Pioneer Trail #196 • Hike • Arizona • All Triplogs • HikeArizona.COM

East Mountain - Pinal Mountains

Kellner Canyon Trail #242

Telephone Ridge Trail - Pinals

Partners

none

no partners

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

Another favorite hike of last year I had another go at. Changed it slightly, figured why go all the way up the mountain only to walk the road instead of upper Six Shooter, Middle, and Pipeline Trails. Started around sunrise and went clockwise.

Six Shooter to Una Del Oso water in the one creek, nothing on Oso. Overall drier than June last year. Tread is good, cold in the drainages and warm in the sunrise.

Toll Road through East Mountain Trail the scenery picks up. Into the forest, good wilflowers along the way. East Mountain ridgeline fun as ever. Too early for ladybugs. Up the north ridge and down the west through the pines like last year. Not much of a bushwhack but it's steep.

Pioneer up to Pinal Peak and the climbing was out of the way. Relaxing cruise for Ferndell - 6 Shooter - Middle - Pipeline. Leaves higher up yet to regrow, lower down the oaks, maples, etc are fleshing out. Made for less shade on Ferndell than in June. Still a lovely trail and network between the cabins and campgrounds. Middle Trail a particular favorite. Lost Pipeline on the north side but found the end at the road. It's there just got impatient and climbed up to the campsite.

Signal Peak fire watch season is already underway. Tower was occupied, loud phone conversations and radio static the first signs of human life on the day.

Down the roads to Kellner. Passed a sedan that had driven up, only person I passed all day. Kellner trail starts in the canyon of fir and oak. Oaks are still bald and the canyon largely unshaded. Once out of the canyon the trail winds around to Icehouse through shady pines.

Icehouse slog back. First hike in new boots. Hadn't broke them in. Last few miles were painful. Got back to a few cars at the Icehouse CCC TH, but I didn't see any hikers all day.

Wildflowers Observation Light
Good purples and golds on Toll Road, East Mountain Trail, East Mountain ridgeline, lower Kellner Trail.

2 archives

Oct 31 2020

DixieFlyer

Guides 99
Routes 1,488
Photos 16,107
Triplogs 1,378

male

Joined Jan 07 2017
Fountain Hills,

Pinal East, AZ

Hiking		Oct 31 2020
		DixieFlyer • Triplogs 1,378

Hiking	15.50 Miles	4,416 AEG

Hiking	15.50 Miles	7 Hrs 2 Mns	2.51 mph
	4,416 ft AEG	52 Mns Break

Linked

East Mountain - Pinal Mountains

Partners

none

no partners

I decided to go out and do this hike again that I had done a week or so ago.

We started at the Una del Oso TH, and walked down FR 112 about 1/2 mile to the Sixshooter Trail; then we took Sixshooter up to Pinal Peak; went over to Ladder Rock; took the Pioneer Trail down to Pioneer Pass; then took East Mountain Trail-Toll Road Trail-Una del Oso Trail back to the TH.

While on the East Mountain Trail a couple of us went off-trail to the East Mountain Summit. This time we went up and back on the west slopes of East Mountain. It was steep, but I think that this route up to East Mountain was preferable to what I did previously.

There were great views from Pinal Peak, Ladder Rock, and East Mountain, plus the weather was super; so this was a very enjoyable hike.

There was lots and lots of bear scat on the Toll Road Trail; in some places it looked like an Oso family reunion.

The trails are mostly in really good condition -- this is a nice hike that will give you a good workout.

We saw 3 white tailed deer on the Six Shooter Trail, and 2 tarantulas on the East Mountain Trail.

Flora

Flora [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Arizona Sycamore Bigtooth Maple

Fauna

Fauna [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Acorn Woodpecker Tarantula

Culture

Culture [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Bushwhack Intrepid Back Shot Summit Register Log

Named place

Named place [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] East Mountain

Autumn Foliage Observation Isolated
There were a few maple trees still with some fall color on the Six Shooter Trail, but they were past their prime, and there weren't very many of them. There are lots of green leaves on oaks, sycamores, and others; perhaps there will be a bit more fall color from them in the coming days.

_____________________

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

Oct 22 2020

DixieFlyer

Guides 99
Routes 1,488
Photos 16,107
Triplogs 1,378

male

Joined Jan 07 2017
Fountain Hills,

East Pinal Ladder, AZ

Hiking		Oct 22 2020
		DixieFlyer • Triplogs 1,378

Hiking	15.70 Miles	4,341 AEG

Hiking	15.70 Miles	8 Hrs 13 Mns	2.43 mph
	4,341 ft AEG	1 Hour 45 Mns Break

Linked

8 linked trail guides

East Mountain - Pinal Mountains

[ checklist ] East Mountain Pinal Peak Trail Junction Mine Spring

Partners

partners

SecretMtnLover

I had never hiked up to East Peak before, so I decided to hike up there using a couple of tracks posted by @hikerdw as a guide. I managed to persuade Tracie the Intrepid to go along for the ride.

