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.
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.
Jill and I hiked out to Dixie Mine, visiting both the top of the tailings and the horizontal entrance. After looking at the petroglyphs, we continued onto the Prospector Trail where we hiked to the scenic overlook. Total distance for the day’s hike was nearly 8 miles with just over 1,000 feet of total ascent.
On Sunday, I hiked 11.3 miles in the McDowells. Starting from the parking area at the end of Golden Eagle Blvd, I hiked Dixie Mine to the road, up the road to Prospector, Prospector to Bell Pass, then up to the top of the pass, back down Bell Pass (the way I came) to the intersection with Prospector, continued on Bell Pass to intersection with Windmill and Windgate, Windgate to Coachwhip, Coachwhip to Dixie Mine, then back on Dixie Mine.
The temperature started out in the mid-seventies at around 6:00am and rose to the mid- to high-nighties when I got back around 10:30. So, fairly cool for this time of year.
