HUMBOLDT MOUNTAIN

HUMBOLDT   MOUNTAIN

Tonto National Forest

Looking East Over the Verde River Valley

View from the Summit

Sometimes I just feel like a brainless hike up a hill with no route finding, treacherous terrain or precarious precipices. Just. Up.  Thankfully, Humboldt Mountain meets this criteria and it's not too far from downtown Phoenix.  You've probably seen this hill and wondered about it ---there's a huge, white “golf ball” (as it’s commonly called) on the summit that’s visible from the back roads north of Cave Creek and Carefree. The white ball, which is an FAA radar station used for air traffic control, shares the summit with a fire tower and a hardware jungle of tech equipment.  The hike involves walking up a narrow road of crumbling asphalt via a series of gentle switchbacks and a combination of flat and fairly steep segments.  The 2005 Cave Creek Complex Fire took a toll on the area's vegetation, but recovery is underway and desert shrubs are popping up everywhere.  With every few feet of elevation gain, the views get bigger and better.  Much of the lower road winds through cactus-studded grasslands with Cave Creek Mountains, Pinnacle Peak and New River Mesa on the horizon.  Higher up, the road winds around to the eastern slope of the mountain where there the sprawling Verde River Valley and Horseshoe Lake come into view. Just below the summit, the one and only hairpin turn in the road kisses the edge of a scenic saddle.  Here, the sycamore-and-cottonwood cluttered drainage of Mashakattee Canyon appears as a golden-orange meander nearly 2,000 feet below.  From this saddle, the final uphill slog to the summit rewards with more excellent views and the revelation that “golf ball” is hardly an accurate description of the FAA tower. It is most indubitably, a soccer ball.

LENGTH:  7.8 miles roundtrip

RATING:  moderate

ELEVATION: 3,570' – 5,204'

BEST SEASON: October - April

Saddle View

GETTING THERE:

From Loop 101 in North Scottsdale, take the Pima/Princess Road exit and go 13 miles north on Pima Road to Cave Creek Road.  Turn right (east) and continue on Cave Creek Road (a.k.a. FR 24, Seven Springs Road) to FR 562 (Humboldt Mountain road) located between MCDOT mile markers 9 and 10.  The turnoff is easy to miss—it’s on the right, paved and there’s a “562” sign about 100 feet up the road.  Several turnouts along FR24 and FR562 are suitable for parking.  

Summit 

HINT: If you get to Seven Springs Recreation Area, you have gone roughly 2 miles too far.

INFO:  Cave Creek Ranger District, Tonto National Forest, (480) 595-3300


MORE PHOTOS:

http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.1959792853237.74624.1795269672&type=1&l=152c082456

LOST DOG WASH-RINGTAIL-OLD JEEP LOOP

LOST DOG WASH-RINGTAIL-OLD JEEP LOOP

Ocotillo on Ringtail Trail

McDowell Sonoran Preserve, Scottsdale

Lost Dog Wash Trail

Thompson Peak from Taliesin Overlook

Now, here's a trail after my own heart.  Although the eponymous canine didn't have such luck---it's nearly impossible for hikers to get lost on this trail. That's because this desert path bumping up against the 'burbs of North Scottsdale is lovingly maintained and outfitted with directional signage at every critical point.  Not exactly the best trail choice for solitude or a “wilderness feel”, this popular path's benefits are its ease-of-tread, proximity to town, beautiful views and nice trailhead facilities. Also, for those living in less than fit bodies due to Arizona summer hibernation, this trail makes for an effortless segue into the winter hiking season. 

Sandwiched between a sea of terracotta tile roofs and the foothills below the peaks of the McDowell Mountains, Lost Dog Wash is kind of a peanut-butter-and-jelly hike---easy to make and everybody loves it. For comparison, the Tom's Thumb hike—one of the tougher trails in the preserve-- is a Tofurkey Rubin hike---more exotic and not for everyone.

Lost Dog Wash

Given that I only had a couple of hours to hike this week, Lost Dog Wash was a natural choice. However, to add interest, I made a loop hike using 3 short trails. The Lost Dog trail is extremely popular and is usually crowded with hikers, runners, dog walkers and mountain bikers.  This loop option (details below) briefly escapes the spokes and spandex via the Old Jeep Trail.  The preserve also boasts a team of trail stewards—highly trained and knowledgeable outdoor enthusiasts who volunteer their time to educate the public about this precious swath of desert.  I hiked with one of them today for about a mile and learned quite a bit from him before we hiked off on divergent paths.  The stewards also lead public hikes and there’s one coming up this Thanksgiving morning called “More Pie Please”.  To join this free, easy, 3-mile hike, meet at 7:45 a.m. at the Lost Dog Trailhead (see below) and preemptively work off the calories for your extra slab of pecan pie (or Tofurkey Rubin).