We started and ended the hike at the Una Del Oso TH, which is on FR 112. We walked down FR 112 for about 1/2 mile to where the Six Shooter Trail crosses FR 112. We then took the Six Shooter Trail up to the Ferndell Trail. This is a great forested trail, and we in shade the entire time that we were on the trail -- I was glad to be in the shade because this is mostly a fairly steep climb. We saw 3 white tailed deer and Tracie saw a tarantula on the trail. On the drive out on FR112, about a mile or so from the TH we saw a coatimundi on a rock outcropping on the side of the road. It was only about 10 feet away, and that was easily the closest that I have seen a coati. Unfortunately, my camera was in the backseat.

We then took the Ferndale Trail up to the summit area. We walked over to the Pinal Peak high point, and then went over to Ladder Rock and took a break. There were 3 service workers at a tower next to Ladder Rock; they were the only people that we saw all day. Views were hazy, and we could see smoke from the Habañero Fire off to the SW.

We descended on the Pioneer Trail, and then went on the East Mountain over to -- where else -- East Mountain. We went off-trail up to the summit from the SW and then descended to the NW. If I was to do it again, I'd probably go up and down from the NW.

Once back on the East Mountain Trail we continued to the Toll Road Trail and then the Una Del Oso Trail back to the TH.

As for foliage, there were some bigtooth maples with reddish leaves on the Six Shooter Trail, but they were past their prime. Oaks had not started changing for the most part, and some looked they might go straight from green to brown and skip yellow. Virtually all of the trees on the trek from Pinal Peak back to the trailhead were still green.

This was an enjoyable loop, and it would be even better in a less dry time of year when there would be some water in the creeks.

Flora

Flora [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Poison Ivy

Fauna

Fauna [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Tarantula

Geology

Geology [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Granite

Culture

Culture [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Cairn Intrepid Back Shot Old Rusty Stuff Spring Box

Named place

Named place [ checklist ]

Meteorology

Meteorology [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Autumn - Color Foliage Smoke

Autumn Foliage Observation Isolated
There were a few maples along the Sixshooter Trail that had a bit of color, but they were past their prime. Most everything else still had green leaves, although there was a bit of color here and there.

	Trail Junction Mine Spring	Gallon + per minute	Gallon + per minute
	There was great waterflow and the spring box was full.

_____________________

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

2 archives

Oct 21 2020

rayhuston

Guides 1
Routes 448
Photos 4,407
Triplogs 939

68 male

Joined Mar 09 2012
Gilbert, AZ

East Mountain Sixshooter Loop, AZ

Hiking		Oct 21 2020
		rayhuston • Triplogs 939

Hiking	14.73 Miles	4,013 AEG

Hiking	14.73 Miles	6 Hrs 46 Mns	2.38 mph
	4,013 ft AEG	35 Mns Break

Linked

Partners

none

no partners

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

I came to see fall colors, but I would have been satisfied with just a good hike. There was a little bit of color, which was a minor disappointment, but the hike rocked big time. So did my heart beat! Seemed like I was hiking up hill all day.

I parked at the bridge on FR 112 and walked 2/3 of a mile NE on the road to the Una Del Oso trail, then hiked the loop in a CW direction. The trails were all in good condition. Sixshooter was in the best condition I've seen it. A minor rock slide about 1.5 miles from FR 112 is the only obstacle. If I were a mountain biker, I might be tempted to give it a go.

The weather was gorgeous! Fall has definitely reached the Pinal Mountains. Chilly at the peak with a decent breeze, an autumn sun warming me up as I came in for a soft landing on Sixshooter.

Like everywhere else, it's completely dry. The spring box at junction of Telephone and Sixshooter is the only source of good water. Even the Ferndell Spring was quiet (Update: @BiFrost reports on 10/24 that Ferndell Spring was quart per minute).

I didn't see another person until I was almost back to paved roads. I did see a a tarantula and a white tail deer that I woke from slumber. Perfect solitude.

Unfortunately, I saw a new fire that looked like it was just getting started somewhere north of Kearny.

Fauna

Fauna [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Tarantula

Autumn Foliage Observation Light
Maples past prime. Aspens still green on Sixshooter. Lots of dead leaves on the trails.

_____________________

1 archive

Aug 09 2020

Jim

Guides 73
Routes 176
Photos 10,174
Triplogs 2,324

46 male

Joined Sep 08 2006

Globe, AZ

Hiking		Aug 09 2020
		Jim • Triplogs 2,324

Hiking	10.00 Miles	3,100 AEG

Hiking	10.00 Miles	6 Hrs 30 Mns		1.74 mph
	3,100 ft AEG	45 Mns Break	10 LBS Pack

no routes

Linked

Telephone Ridge Trail - Pinals

Partners

none

no partners

Two dry summers in a row meant I went out to do this with a zero percent chance of storms and no rain gear. Didn't need it, either, not even close. If anything, it was hot, 93 at the trailhead at 5:15, and warm most of the hike. You can tell the mountain has had barely any rain, as everything looks dry. Lots of dry plants on the Pioneer, and on top trees are losing leaves. Usually it is wet about now.

Up Pioneer, skipped Pinal Peak both times, down Ferndell to Six Shooter, which I took to the Telephone Trail, and once I got to the ridge I turned up that. Partly, because I didn't feel like losing any more elevation, and partly because I thought the trail was higher up, not slightly below. I then went up the ridge to Signal Peak. Someone was playing Peter and the Wolf by flute in the tower, as well as a few other things. I saw no wolves, or bears, FYI. After the brief segments of the Pipeline and Middle trails, I stopped at the exotic trees and the hummingbird feeder collection. The trees are losing leaves due to drought, but are fine. There are fewer hummingbird feeders, and I only saw two birds. Nothing like last July when there were dozens of birds, it seemed. I then went back down the Pioneer. Nice views from the Baldy in the White Mountains, to the Catalinas and Rincons.

