John10s' Triplogs • HikeArizona.COM

Bluff Spring Mountain Summit

Guides 29
Routes 424
Photos 6,731
Triplogs 390

41 male

Joined Mar 01 2018
Chandler, AZ

Superstition 4x Summit Super Loop, AZ

Hiking		Jan 17 2026
		John10s • Triplogs 390

Hiking	26.57 Miles	5,688 AEG

Hiking	26.57 Miles	11 Hrs 22 Mns	2.49 mph
	5,688 ft AEG	42 Mns Break

Linked

10 linked trail guides

Bluff Springs Trail #235

Terrapin Trail #234

Ely-Anderson Trail

Dutchman Trail #104

Whiskey Spring Trail #238

Picacho Butte 4294

Coffee Flat Mountain Summit 4621

Red Tanks Trail #107

Coffee Flat Trail #108

Partners

none

no partners

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

I hadn't done a long hike in a few months, and since Joe hasn't planned anything crazy recently, I decided to get out for a longer hike in the Superstitions. I chose an old @LJW route that I'd my eye on for a few years that covered 25+ miles and hit four summits (Bluff Spring Mountain, Miner's Summit, Picacho Butte, and Coffee Flat 4621), with ~ 40% of the miles off-trail. Picacho and Coffee Flat were new ones for me and were the main attractions.

Peralta TH to Bluff Spring Mtn Summit
I packed ~3.5+ liters of water, a purifier, and extra gear for a long day and set out from Peralta by flashlight just before 6AM. I carried the bear spray in case there were any lingering rabid bobcats or thirsty cougars still prowling the Peralta area after the recent closure. I covered the first few miles in the dark, with stars overhead and a comfortable temps, and the sky was just starting to lighten as I reached the Terrapin intersection. I left the trail west of Bluff Spring Mountain and took a direct route up to the summit, arriving just before 8AM with beautiful views of the sunrise lighting up Weaver's Needle and the Goldfields. [ youtube video ]

Bluff Spring Mtn to Miner's Summit
From the summit, I hiked SE across the mountain and descended on Ely-Anderson, my first time on that trail. Steep, but fairly well cairned and not too tough to follow. I connected with Dutchman and left the trail after a short distance to hike up the N/NE side of Miner's Summit, a 'miner' bump on the route relative to the terrain ahead. I was on summit #2 just after 9AM and took another short break on top, with Coffee Flat Mountain looming to the east. [ youtube video ]

Miner's Summit to Picacho Butte
Coming down from Miner's Summit, I saw two guys at the saddle below, the first people I'd seen all day. They continued east on Whiskey Spring, and I passed them before leaving the trail and to start up the ridge past the Circle benchmark toward Coffee Flat. Views were fantastic from the ridge, and the route looked straightforward, though the final approach is deceptive from a distance with 4621 hidden behind a false summit.

I generally stayed west of the rock outcroppings along the ridge, and there were two steep uphill stretches. The toughest part was skirting around the west side of 4562, the false summit that's visible from a distance--that involved a lot of side-hilling on a very steep grade that slowed the pace, but I dropped down to a ridge leading to Picacho Butte. The were a couple small false summits along the way, and the high point is a little north of 4294 label on the map, but the views were great. I was on summit #3 at ~11:20AM, and it was very cool to finally be up there after seeing Picacho from below so many times over the years.

Picacho Butte to Coffee Flat Mtn 4621
I ended up improvising on the route to 4621--the route I was following went back the way I came and would've followed the rugged ridgeline that runs SW of the summit. It looked like that would require more aggressive side-hilling around some large rock formations, so I decided to try a more direct route at 4621, first dropping down into a drainage west of the peak...that added some elevation but looked easier and more efficient than another round of side-hilling. I found a spot to scramble down into the drainage and exit the other side...the climb was steep but worked well, and I was on top of Coffee Flat about an hour after leaving Picacho. Once again, great views in all directions with 4621 being one of the highest peaks in that vicinity. [ youtube video ]

Coffee Flat Mtn 4621 to Red Tanks Divide
I dropped down the SE side of the summit, which was steeper than I expected. There were a couple of especially steep, rocky scrambles going down, first leaving the summit and another farther down as I dropped into one of the drainages, which had some small pools and trickling water. The route eventually leveled off and wasn't too brushy on the way to Red Tanks Divide.

Red Tanks Divide to Peralta TH
Finally back on trail with ~11 miles to go, I stopped and filtered water at a nice pool south of the divide. Red Tanks Trail was easy to follow and not nearly as overgrown as I expected, so the miles passed quickly. I'd never hiked that section of Red Tanks and was pleasantly surprised by the scenery approaching Dripping Spring--flowing water, flowers, beautiful cliffs, and some fall color. I crossed paths with two people camped near the spring, and one of their dogs enjoyed following me and barking...I wondered for a while if he planned to stick with me all the way back to Peralta

. The impressive scenery continued along Coffee Flat Trail, and I stopped by Reeds Water before continuing onto Dutchman in late afternoon shadows and finishing off the loop a little after 5PM.

Summary
Fantastic loop, and one of the most memorable Superstition hikes I've done. I saw four people and two deer all day and covered a lot of ground...great sunrise and scenery, perfect weather, explored some new territory and visited two new peaks, and didn't pick up too many scratches. Good day all around

.

Culture

Culture [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Benchmark Miscellaneous Survey Marker Route - finding Labels Summit Register Log

Named place

Named place [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Barkley Basin Cathedral Rock - Superstitions Coffee Flat Mountain Dacite Cliffs Dripping Spring Miners Needle Miners Summit Picacho Butte Red Tanks Canyon Reeds Water

	Bark at Dutchman Crossing	Light flow	Light flow
	Pools at crossing, light flow just upstream

	Dripping Spring	Dripping	Dripping
	Didn’t get a good look because people camped nearby but creek had light flow...presumably, the spring was dripping

	Fraser Canyon	Light flow	Light flow

	Randolph Canyon	Light flow	Light flow

	Red Tanks Canyon	Light flow	Light flow

	Reeds Water	Dry	Dry

1 archive

Jan 10 2026

[ checklist ] Big Horn Mountains Big Horn Mountains Wilderness Big Horn Peak Sugarloaf Mountain

Guides 29
Routes 424
Photos 6,731
Triplogs 390

41 male

Joined Mar 01 2018
Chandler, AZ

Big Horn Peak

Southwest, AZ

Big Horn Peak

Southwest, AZ

Hiking		Jan 10 2026
		John10s • Triplogs 390

Hiking	8.52 Miles	2,102 AEG

Hiking	8.52 Miles	5 Hrs 47 Mns	1.75 mph
	2,102 ft AEG	55 Mns Break

Linked

none

no linked trail guides

Partners

partners

JamesP

ScottHika

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

Big Horn is a distinctive peak I'd passed many times on I-10, and I've wanted to hike it for a few years. JamesP posted a MeetUp recently, and that was a good excuse to finally get out there. A group of 14(!) met up at 7:30AM in Tolleson to carpool, and we set out from the parking area near the CAP bridge at ~8:45AM, with temps in the upper 30s.

