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| | | Goldwater Lakes #396 Ranch Trail Extension, AZ | | | |
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Goldwater Lakes #396 Ranch Trail Extension, AZ
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| Hiking | 13.07 Miles |
1,839 AEG |
| | Hiking | 13.07 Miles | 4 Hrs 35 Mns | | 2.85 mph |
| 1,839 ft AEG | | | | |
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| no partners | | I was back in AZ for another work trip and decided to spend the weekend in Prescott before my flight back on Monday. This was only of my favorite trails when I lived here so I thought it a great opportunity to revisit an old classic. This was now my 7th time hiking Goldwater, so I knew what to expect.
I was shocked by the parking lot redesign. Last time I was here it was a tiny rutted dirt parking area. Now (granted, four years later), it has several lots, trailer parking, and bathrooms. “What happened to that secluded trail!?”, I wondered.
I started the hike around 2:30pm and actually didn’t encounter many others on the trail. 2 solo hikers, 1 cyclist, and a group of two; the seclusion was still there, despite the full parking lot.
The trail itself was as beautiful as always. Fairly flat, but the way it rolls through the hills with the pines towering over the trail from the hilltops above add a sense of grandeur. Most of the leaves have fallen at this point, which resulted in more scent than color, but still a nice autumn experience.
Once I got to Senator Highway, I crossed over and started exploring the Ranch Trail #62 for the first time. I can’t believe I missed it when I lived in the state. What an incredible vista walking up the singletrack! With the sun at golden hour and the shrubbery illuminated in the way it only is that time of day, I found myself in the midst of the Arizona highlands at their best. I was completely surrounded by the smells of pine and sage, the late afternoon sun, the amazing views… it was hard to think I’d only have a weekend of this before heading back to the mud, rain, and (soon) snow of PA.
Walking along, I also found myself craving a good AZ steak, probably to match the primal feeling walking through the brush and smelling the pines. More to come there…
By the time I turned around and got back to #396, dusk was falling. I had my headlamp with me which I put on for the last 2 miles or so. That smell of the pines was so strong and clear, it was bringing me back and causing me to reminisce on earlier travels to Prescott. The first time I was up there was nearly 15 years ago for the freshman WP Carey camp… nearly half my lifetime ago. Yet it was such a strong sense of nostalgia as I was walking along and experiencing Prescott again for the first time since ‘21. It’s amazing what smells can do to take one back.
I got back to the car an hour past sundown and needed dinner. Craving that steak, I went over to Dry Gulch Steakhouse and was blown away by the food and ambiance. It felt pure Arizona through and through. A great end to a great day revisiting “up North”. |
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Autumn Foliage Observation Isolated
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