Tag: Friday Fitness Hike (page 14 of 36)

January 13, 2017 / 4 Comments

Friday Fitness Hike

Eight of us, Bill, Bill, Heather, Janet, Bob, Linda, Nancy, and I hiked a loop of somewhat over twelve miles. We hiked: Tortoise, Pemberton, Tonto Tank, Pemberton, Boulder, Marcus Landslide, Rock Knob, Pemberton, Bluff Wash, Granite, Wagner.

Dead tree on the Tortoise Trail:

View of Weaver’s Needle and the Flatiron from the Pemberton Trail:

A small wash which feeds into Stoneman Wash, near where Pemberton descends into the wash:

Hiking up the Tonto Tank Trail…

Heather, Bill, Linda, Nancy, Bob, Janet, Bill, and Kevin in front of the McDowells:

I think this is Turpentine Bush:

A view from the Boulder Trail:

A large boulder on the Marcus Landslide Trail:

Sven Slab:

Chain fruit cholla in the foreground; Rock Knob behind them and to the left; Four Peaks in the distance:

Another view from the Rock Knob Trail:

Approaching the park boundary on the Rock Knob Trail:

Back in McDowell Mountain Park now; another view from the Rock Knob Trail:

Hiking down Bluff Wash:

Chuparosa:

January 7, 2017 / 2 Comments

Friday Fitness Hike

Mike, Bob, Bill, Janet, Nancy, Linda, Heather, Heather, and I hiked nearly eleven miles starting from the parking lot for the Dixie Mine Trail. We hiked: Dixie Mine, Coachwhip, Windmill, Bell Pass, Prospector, service road, Dixie Mine. Near the end of Prospector, Bill, Linda, the two Heathers, and I split off and hiked the canyon which led back to the petroglyphs and the mine.

A view from the Dixie Mine Trail:

Some of the ocotillos are blooming!

Four Peaks, wreathed in clouds:

A view from the Coachwhip Trail:

A view from the Windmill Trail. The cottonwood tree near the windmill can be seen in the center of the photo.

We visited the area of the windmill on this hike…

Kevin, Bob, Heather, Heather, Linda, Mike, Janet, Nancy, and Bill:

Another view from the Windmill Trail:

A view of Thompson Peak from the Bell Pass Trail:

Another view from the Bell Pass Trail:

Mike, hiking up the Bell Pass Trail:

This is the view from the scenic viewpoint on the Prospector Trail:

Many saguaros:

A deep water-filled pothole. For once, there were no bees here! (It was a cool day though.)

Heather S:

Heather J:

This is the view as we neared the mine:

December 23, 2016 / 0 Comments

Friday Hike – Spur Cross / Limestone Trail

On Friday, the 23rd, Mike, Andrea, Mark, Laurie (and their dogs, Zig and Phil), Doug, Leslie, DeAnn, Sandy, Heather, Marilyn, and I hiked at Spur Cross. It was my intention to hike from west to east on the Limestone Trail; we did part of it, but I made a wrong turn which returned to the park early. Our total distance was still around 7.8 miles with roughly 1500 feet of total ascent. It had rained earlier in the day; the trails were wet and the clay sections, which we had underfoot for much of the hike, grabbed at our footwear making the hike more difficult than normal.

Heather, DeAnn, Sandy, Leslie, Andrea, Mike, Laurie, Mark, Doug, and Marilyn (with dogs Phil and Zig) on the Spur Cross Trail.

Though the day was overcast, it didn’t rain while we were hiking.

A view of the fortress pinnacle from the southern section of the Elephant Mountain Trail.

Another view from the Elephant Mountain Trail.

Still on the Elephant Mountain Trail: Nearing the saddle between the main part of Elephant Mountain and the fortress.

A view of the fortress from the Limestone Trail.

Marilyn, Mike, Laurie, Andrea, Heather, DeAnn, Leslie, Doug, Sandy, and Kevin on the Limestone Trail. (The top of Mark’s hat can be seen behind Doug; Heather and I took turns with the camera so that I’d be in the picture too.)

A view of Elephant Mountain and the fortress from the connector trail between the Limestone Trail and the east end of the Elephant Mountain Trail

Muddy footwear in the trunk of the car.

December 10, 2016 / 1 Comment

Friday Fitness Hike

Linda, Doug, Leslie, Heather, Bill, and Mike hiked Dixie Mine, Sonoran, and part of the Promenade Trail on Friday. On the way back, Bill showed the group a new trail that he’s building in the area. Total hike distance was just over eight miles.

Thanks to Linda for leading the hike and for sending me photos!

Leslie, Doug, Mike, Heather, and Bill

Heading out to find the new trail…

The new trail comes close to a water tank.

December 2, 2016 / 2 Comments

Friday Fitness Hike

Linda, Mike, Bill, Sandy, and DeAnn joined me for an 11.4 mile hike starting at the Wagner Trailhead. We hiked, in order, Wagner, Granite, Delsie, Gooseneck, Rock Knob, Pemberton, Bluff, and Wagner. The day started out chilly, but we warmed up during periods of sunshine.