LOOP DIRECTIONS:

Begin on Lost Dog Wash Trail (LD) and hike 0.5 mile to the Ringtail Trail (RT) junction.  Go right and follow RT 0.5 mile to the LD Overlook at emergency marker RT5.  Visit the overlook, then return to the trail and go another 0.2 mile to the junction with Old Jeep Trail (JT).  Go left (north) on JT and hike 1.4 miles to where the trail reconnects with LD.  Continue straight on LD.  In another 0.5 mile, you'll come to the turn off for Taliesin Overlook.  Although LD trail continues another 0.4 mile past the overlook, I made this the turnaround point for the loop.  Hike back to JT junction, but this time, go right (south) and follow LD 1.6 miles back to the trailhead.

LENGTH: 5.3 mile loop

RATING: easy

ELEVATION:  1,755' – 2,092'

FACILITIES: restrooms, water, shade ramadas, horse hitching posts 

HOURS: sunrise to sunset (it's illegal to be in the preserve outside these hours)

KID FRIENDLY: yes

DOGS: leashed dogs allowed.  Handlers must immediately pick up poo and pack it out.

GETTING THERE:

From the Loop 101 in Scottsdale, take exit 41 for Shea Blvd., turn east (right) and go 4.2 miles to 124^th Street. Turn left (north) on 124^th Street and go 1 mile to where the road dead-ends at the trailhead.

INFO: City of Scottsdale McDowell Sonoran Preserve

http://www.scottsdaleaz.gov/preserve

McDowell Sonoran Conservancy:

http://mcdowellsonoran.org/

MAP: http://www.scottsdaleaz.gov/Assets/Public+Website/trails/trails+images/Preserve+Trails+South.pdf

MORE PHOTOS:

http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.1939298140882.74253.1795269672&type=1&l=c8e70b56da

CORONA DE LOMA TRAIL

CORONA DE LOMA TRAIL

South Mountain Park, Phoenix

It was from the summit of Quartz Peak in the Sierra Estrellas where I acquired a deep, visual understanding of the three-mountain-range structure of South Mountain Park (SoMo).  From the top of that isolated peak, the trio of parallel ranges running east-west at the southern fringe of downtown Phoenix, rolled out below, and suddenly, it all made sense.  The layout of the park, roads, trailheads, the cosmic fugue---everything. But then again, put me on any mountain summit, and clarity ensues.

In order, from north to south, the ranges are (with sample trails) Ma-Ha-Tauk (Alta Trail), Gila (Holbert, National Trail) and Guadalupe (Desert Classic).  That day on Quartz Peak, I realized that although I was very familiar with the trails on Gila and Ma-Ha-Tauk; I still had a lot to learn about the other side of the mountain.  With that goal in mind, I set off for Corona de Loma Trail.

Save for a couple of mildly confusing junctions, this trail on the back (Ahwatukee) side of  SoMo is a great way to climb to a summit ridge with much less traffic than on other similar treks in the park like Kiwanis, Holbert and Telegraph Pass. 

Exposed to the sun and covered in scree, the trail winds up the mountain via long switchbacks passing by deranged-looking ironwood trees, cactuses, milky white quartz, shimmering micas and outcroppings of decaying metamorphic stone.   Geology buffs revel in the complexity of rock both underfoot and on the horizon featured on this hike, but even those whose rock knowledge begins and ends with a 3^rd grade “grow your own crystal” kit will appreciate  the bizarre  rock sculptures-- like the one I call "snakehead"-- that line the trail.

LENGTH:  6.4 miles roundtrip (including access trail from Warpaint TH)

RATING:  moderate

ELEVATION:  1,370' – 2,360'

KID FRIENDLY: best for older kids, kinda steep in several places

TRAILHEAD FACILITIES:  none

DOGS: must be on leash, rough terrain for paws, handlers must pack out poo

BEST SEASON:  October -April

GETTING THERE:

From Phoenix, go south on I-10 to exit 159 for Ray Road.  Go west (right) on Ray Rd. and continue 0.3 mile to 48^th Street.  Turn north (right) and go 0.3 mile to Knox Road.  Turn west (left) and follow Knox 1.8 mile to Warpaint Drive on the right.  Drive 0.2 mile north on Warpaint to the trailhead on the right.  There are two unsigned “trailheads” here. The one you want for this hike has a wooden fence lining the entry. There’s only parallel parking along the street. Pay attention to no-parking zones as this trailhead is in a busy residential area. 

