5.1 miles on Sunday evening…
Category: Hiking (page 15 of 68)
Hike descriptions and/or photos.
Starting from the Trailhead Staging Area, I did a 12.4 mile loop: Shallmo, Escondido, Pemberton, Scenic, and Pemberton.
A view of Red Mountain from the Shallmo Wash Trail:
This is perhaps one of the better views from the Escondido Trail.
Another view from the Escondido Trail:
Looking toward Red Mountain from the Scenic Trail:
8.4 miles on Wednesday Night. Temperature was 106 when I started and 98 when I finished.
I hiked a little over five miles doing the Hog Heaven Loop, which is in the Tom’s Thumb area.
From this vantage point, I eventually hiked up past Hog Heaven, which is the climbing area just below the ridge in the center. I then made my way up to the Thumbnail Pinnacle which is on the ridge, just right of center. After that, I went to the highest point in the McDowells, the East End at the far right.
This is one of the interesting rock formations along the way. It is not the Thumbnail Pinnacle.
I saw this Gila Monster along the way. A got a photo of it when it turned around to hiss at me.
I took this shot while standing atop the boulders that form the highest point in the McDowells.
I saw a number of these yellow caterpillars as I made my descent to Tom’s Thumb Trail. Joe Bartels has identified it as a White-lined Sphinx Caterpillar.
When I got to Tom’s Thumb Trail, I started seeing what I thought were Mariposa Lilies. Joe Bartels at hikearizona.com identified it as an Arizona Caltrop, also known as an Arizona Poppy.
6.4 miles on Monday Night. Temperature at the start was 113 F and 100 F when I finished. The first mile felt oppressively hot, but it got easier after that.
Bob and I hiked 10.3 miles on our Friday Hike. We hiked: Wagner, right on Granite, right on Delsie, left on Pemberton, left down Stoneman Wash, right on Granite, left on Bluff, left on Granite, and back (right) on Wagner.
We saw an owl towards the beginning of our hike on Delsie, but not many other critters.
A view of the McDowells from the Delsie Trail:
A happy skeleton!
A view from (and of) the Pemberton.
Stoneman Wash:
8.5 miles on Wednesday Night…
7.4 miles on Tuesday, with some really pretty skies just after sunset…
I hiked a little over 11 miles on Sunday. Starting from the Four Peaks / Horse Staging Area, I hiked Shallmo Wash, Pemberton, and Escondido. Midway around Escondido, I hiked the Lousley Hill loop as well, adding in an extra mile to what would otherwise be a ten mile loop.
Linda and I hiked 10.6 miles in McDowell Mountain Park, staying mostly in washes. We finished up with about two miles in Shallmo Wash, eschewing the nearby trail for the loose and sandy goodness of the wash.
Any early morning view from the parking area:
Looking toward the McDowells from the top of T-Bone Ridge:
Stoneman Wash:
This is one of Stoneman’s feeder washes:
After crossing the Pemberton, we continued up this wash and came upon this snake.
Further on, we found this shed from a mule deer:
This is Shallmo Wash:
Some critter, probably a pack rat, seems to have piled up sticks and twigs on two levels in this dead tree.
