We went on a quick afternoon hike with our grandson John. He enjoyed seeing the Deer Creek Windmill and the Hope Camp Windmill. We always quiz him about the plants, trees, and different things we see along the way. Hopefully he learns as we go. We went along pretty fast. Grand Dad let him know some hiking tips to help it be easier and more fun. This is a great trail but John needed direction to walk in the part with the least rocks. He has not hiked since the last time we took him so on the way back he was tired and said his legs were sore. Yesterday he turned 14 years old. We got him a Leatherman and case for it. He was very excited to get that. After we completed our hike we all went to eat at Freddy's. Delicious!
Beautiful area to hike. Have not been there in a while. Lots of people out hiking. On the way down I saw a doe on the edge of the road. She was nibbling on a bush. Just looked at me like she was not afraid at all.
This is a beautiful area to hike. We got up to the creek and followed it as far as we could. When we stopped for our break Mark discovered what we are sure is Mountain Lion scat. We had already seen deer bones and it is an area that Mountain Lions could do well in. The wildflowers are beautiful. The creek has some challenging areas to boulder hop. The hot bath when we got home felt so good!
Nice cool day for a hike. Mark was hoping we would get in 10 miles but I just couldn't. The Monument is so pretty right now. Lots of people out enjoying the day. Happy New Year everyone! Stay safe!
Christmas was fun this morning. Fellowship with the family was great. I have to report that I did not get the Hippopotamus I asked for. Not sure what's up with that as I know I have been good all year. We opted to work off some of the calories going up Tanque Verde Ridge Lower. It is a good workout and the views are fantastic! On the way down we saw a doe deer. She looked healthy except she has a piece of cholla stuck to her right side. Didn't realize that until we looked at Mark's pictures of her. Wish we could have helped get that off.
We took our grandson John on this hike. He really enjoyed the diversity of things to see. We had fun all along the way. Mark and John especially enjoyed releasing cattail seeds. We saw and heard several trains! Always love that! There was some water along the way and we crossed the stream several times. Fall foliage was available although some of it was on the ground as crunchy leaves. Hopefully John can go with us on more hikes very soon!
Great hike and a beautiful day out. It is a good trail with more elevation gain as you're going up. Makes it nice when coming down. It got a bit warm in the afternoon, 80 degrees. Very isolated wildflowers. The views on this hike are incredible. We stopped for our break midway and enjoyed some leftover pizza and an apple. It really helped revive us! It is definitely a workout going up. We saw two groups of bicyclist, two in each group. On our way down we saw two hikers coming up. After our hike we stopped in at Saguaro Corners for dinner and I enjoyed a craft beer. Great way to enjoy a Sunday.
We decided to go to Papago Springs for our evening hike. The windmill near there is not pumping but the wheel does turn and makes some interesting sounds when it does. The Springs were dry. There are some areas where the wild grasses grow so there is probably moisture underneath. The Pistol Hill road was recently graded and smooth. Once you turn off to the trailhead you need a vehicle that can navigate some rough terrain. It was a beautiful evening for a hike. I did not see any wildflowers on this hike.
This is a good trail for a fast evening hike. We enjoyed the scenery and kept a nice pace. There are a few noteworthy Saguaros that are interesting. Lots of arms high and low. Mark posted photos of the main one I am sure. Love these evening hikes with beautiful sunsets. Trail is in good condition and most of it is sandy with a few rocky areas. Good way to get some calories burned before dinner.
We have been doing some shorter hikes after a hiking drought for awhile. That was good for helping us get back into shape. This hike has a lot of elevation gain and was an excellent work out. The scenery was beautiful. It got pretty warm in the afternoon. I had point and was startled to see a Gila Monster in the trail. Having never encountered one up close I was not sure what to expect. Mark posted a video we got of it. Mark used a stick to keep it at bay while I gave it a wide berth. It bit at the stick very aggressively. It was on my list of critters I wanted to see. Beautiful colors! We are headed to Texas Roadhouse for a good meal at the end of a wonderful hike with great company.
This was one of the afternoon hikes that we got to see the sunset at the end. Such amazing views all around!We have been enjoying a lot of these hikes to get back in shape and get in some miles.
It takes about an hour from I-10 to get to the trailhead. You don't have to have a Jeep to get there but why would you want to go without one? It's a really pretty area. It was 34 degrees at 0900 when we started. It's quite a rock scramble after the first mile. I carried my poles because Mark said it would be steep. But in the terrain we were in they would have been useless. It's a great workout and periodically Mark had to help me get up to the next level. I am only 5 foot 2 inches and he is 6 foot 2 inches. Makes a big difference when climbing over rocks and up tall steps. Definitely a great hike with excellent views. We only came across one other hiker in the afternoon. He was on his way up as we were coming back down. After finishing up at 4pm we went to Rudy's for some great BBQ.
We had an excellent hike today. We took the Douglas Springs Trail to get to Bridal Wreath Falls. Well kept trail, definitely a workout. There are still lots of wildflowers out and so many butterflies! Beautiful to see so many. Bridal Wreath Falls was spectacular and there were many other hikers going to see them. We went to Ernie Falls after that. Two big dragonflies landed on Mark's shoulder when he sat down. It is also beautiful and in warmer weather would probably be a great place for a dip in the pool. It's a bit of a rock scramble to get to it but worth it!
The Quilter Trail is very well maintained. We saw one of our favorite saguaros along the way. It is a huge one that has lost an arm since we were last by that way. The day was overcast and we had some light rain now and again. In the afternoon the sun came out. There were several different kinds of wildflowers along the way. What a beautiful area to hike. Not difficult, I didn't bring my hiking poles and did not need them. There were a lot of runners out today. We were quite a way in when we came across two women hikers. They told us about an unusual saguaro to watch for. We made it up quite a way and on the way back we spotted it on the right not too far down. It looked like it crested early in it's life and then went nuts putting out arms. Mark's going to post photos. Would love to see if it blooms! We took a break by a stream we crossed. Lovely day for a hike and even better company!
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.
Route Editor
Route Scout
Route 