We followed the official route, and it worked well--it's easy to see where the final approach could be much tougher with different route choices. The first two miles were flat, easy hiking across open desert with a few small drainages. We regrouped, then started the first minor climb, regrouped again before the steeper second climb, and continued the pattern most of the way. The middle section following the ridgeline was relatively flat and easy, but the density of the cholla was high, with several areas where it was virtually impossible to avoid stepping on dead spines.

The group reconvened again near the saguaro at the right return before the final approach up to the ridge just east of the peak. That last stretch was steep, loose, and full of fun scrambling as we made the climb. From there, we had one final scramble up the chute on the east side of the summit block. Ten of the 14 made the top (has to be one of the larger groups that's been on the peak at one time), and we took a break on top and enjoyed the views, took some pics, and ate a snack before starting down.

Going down the scree felt tougher than going up, and one person in the group took a scary slide/fall that left him on the edge of a 5-10 foot drop above more cholla...luckily he didn't go over and was fine other than picking up some cholla spines. Good to be back on more solid ground down lower, and we finished ~2:30PM. Fun day and great weather...nice to finally hike Big Horn and meet some new people, including a few HAZ members ( @JamesP and @ScottHika), and thanks to JamesP for organizing.

Culture

Culture [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Canal - Aqueduct HAZ - Hike HAZard HAZ - Selfie

Named place

Named place [ checklist ]

Jan 03 2026

Black Mesa Loop - Superstition Mtns

Guides 29
Routes 424
Photos 6,731
Triplogs 390

41 male

Joined Mar 01 2018
Chandler, AZ

Double Black Mesa Figure Eight, AZ

Hiking		Jan 03 2026
		John10s • Triplogs 390

Hiking	15.51 Miles	2,058 AEG

Hiking	15.51 Miles	8 Hrs 5 Mns	2.06 mph
	2,058 ft AEG	33 Mns Break

Linked

linked

Dutchman Trail #104

Bull Pass Trail #129

Second Water Trail #236

Partners

partners

TboneKathy

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

First hike of the year and first time back in the Superstitions since last spring. We started from First Water TH ~8AM, with quite a few vehicles already there, but the trails didn’t seem too busy. We stayed on Dutchman headed for Black Top Mesa, and water was hit or miss along the way--some crossings and drainages had small pools or a light flow; others were completely dry. But everything was greener and more overgrown with grasses than my last trip to the Supes, and wildflowers were blooming nicely.

We took Bull Pass Trail around the north side of Black Top and looped back around on Dutchman. The sky clouded over and remained mostly cloudy the rest of the day, so the lighting wasn't the best for pictures, but the stretch between Black Top Mesa and Palomino Mountain is always colorful and scenic. We stopped for a break along the drainage, then completed the loop and took Black Mesa Trail back toward First Water to make it a figure-eight and avoid repeating trails on the way out.

We saw a total of ~15-20 people on the trails over the course of the day by the time we finished. These were all familiar trails and locations, but it was a nice medium-length hike and good to get back out in the Superstitions.

Flora

Flora [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] California Poppy Desert Marigold Saguaro Saguaro - Crested

Culture

Culture [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] HAZ Food

Named place

Named place [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Aylor's Arch Battleship Mountain East Boulder - Weavers Viewpoint Palomino Mountain West Boulder - Dutchman Crossing

	Bluff Spring Mountain Canyon	Light flow	Light flow
	Medium pool and light flow along the trail west of the water marking

	East Boulder - Weavers Viewpoint	Light flow	Light flow

	First Water Creek - Upper Turnoff	Dry	Dry
	Moist ground but no water in the drainage

	West Boulder - Dutchman Crossing	Dry	Dry

Dec 30 2025

Guides 29
Routes 424
Photos 6,731
Triplogs 390

41 male

Joined Mar 01 2018
Chandler, AZ

Newman Peak Trail

Newman Peak Trail

Tucson, AZ

Hiking		Dec 30 2025
		John10s • Triplogs 390

Hiking	8.24 Miles	3,456 AEG

Hiking	8.24 Miles	4 Hrs 56 Mns	1.89 mph
	3,456 ft AEG	35 Mns Break

Linked

linked

South Newman 4209

Partners

partners

chumley

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

I thought Sunday was going to be my 2025 hiking finale, but Chumley had one more hike in mind, and it worked out well--I'd had the Newman twins on my list for quite a while. On the way to the parking area near the CAP, we passed some farm fields with roses and various other flowers, presumably leading up to a pre-Valentine's harvest...I'd never seen commercially-grown flowers like that.

We picked up the old trail on the far side of the canal and stopped briefly at the mine on our way up. The trail was well cairned most of the way, especially down lower, and we benefitted from some of the trail maintenance Chums had done on prior visits. The steepness increased up through the chute and past the laughable up/down painted arrows, and we took a short break at the saddle before continuing up to the peak. We had solid cloud cover on the way up, and it was cool and a little breezy on top.

After signing the register and a snack break bathed in radio frequency radiation, we continued across the ridge toward South Newman with some fun scrambling along the way. We took a short break at the second summit and continued farther south to the Lion's Den Overlook, an outcropping with better views of Picacho...cool perspective to look down at it from that angle.

The descent down the drainage near South Newman was steep, but less so than the climb up to big Newman. We kept a steady pace for the rough terrain and finished it off in just under five hours. The sun finally came out at the end, but the clouds kept it comfortable for most of the hike.

I enjoyed this one a lot and was happy it worked out to fit in one more hike in 2025. Many aspects reminded me of Montezuma Peak in the Estrellas--the drive in on a rough two track following powerlines, the mine at the bottom of the mountain, and the steep, shaded, easterly off-trail scramble up a drainage in the morning shade. This made it two Chums hikes in three days--that's a strong dose of vitamin C to wrap up the year!