Not enough decent routes for me to use or piece together, so I added the AEG from the Pioneer and the Telephone Ridge up to Signal Peak. Might have lost some from the Pipeline and Middle. Miles, is a safe guess.

	Squaw Spring	Dripping	Dripping
	Nasty!

_____________________

Jun 06 2020

LJW

Routes 154
Photos 1,505
Triplogs 266

31 male

Joined Jun 02 2019
Phoenix, AZ

East - Pinal - Signal Loop, AZ

Hiking		Jun 06 2020
		LJW • Triplogs 266

Hiking	22.06 Miles	5,062 AEG

Hiking	22.06 Miles	7 Hrs 58 Mns	3.06 mph
	5,062 ft AEG	45 Mns Break

Linked

10 linked trail guides

Kellner Canyon Trail #242

Partners

none

no partners

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

Had never been to the Pinal Mountains before. Recent triplogs, particularly a post from @hikerdw about East Mountain, had me waiting for temps in June to chill out for a day or two. Being a first timer, wanted to see as much as possible. Started up the road from Ice House CCC with East Mountain the first summit on the docket and no firm plan on how I'd come back down from the mountains after Signal Peak.

Got to enjoy the least enjoyable parts of not only Six Shooter but Ice House too. Day only got better. Lower Six was smooth and made the going easy. Six Shooter and Una Del Oso had a surprising flow of water. Windy and cool at sunrise.

Toll Road makes for nice hiking. Was under pines in under an hour. From there the whole route was delightful. East Mountain maybe my favorite trail on the day. Once the trail makes the ridgeline, the views open up and balance out the pine forest lower down. East Mountain summit from the north is steep but clear. Thousands of ladybugs on the summit living their complicated lives. South ridge is thick with manzanita, but there are seams. Opted to come down the west side. Very steep but clear and rejoins the trail in one of its best stretches.

Passed two groups of hikers around Pioneer Pass. Pioneer is dense with ferns and undergrowth, smooth and never too steep. Saw a small rattlesnake. Trickle from Squaw Spring.

Pinal Peak and the ridge under it have more or less the same views as Signal and the road below it, only it's all farther away. Cold and windy on top. From Pioneer Pass and again at the peak, smoke was visible in the Southern Pinals.

Ferndell is a half mile gem that carries along the slopes toward Six Shooter through dense forest. Showcase of the diversity of trees on the loop. Road walk to Signal was nice and shady. Little car and foot traffic given how perfect the weather on top was.

Signal Peak LO was occupied by a man named Jerry. At least I think so, bad with names. When we met he was luring a squirrel to his doorstep. Asked about the fire. He said it was on BLM land and they had an engine on either side. ~30acres. Conversation ensued. Aztec Peak, Ed Abbey, the nature of looking out, Pinals in October. We agreed that I should save Six Shooter or Icehouse for the fall and finish up on Kellner. Bigger views, play to the season.

Kellner was in good shape but had the rockiest tread of the day. Starts in the canyon, ends up on the mountainside, beautiful either way. Meets up with the lower mile or so of Icehouse, which wasn't too bad. Views of Globe and the San Carlos Reservation. Crossing the creek back to the road I think uses Telephone 192. Only saw two groups of hikers on the trip. Not too many cars. Road is good for low clearance all the way to Pinal Peak, and if I had to bet Pioneer Pass as well.

Fauna

Fauna [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Arizona Black Rattlesnake

Wildflowers Observation Isolated

	Kellner Canyon Spring	Dripping	Dripping
	A guess based on water in the creek.

Six Shooter Canyon

Light flow

	Squaw Spring	Dripping	Dripping
	Good enough flow, runoff from pipes and fenced-off spring box.

2 archives

May 26 2020

Daytripper

Guides 7
Routes 187
Photos 2,318
Triplogs 909

74 male

Joined Dec 10 2016
Gold Canyon

Globe, AZ

Hiking		May 26 2020
		Daytripper • Triplogs 909

Hiking	6.00 Miles	1,790 AEG

Hiking	6.00 Miles	3 Hrs		2.18 mph
	1,790 ft AEG	15 Mns Break	14 LBS Pack

no routes

Linked

linked

Partners

none

no partners

Decided to travel the Globe during the pandemic , oops that should be travelled through Globe on the way to Pinal Mountain Recreation area. Drove up Icehouse Canyon Road to Pioneer Pass to check out the east side of Pinal Mountain. Taking the shortest hike to Pinal Peak seemed like a winner , Pioneer Trail or aka FS signed Squaw Springs Trail . The trail had some obscuring vegetation with the shorter New Mexico locust providing some minor scratching , the taller plants made up for it providing some color, wearing shorts was ok. Squaw Springs origin is tightly protected with 8 foot chain link fencing, even a camera set up nearby, the flow from it was creating a small mud bog below it. After walking up to Pinal Peak but before heading back walked along the road to the two closest comm towers and then from the parking lot went down trail 204, turned around before Six Shooter . Had 4 bars on my phone but when I tried to text a message it failed to send , wonder if the towers are functional

Saw no one else on the road or trail today except when driving by the picnic tables on the way up. Also on the drive up a small coyote puppy was running up the left side of the road until it dove into the vegetation, I thought it too small to be on it’s own but then I saw the parent above on the right side . Two mule does on the road on the way down spent a moment looking at me and then exited. The forest road is in passenger car condition to Pioneer Pass area , had two 15 minute delays on Rt 60 between Globe and Superior due to road construction. Nice to hike some in lesser heat today and I found this to be a good workout hike.

