlyer

Guides 99
Routes 1,484
Photos 16,072
Triplogs 1,374

male

Joined Jan 07 2017
Fountain Hills,

Isabella - Groom Creek Loop, AZ

Hiking		Jun 24 2023
		DixieFlyer • Triplogs 1,374

Hiking	12.41 Miles	2,290 AEG

Hiking	12.41 Miles	5 Hrs 10 Mns	2.65 mph
	2,290 ft AEG	29 Mns Break

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It has been a while since I have hiked on the Isabella Trail, so I borrowed this hike idea from ahike that @LindaAnn, @trekkin_gecko , and #The_Eagle did recently.

Starting at the Isabella TH, this was a CCW lasso loop hike.

We climbed up on the lookout tower once we got atop Spruce Mountain. It is too bad that the tower is inactive at this time.

On the way back we stopped off at Cole Cabin and hung out for a few minutes.

It was a busy Saturday on the trails, as I saw far more people than I normally see on a hike.

This is a nice hike to do in the summertime -- there are lots of trees along the trail to filter the sun and provide some shade. I need to do this hike a little more often!

Wildflowers Observation Isolated
There are some New Mexico locust blooming, and we also saw several claret cup cactus blooming.

_____________________

Civilization is a nice place to visit but I wouldn't want to live there

2 archives

May 18 2023

The_Eagle

Guides 41
Routes 1,626
Photos 14,983
Triplogs 2,760

69 male

Joined Jan 20 2009
Far NE Phoenix,

Prescott, AZ

Hiking		May 18 2023
		The_Eagle • Triplogs 2,760

Hiking	12.84 Miles	2,226 AEG

Hiking	12.84 Miles	4 Hrs 29 Mns	3.06 mph
	2,226 ft AEG	17 Mns Break

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LindaAnn

trekkin_gecko

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I got an invite from Linda to do this old favorite, all on trail, hike.

A perfect 50's to start with a minimal 20% chance of T-Storms. After changing around her nail and hair appointments, and with that lower percentage of electricity in the sky forecasted, Kelly was a go also.

Isabella gets your heart pumping right from the start. Nothing too crazy, but a steady 1+ mile climb to the loop. The squirrels were frolicking among the nubile growth on the mighty oaks.

Off to the now unmanned tower on the top of Spruce Mountain. Gone are the days of visiting with Suzie and Space up there. We took in the 180 views to the north and retreated to the picnic tables for a snack.

Descendeding to the rock climbing area passing our first hikers of the day. We played around the rock area before starting our way back up the mountain on our loop.

We made a stop at Cole's Cabin, which I'd passed by countless times before, not knowing it was there.

The skies started crackling. Linda checked the radar and assured Kelly that the current buildup was SE of us and moving away. With each successive crackle, Kelly increased the gap between us.

Descending Issy and reaching Linda's truck the sprinkles began. Temps in the 60's now, it ended up a perfect day.

Good times hiking with the ladies!

_____________________

There is a very fine line between "hobby" and "mental illness."
Dave Barry

May 18 2023

trekkin_gecko

Guides 10
Routes 673
Photos 7,281
Triplogs 4,660

67 female

Joined Nov 17 2008
phoenix, az

Prescott, AZ

Hiking		May 18 2023
		trekkin_gecko • Triplogs 4,660

Hiking	11.79 Miles	2,259 AEG

Hiking	11.79 Miles	4 Hrs 29 Mns	2.79 mph
	2,259 ft AEG	15 Mns Break

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LindaAnn

The_Eagle

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got an invite from bruce and linda to hike the groom creek loop
after rearranging my schedule, i was in
haven't done this one in nine years
we started from isabella around 0825 - a new approach for me
nice uphill right from the start, then joining the groom creek loop
pleasant temps, great trail conditions
we checked out the spruce mountain lookout area for a few minutes
continued down the loop counterclockwise
wandered around the bouldering area and then made a quick stop at the trailhead
moderate grade back uphill, with another stop to view cole's cabin, which i had not seen before
clouds were building and we got a few rumbles of thunder
hit the ridgeline and finished up on isabella just as it started raining
looked like a pretty good storm hit that area later
enjoyed hiking the loop again - i've done it several times but only once on haz
i also enjoyed eating all the snacks i brought on the drive back to the valley

