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Oct 19 2025
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 Guides 27
 Routes 681
 Photos 12,245
 Triplogs 865

56 male
 Joined Jul 05 2006
 Mesa, AZ
Anderson Mesa - AZT #30Flagstaff, AZ
Flagstaff, AZ
Hiking avatar Oct 19 2025
DarthStillerTriplogs 865
Hiking14.03 Miles 1,085 AEG
Hiking14.03 Miles   6 Hrs   26 Mns   2.32 mph
1,085 ft AEG      23 Mns Break
 
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Got on the trail just after 6am, with just enough daylight to not need a headlamp. I started from the Horse Lake TH off of Ashurst Road and headed south. The temperature was 33 in Flagstaff when I woke up there, and the ground was frozen and all the grass and ground vegetation had frost on it. This created an annoying issue as the ground warmed up and became moist because the wet dirt and pebbles kept sticking to my boots and on the way in I was constantly getting pebbles in my boots and digging into my feet. ](*,) Once the ground was dry, that issue went away.

I hadn’t charged the battery on my camera in a while, and it ended up dying within a few minutes of starting the hike. Murphy’s Law being what it is, I saw probably more wildlife on this hike than I can remember. :x It started with seeing 2 doe near the trailhead, then near the Pine Grove campground I saw a small herd of deer. Shortly after that, there was a herd of antelope. A mile or so after that I spotted some elk running across a meadow, about 3 or 4 cows and a bull. Not long after that I could hear bulls on either side of the meadow in the trees bugling at each other. All the animals I saw were too far away to get decent pictures with on my phone. I was able to get one picture of an elk cow as it ran out of the trees. On the way out I even saw two tarantulas to add to the wildlife. I don’t think I’ve seen more than one on any given hike. :doh:

South of the Pine Grove Campground the trail parallels the old railroad line of the Flagstaff Lumber Company, which is now mostly removed and demoed, with the piles of rocks remaining in a continuous line for miles. At one spot there’s an interpretive plaque that gives some basic info as to what this is.
At the 7 mile mark I turned around and headed back. I was wanting to go about another mile further, but my legs were still a bit sore from the big hike the day before and it was still a long drive back home. My time per mile was an extra 5 minutes more per mile, so I was a little slower than the day before.
There weren’t aspen trees in this area, but there was still a lot of color in the other trees that weren’t pines. :FG: Very clear skies made for great lighting as the sun shone thru the trees. 8)

After my lunch break I took of my sweatshirt. The early morning chill was gone once the sun was out and it must have been close to 70 degrees. It was a nice weekend to spend 2 days hiking thru the pines. After completing this hike, I have officially crossed the threshold of completing 2/3 of the entire trail, keeping a tally of the total miles hiked on a spreadsheet. :y:
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Oct 18 2025
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 Guides 27
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 Photos 12,245
 Triplogs 865

56 male
 Joined Jul 05 2006
 Mesa, AZ
San Francisco Peaks - AZT #34Flagstaff, AZ
Flagstaff, AZ
Hiking avatar Oct 18 2025
DarthStillerTriplogs 865
Hiking20.75 Miles 1,633 AEG
Hiking20.75 Miles   7 Hrs   57 Mns   2.75 mph
1,633 ft AEG      25 Mns Break
 
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I started from FR418 at the base of the White Horse Hills and made my way southbound 3 miles to where I left off last year hiking from Snowbowl Road. The aspens are in full color, very bright and lots of reds and oranges as well as the usual yellow. Southbound the trail went thru a stand of aspens and then into the ponderosas as the trail ascends up the SF Peaks a bit.

Most of the traffic I saw was on this part of the trail, one biker and several trail runners. Lots of hikers near FR418, just taking a short hike uphill to see the aspens most likely.

After that, I hiked northbound just over 6 miles and turned around. As you get further away from the peaks, they come into view much better, with the lower areas lit up by the aspens. Most of the hike northbound the sun was behind the peaks, so I couldn't get good photos. On the way way back the lighting was much better. The AZT parallels FR523 for 2-3 miles and then keeps cutting north.