Flora

Flora [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] New Mexico Locust

_____________________

Navy31 Army13

May 16 2020

hikerdw

Routes 268
Photos 2,969
Triplogs 541

66 male

Joined Aug 16 2009
Mesa,AZ

Six Pioneer East Loop, AZ

Hiking		May 16 2020
		hikerdw • Triplogs 541

Hiking	14.03 Miles	3,706 AEG

Hiking	14.03 Miles	5 Hrs 46 Mns	2.79 mph
	3,706 ft AEG	44 Mns Break

Linked

linked

Partners

none

no partners

Parked at the Una Del Oso TH. Short road walk then up Six, across Ferndell, down Pioneer, then across East Mountain, picking up Toll Road and Una to close the loop. IMO the best mid teen loop in the Pinals. Perfect weather until the last mile or so where it got a tad warm. Great day hiking.

PS: Looks like the Icehouse CCC is open for parking.

Named place

Named place [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Squaw Spring

_____________________

Expect to self rescue

Oct 26 2019

The_Eagle

Guides 41
Routes 1,628
Photos 14,983
Triplogs 2,764

69 male

Joined Jan 20 2009
Far NE Phoenix,

Upper Icehouse - Six Shooter via Pioneer Trail, AZ

Hiking		Oct 26 2019
		The_Eagle • Triplogs 2,764

Hiking	14.60 Miles	3,981 AEG

Hiking	14.60 Miles	6 Hrs 52 Mns		2.33 mph
	3,981 ft AEG	36 Mns Break	16 LBS Pack

Linked

Partners

partners

BiFrost

joebartels

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

We passed up a Super-Stitioner on the drive to the TH. Hello Walter!

This was my first time hiking out of the Pioneer Pass TH in the Pinals. It's just shy of 6 miles past the IceHouse TH turnoff, but a nice alternative. I did not expect it to be full when we got there.

Pioneer is a steady 2.25mi., 1300' climb to get to the top. Minimal color on this one.

After humoring Joe with a short break at the top of Pinal Peak, we headed through the Ferndell area and on to Icehouse.

The upper 1/3 of Icehouse Canyon is poppin, and will continue to be good for at least another week.

The Telephone Trail contains no oak, aspen, or maples, until the point where it meets Six shooter. That's where the color starts on this one.

Six Shooter is a gem this time of year. Color all the way up. Maples and Aspens, mixed with the the green conifers and the deep blue sky, provide a rainbow of falls colors. Once again we stopped in the Ferndell area to take it in with different light.

Next, the Ferndell trail over to it's eastern TH. It was also aglow with color. We took a stop at the ladder rock, before heading heading back down to the car.

While enjoying a beverage back at the TH, HAZ Legend @Prestonsands happened by. It was great catching up with him.

Autumn Foliage Observation Substantial

Ferndell Spring

Dry

	Icehouse Springbox	Dry	Dry
	New metal spring box is still dry

	Squaw Spring	Dripping	Dripping
	Behind unlocked fence, filterable water available in covered spring box

	Trail Junction Mine Spring	Dripping	Dripping
	Spring box full

_____________________

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

2 archives

Oct 26 2019

joebartels

Guides 264
Routes 2,799
Photos 14,514
Triplogs 5,896

55 male

Joined Nov 20 1996

Upper Icehouse - Six Shooter via Pioneer Trail, AZ

Hiking		Oct 26 2019
		joebartels • Triplogs 5,896

Hiking	14.44 Miles	3,936 AEG

Hiking	14.44 Miles	6 Hrs 52 Mns		2.45 mph
	3,936 ft AEG	59 Mns Break	18 LBS Pack

Linked

Partners

partners

BiFrost

The_Eagle

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

We crossed paths with two respectable HAZ legends. Driving to Globe, we passed and probably frightened the grandson of Jacob Waltz waving and flapping our arms.

Pioneer Trail #196
Tread and ACE work is still in great condition. Upper mile or so has light encroaching vegetation. Majority is from better than avg rains this year. Drooping over trail, might be gone after winter. Nice oaks in the lower third. The most acorns I recall seeing on any trail. Hottest 40 degrees ever ascending, balance of hike was pleasant.

Pinal Peak 7848
We did it. Joy.

Icehouse Canyon Trail #198
Upper is pretty, far cry from best year. 1/2-1 wk before prime color foliage. Nice pastels and oranges few will appreciate. 2? year old shiny new spring box still not hooked up, bone dry, trickle in creek.

Six Shooter Trail #197
After shortcutting across on Telephone Tr. Ferndell Spring area is the prime show. Drive right up and roll down the window for an Autumn fix.

Ferndell Trail #204
Per usual, dandy stroll. Fantastic weather added to the experience.