good to hike with linda and bruce again and a beautiful day for it

Flora

Flora [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Claret Cup Cactus

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hazhole

May 18 2023

LindaAnn

Guides 110
Routes 2,246
Photos 8,982
Triplogs 2,600

45 female

Joined Dec 24 2007
Ahwatukee, AZ

Prescott, AZ

Hiking		May 18 2023
		LindaAnn • Triplogs 2,600

Hiking	11.91 Miles	2,322 AEG

Hiking	11.91 Miles	4 Hrs 31 Mns	2.82 mph
	2,322 ft AEG	18 Mns Break

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The_Eagle

trekkin_gecko

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Kelly, Bruce, and I got to the Isabella trailhead shortly before 0830. Bruce spent a few minutes getting his pack perfectly balanced, and then we headed up Isabella Trail. Excellent condition, with a moderate incline. Plenty of trees for shade. Very pleasant.

At the loop, Bruce suggested we go counter-clockwise to get the high point out of the way first, which was a good call given the chance of storms. Lots of forest clearing has taken place, and again, the trail is in good shape. Nice views as we made our way up the ridge. Great views from the Spruce Mtn Lookout. Had a quick snack at the picnic tables, then Kelly led the way downhill. Saw our first hikers of the day as we headed down the trail.

Near the bottom, we looked around the bouldering area, which was fun. After that, quick stop at the Groom Creek trailhead before we started back uphill. Trail is in excellent shape, easy incline, lots of shade, and some water. Saw two bikes, but no hikers. Looked at Cole’s Cabin, which was a recommendation from @losdosslofolks Cute cabin, especially if you’re a midget. Continued uphill as the clouds thickened and there were a few rumbles of thunder, a few were fairly close. Each time it thundered, Kelly sped up the pace.

Once back to Isabella Trail, it was a breeze downhill. Finished up just a moment before it started raining. Saw lots of squirrels in the first half of the hike, one deer leg, one horned lizard. Perfect day, and perfect timing on this one. Good to see both Bruce and Kelly again!

*Getting into the parking area for Isabella has a steep & deep rut. I did not approach with enough momentum, and used 4wd to get through that 15’ section. Otherwise, no issues on the road.

_____________________

Stop crying and just go do the hike.

May 14 2023

ShatteredArm

Guides 12
Routes 192
Photos 863
Triplogs 356

42 male

Joined Nov 30 2015
Phoenix, AZ

Prescott, AZ

Run/Jog		May 14 2023
		ShatteredArm • Triplogs 356

Run/Jog	14.89 Miles	3,043 AEG

Run/Jog	14.89 Miles	4 Hrs 38 Mns	3.30 mph
	3,043 ft AEG	7 Mns Break

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Headed up to Prescott with a friend, and we decided on checking out Mt Union as we were approaching town. I went up 4-5 years ago, but he had never been. Started out at the Groom Creek Loop TH, which provided both easy vehicle access and a nice long, but not too long, approach. We stopped by Cole's Cabin on the way, then up to the top of the main ridge to the Isabella Trail junction. Isabella Trail is easy to run down - smooth, not too steep. And it's nice and shady, which is a plus.

Past Potato Patch, up Dandrea Trail, forgot how rocky that stretch is. A few minor deadfall obstacles. Actually saw two groups of hikers between Potato Patch and Mt Union. Lookout was unmanned, there's a sign that says "Closed to Public", don't recall if that was there when I went up the tower.

The way back was nice enough. The climb back up Isabella isn't too bad. We were beat by the end, and the last mile it started sprinkling. Good day, highly recommend this route (might be shorter with the Spruce Mtn crosscut, not sure). Still lots of water out there.