The weather was chilly at first, but warmed up very quickly once the sun was out. After I took my lunch break I took off my sweatshirt and wasn't cold at all for the rest of the day. The last few miles my pace slowed a bit as my legs were getting sore, but I was able to push thru fine.
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Oct 11 2025
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 Guides 27
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 Photos 12,245
 Triplogs 865

56 male
 Joined Jul 05 2006
 Mesa, AZ
Hawes Trail SystemPhoenix, AZ
Phoenix, AZ
Hiking avatar Oct 11 2025
DarthStillerTriplogs 865
Hiking10.23 Miles 1,450 AEG
Hiking10.23 Miles   4 Hrs   47 Mns   2.15 mph
1,450 ft AEG      1 Min Break
 
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I was planning to hike at the Peralta Foothills trails, but the heavy rains when I woke up got me to thinking that the road to the Hieroglyphics TH crosses a wash, which would most likely be running, so I decided to head to Hawes.

the main wash on the west side of this area was running a lot when I started. Even when you couldn't see it , you could hear the water. Clouds were wafting thru the area from the north, creating dramatic scenery.

the rain stopped almost as soon as I started hiking, and then was on and off. Most of the time it wasn't raining, but I still ended up soaked due a combination of sweating under my raincoat and leaving it off until the rain got me wet. it wasn't hot but it was still warm, and very humid.

Took the Hawes trail up towards the microwave tower and then took it to the south and the detour thru Las Sendas. leaving Las Sendas I ran into 2 other hikers. The one guy thought he knew me and that I was some guy on Strava who also always wears Steelers gear. this made for a confusing conversation at first, but then was kind of interesting.

Weather seemed to get cooler as the morning progressed, the breezes helped. Saw a few bikers, but not many. the overall traffic here was very light, which I found a bit surprising. No lightning the entire time, which was my main concern.
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Oct 05 2025
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 Guides 27
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 Triplogs 865

56 male
 Joined Jul 05 2006
 Mesa, AZ
Blevins TrailPhoenix, AZ
Phoenix, AZ
Hiking avatar Oct 05 2025
DarthStillerTriplogs 865
Hiking8.71 Miles 352 AEG
Hiking8.71 Miles   3 Hrs   48 Mns   2.29 mph
352 ft AEG
 
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Got out for a quick Sunday morning hike close to home in Usery. From Area 10 I hiked a loop with Blevins, Chainfruit, Lost Sheep, Blevins, Levee, Spillway, Meridian out and back, and Blevins back to the lot.

Started before the sun hit the horizon, it was cool but not chilly. Sun warmed it up without getting hot. The saguaros were noticeably thicker and swollen from the recent rain. My legs were still a bit stiff from the longer hike the day before, but it felt good to stretch them out and keep moving the next day. No wildlife spotted, just the usual hikers and bikers. Spotted one hiker near the top of one of the Cat Peaks. He sat there for a few minutes then made his way down.
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Oct 04 2025
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 Guides 27
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 Triplogs 865

56 male
 Joined Jul 05 2006
 Mesa, AZ
Happy Jack - AZT #28Payson, AZ
Payson, AZ
Hiking avatar Oct 04 2025
DarthStillerTriplogs 865
Hiking19.72 Miles 1,666 AEG
Hiking19.72 Miles   8 Hrs   8 Mns   2.53 mph
1,666 ft AEG      20 Mns Break
 
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wallyfrack
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Started from the Gooseberry Springs TH and hiked south almost 10 miles to the road that goes to Bargaman Park. Very shady and cool to start and also pretty windy. After a long hot summer in Phoenix, this was almost like paradise. After a mile or so we spotted a small herd of deer that was far away in a shady spot and they were moving fast. Once we got to the area where we saw there was no sign of them.

Bargaman Park is a very nice area, although the power lines cutting through takes away from the scenery a little. The wind picked up as we walked through and then seemed to calm down after we were away from there.

Lots of cattle all along the trail the entire time, but thankfully the trails were mostly free of the cow patties.

There were 3 tanks that the trail is next to and they all had wooden signs identifying them. They were all inhabited by the cattle, so I don't think that thru hikers would really want to use any of these as a water source.

Only saw 2 horse riders on their way out, with 2 dogs in tow. They had questions as to how far it was to Bargaman Park. On our way home along Lake Mary Road I spotted them again on dirt road. On the way home we also spotted a sign that identifies the road to Bargaman Park from Lake Mary Road, so that looks like a good plan to continue this segment next time.