Culture

Culture [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Benchmark Canal - Aqueduct HAZ - Hike HAZard Mine Shaft

Named place

Named place [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Newman Peak Picacho Peak South Newman Peak Turd Hill

Dec 28 2025

White Canyon Upper - SW Approach FR319

Guides 29
Routes 424
Photos 6,731
Triplogs 390

41 male

Joined Mar 01 2018
Chandler, AZ

White Christmas, AZ

Hiking		Dec 28 2025
		John10s • Triplogs 390

Hiking	12.07 Miles	2,119 AEG

Hiking	12.07 Miles	6 Hrs 6 Mns	2.22 mph
	2,119 ft AEG	40 Mns Break

Linked

linked

White Canyon

White Canyon via Wood Canyon

Partners

partners

	BiFrost	chumley
	joebartels	LindaAnn
	The_Eagle

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

Joe guided us on a quick tour of the nearby 4x4 roads, but we were still early getting to the parking area and met the other half of the group at ~8:30AM to start the clockwise loop. After a little road walking, we started following a wash that quickly turned into a narrow canyon with some fun scrambling and occasional bypasses.

We crossed under a barbed wire fence and got into the wilderness. I'd done some hiking just north of here, but this was my first time actually hiking in White Canyon Wilderness, and it was impressive even without much water. We hiked through a lot of beautiful Goldfield-esque geology, first along a cliff edge overlooking the deep canyon with views of Battle Axe to the south. Making our way down, we stopped at a nice arch, then dropped into the canyon and checked out Bruce's Bat Cave and some dripping would-be waterfalls.

Karl was disappointed to find his old swimming hole was mostly filled in and very shallow, but we found a great backup option along the southern part of the loop, and Karl and Chumley took advantage of the opportunity. Farther along, we passed another 20+ foot would-be waterfall (a common theme today) and scrambled up a steep slope to a comfortable lunch spot, where Bruce spotted a turtle trying to climb a short vertical wall that looked like it had gotten itself into a predicament.

We continued following the drainage over to Wood Canyon on the west side of the loop and into more familiar territory for me, where we could see Tower Arch and some of the peaks on that side. The upper section of the loop was flatter and mostly easy hiking with the brush still recovering from fire damage, but the sun felt warmer than the Chumometer indicated.

Fun day with great scenery and conversations. Thank you to the Eagle and the absent Tortoise for organizing this. Despite the lack of significant water, the hike had just about everything else you could ask for--Joe helped us find some adventurous off-roading, Linda murdered a baby cactus, Chumley saved a free-soloing turtle, and Karl got a good swim. Not a bad way to wrap up 2025

.

Fauna

Fauna [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Sonoran Mud Turtle

Geology

Geology [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Natural Arch

Culture

Culture [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Trash Hauled Out

Named place

Named place [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Battle Axe Butte - 3531ft Black Hills Tank White Canyon Wilderness

Autumn Foliage Observation Isolated
One colorful cottonwood

Black Hills Tank

51-75% full

	Crucifixon Tank	51-75% full	51-75% full

1 archive

Dec 27 2025

Guides 29
Routes 424
Photos 6,731
Triplogs 390

41 male

Joined Mar 01 2018
Chandler, AZ

SoMo Marcos - Mormon Double Double, AZ

Hiking		Dec 27 2025
		John10s • Triplogs 390

Hiking	12.79 Miles	3,201 AEG

Hiking	12.79 Miles	3 Hrs 50 Mns	3.41 mph
	3,201 ft AEG	5 Mns Break

Linked

Partners

partners

TboneKathy

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

We got started a little before 10AM, and Pima Canyon was packed, with almost all the road spots taken in addition to the lot. That, of course, translated into very busy trails. The tourists were out in full force...someone stopped me on National and asked, "Is this the way to the rock formation?" When I asked which one, she said, "Any." If you're looking for any rock formation, I guess you're in luck.

TBK wanted to go all the way down to Mormon TH, so I went ahead and did two laps down and back up. The crowds were terrible--I think I preferred the Santas last week. On the hike out, I did a second lap on Marcos de Niza to make it a double-double. Aside from the crowded trails, it was a nice day to be outside--there were scattered clouds throughout, but very little haze and temps in the upper 60s.

Dec 20 2025

Guides 29
Routes 424
Photos 6,731
Triplogs 390

41 male

Joined Mar 01 2018
Chandler, AZ

SoMo Hidden Valley Mormon Loop, AZ

Hiking		Dec 20 2025
		John10s • Triplogs 390

Hiking	10.59 Miles	2,487 AEG

Hiking	10.59 Miles	3 Hrs 22 Mns	3.16 mph
	2,487 ft AEG	1 Min Break

Linked

Partners

partners

TboneKathy

Got started ~7:30AM...cool start to the day in the upper 40s/low 50s. Trails were busy, with an impressive number of people in Santa hats/full suits. Got stuck in a traffic jam of 30+ Santas coming back up Mormon Trail that must've been a holiday-themed Meet Up--that was pretty annoying...Santas aren't known for being particularly fleet afoot. Very comfortable morning and still crowded when we finished.

Dec 12 2025

Guides 29
Routes 424
Photos 6,731
Triplogs 390

41 male

Joined Mar 01 2018
Chandler, AZ

SoMo Hidden Valley Mormon Loop, AZ

Hiking		Dec 12 2025
		John10s • Triplogs 390

Hiking	10.67 Miles	2,459 AEG

Hiking	10.67 Miles	3 Hrs 26 Mns	3.12 mph
	2,459 ft AEG	1 Min Break

Linked

Partners

partners

TboneKathy

Got out for an afternoon hike on a warm day that felt more like spring than mid-December with temps pushing 80° and some flowers blooming. The sky was mostly clear to the east but very hazy looking north/northwest toward downtown. There were quite a few bikers and a fair number hikers out on the trails, and we finished a little before sunset on a nice day.

Dec 07 2025

Cooper Forks Canyon Cliff Dwellings

Guides 29
Routes 424
Photos 6,731
Triplogs 390

41 male

Joined Mar 01 2018
Chandler, AZ

Globe, AZ

Cooper Forks Canyon Cliff Dwellings

Globe, AZ

Hiking		Dec 07 2025
		John10s • Triplogs 390

Hiking	13.22 Miles	2,397 AEG

Hiking	13.22 Miles	9 Hrs 29 Mns	1.81 mph
	2,397 ft AEG	2 Hrs 11 Mns Break

no routes

Linked

linked

Cherry Creek Road FR 203

Partners

partners

ishamod

We got an early start and left the Valley at 4AM so we could make the most of the daylight. There were a few shallow water crossings on Cherry Creek Road, and it was in good shape until about a mile before Devil's Chasm. When it got too rough, we pulled off to the side and started hiking the road just as the sun was coming up. Temps dipped below freezing on the drive in but had warmed to the upper 30s/low 40s as we got going. There was plenty of bright fall color down along Cherry Creek, and we could hear water flowing most of the way.