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Dec 27 2022

PrestonSands

Guides 170
Routes 148
Photos 5,914
Triplogs 2,097

48 male

Joined Apr 12 2004
Tucson, AZ

Prescott, AZ

Hiking		Dec 27 2022
		PrestonSands • Triplogs 2,097

Hiking	6.80 Miles	1,240 AEG

Hiking	6.80 Miles
	1,240 ft AEG

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Parked at the Isabella Trailhead near Potato Patch after a snowy/muddy drive in from Walker. Isabella Trail was in great shape, and made for a pleasant ascent of the south ridge of Spruce Mountain. Overcast, cold and windy on my hike, with lingering patches of snow higher up. From the end of Isabella, I continued on Groom Creek Loop along the ridge crest to the summit of Spruce Mountain. Lots of recent thinning work along the crest by the Forest Service, with evidence of logging vehicle traffic. I only saw one other hiker the whole day, near the summit. I explored an abandoned mine site on the way back down, with an interesting octagon cage built over top of a vertical mine shaft. Fun hike. Took a while to de-mud my truck’s wheel wells and undercarriage at a car wash.

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"…you never know when a hike might break out" -Jim Gaffigan

Aug 07 2022

ScaredyCat

Guides 2
Routes 207
Photos 93
Triplogs 204

male

Joined Aug 08 2020
Phx az

Prescott, AZ

Hiking		Aug 07 2022
		ScaredyCat • Triplogs 204

Hiking	12.18 Miles	2,307 AEG

Hiking	12.18 Miles	5 Hrs 35 Mns	2.40 mph
	2,307 ft AEG	31 Mns Break

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Road in eventually gets rough. Both spots were taken so I parked between some trees. Short, steep hike up to groom creek. We then went downhill for awhile, making it easier on us.

After passing other TH, gets steep again. This continues for bout 3 miles till reaching the peak. Not able to enter observation area, but can climb up some. This is a rare outing with a loop + a peak. Saw more wildlife than humans

Oct 23 2021

toddak

Guides 13
Routes 38
Photos 1,651
Triplogs 577

60 male

Joined Nov 15 2005
Jackson, CA

Prescott, AZ

Hiking		Oct 23 2021
		toddak • Triplogs 577

Hiking	15.00 Miles	3,500 AEG

Hiking	15.00 Miles	7 Hrs	2.14 mph
	3,500 ft AEG

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Did the @chumley 5/12/18 three-peak route, good stuff

Autumn Foliage Observation Moderate
mostly oaks, some aspen

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Aug 24 2021

Routes 154
Photos 1,505
Triplogs 266

31 male

Joined Jun 02 2019
Phoenix, AZ

Groom Creek - Bradshaw Four, AZ

Hiking		Aug 24 2021
		LJW • Triplogs 266

Hiking	22.97 Miles	4,931 AEG

Hiking	22.97 Miles	8 Hrs 11 Mns	3.09 mph
	4,931 ft AEG	45 Mns Break

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Mount Tritle via FR 52B

Mount Tritle

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Wanted to clean up a loop from last year with better approaches to and from Davis and Tritle. Started at sunrise and went toward Spruce Mountain.

First time I've ever done the whole Groom Creek Loop and not seen anyone. Watched the sunrise from Spruce Mountain and enjoyed its shine through the trees. Got to Isabella TH just as a man was pulling up. Had a nice conversation before we parted ways, and he began a loop with Groom Creek and the Crosscut trail.

Up Davis with a northern ridge and played it just about perfect. Almost no bushwhacking until the end, lots of beautiful pine forest lower down. Almost got skunked, but I was making a lot of noise, and it heard me coming. Stayed at the summit for a while and enjoyed being in the wind and out of the heat.

Never noticed just how pretty that southern ridge is. After a couple times the route is real easy. Crosses one barbed wire fence. Yankee to Union didn't hang around with folks out and about maintaining the joint. Down the roads and crossed a pickup the driver of which asked if I needed help and if I knew where I was going. "Just hiking through."

