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Month: January 2020 (page 1 of 1)

January 31, 2020 / 2 Comments

Friday Fitness Hike

Roseanne, Dennis, Barb, Nick, Mike, Bob, Linda, Marilyn, Ben, Gayle, and Marilyn joined me for a hike of the Scenic Trail. After hiking the Scenic Trail, Roseanne, Dennis, Bob, Nick, and Marilyn took the short way back to the trailhead while the rest of us hiked Lousley Wash and then Lousley Hill, eventually returning via Escondido and Shallmo Wash. Total hike distance for some of us was 13 miles!

Looking toward the McDowells from the ridge along the Scenic Trail:

This is the group at the top of the hill along the Scenic Trail.

Looking toward Four Peaks from the Scenic Trail:

A view from Lousley Wash:

Looking toward Red Mountain from the top of Lousley Hill:

A Chuparosa bloom in Lousley Wash:

A view from the Escondido Trail:

I don’t know the name of this flower, but we saw several of them along the Shallmo Wash Trail as we neared Pemberton.

January 24, 2020 / 1 Comment

Friday Fitness Hike

Marilyn, Mike, Sara, Jerry, and Julie joined me for a ten mile hike in the Tom’s Thumb area.  Marilyn hiked out Marcus Landslide, then took Pemberton and Coachwhip to Windmill.  There, she waited for the rest of us to meet up with her after hiking past Tom’s Thumb and down East End.

A view of Troon Mountain from early in the hike:

This small pinnacle is encountered while hiking the access trail leading to the ridge on which Tom’s Thumb is situated.

Looking down at Pinnacle Peak and Troon:

A view of Tom’s Thumb from the ridge:

Looking toward Phoenix:

Mike, Sara, Julie, and Jerry in front of Tom’s Thumb:

Heading down the East End Trail…

Jerry, Julie, and Mike descending one of many switchbacks on the East End Trail:

Mike spotted this chain fruit cholla with fasciation, or cresting:

Marilyn and Sara on the Boulder Trail:

January 17, 2020 / 2 Comments

Friday Fitness Hike

Ben, Marilyn, Mike, Jerry, Julie, and Marilyn joined me for a hike starting from the Wagner Trailhead.  It was another “wash day” in which we spent much of the hike in washes.

This is a view of Red Mountain from Stoneman Wash. It doesn’t look especially red in this photo.

Another view of Red Mountain, this time from the Long Loop in the Competitive Track area.

Looking towards the McDowells as we hiked to the Pemberton Trail.

This is the entrance to one of the arroyos that we visited.

This wash has high vertical walls.

Julie, Mike, Jerry, and Marilyn.  (Ben and my wife took a shorter way back.)

The wash narrows at this point, but the walls are not as steep or as high.

We saw this raven atop a saguaro as we headed down the Tonto Tank Trail.

While hiking (again) through Stoneman Wash, we saw this Phainopepla.

January 10, 2020 / 0 Comments

Friday Fitness Hike

On Friday, Jan 10, Linda, Mike, Gayle, Bob, Ann, and Denny hiked out to the Dixie Mine, visiting the tailings, the adit, and the nearby petroglyphs.

Thanks again to Linda for providing me with photos!

January 3, 2020 / 3 Comments

Friday Fitness Hike

On January, the 3rd, Linda, Mike, Gayle, Heather, and Rebecca hiked a 10 mile loop consisting of the Escondido, Pemberton, Scenic, and Cinch trails.

Thanks to Linda for providing me with these photos from the hike!  (I made some color and contrast adjustments.)