After a few miles on the road, we exited a little before Pottery Point and started down an old mining road toward Cherry Creek. With the amount of rain this fall, we carried water shoes in case we needed to wade, and though the creek had a decent flow, we had no problem staying dry as we hiked north along the west bank. I was expecting a jungle of brush, but it was surprisingly open, relatively easy hiking, and we could see the cliffs with the dwellings above us through the trees most of the way.

After one simple crossing over to the east side just past the Cooper Forks Canyon confluence, we left the creek to start the climb. Again, I expected a brush battle that never materialized--there was a cairned social trail leading up the ridge between the canyons that continued most of the way. The route became a little fainter as turned east toward the cliffs, and the walls of the hilltop Laughing Rock ruins (V:1:143) came into view before we got into the scree zone and went up the chute. Overall, the approach to the main ruins was easier than I expected--the rock didn't feel too unstable, and crossing the rock slides/talus slopes perpendicularly wasn't bad.

As I approached the main dwellings, I immediately found a nice pot sherd in the dirt--a rim piece with an intricately-painted red and white pattern on both sides. Especially surprising because that was one of the few pieces of pottery around the site. We spent a lot of time exploring the dwellings; there were a couple of manos/metates, a few small corn cob fragments, and a handful of pot sherds set out in one of the rooms. Many of the walls were badly deteriorated, but the nicest room had a mostly-intact roof. The floor/ceiling of the multi-level dwelling next to it had collapsed, and that one had some walled-off rooms in the back of the cave with no doorways...probably accessed from above when the second floor was intact.

We made the scramble up to the large dwelling high up in the eastern cave that's visible from miles away on Cherry Creek Road. Interestingly, that doorway is ~5 feet above the ledge, so it's easier to access the room by scrambling into a gap to the left of the dwelling. There's a natural window in the cave wall on that side that connects to the tall, narrow neighboring cave with a dwelling. The big upper ruin also has a back room with no doorway that was probably accessed from the second level when it existed.

Upper dwelling: [ youtube video ]

When we left the main site, we headed over to Laughing Rock and climbed up a steep, loose scree slope to reach the hilltop ruins, where we ate lunch. The southern walls are in surprisingly good shape and very tall (~6 feet high), with more deteriorated walls scattered around the hilltop. The site makes a great lookout, with views overlooking Cherry Creek and across to Pueblo Canyon, Cold Spring Canyon, and Devil's Chasm, plus a view back to the main dwellings. As we started down, I found another painted pot sherd, the only artifact we found at that site.

Laughing Rock: [ youtube video ]

The hike out was straightforward, and the long shadows made for great scenery; it was cool to look back at the dwellings in the distant cliffs in the late afternoon sun. We didn't see anyone all day and the hike, though challenging, was much easier than I expected based on the guide and previous triplogs. Brush was a non-issue (not a single scratch!), the talus slopes and chute were relatively stable and short, and route finding was straightforward with a cairned social trail much of the way. I suspect the site has seen more visitation in recent years, and that's probably contributed to a more defined route. But it's easy to see where this could get really tough if you're off the more established path.

A fun day from start to finish where everything went smoothly. It had been more than 2.5 years since my last hike in the Sierra Anchas, and I hadn't hiked with @ishamod in over a year, so it was great to see both again...he's joined me on quite a few of these trips now, and hikes to these Ancha ruins sites are always among my favorites.

Culture

Culture [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Informational/Interpretive Sign Salado Habitation Salado Mano and Metate Tonto Polychrome

Named place

Named place [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Cherry Creek Cold Spring Canyon Pueblo Canyon

Meteorology

Meteorology [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Autumn - Color Foliage Moon

Autumn Foliage Observation Moderate
Bright colors along Cherry Creek

	Cold Spring Canyon	Medium flow	Medium flow
	Medium flow in the creek bed

Nov 27 2025

Sunrise Peak from Adero Canyon TH

Guides 29
Routes 424
Photos 6,731
Triplogs 390

41 male

Joined Mar 01 2018
Chandler, AZ

Phoenix, AZ

Sunrise Peak from Adero Canyon TH

Phoenix, AZ

Hiking		Nov 27 2025
		John10s • Triplogs 390

Hiking	10.58 Miles	2,272 AEG

Hiking	10.58 Miles	4 Hrs 5 Mns	2.67 mph
	2,272 ft AEG	7 Mns Break

Linked

linked

Andrews - Kinsey Trail FHP

Andrews - Kinsey Trail MSP

Western Loop Trail - FHP

Peak Spur Trail - MSP

Sunrise Trail - MSP

Partners

9 partners

	johnlp	JuanJaimeiii
	LindaAnn	rayhuston
	TboneKathy	The_Eagle
	Tortoise_Hiker	trekkin_gecko
	wallyfrack

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

This was my first HAZ Thanksgiving hike and first time hiking up Sunrise Peak from this direction. The group of 10 met at Adero Canyon TH at 6:30AM and started the hike to Sunrise with, fittingly, a fantastic sunrise that just kept improving--the whole line of us stopped for pictures every few minutes early on as the sky kept turning a deeper red over the Superstitions. It was a little windy at times, but comfortable temperatures overall. There were quite a few people out hiking on the holiday, including a surprising number of groups in their teens/20s...kids still go outdoors these days?

We got some pictures at the summit before the group split in half, with five going back to Adero and five going down to the 145th St. TH before turning around. Great to see a lot of familiar faces and meet Denny, JJ, and Ray for the first time, and a nice way to start Thanksgiving. Between 10s/lp/JJ, we had strong John representation at 30% of the group...more johns than a prostitution ring.

Flora

Flora [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Ocotillo

Named place

Named place [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Sunrise Peak - McDowell Sonoran Preserve

Meteorology

Meteorology [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Sunrise

Nov 21 2025

Guides 29
Routes 424
Photos 6,731
Triplogs 390

41 male

Joined Mar 01 2018
Chandler, AZ

Buena Vista Lookout via Pima Canyon, AZ

Hiking		Nov 21 2025
		John10s • Triplogs 390

Hiking	11.48 Miles	2,331 AEG

Hiking	11.48 Miles	2 Hrs 47 Mns	4.12 mph
	2,331 ft AEG

Linked

linked

Partners

none

no partners

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

I got started from Pima Canyon a little before sunrise. It was a nice, cool morning in the 50s...the summer SoMo sweat-fests felt like a distant memory. It was a spectacular sunrise on the way to Buena Vista Lookout, and the trails were surprisingly empty--I didn't pass anyone until I was on my way back. There were a few lingering puddles on the trails from the recent rain, and this latest round has things looking very green. The sky clouded over for most of the hike, and I ran into TboneKathy along National on the hike out.