Up to Tritle that was it for people on the trip until just as I dipped down the ridge a somebody on a dirt bike showed up. Down the Tritle ridge on that weirdly manicured single track. Suppose people bike it. The prettiest part is at the gravesite for the man who died in 2010. Turns into a road that seems like it gets some commercial use. After that a bushwhack down from the ridge to the road any which way.

Isabella seems steeper than you'd think after the upper loop, but it's out of the way soon. Groom Creek's pretty uneventful, but it is a pretty open pine forest, and I happened to not see anyone in the early afternoon.

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May 14 2021

Routes 154
Photos 1,505
Triplogs 266

31 male

Joined Jun 02 2019
Phoenix, AZ

Spruce - Davis - Union - Tritle, AZ

Hiking		May 14 2021
		LJW • Triplogs 266

Hiking	18.84 Miles	4,328 AEG

Hiking	18.84 Miles	6 Hrs 50 Mns	3.10 mph
	4,328 ft AEG	45 Mns Break

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Mount Tritle via FR 52B

Mount Tritle

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Shortened a hike from last year by ~6 Miles. Abridged Isabella Loop with the Crosscut Trail plus Davis, Union, and Tritle in a loop. Only did a portion of the Groom Creek Loop this time and took shorter approaches to and from Davis and Tritle. Started around 6am in Potato Patch with Spruce Mountain.

Warm up with less than half of the Isabella Loop. Went east on Groom Creek to Crosscut and then down. Crosscut is easy to find if you're looking for it on the upper end, good shape if a little rocky. Really nice forest of giant firs. Up Groom Creek Loop to Spruce Mountain then back down Spruce Ridge to the trailhead.

Feeling tired, considered just heading home. Had a break, ate lunch for breakfast, and took all the weight out of my pack that wasn't water, food, or first aid. Decided to have a go. Wanted to skip Dandrea this time round, finally went up the northern ridge instead. Beautiful pine forest, especially lower down. Decent bushwhack, but I got caught out too far off the ridgeline.

Took in the wind at the summit then made my way to Union. Tower was occupied by somebody with CA plates. Down the road and didn't see anyone, surprisingly. Poland road through the really nice forest and down/up the unshaded 52b to Tritle Summit.

North of the summit there is a distinct trail that heads down the ridge. It is in suprisingly good shape. Pine needle tread, easy to follow. Turns into a road at some point. Beautiful forest on that side of the mountain. Got down to Senator using game trails, but from the ridge to the summit there's a trail/road the whole way.

Roads back down, only saw people in and around Potato Patch. No hikers. Forest thinning seemingly everywhere. Cool day despite no clouds.

4 archives

Jul 04 2020

AugustWest

Routes 174
Photos 471
Triplogs 184

51 male

Joined Mar 16 2019
Phoenix

Prescott, AZ

Hiking		Jul 04 2020
		AugustWest • Triplogs 184

Hiking	11.97 Miles	2,472 AEG

Hiking	11.97 Miles	4 Hrs	3.06 mph
	2,472 ft AEG	5 Mns Break

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I stretched this out a little bit since everything is so darn pretty in this part of the Bradshaw's.

The Trailhead was a little tricky for me because I just wasn't paying attention. The beginning of my route has me off trail for maybe a half mile. There are two roads that take off at the turnout. One leads right into Isabella (#377), the other leads to a dead end and I took the wrong road (the wrong one has a fire pit and chair in front of it). No problem as I was back to the trail in no time.

The trail description is the most simple one. This is a beautiful forest hike with Ponderosa Pine as the primary species. There are great views, more on the Western side of the Groom Creek Loop with deeper, more lush forests on the Eastern side of the loop and on Isabella.

I saw probably 20 people in 6 different groups and one very nice horseback rider and her very handsome horse Peeky.

