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| Hiking | 7.74 Miles |
2,565 AEG |
| | Hiking | 7.74 Miles | 3 Hrs 30 Mns | | 2.21 mph |
| 2,565 ft AEG | | | | |
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| no partners | | I wanted to avoid the official Maricopa Trail route, as I’d hiked all the component trails before, some multiple times. The official route is a 1,300 ft. climb to Windgate Pass, then miles of boring flats. Instead, I hiked the Tom’s Thumb Trail alternate, whose elevation gain is one long, steady, climb. After today, I consider myself to have done the full official Maricopa Trail route, even if not all at once. 
Gateway Loop Trail and Windgate Pass Trail were mostly in shade due to overcast, and the shadow cast by McDowell Peak. It was quite chilly.
At least in winter, the main attraction is the many saguaro. It is not the slowly encroaching mega mansions of Silverleaf — including Arizona’s most expensive home, "Altitude".
At the 2¾ mile mark, I turned left off the official Maricopa Trail, onto Tom’s Thumb Trail. It's a steady climb near the canyon bottom until TT 11, at the 4¼ mile mark. There, the trail gets much steeper, switchbacking many times over the course of the next mile.
Not many people, though one couple passed me going up & down. 
I ate lunch at TT9. (A to-go BLT from The Breakfast Joynt on Bell & Thompson Peak.)
On either side of the trail's high point (3,795 ft.), it was a bit muddy, and there were small patches of icey snow.
Past the junction with East End Trail, Tom’s Thumb Trail passes through a boulder field full of rock climbing locations such as “Glass Dome”, it begins descending in earnest, 900 ft. in just over a mile to Gateway Trailhead. From Tom’s Thumb on down, it is quite crowded.
I’ve now completed 210.85 miles of Maricopa Trail. Three more segments to go!
Rumble Video: https://rumble.com/v48ee90-maricopa-tra ... lhead.html
Vimeo Video: https://vimeo.com/904968722 |
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Wildflowers Observation None
Zilch. Zero. Nada. |
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| http://prestonm.com : Everyone's enjoyment of the outdoors is different and should be equally honored. |
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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. 