Meteorology

Meteorology [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Sunrise

Nov 14 2025

Guides 29
Routes 424
Photos 6,731
Triplogs 390

41 male

Joined Mar 01 2018
Chandler, AZ

SoMo Hidden Valley Mormon Loop, AZ

Hiking		Nov 14 2025
		John10s • Triplogs 390

Hiking	10.51 Miles	2,198 AEG

Hiking	10.51 Miles	3 Hrs 15 Mns	3.27 mph
	2,198 ft AEG	2 Mns Break

Linked

Partners

partners

TboneKathy

I got a little bit later start than usual at ~9AM, but the weather was nice and the trails were more crowded than expected for a Friday morning. There were several classrooms' worth of young kids (field trip?) clogging National near the Pima Wash/Javelina intersection, so that was annoying. Otherwise, pretty typical morning at SoMo. I didn't see any blood remaining on Mormon Trail from my last visit, and I avoided any rock collisions today, so that was a step in the right direction.

Named place

Named place [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Hidden Valley Tunnel

Nov 08 2025

Cottonwood Camp to Lone Pine via Alder

Guides 29
Routes 424
Photos 6,731
Triplogs 390

41 male

Joined Mar 01 2018
Chandler, AZ

Four Peaks Circumference, AZ

Hiking		Nov 08 2025
		John10s • Triplogs 390

Hiking	30.73 Miles	7,770 AEG

Hiking	30.73 Miles	23 Hrs 36 Mns	1.54 mph
	7,770 ft AEG	3 Hrs 41 Mns Break

Linked

linked

Four Peaks Trail #130

Alder Creek Trail #82

Cane Spring Trail #77

Soldier Camp Trail #83

Partners

partners

joebartels

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

Synopsis: 4PC - A Long Day's Journey Into Night...And Morning (TL;DR Version)
Joe posted a wish list hike for a repeat of the Four Peaks Circumference that he and Karl hiked in March 2014. It was 100% new terrain for me, and I can't seem to turn down opportunities for long loops with poorly maintained/non-existent trails, so I signed up. Joe and Karl completed the loop in ~16.5 hours, and Joe figured we could finish in 15-20 hours. What could go wrong? Nothing did, per se, it just took a lot longer than planned. The eastern side of the loop following Alder Creek slowed us down; we ended up covering nearly half the total miles, most of the elevation gain, and the worst of the brush in darkness as we hiked all of Saturday and into Sunday morning.

The Details
Joe and I left the valley ~3:40AM on Saturday for the drive to Mud Spring Trailhead. There were a couple of deep ruts in FR143 on the way in and some moist spots in the washes that we hoped were a good sign for water along the route. We set out at 5:30AM hiking uphill by moonlight on FR 143, starting our clockwise circumference.

We had comfortable temps starting out and a nice sunrise over Roosevelt Lake and the Sierra Anchas with Four Peaks ahead of us as we approached Lone Pine Trailhead ~ four four miles in. We continued on Four Peaks Trail, enjoying the last maintained trail we'd see on the loop. We passed two hunters glassing the hills on the our way to Black Bear Saddle, where we found their camp--sleeping bags, food, water, and equipment were scattered around there.

We took a short break before the real fun started, dropping down to Alder Creek for the non-existent trail portion of the loop. We had a steep, loose, brushy descent down to the creek, but we made it down relatively quickly and started following the creek south. It was flowing nicely in many places, with pools and small falls...but also a lot of brush, including poison ivy. Our pace slowed considerably following Alder Creek, and we ended up spending most of our daylight hours on that six-mile stretch. Both of us stepped in quicksand (multiple times for me) and had soaked and sandy footwear.

We left the creek bed for a steep scramble up and over a ridge to get around some obstacles in the canyon and planned to take a longer at break Karl's swimming hole from 2014 [ photo ] . Despite plenty of water in the creek, there was no swimming hole--we saw no sign of deeper pools, so floods have probably rearranged the creek bed in the past 11 years. We took a 45-minute break in that general area to recharge electronics, eat, and filter water before resuming the long hike down Alder Creek.

Joe mentioned making a quick stop at Brown's Cave since it was only ~50 yards off our route, and I'd had that on my list for years. That part of the canyon approaching the Salt River Corridor was beautiful, with healthy saguaros and taller canyon walls, but by the time we got close to the cave (less than 500'!), darkness was closing in fast, and decided to skip it because we wanted to navigate through the jungle of brush to find our route west while we still had some light left.

Joe remembered relatively easy hiking for the rest of the route from his 2014 circumference, but it's either become more overgrown in the past decade, and/or he repressed the memories of what we still had ahead of us

. When we pulled out our headlamps/flashlights after sunset, we still had 13+ miles and 4,000' to 5,000' AEG remaining; clearly we had a long evening (and morning) ahead of us. Unfortunately, Joe also told me I was missing some of the most scenic geology of the loop

.

Our world quickly shrank to the Route Scout screen and what we could see in our flashlight beams. I had a flashlight in one hand and my phone in the other as I navigated, conjuring Lion Mountain flashbacks. We had sporadic stretches of relatively open hiking with a cairned route, but more often we dealt with a lot of brush as we headed toward Cane Spring Trailhead, especially around Paint Spring and Adams Camp Spring, where we saw the remnants of the chimney at the camp.

We had some easier, more unobstructed hiking around Cane Spring and the trailhead and were surprised to run into someone out there with a truck. We chatted briefly as we passed; he seemed to know the area pretty well and was surprised we were out there hiking with a long way still to go get back to Mud Spring Trailhead, ~ eight rough miles with a lot of elevation left to gain. Joe and I took another break just after we reached Cane Spring Trail as the moon rose over Four Peaks and gave us a little more light.

The rest of the hike was a bit of a blur as the clock passed 10PM, then midnight; the hours flew by, the miles crawled by. Joe wasn't feeling great and was battling cramps, so I carried his backpack for the last five miles. The open stretches were a relief but never lasted long enough, and there were some brutal stretches with steep, loose, and brushy uphill climbs as we followed Joe and Karl's old route.

We encountered the worst brush with 3-4 miles left...everything I could see in the flashlight beam anywhere close to the general direction we needed to go was a wall of catclaw. I'd done pretty well avoiding scratches up to that point, but my legs got absolutely shredded through that section, and our progress was measured in hundredths of a mile whenever I checked Route Scout. On the bright side, if the brush didn't let up, our progress would only get easier because we'd be finishing the loop in daylight.