HIKE DIRECTIONS:

From the trailhead, hike roughly 0.1 mile to a “Y” junction where there’s a rusty sign post with arrows.  Go right here and hike 0.7 mile to a second “Y” junction with a metal post with the number “43” scratched into it.  Go left (you’re now on the Desert Classic Trail) and continue 0.2 mile to sign post “46”.  This is the turnoff for the access trail to Corona de Loma, although no signs indicate this.  Turn right at this junction and continue 0.2 mile (stay straight at an unsigned cross path a few yards up) to the signed turn off for Corona de Loma on the right.  The path is obvious but unsigned as it climbs up to a high ridge, dips into a narrow canyon and then climbs up again to Buena Vista Lookout where it intersects the National Trail.

See the “more photos” link below for pix of the critical junctions.

INFO AND MAPS: City of Phoenix Parks & Recreation:

http://phoenix.gov/parks/trails/locations/south/hiking/index.html

FOR COOL INFO ON SoMo geology, visit the GEMLAND Website:

http://www.gemland.com/index.html

MORE PHOTOS:

http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.1910790068198.73723.1795269672&type=1&l=af35516782

DIXIE MOUNTAIN LOOP

DIXIE MOUNTAIN LOOP TRAIL

Phoenix Sonoran Preserve

Summit of Dixie Mountain

Next time you’re considering  giving up your right to vote—hike this trail first. Like many people these days, you’re probably feeling over taxed, over worked (or under employed) and powerless to intervene with anything governmental.  Folks, I submit the Phoenix Sonoran Preserve---a  recreational oasis that WE THE VOTERS decided was worth saving from development.  In 1998, voters approved the Growing Smarter Fund to conserve tracks of our beautiful Upper Sonoran desert.  So far, the city has purchased 7,000 of a proposed 20,000 acres for this north Phoenix preserve.  With obesity on the rise, strapped budgets and increasing healthcare costs, it's good to live in Phoenix---we have the largest municipal park system in the nation  with hundreds of miles of free hiking/biking trails to help us save money and stay healthy. Wherever you live in the Valley, you're probably not far from a hiking trail.  So, it's not necessary to spend big bucks on video-driven exercise toys or gym memberships to stay/get in shape—just lace up your boots and hit the trail.

Cholla cactuses along Dixie Loop

View from Western Vista summit

Located just a few clicks east of I-17 on the fringes of a residential area, this pristine island of desert features panoramic views of the entire Valley.  You'll see the  Hieroglyphic Mountains to the west, Cave Creek and New River  Mountains to the north, and Camelback and Piestewa Peaks to the south.  Luminescent  “jumping” cholla, sweet-smelling creosote and arroyas choaked with acid-green Palo verde trees decorate  the paths, providing ample nesting places for the resident Gila woodpeckers, Gambel quails, lizards and red-tail hawks.

So before you join the ranks of the “poo-pooing-perceived-powerless”, get off the couch, hit the trail and prepare to be awestruck. Who knows, you (or somebody you know) may also be inspired to become a registered voter.

LENGTHS:

Dixie Mountain Loop: 4.62 miles, including the Hawks Nest access trail.  OR 5.74 miles including both optional summit spurs.

Hawks Nest: 0.40 mile one way

Dixie Mountain Summit: 0.22 mile one way

Western Vista: 0.34 mile one way

RATING: easy-moderate

ELEVATION: 1,600' – 2,251'. Most of the loop trail hugs the 1,700' level. Western Vista spur: 2075', Dixie Mountain Summit: 2,251'

DOGS: dogs must be on leash and handlers must pack out poo

KID FRIENDLY: yes

BEST SEASON: October -April

FACILITIES: no restroom or water. plenty of parking, trail map sign, and there’s a special lot for horse trailers

HOURS: 6 a.m. to 7 p.m.

