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| Hiking | 12.58 Miles |
2,977 AEG |
| | Hiking | 12.58 Miles | 5 Hrs 22 Mns | | 2.44 mph |
| 2,977 ft AEG | 13 Mns Break | | | |
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| partners | | After tossing around a few different options, we settled on an always good loop in the McDowells. Met Bruce at the Gateway Trailhead at 0630, and we made our way over towards Windgate and Tom’s Thumb trails. Nice temps to start, and shade nearly the entire way up the Tom’s Thumb trail, which was very much appreciated.
Once finally in the sun, we were heading downhill, so I kept my complaining to a minimum. Bruce showed me his backup home for when he gets kicked out of his house. The descent down East End went quickly.
I whined a lot climbing up to Bell Pass, but Bruce brought his cattle prod along and kept me mostly moving uphill. Quick break at the pass to enjoy the breeze, then an easy (but warm) walk the rest of the way back to the trailhead. Some interesting people watching, and Bruce gave a creative rattlesnake tutorial to one novice hiker. Good workout hike, and good to hike with Bruce again. |
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| Stop crying and just go do the hike. |
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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. 