We had to cross two large drainages along Solider Camp Trail that were reasonably well cairned, then pushed through a long final uphill climb with strong winds on our way up to Big Saddle. Somewhere in there, I noticed an odd streak of white in my flashlight beam, with deep black shadows on either side. I went in for a closer look and realized I was approaching a skunk; fortunately, it decided to run rather than spray.

We had a steep descent from Big Saddle, but the route was mostly cairned and easier to follow than much of what we'd been through. Within 50 feet of the trailhead, I stepped into a muddy swamp around Mud Spring without noticing it in the dark...didn't feel too great with the cuts all over my legs. That was the final gift this loop had to offer; we got back to the truck just after 5AM, completing our lap of Four Peaks in roughly a lap around the clock

.

Sunday's sunrise brought things full circle on the drive out FR 143, making that my first day hike that included two sunrises and a sunset. When I finally got back home around 7:30AM, I took a shower and immediately went to bed after 29 hours awake, ~24 of those hiking. The length of the hike really threw off my sense of time--it felt like Saturday night had disappeared into a black hole.

Overall, it was a memorable day(s). When it comes to rough off-trail hiking after dark, today made Lion Mountain feel like a day at the zoo. Coincidentally, I lost my sunglasses on the Lion hike, and Joe lost his on today's hike. But I learned from the Lion experience: don't ever help Joe across anything, leave the bear spray at home, and pack your sunglasses away when it gets dark, don't just hang them from your collar

. This one took longer than either of us expected, but there were no injuries or medical problems, so I'll call it a win. To quote Joe's 2014 triplog: "Never say never, it 'seems' unlikely I'll redo this loop."

.

Culture

Culture [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Bushwhack

Named place

Named place [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Adams Camp - Four Peaks Wilderness Black Bear Saddle Four Peaks Four Peaks Spring Number One Four Peaks Wilderness Lone Pine Saddle Theodore Roosevelt Lake

	Alder Creek - Four Peaks	Pools to trickle	Pools to trickle
	Light flow through much of the creek from Black Bear Saddle down to the Brown's Cave area. Less water at the southern end at the marked spot on the map (only small, stagnant pools)

	Alder Creek - South Swim Hole	Dry	Dry
	No sign of the actual swimming hole. Decent flow of water through most parts of Alder Creek, with lots of pools and small falls (and lots of algae)

	Four Peaks Spring Number One	Dripping	Dripping
	Full spring box below spring. Water stagnant.

	Mud Spring	Dripping	Dripping
	Water in the spring box; swampy/muddy ground in the vicinity.

	Shake Spring	Dripping	Dripping
	Medium pool with clear water and algae

3 archives

Oct 30 2025

Guides 29
Routes 424
Photos 6,731
Triplogs 390

41 male

Joined Mar 01 2018
Chandler, AZ

Rattlesnake Peak

[ checklist ] Bird Canyon Pusch Ridge Wilderness Rattlesnake Canyon Rattlesnake Peak Thimble Peak

Rattlesnake Peak

Tucson, AZ

Hiking		Oct 30 2025
		John10s • Triplogs 390

Hiking	12.33 Miles	4,528 AEG

Hiking	12.33 Miles	6 Hrs 49 Mns	1.96 mph
	4,528 ft AEG	32 Mns Break

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Esperero Trail #25

Rattlesnake Trail #50

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

I'd originally planned on hiking Rattlesnake Peak on the first day of the trip, but after getting stitches two days prior, I switched it to the last day to give myself a little more healing time. Still, setting out this morning I had serious doubts about Rattlesnake--six miles of bushwhacking through thick brush sounded like a great way to tear the stitches out no matter how carefully I bandaged...and despite recent recommendations [ photo ] , I wasn't carrying any WOUND CLOT

. So I was leaning toward staying on Esperero most of the day and doing a short off-trail spur to Mt. Miguel, but I wanted to at least take a look at the Rattlesnake route.

The Sabino Canyon lot was slowly filling up when I started out ~6:45AM...looked like a lot of retirees out for morning walks. I passed a few deer on Esperero on the way to the exit point for Rattlesnake. I decided to at least give the beginning of the off-trail part a shot and try to get up on the ridge so I could get a better look at the route. The brush got thick quickly--lots of cacti, palo verde, and tangled branches, and I was careful to minimize contact with my bandaged shin. The first three-tenths to half mile after leaving the trail were rough, and I considered giving up on Rattlesnake and heading back to the trail multiple times as I scrambled up through the brush, thinking this was probably a stupid idea, but I really wanted to at least get up on the first ridge.

Once I was there, the brush opened up a little, the route flattened out some, and I had a better view of what was ahead...and it didn't look too bad, so I went a little farther. That trend continued for a while: "This isn't so bad...I'll keep going." At some point, I was far enough in and could see enough of the route that I decided to just go for the peak. The approach was straightforward, following the ridgeline that divides Bird Canyon on the west and Rattlesnake Canyon on the east. My biggest concern going in was brush, and though there was plenty of it, it was mostly shorter grasses after that initial climb through the cacti, so I wasn't constantly guarding my shin from branches.

Parts of the ridgeline were downright pleasant, with a relatively gentle incline through the thick grass. Interspersed among those easier stretches were detours side-hilling around rock outcroppings that slowed things down. I stayed on the west side of each one along the ridge, including hill/knob 5085. As I closed within a mile of the peak, I could tell from the distance and elevation remaining that the true peak must still be out of view, and that proved to be true.

The route became much steeper over the last half mile, and the final three-tenths felt very long. I stayed on the east side of the final ridge approaching the peak, it was steep, brushy side-hilling and very slow, but I got up in a little over three hours, and the summit made it worthwhile. I didn't take any significant breaks on the way up and was drenched in sweat long before I reached the peak--the bill of my hat was dripping, my shirt didn't have a dry spot, and the top third of my shorts were soaked. It felt great to finally ditch the pack, eat something, and dry off a little.

[ youtube video ]

Great views from the summit of the other Catalina peaks and the deep canyons down below, and cool to look down the ridgeline I'd come up...from a distance, it always looks so simple. I didn't find a register on top, only two ancient-looking plastic bottles buried under rocks that that still had water inside.

I eventually packed up and started the steep descent, following the ridgeline back the same way through the grass and obstacles. Back on Esperero, I considered going up to Mt. Miguel but decided to save that for another day because I needed to be back in Phoenix at a decent time, but I did take a quick detour on Rattlesnake Trail. Not much to see there, but I refilled my water at the tram stop and then hiked back to Esperero and was back at the trailhead ~1:30PM. Another warm day, ~90° when I finished.