Synopsis
Nice little Autumn hike. Karl wore shorts, kackled per usual. Preston drove by as we were leaving, stopped and chatted for a bit!

Flora

Flora [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Mountain Snowberry

Meteorology

Meteorology [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Autumn - Color Foliage

Autumn Foliage Observation Substantial
Plenty to enjoy. Unless temps drop big time or strong winds strip the trees there will be plenty to admire somewhere on the mountain for a good week.

Wildflowers Observation Isolated
Just a couple species. Not oddly impressive like others areas now.

	Squaw Spring	Quart per minute	Quart per minute
	Clean, gate is open

_____________________

- joe

Oct 26 2019

BiFrost

Guides 4
Routes 491
Photos 10,890
Triplogs 1,257

55 male

Joined Nov 20 2012
Phoenix, AZ

Upper Icehouse - Six Shooter via Pioneer Trail, AZ

Hiking		Oct 26 2019
		BiFrost • Triplogs 1,257

Hiking	14.60 Miles	3,981 AEG

Hiking	14.60 Miles	6 Hrs 52 Mns	2.33 mph
	3,981 ft AEG	36 Mns Break

no routes

Linked

Partners

partners

joebartels

The_Eagle

Joined Joe and Bruce on Pinals classic hike with a twist. We started from Pioneer Pass which was new trail for me. Not a lot of color on this section but it was a good trail with stop by Squaw Spring. From there we made quick stop on Pinal Peak before heading to Ferndell Spring area for a quick preview of Six Shooter.

However, we had plans to do Icehouse Canyon first and really enjoyed the top part where the color was closest to peak. No hurry in Icehouse but eventually made it down to Telephone Trail junction. From there we crossed over the ridge and dropped in Six Shooter. Of course Six Shooter was pretty much peak in the top 1 mile section especially around Ferndell Spring. Again no rush through Six Shooter either and followed the trail back past Pinal Peak and stopped by ladder rock for one last break. Then back down Pinoneer Trail to the vehicle. As Bruce mentioned Preston Sands just happened to drive by while we were at the vehicle. Nice to catch up with him for a few minutes

Named place

Named place [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Squaw Spring

Autumn Foliage Observation Substantial

_____________________

1 archive

Oct 26 2019

PrestonSands

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

48 male

Joined Apr 12 2004
Tucson, AZ

Globe, AZ

Hiking		Oct 26 2019
		PrestonSands • Triplogs 2,097

Hiking	7.00 Miles	1,344 AEG

Hiking	7.00 Miles
	1,344 ft AEG

no routes

Linked

none

no linked trail guides

Partners

none

no partners

Arriving in the Pinal Mountains, I drove up to Pioneer Pass, with the ghost town of Pioneer as my destination. Never having been down the south side of the Pinals, I rolled down the window to ask about road conditions from a trio parked at the Pioneer Trailhead. We instantly recognized each other: it was Joe, Bruce, and Karl

! Excited, I parked and we caught up for a bit before heading off in different directions. Great to see you guys! I descended the surprisingly well maintained FR 112 toward Pioneer Basin, and found a parking/turnaround spot on the hillside. Setting off on foot, I spent the rest of the afternoon exploring the site of Pioneer, a short-lived town that sprang up in 1882 around a few silver mines. The mines (mostly collapsed) are still there, but every trace of the town is gone, except for a few rock walls and rusty iron pipes buried in the area’s heavy growth of chaparral and catclaw thickets. There is a ranch house (posted private property) and a corral at the site of the old stamp mill, but little else to see. Nice to check this spot off of my list. As sunset arrived, I parted ways with the town’s moo-ing residents, and started back up the hill, taking a side excursion to an old chimney I had seen earlier. Back at my truck after dark, I voyaged north to Globe for the Ghosts of Globe tour, to continue the ghost-themed weekend.

Autumn Foliage Observation Moderate

_____________________

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

Oct 19 2019

Jim

Guides 73
Routes 176
Photos 10,174
Triplogs 2,324

46 male

Joined Sep 08 2006

Globe, AZ

Hiking		Oct 19 2019
		Jim • Triplogs 2,324

Hiking	9.65 Miles	2,400 AEG

Hiking	9.65 Miles	6 Hrs		1.61 mph
	2,400 ft AEG		10 LBS Pack

no routes

Linked

Partners

none

no partners

My route was almost identical to nightstalker's May-5-18 hike, so I am using his stats. I did a little more road walking to see if the hummingbird feeders and birds were still there, but they were not. Still a lot of flocks of chipper forest birds, mostly what sounded like Chick-a-Dee.

What more or less constitutes a leaf peeping hike, except I didn't fight I-17 and Flagstaff, and it wasn't 39 degrees on top. A very nice relaxed scenic Pinal Hike. Walking towards Pinal Peak after looking for hummingbirds, I went out on FR 651E. I was surprised to see an Atlas or Lebanon Cedar, a Red Pine, a bristlecone Pine, several Giant Sequoias, and possibly a few California ponderosa pines, or Jeffrey or maybe Coulter pines, all planted in an area that might have been a cabin site in the past. The cedar managed to reproduce on the east side of 651E and to the untrained eye it might just look like another Douglas fir. It isn't!