Legs were sore the last few miles and the rest of the night since I hadn't done a hike that long in almost 6 months. Felt good to get out in cooler weather and in the pines. This segment of the AZT is becoming my favorite. There isn't much elevation gain thru it so it's a pretty laid back area and a nice contract to the bright sun and heat of the desert.
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Sep 27 2025
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 Guides 27
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 Photos 12,245
 Triplogs 865

56 male
 Joined Jul 05 2006
 Mesa, AZ
Prospector Trail - MSPPhoenix, AZ
Phoenix, AZ
Hiking avatar Sep 27 2025
DarthStillerTriplogs 865
Hiking11.20 Miles 829 AEG
Hiking11.20 Miles   5 Hrs      2.26 mph
829 ft AEG      3 Mns Break
 
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I did this hike 5 years ago but this time I did the loop part CCW. Stopped at the Dixie Mine and saw the bottom due to light shining off of the water below. Rain and sun were intermittent throughout the morning, with lightning thankfully absent. Along the Coachwhip Trail I spotted a rainbow that seemed to be right in front of me.

I hiked up the trail that goes from the Prospector Trail to the ridgeline above. This trail is on the HAZ topo maps, so it's been there for a long time. Also saw another trail that the maps say links back up with the Coachwhip Trail. need to check that out another day. The ridgeline trail seemed to go on further but it was very faint and I was already nearly on my 9th mile.

Towards the bottom of the Prospector Trail I spotted a mining prospect next to the wash. It has 2 mine shafts that each go back 20-30 feet or so.

It was sunny when I finished but later in the day lightning storms were wafting through the valley. Glad I got this done before that rolled thru.
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Sep 20 2025
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 Guides 27
 Routes 681
 Photos 12,245
 Triplogs 865

56 male
 Joined Jul 05 2006
 Mesa, AZ
Miners Needle LoopPhoenix, AZ
Phoenix, AZ
Hiking avatar Sep 20 2025
DarthStillerTriplogs 865
Hiking9.79 Miles 1,749 AEG
Hiking9.79 Miles   5 Hrs   51 Mns   1.69 mph
1,749 ft AEG      4 Mns Break
 
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wallyfrack
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We saw Scott at the trailhead and he said he planned to check out Middle Canyon. Wally thought we might run into him at some point on our hike but we never did.

did the loop clockwise, getting the big climb up cardiac hill out of the way early. In Barks Canyon I saw 2 carcasses, one of which was torn apart, which made me think a mountain lion might be lurking. Wally pointed out some scrawlings on the rocks near the Peralta rock and the saddle above the Terrapin Trail that I hadn't seen before. The ones above Terrapin Trail seemed interesting to me because it says "Lost Dutchman Mine" and "no trespassing", which seems to imply that the mine is right there. Closer inspection of that one seemed like some kind of acid was used on the rock to make the marks, they weren't etched like petroglyphs.

The 2nd climb before the junction with the Terrapin Trail was in the shade because it was still early and the sun was low. Along the LDT it leveled out and I was feeling pretty spry after the uphill slog. I had originally wanted to try to add the Ely-Anderson Trail and once we got to it I suggested we hike it.

We only got about a quarter mile in when it became obvious that it wasn't a good idea. The sun was beating down and it was starting to warm up quite a bit. That trail is also very steep, faint, and has some loose rock. I was almost completely out of water once we did finish our hike, so if we had hiked all of it, the last couple of miles would have been really rough.

The descent from Miners needle has the best views on this hike. Barkley Basin has a lot of saguaro skeletons, but still a lot of saguaros left. Older pics I have show more from before, but so soon after the fire, this area doesn't look that bad at all.

