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| | | Thumb n East End Loop, AZ | | | |
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Thumb n East End Loop, AZ
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| Hiking | 12.25 Miles |
2,328 AEG |
| | Hiking | 12.25 Miles | 4 Hrs 34 Mns | | 2.74 mph |
| 2,328 ft AEG | 6 Mns Break | 4 LBS Pack | | |
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none
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| no partners | | I did a similar version of this hike 10 years ago starting from the Tom's Thumb trailhead.
The weather was perfect for this one, with a nice breeze keeping things comfy.
About 85% of the people I saw were on the popular Tom's Thumb Trail. This trail starts climbing right out of the parking lot, but begins in earnest about a quarter-mile in. Brittlebush, poppies, and lupine were the stars of the show on the Thumb, Lookout, and the top of the East End trails.
I had the East End, Windmill, and Coachwhip trails all to myself. There was nothing particularly exciting on these stretches, but the lush greenscape and cranking up the earbuds made them very palatable.
I saw my first biker as I hit the Pemberton and Boulder trails. The Marcus Landslide is always a little gem toward the end of the loop, and I ran into a smattering of hikers before finishing up.
The big surprise of the day was the quantity of blooming flora. |
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Wildflowers Observation Moderate
Quite a few bloomining wildflowers. Brittlebush, Lupine, Poppies, Fiddleneck, Fairy Duster, Chuperosa, London Rocket and Desert Marigold |
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| _____________________
There is a very fine line between "hobby" and "mental illness."
Dave Barry  |
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Route Editor
Route Scout
Route 
I digress, but at 5:41am the mindless greyhounds all crushed onto the Gateway Loop Trail, so I chose the more mellow Desert Park start. The rat race was avoided because none of them were seen again for the rest of my hike and double T solo. The East End ascent was hot and humid, then some nice breezes and cloud cover helped immensely. I need to remember that the Tom's Thumb TH doesn't have water because two liters was slightly inadequate. 
But the truth is that the secrets to my best time ever were 1. Never stop to chat with other hikers. 2. Never stop to take photos and 3. Hike at a pace that allowed me to hike the entire distance without stopping to catch my breath. 