Lots of color that will probably peek in the maples this week, oaks later on. Aspen and walnut also appear near peak, but locust and ash are past. Very enjoyable relaxed hike.

Flora

Flora [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Bristlecone Pine Giant Sequoia

Autumn Foliage Observation Moderate
Maple!

	Squaw Spring	Dripping	Dripping
	Mostly wet soil, nothing I think a human could use.

_____________________

1 archive

Oct 18 2019

kingsnake

Guides 117
Routes 339
Photos 11,415
Triplogs 895

63 male

Joined Dec 20 2010
Sunnyslope, PHX

Globe, AZ

Hiking		Oct 18 2019
		kingsnake • Triplogs 895

Hiking	9.97 Miles	2,462 AEG

Hiking	9.97 Miles	4 Hrs 8 Mns	2.41 mph
	2,462 ft AEG

Linked

linked

[ checklist ] Battle Axe Butte - 3531ft Dripping Spring Mountains El Capitan Canyon Granite Mountain Mescal Mountains Pioneer Basin Teapot Mountain

Partners

none

no partners

Why does Haz keep popping up a "Haz uses cookies" dialog, particularly after I've already answered -- multiple times -- "got it"?

Anyway ...

If you look at the elevation profile, it looks like a steady climb the whole way to the summit of Pinal Peak: 650 ft. the first mile, 750 ft. the second mile and 300 ft. in the final half mile. I consider that at the low end of steep, or the high end of moderate. Basically, like doing North Mountain two-and-a-half times in a row, but with much nicer surroundings, and absolutely no human traffic (foot, MTB or horse).

Despite the apparently continuous climb, there are actually flat, or low angle, sections on Pioneer Trail #196, so that I could catch a breath. I actually felt good both at the summit of Pinal Peak and back at Pioneer Pass Campground, after hiking 10 miles. (Though I was definitely hurting on Saturday & Sunday.)

There are really nice vistas available on Pioneer Trail #196 at 0.7 and 1.2 miles up from Pioneer Pass. The best view is from the latter, which 300 ft. higher. Both vistas have southeasterly views, across El Capitan Canyon towards the Mescal Mountains and the San Carlos Apache Reservation.

The first fall color, a few small Gambel oak, were only a ⅓ of a mile up Pioneer Trail #196; the first red leaves of bigfoot maple occured just after the second vista. From the second vista all the way to FR 651, the oranges and reds were pretty steady, but not especially dense.

Two miles up Pioneer Trail #196, on the right side of the trail, is an absolutely massive tree. It’s not an alligator juniper, like the Granite Mountain Hotshots saved, but I’m not sure what exact species of pine tree it was. In any case, the base of the trunk was 4½ feet in diameter. Easily twice as thick as any other tree I saw.

Supposedly, there are 32 antennae scattered over Pinal Peak, but I only checked out the ones actually on the summit. Even better views than on the summit can be had on FR 651, sixty feet below the summit. I could see the entire Dripping Spring Mountains, including Scott Mountain ( [ photoset ] ). I could see Asarco’s massive Ray Mine, peeking out from behind the Dripping Spring Mountains and, beyond the copper pit, Granite Mountain (there are many of the them in Arizona), Battle Axe Butte, Teapot Mountain, the White Canyon Wilderness and, north of that, Picketpost Mountain. I could even see Mount Lemmon!

After checking out the views, I followed FR 651 through a small cabin community to Pinal Campground. I was hoping the cabins were being rented by the Forest Service, but no such luck: They are privately owned.

https://www.globemiamitimes.com/no-cabin-pressure/

The best fall color of all, was along FR 651C, to the junction with Six Shooter Trail #197, then up Ferndell Trail #204. Just amazing.

Other than a 20 minute lunch break halfway down, I booked the 3.5 miles back to Pioneer Pass Campground in only 80 minutes.

Great hike!

Hiking Video: https://vimeo.com/482609545

Flora

Flora [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Bigtooth Maple Gambel Oak Quaking Aspen

Culture

Culture [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Mining Claim

Named place

Named place [ checklist ]

Meteorology

Meteorology [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Autumn - Color Foliage

Autumn Foliage Observation Substantial

Wildflowers Observation Light
Light overall, but purple asters were everywhere!

_____________________

http://prestonm.com : Everyone's enjoyment of the outdoors is different and should be equally honored.

1 archive

Jun 05 2019

CannondaleKid

Guides 44
Routes 162
Photos 24,784
Triplogs 2,417

75 male

Joined May 04 2004
Mesa, AZ

Pioneer Ferndell & Middle Trails, AZ

Hiking		Jun 05 2019
		CannondaleKid • Triplogs 2,417

Hiking	6.60 Miles	2,195 AEG

Hiking	6.60 Miles	3 Hrs 15 Mns		2.14 mph
	2,195 ft AEG	10 Mns Break	6 LBS Pack

no routes

Linked

linked

Partners

partners

trixiec

After bailing on the AZT 27 three-day backpack yesterday we were left with two days to fill.

So what would be a good day-hike without high temps or smoke? How about Pinal Peak? Sounds good, but which trail? Something new?

Well, the only trail on Pinal or Madera we had yet to hike was Pioneer, and it would be the quickest TH to drive to so it was an easy choice.