Saguaros on the Delsie Trail

Another view from the Delsie Trail

A view of the McDowells from the Gooseneck Trail

Linda, Mike DeAnn, Bill, and Sandy with Rock Knob directly behind them

A somewhat closer view of the McDowells from the Rock Knob Trail

Another view of the McDowells, this time from the Granite Trail

November 25, 2016 / 7 Comments

Friday Hike – Spur Cross to Skull Mesa

Linda, Nancy, Marilyn, Bob, Mike, and I hiked from Spur Cross to the top of Skull Mesa on the Friday after Thanksgiving. (Not all of us went to the summit.) The hike was 12 miles long with over 3200 feet of total elevation gain.

This is a view of Cave Creek (which was dry on the day we hiked) from the Spur Cross Trail.

Skull Mesa, in the distance:

Another view of Skull Mesa from Cottonwood Trail #247:

This petroglyph is on the Skull Mesa Trail, shortly after leaving the Cottonwood Trail – though you have to hike about five miles just to get to that intersection.

A view to the west from the Skull Mesa Trail:

Ruins (of perhaps an ancient dwelling) can be found on the ascent to the top of Skull Mesa:

A view to the east from the Skull Mesa Trail:

Looking west again, further up the trail:

Nancy, Linda, and Bob:

We saw a young tarantula on our way up…

Climbing higher on the Skull Mesa Trail – roughly 1000 feet are gained in the mile to the top:

Looking east from the summit of Skull Mesa:

Looking southwest from the top of Skull Mesa…

Looking west from the western-most edge…

Nancy and Linda descending the Skull Mesa Trail. In some respects, the descent was more treacherous than the ascent.

Looking west on the descent:

Another view to the west:

November 19, 2016 / 3 Comments

Friday Fitness Hike

Mike and I hiked 15.9 miles starting from the parking area for the Dixie Mine Trail. We hiked Dixie Mine, Prospector, Bell Pass (up and over the Pass), Gateway Loop, Windgate (up and over Windgate Pass), Bell Pass, Prospector, Dixie Mine (back to parking lot).

We saw at least half a dozen deer crossing the Dixie Mine Trail early in our hike.

A view of Thompson Peak (with the antennas) from early in the hike.

Despite being a cool day, I began to get warm while hiking up the Prospector Trail. We stopped near the overlook so that I could remove a layer of clothing. When I picked up my backpack, I noticed this tarantula underneath pack’s hip belt. I think I woke it up when I set my pack down near it.

A view from the Prospector Trail:

Looking at Scottsdale (and other Valley cities) from Bell Pass:

Barrel Cacti growing out of rock outcropping on the Scottsdale side of the Bell Pass Trail:

A view of Thompson Peak from Gateway Saddle:

We saw this inscribed rock at the intersection of the Windgate Pass Trail and the trail leading to Inspiration Viewpoint:

Two more views from the Windgate Pass Trail:

Saguaros on the Prospector Trail:

Another view from the Prospector Trail:

November 13, 2016 / 2 Comments

Friday Fitness Hike

Marilyn, Nancy, Linda, Mike, and I hiked a little over ten miles on Friday. We did a loop which took us up the Tom’s Thumb Trail, down the East End Trail, and then into the park via the Windmill and Coachwhip Trails. We hiked the Pemberton to Boulder and then to Marcus Landslide. Marilyn returned on the Marcus Landslide Trail, while the rest of us hiked Feldspar, returning on the Tom’s Thumb Trail.

The view from the parking lot

Gardener’s Wall and Tom’s Thumb

Marilyn, Mike, Linda, and Nancy on the Tom’s Thumb Trail

Glass Dome

A view of Pinnacle Peak in the distance

Weaver’s Needle, The Fountain, and Red Mountain, off in the distance

Thompson Peak

A “droopy armed” saguaro on the Boulder Trail

Linda and Marilyn on the Boulder Trail

Mike, Kevin, Nancy, and Linda

Mushroom boulders on the Marcus Landslide Trail

November 5, 2016 / 5 Comments

Friday Fitness Hike

Nancy, Linda, Mike, Bob, and I hiked 14.5 miles on Friday. George joined us for the first 2.5 miles before turning back.

We hiked Dixie Mine to Pemberton which, due to its length, is something that we rarely do. From there, we hiked Pemberton, Coachwhip, Windmill, Bell Pass, and Prospector back to the service road. From there, we picked up Dixie Mine for the return to our vehicles.

A view of Four Peaks from the sidewalk leading into the park

A view of the McDowells from the Dixie Mine Trail

Moss along the Dixie Mine Trail

A small rock formation along the Dixie Mine Trail

George, Bob, Linda, Nancy, and Mike

View from the Coachwhip Trail

A view of Thompson Peak from the Bell Pass Trail

Rock formation on the Bell Pass Trail

Cyclists on the Prospector Trail

Tarantula on the Prospector Trail

Saguaros near the end of the Prospector Trail

Christmas Cholla

October 29, 2016 / 4 Comments

Friday Fitness Hike

Mike, Janet, Nancy, Heather, and Sue joined me for a 10.5 mile hike out to the Dixie Mine. We continued on up the wash until we got to the Prospector Trail. From there we hiked up to the Bell Pass Trail, over to the Windmill Trail, then to Coachwhip, and back on Dixie Mine.