Fun way to end the brief Tour de Tucson, and a very different hike from the previous days'--shorter but much bushwhackier. Overall, I ended up with fewer scratches than I expected...the first and last third of a mile on the off-trail portion were the toughest, but following the ridgeline was less brushy than I'd expected, and I never took the gloves or clippers out. Best of all, the stitches remained intact

.

Fauna

Fauna [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Cardinal

Named place

Named place [ checklist ]

1 archive

Oct 29 2025

Guides 29
Routes 424
Photos 6,731
Triplogs 390

41 male

Joined Mar 01 2018
Chandler, AZ

Rincon Peak

[ checklist ] Little Rincon Mountains Mica Mountain Miller Ranch Rincon Peak Saguaro National Park East Unit (historical)

Rincon Peak

Tucson, AZ

Hiking		Oct 29 2025
		John10s • Triplogs 390

Hiking	16.31 Miles	5,168 AEG

Hiking	16.31 Miles	6 Hrs 44 Mns	2.65 mph
	5,168 ft AEG	35 Mns Break

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Miller Creek Trail #28

Heartbreak Ridge Trail

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

Rincon Peak is another one I'd had on my list for a long time, and since I was staying in Tucson for a few days, the drive was much shorter. The road into Miller Creek Trailhead was in good shape--just a few very shallow puddles, but your grandpa's Malibu could've made it just fine. The parking area was empty as I set out ~7:30AM.

I'd never hiked any of the route before, so it was all new scenery. Lots of elevation gain through the boulder fields after crossing the Saguaro NP boundary--the terrain in that area reminded me of a steeper Ballantine, with nice views of the Little Rincons and the ranch down below.

The middle part of the route after the Heartbreak Ridge intersection had more shade and a flatter grade than I expected. There was a comfortable breeze much of the way, a nice change after yesterday's Catalina sweat-fest with warmer temps on more exposed trails. The trails here were a little overgrown in places, but not bad and nothing too sharp or thorny. I could hear wind up in the treetops and assumed it might be very windy at the peak.

The last ~ half mile up to the peak was very steep and almost slick in places with leaves and pine needles covering the trail. Like Tanque Verde Peak, the NPS has a register pedestal/box below the summit...seems like Saguaro NP is a big fan of the not-quite-summit register. Someone had added some small notebooks earlier this month, and there were a few entries throughout October.

As expected, very windy at the summit...I guess that explains the need for a windbreak on top. Nice views overlooking Tucson and of Mica Mountain, but it was a very hazy day, and it looked like some wildfire smoke off to the east through the haze. The topo shows a benchmark, but I didn't find one in my brief search...maybe under the windbreak? With the extreme wind, I didn't spend much time on top and waited until I was off the summit and past the steepest descent before taking a longer break.

The hike out was straightforward and quicker with almost all downhill, and I was back at Miller Creek TH ~2PM. I didn't see any people all day and not much wildlife, just some cows near the trailhead at the end. Since it was still early, I made a quick stop at Happy Valley Falls on the drive out to see how little water was flowing. Overall, very enjoyable day--good to finally hike this one, and though Rincon is lower than Mica Mountain, it's a much more scenic and interesting hike.

Fauna

Fauna [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Cow

Culture

Culture [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Summit Register Log

Named place

Named place [ checklist ]

Oct 29 2025

Guides 29
Routes 424
Photos 6,731
Triplogs 390

41 male

Joined Mar 01 2018
Chandler, AZ

Happy Valley Falls

Happy Valley Falls

Tucson, AZ

Hiking		Oct 29 2025
		John10s • Triplogs 390

Hiking	0.69 Miles	275 AEG

Hiking	0.69 Miles	24 Mns	1.97 mph
	275 ft AEG	3 Mns Break

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no linked trail guides

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

After hiking Rincon Peak, I drove up the road a few miles and parked at the pullout to check out Happy Valley Falls, expecting no water. It's a quick hike of roughly a third of a mile following a fence line, and the low expectations paid off--there wasn't much more than a trickle, but it was better than nothing and a beautiful area. The upper falls had a decent pool of dark water, and it's worth a return visit sometime when the falls are really flowing. [ youtube video ]

Named place

Named place [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Little Rincon Mountains

Oct 28 2025

Mount Kimball via Finger Rock

Guides 29
Routes 424
Photos 6,731
Triplogs 390

41 male

Joined Mar 01 2018
Chandler, AZ

Kimball - Window Peak Catalina Double, AZ

Hiking		Oct 28 2025
		John10s • Triplogs 390

Hiking	23.43 Miles	9,288 AEG

Hiking	23.43 Miles	9 Hrs 36 Mns	2.69 mph
	9,288 ft AEG	54 Mns Break

Linked

8 linked trail guides

Finger Rock Trail #42

Pima Canyon Trail #62

Esperero Trail #25

Window Peak via Finger Rock

Window Peak

Cathedral Rock Trail #26 - Tucson

Pontatoc Trail #410

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

I've wanted to do more hiking in the Catalinas, and I recently came across some Joe/JJ triplogs from 10+ years ago where they hiked the Catalina Trifecta (Kimball, Window Peak, Cathedral), and this route combined some old and new parts of the range for me. It was going to be another warm day at ~90° at the lower elevations, so I knew hitting all three might be a long shot but wanted to give it a try.

I started from an empty parking lot at Finger Rock Trailhead a little before sunrise at ~6:20AM and had the trail to myself to start the steep climb...those first few miles don't offer much chance to warm up before getting serious. Very quiet in the canyon, and I had shade for the first few miles as the sun lit up the finger and the west side, but the steep climb made it feel warm even in the shade.

I saw a few deer once I was up above the finger and continued up to Mt. Kimball and took my first break at the peak, a little over two hours in. Then back down to Finger Rock Trail to continue on a segment I hadn't hiked before, heading east toward Window Rock. I lost ~1,200' of the elevation I'd gained on the way to the Finger Rock/Ventana/Esperero intersection. I took a short break there before the next climb to Window Rock. I'd hiked that section 6+ years ago after coming up Ventana Canyon, and it was even steeper than I remembered. [ youtube video ]

After a quick stop at the window, I headed into new territory again, following Esperero southeast of Window Peak to the short off-trail approach. The scramble up to the summit wasn't bad at all...well-placed trees helped a lot, and there wasn't any serious exposure. Didn't find a register up there, but great views from the top, and I started down after another short break [ youtube video ] . Back on Esperero, I continued east again, losing another ~1,300' on the way over to Cathedral Rock. I could tell at that point the trifecta probably wasn't going to happen today, but I figured I'd go as far as I could before I hit my planned turnaround time.