Although neither of us had even been on this trail, we both surmised it was very possibly in the best condition in a long time, if not ever. It appears there had been very significant recent maintenance, which makes sense with the new fence line running all the way from near the trailhead to as far as halfway along the Ferndell Trail (we would see it end later in the hike.), including a new easy-to-open gate near the upper end of Pioneer.

If high humidity and elevation weren't enough, a flare-up of leg nerve-pain made the ascent brutal (for me) but with Tracey in the lead I just toughed it out without complaint (out loud anyway... silently? that was a whole 'nother thing).

Once at the top the rest was a breeze... thankfully there was an actual breeze. A quick jaunt along Ferndell, spotting a few deer, wandering a bit, a bit on the Middle trail then heading back for the descent.

After what I had experienced on the ascent I had already mentally prepared for knee & hip complaints on the descent so it was a very welcome surprise that I was pain-free all the way down. With my legs in cruise-control-mode I didn't realize just how fast the pace was, which meant I had to stop and wait for Tracey a number of times... not a usual occurrence.

Encountered a few deer on the descent but here-and-gone too quickly for photos.

While the drive east had gone by quickly, the drive back west on the 60 was a different story.

20-25 mph all the way from Oak Flat to Superior behind a truck which never used its brakes the whole distance... solely relying on the 'Jake-brake' all the way. The loud clattering got to be quite unnerving, especially through the tunnel.

Named place

Named place [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] East Mountain

_____________________

CannondaleKid

Jun 30 2018

joebartels

Guides 264
Routes 2,799
Photos 14,514
Triplogs 5,896

55 male

Joined Nov 20 1996

East Pinals Loop, AZ

Hiking		Jun 30 2018
		joebartels • Triplogs 5,896

Hiking	18.31 Miles	5,236 AEG

Hiking	18.31 Miles	9 Hrs 27 Mns		2.20 mph
	5,236 ft AEG	1 Hour 8 Mns Break	14 LBS Pack

Linked

Partners

partners

The_Eagle

East Mountain Trail #214
The lower access isn't winning any awards. The upper trailhead and top quarter mile are blah. The core delivers. Fabulous distant views through tall pines. Low expectations transitioned to wows throughout. Per usual @PrestonSands wrote a nice description. Apparently this trail has received well deserved maintenance since 2006. If hiking the Pinals out of Autumn foliage, this will be on my radar.

Pioneer Trail #196
This trail has received serious trail maintenance since 2013. Great trail. Signage still says Squaw Spring 196. FS website still calling it Pioneer Trail 196.

Ferndell Trail #204
Year 'round winner, worthy for any loop.

Icehouse Canyon Trail #198
Bruce noticed the upper end was remarkably groomed and cut well into the slope. He's always correct. We passed a group of 9 ACE workers tackling multiple areas. New large aluminum water trough built to last installed over a half mile north of Telephone junction. No fire damage in the top mile or so. The torching builds down to Telephone junction. All traveled fine. No trees to climb over on any of our loop today, just easily stepped over a couple.

Telephone Trail #192 - Pinal
Icehouse side is torched for the most part. Views over to Kellner and down Icehouse are torched. Sixshooter side pines are mostly intact with some mixed burn. Trail itself is in decent condition.

Six Shooter Trail #197
Always a winner. We thought the 3/4 mile to Ferndale sign was missing a solid mile. Perhap a quarter mile short, the steep grade just feels like an extra mile...lol

Better than anticipated multiple loop. We lucked out on temps averaging 5 degrees cooler than normal. 5k loops this close to the Sonoran Skillet in late June are likely not this nice.

Flora

Flora [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] New Mexico Locust

Wildflowers Observation Isolated

_____________________

- joe

Jun 30 2018

The_Eagle

Guides 41
Routes 1,628
Photos 14,983
Triplogs 2,764

69 male

Joined Jan 20 2009
Far NE Phoenix,

East Pinals Loop, AZ

Hiking		Jun 30 2018
		The_Eagle • Triplogs 2,764

Hiking	18.58 Miles	5,282 AEG

Hiking	18.58 Miles	9 Hrs 27 Mns		2.22 mph
	5,282 ft AEG	1 Hour 4 Mns Break	14 LBS Pack

Linked

8 linked trail guides

[ checklist ] Icehouse Springbox Trail Junction Mine Spring

Pioneer Pass Campground

Partners

partners

joebartels

I've had this one drawn up for awhile to sample East Mountain and some other exploration I've wanted to do. This is the first time I've done the Pinals when they were not decked out in their fall colors. They are a worthy destination for some cooler temps.

We parked at the upper parking for the Toll Road #200 Trail. It was a short downhill hike, to the the up for the East Mountain Trail #214. This trail climbs 1150' over 2 miles taking you through great views North and then to the West. The trail is in great shape. We contemplated going off trail to the summit, but were enjoying the trail too much. Also good views, of what we later found out to be El Capitan, to the south.

Next up on the Pioneer Trail #196 (previously Squaw Spring Trail #196). We'd been down this trail before, but it's seen some well needed love since then and is in great shape. Short of driving to the top, this is the shortest hike to reach Pinal Peak.

Ferndell #204 is starting to get a bit overgrown, but it's a short hike to get to the spring area. We did a bit of a road walk over to Icehouse Canyon.