One comment for consideration. There has been a massive effort to gather the fallen trees and branches from the forest floor into piles that are most reminiscent of the start of a bonfire. The effort to make these piles is beyond belief having cleaned up 22 blown over trees on my farm in Michigan after a small tornado rolled through. There are hundreds if not thousands of these piles.

I have never seen something like this outside of the piles of yard unmerchantable materials that follow a timber harvest in the Northwest which are all mechanically put together.

This wood will not degrade quickly, but mushroom plugs drilled into the wood could accelerate the process. Does anyone reading this know someone in the Prescott National Forest hierarchy that might be open to a study if this is viable? If not I may call over on Monday and start poking around.

_____________________

Wildflower seed in the sand and wind
May the four winds blow you home again

Jul 02 2020

Routes 154
Photos 1,505
Triplogs 266

31 male

Joined Jun 02 2019
Phoenix, AZ

Union - Moscow - Davis, AZ

Hiking		Jul 02 2020
		LJW • Triplogs 266

Hiking	18.62 Miles	4,188 AEG

Hiking	18.62 Miles	6 Hrs 21 Mns	3.18 mph
	4,188 ft AEG	30 Mns Break

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Moscow Peak Loop

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Chance of lightning, albeit slight, so I got an early start around 445am hoping to summit Union, Moscow, and Davis in a semi-convoluted out and back.

Groom Creek was dark on the way up. Shady and dark all the way to Union, and mostly even all the way to Moscow. Crosscut hard to mistake. Two wooden posts mark the trail where it skirts away from under the power lines and straight up Spruce Ridge. Steep but good shape.

Isabella light started to come out. Such a beautiful trail. All three trails smooth, little rocky on Isabella higher up where it's steepest.

Slipped through Potato Patch before the neighborhood watch was up. Damn is it cold in that pocket of the mountains. Dandrea is pretty terrible but I guess it has its charms. Real dense forest. Better in the light. Tread is about as bad as they come.

Yankee Doodle the oak trees that looked downright burned a month or so ago have leafed-out, and the difference is pretty stark. Oak tunnel in place of Southern views.

Union shmunion. It's a tower peak. Views are good for what they are, pretty big if possible to ignore all the metal on top. LO unoccupied.

Yankee to Moscow ridge. Hadn't been south of Union on Yankee, but it just gets better and better. Easy game trail to the ridge and an obvious use trail to the summit. Sees more hikers than I thought. You can drive most of the way up with sweet enough wheels. Moscow was worth the effort and the ridge walk to it is pretty rad. Beware false summit.

Clouds were coming in by the time I was on Davis. Didn't hang around. Never ended up storming, so kind of a bummer. Waves of cumulous clouds rolled in by the time I was back on 307. Only saw one person, on the Isabella trail.

4 archives

May 09 2020

The_Eagle

Guides 41
Routes 1,626
Photos 14,983
Triplogs 2,760

69 male

Joined Jan 20 2009
Far NE Phoenix,

Davis - Moscow - 7675 - Union - Spruce Lode, AZ

Hiking		May 09 2020
		The_Eagle • Triplogs 2,760

Hiking	16.35 Miles	3,989 AEG

Hiking	16.35 Miles	8 Hrs 18 Mns		2.27 mph
	3,989 ft AEG	1 Hour 6 Mns Break	14 LBS Pack

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Moscow Peak Loop

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This is a go to area for us for when the giant Orb, makes thinks toasty in the valley. We purposefully started in the middle of the hike to 1) Stay away from the more popular Groom Creek TH and 2) start in the middle, so we could leave our additional water and food in the truck.

We were the first 2 vehicles in the small lot for our 7:30 start. We made our way through Peters Potato Patch, crossed the headwaters of the Hassayampa and took a new approach to gain Mt Davis. We both agreed that this was probably the approach we'd take in the future. Mt Davis is my favorite up here. Mainly because of the solitude and views.