Clouds started to roll in the last couple of miles, but didn't offer much shade. Humidity was up more than the weekend before, and it was still pretty hot. Finished up without incident.
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Sep 13 2025
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 Guides 27
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 Triplogs 865

56 male
 Joined Jul 05 2006
 Mesa, AZ
Highline - AZT #26Payson, AZ
Payson, AZ
Hiking avatar Sep 13 2025
DarthStillerTriplogs 865
Hiking12.86 Miles 1,894 AEG
Hiking12.86 Miles   6 Hrs   25 Mns   2.12 mph
1,894 ft AEG      21 Mns Break
 
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wallyfrack
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Wally and I started from the Pine TH and hiked eastbound to where I saw the 2 main tracks for the AZT no longer were on different paths. This segment of the AZT has been extensively rerouted in several places and it appears that I've covered all of that now. Every spot where the tracks and/or old topo mapping indicated the old Highline/AZT trail was we saw signs of where the old trail was covered up, or attempted to be. We took the new alignment all the way out and then for the big switchback we took the shortcut through the old alignment of the trail. It's a little bit of a bushwhack walking over the branches and loose rock, but nothing worse than most of the trails in the eastern Supes. :lol:

About a mile in we saw a small herd of elk, 2 bulls, 2 calves, and 4 or 5 cows. One bull had a big rack and the other was a spike. The spike seemed to have more felt but the bigger one had most of the felt gone, with a few scraps hanging from the antlers.

On our way back along the AZT we hiked down and back on the Red Rock Springs trail. It was very rocky thru most of it, expecially compared to the recent work done on the AZT. The new work on the AZT makes it very easy to hike on, it's just that some of the switchback are excessive. Skipping the big one on the way back saved us over a mile. I think this has mainly been done to make it more bike friendly. We did notice that the climb the first 3 miles was about 800' and we barely noticed that we climbed that high.

On the way back we also hiked another old alignment of the Highline Trail that is signed near the trailhead.

Temps were cool the whole time, actually a bit chilly when we started. First 3 miles were in the shade and after that it was never actually hot. it felt warmer at the bottom of the Red Rock Springs Trail than along the AZT, probably due to the elevation difference.
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Sep 06 2025
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 Guides 27
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 Photos 12,245
 Triplogs 865

56 male
 Joined Jul 05 2006
 Mesa, AZ
Hau'Pal TrailPhoenix, AZ
Phoenix, AZ
Hiking avatar Sep 06 2025
DarthStillerTriplogs 865
Hiking9.72 Miles 3,152 AEG
Hiking9.72 Miles   5 Hrs   13 Mns   1.87 mph
3,152 ft AEG      1 Min Break
 
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The car in front of me took the last spot at the TH so I had to park down on Lodge Drive. I hadn't hiked up this trail since it was the Warrior Trail. The last 0.3 miles is the roughest with how it gets steeper. The humidity made it even worse.

Once I got to the top, I did a loop of this trail, Alta and Ma Ha Tauk. The clouds and breezes cooled me down a bit. Still, less than a mile along Alta my pants were soaked with sweat to the knees. I had pondered hiking to Maricopa Peak, but once I got to that junction I wasn't feeling it. It was slow going down Alta with the rockiness of the trail.

The hike back on MaHaTauk was a slog. The sun came out and the breezes went away. And this trail has way more AEG than I remembered. It wasn't that hot, but being drenched in sweat I couldn't cool off. Every small climb was an effort.

Saw a coyote along MaHaTauk that looked to be hunting for lunch along the hillside. There were also several caterpillars along this trail munching on the vegetation. The recent rains seem to have given a green fuzz to the hillside.
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Aug 31 2025
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 Guides 27
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 Photos 12,245
 Triplogs 865

56 male
 Joined Jul 05 2006
 Mesa, AZ
Tomahawk Mine TrailPhoenix, AZ
Phoenix, AZ
Hiking avatar Aug 31 2025
DarthStillerTriplogs 865
Hiking6.59 Miles 693 AEG
Hiking6.59 Miles   3 Hrs   5 Mns   2.14 mph
693 ft AEG
 
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Hiked one of my usual Sunday go-tos on the Tomahawk Mine Trail but this time I hiked to the west first and did a CCW loop ending up on FR1356 and took that back to the TH. Started out by hiking over towards the defunct mine areas by the Black Queen Mine. Lots of tailings everywhere and the Black Queen Mine is pretty prominent with the big green pool of water.