I reached the Cathedral Rock intersection and started up a short distance before turning around, short of the trifecta by a couple miles. Then back the way I came, riding the roller coaster in reverse--a long climb back up toward Window Peak, followed by a long descent and then a long climb up toward Kimball. As a consolation, and in a nod to Joe/JJ's Cathedral Trifecta II route, I made it a Window Peak sandwich and summited Kimball a second time before starting down. I decided to take Pontatoc, the longer, gentler route back to the trailhead to see something different.

I was back at the trailhead ~4PM and hadn't seen anyone all day until I was within a quarter mile of the parking lot. I carried ~7 liters (235oz) of water and ended up drinking most of it by the time I finished. I also packed a purifier but didn't find any water sources other than some small pools in Finger Rock Canyon within a mile of the trailhead. Despite coming up short and completing a mere Catalina Double, it was a fun challenge attempting the trifecta and something I'll try again on a cooler day. Insane amounts of sweating and persistent gnats in the face were annoying, but the route was a good mix of old and new for me, scenery was fantastic, and I had more solitude than expected. As an old boss used to say, "It was a swing and a miss, but it was a beautiful swing!"

Named place

Named place [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Finger Rock Finger Rock Canyon Mount Kimball Pusch Ridge Wilderness Window Peak, Tucson Window Rock

	Finger Rock Canyon	Dry	Dry
	Dry in the lower part of the canyon near the trailhead, but a few small pools about a mile up the trail, downstream from Finger Rock Spring

	Finger Rock Spring	Dripping	Dripping
	Trickle of water downstream from the spring

Oct 27 2025

Douglas Spring Trail to Douglas Spring CG

Guides 29
Routes 424
Photos 6,731
Triplogs 390

41 male

Joined Mar 01 2018
Chandler, AZ

Tanque Verde Peak - Ernies - Bridal, AZ

Hiking		Oct 27 2025
		John10s • Triplogs 390

Hiking	25.87 Miles	5,822 AEG

Hiking	25.87 Miles	8 Hrs 25 Mns	3.42 mph
	5,822 ft AEG	51 Mns Break

Linked

6 linked trail guides

Douglas Spring Trail

Tanque Verde Ridge Trail

Tanque Verde Peak

Ernie's Falls Trail - Saguaro NP

Bridal Wreath

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

I took off from Douglas Spring TH at ~7:30AM--it was busy this morning, with the parking lot nearly full and several groups starting out around the same time. The crowds thinned out quickly, and the trails were empty long before Douglas Spring Campground. Everything up to Cow Head Saddle was familiar territory, having just been through there last month on a hike to Mica Mountain...hard to forget all those steps

.

But the trail was more overgrown than I remembered, though mostly with grasses and minimal pokey stuff. Not much water along the route, but more than last time with a little more water in the drainages and some occasional small pools that would've had plenty for filtering if needed, with a light flow near the campground.

I took the first break of the day at Cow Head Saddle, then finally got into unfamiliar territory starting up Tanque Verde Ridge Trail. Nice to see a new area after several prior trips to Cow Head, and the views to the south opened up nicely along the ridgeline. I passed one other hiker on the way up, and there was a guy at the peak who took off soon after I arrived, so I had the top to myself for a while. The register book in the pedestal/box just below the summit was full of recent entries--clearly a popular peak. [ youtube video ]

The hike out was uneventful and went quickly with downhill most of the way, though temps were on the warmer side, probably mid/upper-80s at the lower elevations. I saw a backpacker hiking in as I approached the campground, and since I was doing well on time, I decided to take two short detours over to Ernie's Falls and Bridal Wreath. No water flowing at Ernie's, just a stagnant pool at the bottom of the dry falls, but Bridal Wreath had a small trickle, enough for a refreshing dunk of the hat.

From there, back to Douglas Spring TH and done a little before 4PM. Although the route doesn't have the most spectacular scenery, it's a pleasant hike, and it was nice to finally get up to Tanque Verde Peak after having that one on my list for a few years.

Flora

Flora [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Ocotillo

Culture

Culture [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Summit Register Log

Named place

Named place [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Cow Head Saddle Rincon Peak Santa Catalina Mountains Tanque Verde Peak Tanque Verde Ridge

Oct 25 2025

Guides 29
Routes 424
Photos 6,731
Triplogs 390

41 male

Joined Mar 01 2018
Chandler, AZ

SoMo Hidden Valley Mormon Loop, AZ

Hiking		Oct 25 2025
		John10s • Triplogs 390

Hiking	10.01 Miles	1,923 AEG

Hiking	10.01 Miles	2 Hrs 59 Mns	3.41 mph
	1,923 ft AEG	3 Mns Break

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8 linked trail guides

Pima Wash - South Mountain

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TboneKathy

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

I headed out for an early hike at SoMo, starting around sunrise. Weekend crowds were in full force--I passed 20+ people along Marcos de Niza, and there was a big running group getting started near the National/Javelina Canyon intersection that fortunately went a different way. Along Mormon Loop, I came across a snake eating a lizard in the middle of the trail. I almost missed it until a trail runner pointed it out--he said it came tumbling down the trail in front him.

On my way down to Mormon TH, I accidentally grazed my upper shin on a rock as I passed someone. It hurt, but I didn't think much of it until I felt the warmth of blood running down my leg...lots of it. I figured it was one of those minor scrapes that looks worse than it is and I'd wash it off after the hike, so I kept going down to the TH and started back up. Meanwhile, blood was soaking into my sock/boot, and someone finally commented, "Sir, you're bleeding!" as I passed. Yeah, I noticed that, too...

A few miles later, I finally took a closer look at the cut and realized it was deeper than I thought and might require stitches. By the time I finished the hike, my boot looked like a murder scene. I went to urgent care later, and sure enough, three stitches...dumbest hiking accident ever. Nice morning to be outside other than the minor brush with the rock.

Fauna

Fauna [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Unidentified Fauna

Culture

Culture [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] HAZ - Hike HAZard

Oct 19 2025

Guides 29
Routes 424
Photos 6,731
Triplogs 390

41 male

Joined Mar 01 2018
Chandler, AZ

SoMo Hidden Valley Mormon Loop, AZ

Hiking		Oct 19 2025
		John10s • Triplogs 390

Hiking	10.48 Miles	2,210 AEG

Hiking	10.48 Miles	3 Hrs 17 Mns	3.19 mph
	2,210 ft AEG

Linked