Next, we made a mid route change and decided to hit up Moscow Peak and Peak 7675. These were 2 worthy additions and will be added to the rotation. Some very nice views from the top. The preferred route to the top, was the way we came down. From FR261 go due South, following the ridge line to make your climb.

Next up was Union since we were in the area. The tower was manned, but I don't think it was our buddy John. We saw our first people of the day here.

Back down to the Isabella TH, we had our SD lunch.

Isabella is a well groomed trail through some tall conifers. In sections one of the prettiest in the state.
We took this to the Groom Creek Loop and headed up to Spruce Mountain. This tower was also manned but I don't believe it was Suzy. The truck had Idaho plates.

To complete our loop, we used the Spruce Mountain Crosscut. After I splashed in Wolf Creek a bit, we completed the climb to meet back up with the Isabella Trail.

Good times in the PNF

Wildflowers Observation Isolated

Hassayampa Headwaters

Light flow

_____________________

There is a very fine line between "hobby" and "mental illness."
Dave Barry

1 archive

May 09 2020

joebartels

Guides 264
Routes 2,797
Photos 14,494
Triplogs 5,894

55 male

Joined Nov 20 1996

Davis - Moscow - 7675 - Union - Spruce Lode, AZ

Hiking		May 09 2020
		joebartels • Triplogs 5,894

Hiking	15.77 Miles	3,987 AEG

Hiking	15.77 Miles	8 Hrs 18 Mns	2.17 mph
	3,987 ft AEG	1 Hour 2 Mns Break

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The_Eagle

Route Recorded on Route Scout | Pop | Map | Popup | MapDEX

Davis
We walked Poachers Row from Isabella Trailhead nestled in the sine-wave tall-pined forest dotted with cabins. Off-trail to Davis we took one ridge north from our 2018 ascent. It seemed less painful. Overlapping on satellite we simply tiptoed the thorn-scrub laterally vs vertically so the footing was sure. Appears almost avoidable with pre-hike satellite planning.

Moscow
John at the fire tower lookout has recommended Moscow Peak many times. Past core-summer hikes were not optimal temps for off-trail exploring. On a whim, today was the day. It appears a motorcycle recently summited. There is evidence of old trail work in two short stretches. Moscow is a worthy destination compared to the joke known as Trittle. That said, French Alps peak baggers will yawn and pout in their superior mindset.

7675
If OHV ankle-buster rock-lined trails leave a bad taste in your mouth then add this overpass to your spice rack.

Spruce
After a socially distanced tailgating luncheon under Peter's neighborhood pines at Isabella TH we headed up.
ELO claims it's Groos. I'll tell you once more before I write anymore, don't bring me down... SPRUCE!

Mid to upper Isabella might be the nicest groomed forest trail near Phoenix. After Spruce we utilized a trail that cuts off the lower loop. There are twin truss log posts at the signless junction where this trail turns off Groom Creek Loop Trail #307. FS Topo shows this trail originating north off FR 9404X. I'm guessing decommissioned since PNF notoriously bows to locals. Old deadfall and light brush is not a deterrent. The old trail is loaded with oaks between the pines.

Synopsis
We'va historically saved Union to escape 110 temps in the Sonoran Skillet but it's nice in prime season too. Now that the area has been infiltrated by road haters seeking short skirts and high peaks we found some new peaks to bag.

Flora

Flora [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Canadian white violet

Named place

Named place [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Moscow Peak Mount Davis

Wildflowers Observation Light
A little lupine that looks happy that it grew up in a pine forest.

_____________________

- joe

Apr 28 2020

Routes 154
Photos 1,505
Triplogs 266

31 male

Joined Jun 02 2019
Phoenix, AZ

Groom Creek - Bradshaw Four, AZ

Hiking		Apr 28 2020
		LJW • Triplogs 266

Hiking	25.00 Miles	5,050 AEG

Hiking	25.00 Miles	8 Hrs 45 Mns	3.23 mph
	5,050 ft AEG	1 Hour Break

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Mount Tritle

Mount Tritle via FR 52B