Saw an owl, a coyote (by the mine) and a mule deer. The coyote and deer were too fast for me to get a pic. Saw one side by side with 2 people a quarter mile from finishing. Weather wasn't too warm or too humid, very moderate.
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Aug 30 2025
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 Guides 27
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 Triplogs 865

56 male
 Joined Jul 05 2006
 Mesa, AZ
Brown's Mountain Summit via Upper RanchPhoenix, AZ
Phoenix, AZ
Hiking avatar Aug 30 2025
DarthStillerTriplogs 865
Hiking11.22 Miles 1,032 AEG
Hiking11.22 Miles   4 Hrs   28 Mns   2.51 mph
1,032 ft AEG
 
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Hiked an 11 mile loop from the Brown's Ranch TH starting out by hiking up to the summit of Brown's Mountain while it was still cool. After the summit the loop was Hawknest, Stagecoach, High Desert, Corral, Brown's ranch road. Best views were up at the summit, haven't been up there in about a decade.

no wildlife seen, but I was accosted by a bee at the overlook just below. Lucky enough to not get stung. Saw 2 other hikers on the way to the summit and the rest was bikers. Got a bit warm towards the end but not bad. The higher elevation in this area is just enough to make it bearable at the worst time of year if you get an early start.
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Aug 24 2025
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 Guides 27
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 Photos 12,245
 Triplogs 865

56 male
 Joined Jul 05 2006
 Mesa, AZ
Gila MonsterPhoenix, AZ
Phoenix, AZ
Hiking avatar Aug 24 2025
DarthStillerTriplogs 865
Hiking7.54 Miles 623 AEG
Hiking7.54 Miles   3 Hrs   17 Mns   2.30 mph
623 ft AEG
 
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Made a direct route from the Hiero lot to the Holy Hill Trail and hiked that eastward until it ended, then took a trail up to the Gila Monster Trail and hiked that to its end. After that I took a road down to the Old Horse Trail and hiked back to the lot. It seemed cooler than yesterday but was still very humid. Saw a few hikers and 2 bikers. There were 4 or 5 cars at the lot when I started and one left when I got back. It was before 11 when I finished but the heat was starting to kick in a bit more. No wildlife seen, or even cattle, which there a lot of in this area sometimes. Probably too hot for anything to want to move around.
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Aug 23 2025
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 Guides 27
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 Photos 12,245
 Triplogs 865

56 male
 Joined Jul 05 2006
 Mesa, AZ
Sunrise Trail - MSPPhoenix, AZ
Phoenix, AZ
Hiking avatar Aug 23 2025
DarthStillerTriplogs 865
Hiking10.51 Miles 1,758 AEG
Hiking10.51 Miles   4 Hrs   47 Mns   2.21 mph
1,758 ft AEG      2 Mns Break
 
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Started from Lost Dog and hiked to the end of Andrews-Kinsey and turned around. Had shade for the most part on the ascent up the Sunrise Trail. the Andrew-Kinsey has more uphills than I remember, but they aren't bad. The last climb was right away after the turnaround and it was ok. The heat was kicking on the last couple miles, even going downhill.
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Aug 17 2025
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 Guides 27
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 Triplogs 865

56 male
 Joined Jul 05 2006
 Mesa, AZ
Tomahawk Mine TrailPhoenix, AZ
Phoenix, AZ
Hiking avatar Aug 17 2025
DarthStillerTriplogs 865
Hiking6.51 Miles 751 AEG
Hiking6.51 Miles   3 Hrs   17 Mns   1.98 mph
751 ft AEG
 
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Sunday morning hike in the Goldfields. Hiked back out towards Top Hat to hit a couple of the trails I missed on my last time in this area. seemed kind of warm at first but it never really got hot, which was nice for this time of year. Saw 4 horseriders on my way in and then saw some 4 wheelers east of Top Hat where the road there ends.
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Aug 16 2025
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 Guides 27
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 Photos 12,245
 Triplogs 865

56 male
 Joined Jul 05 2006
 Mesa, AZ
Cave Creek Indian Ruins at Chalk CanyonPhoenix, AZ
Phoenix, AZ
Hiking avatar Aug 16 2025
DarthStillerTriplogs 865
Hiking11.40 Miles 1,290 AEG
Hiking11.40 Miles   5 Hrs   26 Mns   2.12 mph
1,290 ft AEG      3 Mns Break
 
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wallyfrack
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I picked this area because it's just a little higher than metro Phoenix so it's a few degrees cooler, especially with an early start. I did this hike 7 or 8 years earlier, but in the opposite direction.