GETTING THERE:

Desert Vista Trailhead:

From Phoenix, go north on I-17 to Jomax exit.  Go 0.2 mile on Jomax to Norterra Parkway, turn left (north) and continue 1.2 miles to North Valley Parkway.  Turn right (south) and go 0.2 miles to Copperhead Trail.  Turn left and go just a few yards  to Melvern Trail.  Turn left on Melvern and go 0.1 mile  to Desert Vista Trail on the right .  Follow Desert Vista through a gate that leads to the trailhead..

INFO: City of Phoenix, Phoenix Sonoran Preserve

http://phoenix.gov/parks/trails/locations/sonoran/index.html

For general information: 602 262-7901

REGISTER TO VOTE: Maricopa County Elections Department, 602-506-1511.

http://phoenix.gov/election/elect5.html

MORE PHOTOS:

http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.1889789663201.73243.1795269672&type=1&l=94928bb5ff

SUGARLOAF HILL

SUGARLOAF SUMMIT LOOP

Sedona

View from the summit ridge

Chimney Rock

Capitol Butte (a.k.a. Thunder Mountain)

Sugarloaf Hill from the

 trailhead

Funny how things work out sometimes.  One fine day in late October, I drove to Sedona with plans to hike the Allen’s Bend trail. T’was not to be.  For whatever reason, the gate on the road to the trailhead was locked, so I wandered over to another trail, hiked for a couple hours and tried again---still locked.  Oh well. Chalking this up to fate, I saved the $8 access fee (which I subsequently squandered on a six-pack of local ale), and went for a cup of coffee to mull over where to go instead.  Using the forest service recreation guide that came with my Red Rock Pass, I looked for  a trail I hadn't already done and decided on Thunder Mountain—part of Sedona's North Urban Trail System. However, when I arrived at the trailhead (which also provides access toTeacup and Sugarloaf trails) , I learned that  Thunder Mountain trail is short, flat and kinda boring, but alas, to the east, a red rock butte with people milling around on its summit caught my attention---Sugarloaf. The trailhead sign had a map of the route, so (after locating the owners of an errant beagle wandering the parking lot), off I went.

Although the way is marked by signs and basket carins, this hike is located just north of a residential area with many informal paths intersecting the main trails.  Therefore, you'll need to pay attention to stay on course.   From the trailhead sign, hike 0.5 mile along the Teacup Trail  to a small saddle marked by a basket carin with a wooden post sticking out of it. To reach the summit, hang a right here and make the quarter-mile climb to the top of Sugarloaf's bald crest.  Considering that this hill is hemmed in by much higher  and vastly more impressive rock features, views from its apex  are surprisingly excellent.  Local geological landmarks including Capitol Butte (a.k.a. Thunder Mountain), Chimney Rock and Coffee Pot Rock clutter the landscape.  To the west, the hazy silhouette of Mingus Mountain  soars above the Verde River Valley.  To complete the loop, hike back down to the carin/post, turn right and follow the (somewhat difficult-to-follow) path back to the trailhead.  To extend your hike, click on the web site link below to learn about connecting trails and other loop options from the Sugarloaf trailhead.

LENGTH: 2.2 miles roundtrip

RATING: easy

ELEVATION: 4,300' – 4,900'

KID FRIENDLY: yes

DOGS:  allowed, but must be on leash. There's a poop bag dispenser at the trailhead.

BEST SEASON: October - May

FACILITIES: none

FEE: A Red Rock Pass is required--$5 daily fee.  

http://www.redrockcountry.org/passes-and-permits/index.shtml

DISTANCE FROM PHOENIX:  130 miles one way

GETTING THERE: From Phoenix, go north on I17 to exit 298 for SR179, Sedona-Oak Creek. Go west (left at the offramp)  to the “Y” intersection of SR179 and US89A in Sedona, veer left through the traffic circle (toward Cottonwood) and continue 2 miles on 89A to Coffee Pot Drive on the right (located between Soldier Pass Road and Dry Creek Road). Go 0.5 miles on Coffee Pot to Sanborn Drive, hang a left, and continue 0.1 mile to Little Elf Drive where a generic “hiker’ sign points right.  Turn onto Little Elf and follow the signs 0.2 mile to the Sugarloaf Trailhead. Roads are 100% paved.

INFO: Red Rock Ranger District, Coconino National Forest, 928-282-4119

http://www.fs.fed.us/r3/coconino/recreation/red_rock/north-urban-tr-east.shtml



MORE PHOTOS:

http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.1873020603985.72690.1795269672&type=1&l=036da990c8