Icehouse Canyon Trail #198 is in the middle of seeing some love. We ran into a trail crew of 9 from ACE, in day 4 of their maintenance of this trail. We thanked them all for their hard work and moved on. There is a brand new aluminum spring box that has been installed. They have not even turned the water on to it yet. I marked the location on HAZ and gave it the name Icehouse Canyon Springbox. Doghouse Spring, close to the intersection with Telephone Trail also has a brand new concrete catchment, full of great water. The fire burn gets more noticeable the closer you get to this intersection.

The Telephone Trail #192 had the most noticeable fire damage, until you got to the ridgeline alternate way up. Lots of burned Manzanita. This trail is in decent shape, all the way to Six Shooter. At this intersection, there is also a new concrete spring box, filled with water.

We went up the steep Six Shooter #196, past Ferndell Spring, all the way to 651C. Over to and down on Pioneer Trail, to Pioneer Pass and down to the Truck to complete the double loop.

An enjoyable and suggested option if you are in the Pinals.

Flora

Flora [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Parry's Agave

Named place

Named place [ checklist ]

Wildflowers Observation Light

	Dog House Spring	Dripping	Dripping
	Plenty of clear cool water to filter from in the new spring box

	Ferndell Spring	Dripping	Dripping
	Plenty of clear cool water to filter from

	Icehouse Springbox	Dry	Dry
	Brand new Aluminum springbox all freshly piped and ready to go. Stay Tuned.

Pinal Creek - Pinal Peak

Dry

	Trail Junction Mine Spring	Dripping	Dripping
	Plenty of clear cool water to filter from. New concrete spring box at intersection of Telephone and Sixshooter trails

_____________________

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

May 05 2018

Nightstalker

Routes 189
Photos 7,244
Triplogs 1,743

57 male

Joined Apr 25 2011
Goodyear, AZ

Pinal Signal Peak Loop, AZ

Hiking		May 05 2018
		Nightstalker • Triplogs 1,743

Hiking	9.88 Miles	2,478 AEG

Hiking	9.88 Miles	5 Hrs 10 Mns		2.59 mph
	2,478 ft AEG	1 Hour 21 Mns Break	14 LBS Pack

Linked

Partners

partners

Gallydoll

My hiking pals Gallydoll and Dan decided to join me on this loop I put together to beat the PHX heat. Drove out to Globe and then up to Pioneer Pass, the trailhead location. We passed through the NF campground en route and it was over flowing with tents and trucks. With all the people nearby, I was thinking we might not have the solitude I was expecting, but we saw no one on the trail.

We started up Pioneer Trail (signed as Squaw Spring #196) about 7:30am. Very pleasant ascent passing through thick manzanita groves and tall pines. Checked out a fenced off spring near the top of the trail. After reaching the end of trail #196, we worked our way over to Ferndale Trail #204. Standing at the trail sign, Ferndale didn't look too promising, but once we were on it, we were rewarded with a nice stroll through more tall pines. Just before reaching the intersection of Six Shooter and the end of Ferndale, we spied a whitetail deer tracking our movements along the trail.

We turned left onto Six Shooter trail #197 for a short jaunt up to the road and then followed the road out to Signal Peak. I was very disappointed to find that the Fire Lookout Tower is closed to visitors.

We took in the views and returned on the road to Pipeline Trail #193. Pipeline was easy enough to follow, but starting to grow in here and there. After climbing over to a ridgeline, the trail looked like it passed through an engineered break in the fenceline, however, a faint trail, which turned out to be Middle Trail #202, headed east which was more in the direction I was interested in going. Well, faint was the best this trail got. We passed the terminus of Six Shooter and climbed over a bunch of fallen trees to get out to the road.

We followed the road up to Pinal Peak proper, enjoyed the views for a bit and returned the way we came back down Squaw Spring trail. Temps were probably in the 70s on the top, and just over 80 at the trailhead. Sure beats 100+ back in Phoenix. Welcome to summer!

Squaw Spring

Quart per minute

_____________________

2 archives

Oct 21 2017

cindyl

Routes 17
Photos 2,773
Triplogs 249

53 female

Joined May 15 2009
Phoenix and Tucs

Globe, AZ

Hiking		Oct 21 2017
		cindyl • Triplogs 249

Hiking	3.00 Miles

Hiking	3.00 Miles

no routes

Linked

none

no linked trail guides

Partners

none

no partners

i wanted to do a hike, bobby wanted to see the peak, but not hike, so we drove down from pioneer pass so we could drive to pinal peak, then i hiked back down to our campground. not as much fall color as i've seen on other trails, since the trees are mainly oak and manzanita. one little area with some maple, but they were down the canyon from the trail. there are far worse ways to spend a saturday afternoon. saw no one and no critters along the trail, but lots of bear poo.

Flora

Flora [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Fleabane Pointleaf Manzanita

Autumn Foliage Observation Isolated

_____________________

There are just two switchbacks left. And another half-mile to the destination...

Oct 17 2016

PrestonSands

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

48 male

Joined Apr 12 2004
Tucson, AZ

Globe, AZ

Hiking		Oct 17 2016
		PrestonSands • Triplogs 2,097

Hiking	8.00 Miles	2,237 AEG

Hiking	8.00 Miles	3 Hrs 20 Mns	3.10 mph
	2,237 ft AEG	45 Mns Break

no routes

Linked

linked