We actually skipped the ruins by Chalk Canyon. Once we got out of Chalk Canyon, we headed north on the Cave Creek Trail for another mile and then got off trail to check out the plane wreck. Before we even found the plane wreck, Wally spotted the remains of some ruins, which I knew were in this area as well. After checking out the plane wreck, we made our way down to Cave Creek where what's left of a ranch is there. There is a cairned route down there that eventually turns into a primitive road, of sorts. This entire area is full of ruins and sherds all over the place. We could have easily spent hours checking out a huge area here of ruins. It looks like another pueblo and is within eyeshot of the Skull Mesa ruins up above. There area also several flat areas on the way down the hill that have a look of human activity, certainly not natural looking to have a flat area on the hill.

Once the cairned route turns into the road, there a very large petroglyph on a flat rock. A mile south of the ranch were we got down to the creek, we checked out the petroglyphs that are just below the Cave Creek Ruins by Chalk Canyon.

On the way back Wally kicked out 3 deer by a dwindling water source and we spotted a bee swarm hanging out on a branch by the junction of trails 4 and 247. On they way out and again on the way back Wally started hiking up Trail 252, which would have taken him completely off course. Fortunately on the way back I spotted him taking the wrong trail.

It was warm here and there on the way back, but there were several breezes that kept it pleasant. Stayed under 100 the entire time, which is unheard of for August.
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Aug 10 2025
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 Guides 27
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 Triplogs 865

56 male
 Joined Jul 05 2006
 Mesa, AZ
High Noon Trail - HawesPhoenix, AZ
Phoenix, AZ
Hiking avatar Aug 10 2025
DarthStillerTriplogs 865
Hiking7.00 Miles 745 AEG
Hiking7.00 Miles   2 Hrs   52 Mns   2.44 mph
745 ft AEG
 
1st trip
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Started from the ATV TH on Ellsworth and did a lasso loop of Lance's Trail, High Noon and Wild Horse. Much more humid than yesterday and I was drenched after only 7 miles. Air and skies were very hazy, I imagine from the fire over in the Anchas. Lots of bikers out but almost no one for my last mile. No wildlife seen, barely even any birds.
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Aug 09 2025
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 Guides 27
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 Triplogs 865

56 male
 Joined Jul 05 2006
 Mesa, AZ
Whiskey Bottle Trail - MSPNPhoenix, AZ
Phoenix, AZ
Hiking avatar Aug 09 2025
DarthStillerTriplogs 865
Hiking11.50 Miles 704 AEG
Hiking11.50 Miles   4 Hrs   26 Mns   2.62 mph
704 ft AEG      3 Mns Break
 
1st trip
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Got Andy to hike with me for the first time since Wally and I broke him on the AZT on Mt. Lemmon. He did a major hike last week, so I figured he could handle this area.

We started very early and headed up Whiskey Bottle Trail, then took Watershed to Branding Iron, south on the Granite Mt. Loop. Along the way we took detours to check out The Amphitheater and then Balanced Rock, which needed straightened : wink : .

Finished up the loop going to the Powerline Trail and then headed back on the Black Hills Trail.

Very cool to start early on, but the last hour or so it got a bit warm. There were one or two breezes later on, but I would not categorize them as cool. Nice to hike with Andy again and get in a decent hike at this time of year without heat exhaustion.
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Aug 03 2025
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56 male
 Joined Jul 05 2006
 Mesa, AZ
Grand Canyon - South Rim - AZT #37Northwest, AZ
Northwest, AZ
Hiking avatar Aug 03 2025
DarthStillerTriplogs 865
Hiking12.38 Miles 1,038 AEG
Hiking12.38 Miles   4 Hrs   54 Mns   2.58 mph
1,038 ft AEG      6 Mns Break
 
1st trip
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I started from the hotel and hiked the most direct route I could find to the AZT, which is behind a campground. There is no permissible route to the trail from there, so I had to hop 2 wire fences to get to the road that led to the AZT. Once I was on it, I headed southbound for a bit before I turned around and headed to the South Rim. On the way there, I took the spur to the parking lot that serves as the official AZT access point from Tusayan and then doubled back towards the Rim again.

The paved trail was a bit of a letdown, despite the fact that it's mentioned on the AZT website. This is done for biker tourists, of which I saw a total of about 9. I stayed on the paved path and at some point there seems to be a difference in terms of what the online and published info about the alignment of this trail says, and what the markings on the actual trail says. Once inside the park, the trail markings are not specific at all, and in many cases not marked at all. Without going into all the details, it seems like I may have hiked the equestrian bypass instead of the main trail. But that's according to the trail markings.

Anyway, I hiked to the South Kaibab TH, saw the closed trail there to go into the canyon, and turned around. Radmila and the kids drove into the park and I met up with them once I was done hiking. I hadn't been to the South Rim in 23 years and the scenery was still amazing, as always. It really hits you how far away the North Rim is once you see everything open up. It's also interesting after hiking 10+ miles in the pines when all of a sudden there it is.

Saw several elk, which around Tusayan and the South Rim are everywhere. I don't remember seeing this many elk here before, but it has been over 2 decades.
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Aug 02 2025
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 Guides 27
 Routes 681
 Photos 12,245
 Triplogs 865

56 male
 Joined Jul 05 2006
 Mesa, AZ
SnowbowlFlagstaff, AZ
Flagstaff, AZ
Hiking avatar Aug 02 2025
DarthStillerTriplogs 865
Hiking0.57 Miles 129 AEG
Hiking0.57 Miles      41 Mns   1.32 mph
129 ft AEG      15 Mns Break
 
1st trip
Linked   none no linked trail guides
Partners none no partners
Route Scout Route Recorded  on Route Scout | Pop | Map | Popup | MapDEX
Radmila wanted to have a short mini family vacation with the kids since we haven't been able to do that as they've turned into adults. A weekend to the South Rim of the GC was planned, but we needed something to do on the way up to Tusayan since we planned to visit the rim the next morning. Hitting the Snowbowl gondola seemed like the thing to do in my mind, if for no other reason than to enjoying 65 degrees at 11,500' while it's well over 110 in Phoenix.

I had never been up the gondola before and it was pretty nice. The ride up is interesting, and we spotted a deer on the way. Radmila and I hiked to Humphrey's once 23 years ago and I haven't been back up since. This was the closest I've been since then. Once we were at the top of the gondola we had good views of Humphrey's and the trail up there. I took pics and later spotted several hikers that we couldn't see. I'm used to working for the nicer views at these elevations, but with this being a family outing and a way to kill time, it was enjoyable to indulge a bit and take the easy way up.

We hiked up the spur trail, which is only about a quarter mile one way. It was cool to pick out surrounding landmarks. We could see a bit of the Grand Canyon and then while we were up there a big plume of smoke appeared that remained the rest of the day.

After soaking in the sun, scenery and cool weather, we rode back down to 9500' and had a local prickly pear IPA at the bar/restaurant area, which hit us all harder than it normally would have with the elevation.
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Jul 27 2025
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 Guides 27
 Routes 681
 Photos 12,245
 Triplogs 865

56 male
 Joined Jul 05 2006
 Mesa, AZ
Trans GoldfieldPhoenix, AZ
Phoenix, AZ
Hiking avatar Jul 27 2025
DarthStillerTriplogs 865
Hiking6.22 Miles 621 AEG
Hiking6.22 Miles   3 Hrs   4 Mns   2.03 mph
621 ft AEG
 
1st trip
Linked   none no linked trail guides
Partners none no partners
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Started near Blue Point at FR10 on the north end. I headed east on another dirt road at the start and followed it back to FR10 and made a 6 mile loop. There were several other dirt roads and trails I could have followed, but I stuck to the track I made from looking at aerial photos online. Got a later start due to the attendance of a birthday party the night before, but not too late. It still was much warmer than last Sunday's hike in the cloudy weather, but not too bad. No other person seen the entire time, other than distant views of the tubers on the Salt River making a ruckus.
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average hiking speed 2.21 mph
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WARNING! Hiking and outdoor related sports can be dangerous. Be responsible and prepare for the trip. Study the area you are entering and plan accordingly. Dress for the current and unexpected weather changes. Take plenty of water. Never go alone. Make an itinerary with your plan(s), route(s), destination(s) and expected return time. Give your itinerary to trusted family and/or friends.

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