Lost Dog Wash Trail - McDowell Mtn. Park - North Scottsdale

February 21, 2011

Located off Via Linda & 124th Street

Finally the rain has left the area and the sun was shining brightly - time for a hike!  This trail is approximately 4.5 miles round trip.  I would consider it an intermediate hike compared to other trails I have hiked in and around the valley.  We hiked to the Taliesin Outlook where we could look out over the valley and I think I could see Mt. Humphrey as I saw a mountain with a lot of snow in that direction.  No one in the group could confirm or deny my sighting..... The terrain is smooth in most areas and rocky in others.  So good hiking footwear is a must and make sure you have at least 2 liters of water with you.  I actually took my first fall today by not picking my foot up high enough.  Just a couple of skinned knees however I had to slow down a bit.  All in all a very nice hike and I would definitely hike this trail again. Dogs are allowed on this trail but must be on a leash.  There is also water & restrooms at the trail head.

Desert Beauty in Arizona

Meet Up Hiking Group

Arizona Cactus

View from the top

View along the trail - awesome!

Desert Classic Trail - South Mtn. Park

 February 6, 2011

This was a day that I took my grandson Collin and my daughter Lindsay to explore a new trail.  The Desert Classic is a very smooth and level trail for the beginner which Collin being 3 years old is a new to hiking.  He did very well and hiked further on this day than his first outing.  We got to see some wildlife on this outing.  Bunnies, lizards and some cactus wrens.  There are quite a few mountain bikers & runners on this trail. If you are looking for a trail for little hikers just starting out I would highly recommend this one.  The trail head is just off of Chandler Blvd. 

Trail Marker

Collin setting the pace!

The mighty Saguaros.





The Desert Classic Trail

Turn Around Point

Pinnacle Peak - North Scottsdale

February 5, 2011

Carrie & I set our sites on this hiking location on another wonderful Arizona winter day.  This trail is heavily traveled by all kinds of hikers/runners.  It is not a loop trail so you hike to the end then turn around and hike back for a total of 3.5 miles.  It took us 2 hours 15 minutes.  The trail is very smooth and well maintained.  Lots of beautiful scenery to look at on this trail.  You can see Troon Golf Course, some really amazing multi-million dollar homes and of course the natural habitat of the trail/mountain.  Make sure you pace yourself on this trail as going in is easier than hiking out.  Save some energy as you will need it for those switchbacks that your hiked down on the way out.  There are a couple of wonderful lookout points that point out the surrounding mountains throughout the valley.  I highly recommend this trail to the novice/beginner hiker as a great way to break into the world of hiking.  Have fun and be safe!

Telegraph Pass Trail - South Mtn. Park

January 8, 2011

Hiked Telegraph Pass today and it was another beautiful day to be out hiking.  The trail was pretty busy on this day as it should be with the great Arizona sunshine providing just the right temperature to be out hiking.  My friend Carrie and I hiked this trail then went on up to the lookout point to take in the view of downtown and Ahwatukee/Chandler.  We followed a paraglider up to the lookout point and he continued on up the mountain for his descent.  I highly recommend this trail for intermediate to experienced hikers.  There are a lot of high step ups near the top of the trail making your heart rate increase. 

Here is a picture of Carrie & me at the look out point.

Carrie & I at the top of South Mtn. Lookout Point

Paraglider  - South Mtn.

Squaw Peak Hike

Sunday, November 28, 2010

This particular mountain had done me in during the summer months and I really didn't get very far so on this day I was determined I would tackle the beast and get to the top!

The terrain starts off rather smooth and soon it becomes a challenge.  Luckily for me my new hiking boots proved to me to not worry that they would be there for me assuring me sure footing and ankle support.

A lot of this trail is like walking on the points of rocks with few flat spots to place your foot so it is not an easy path to tackle.  But as you progress you will gain confidence in your footing and ability to tackle this type of terrain.

For me it meant keeping hydrated even though it was a rather cool day in the low 60's with a lot of wind.  For these types of temperatures it would be easy to think you wouldn't need as much hydration but I caution you to bring enough water or Gatorade to keep you well hydrated.  If you are one that requires an energy boost after an hour or so of hiking be sure to bring a snack to replenish that energy source. 

Slow and steady is the pace I chose on this day even though many people running/sprinting up the mountain passed us and made it look so easy.  I know that in order for me to be successful I had to pace myself as this is not an easy trail for most.  Lots of high step ups and rocky areas and I didn't want to fall or get injured in any way.

So my hiking partner Dan let me lead the way and told me right out the gate pace yourself you have a long way to go and he was right.  It's 1.2 miles to the summit of this mountain.

Some points of interest - this is the most popular hiking area in the United States.  There are between 4,000 to 10,000 hikers per week on this trail.  So it's always pretty busy you have to get there early to ensure a parking spot.  The Army Corp of Engineers helped create the trail and I must say all those steps - great job!  The Summit Trail is 1.2 Miles one way and the elevation climbs up to 2,608 feet from a starting elevation of 1,400 feet.  You will gain more than 1,200 feet in elevation on this hike.  This particular trail is rated Strenuous and Difficult.  I totally agree with this assessment!  

There are rest spots with benches along the way and I encourage you to take advantage of them and give your legs and feet a break.  The last few turns of the trail are probably the hardest with lots of little steps so you will feel like you have been on a stair climber just when you are running out of energy.  Then there is a massive boulder with crevices that you have to maneuver to actually reach the top.  The view that awaits you and the feeling of satisfaction knowing that you made it to the top is amazing.

Like I said before there are many people that hike this trail daily and some multiple times.  On this day we spoke to a very young man that was on his 4th trip up for the day.  He didn't have an ounce of fat on his body.  He was running in converse tennis shoes and was moving with the ease and agility of a cat leaping and jumping from one rock to another all the while carrying his gallon jug of water in one hand.  God Bless him!  Oh to be young again.  

This is definitely the most difficult hike for me to date and a great training site for preparing for the Canyon hike in March. 
Happy hiking everyone!

 

Telegraph Trail - South Mtn. Park

Sunday, November 7, 2010

After a few futile attempts to find the trailhead for this particular trail we found it on this day.  We could see the trail from the lookout on Saturday so we knew that there had to be a place to start on the South side of the mountain.  We researched it on the internet and found directions. 

The parking is limited and the lot was full with just one spot left - lucky for us.  The start of this trail is a really nice paved trail relatively flat with very little incline.  Don't let this fool you the real hike is ahead and it is not paved or flat.  There is a pretty steady incline with lots of steps UP to get your heartrate pumping. 

We were excited to see some paragliders taking off from a top of South Mountain.  They seemed to fly effortlessly like a bird.  They had a nice landing area at the bottom of the mountain and we watched them land and I must say they made look easy.  Even for someone like me that is very cautious about heights, it had me thinking that it could be a lot of fun to give this a try someday.  Overcoming our fears frees us and allows us to become who we are meant to be!

We really enjoyed this trail and it takes you up to the main road so we continued on up to the lookout point.  From the lookout point you can see to the North downtown Phoenix with the lovely brown cloud hanging over the valley.  To the South you can see Ahwatukee and the remaining farm land  that hasn't been taken over by developers.  Really great views from here.

When we were descending there were some Arizona Cowboys going up the mountain with their horses and little pack mule.  The little pack mule was so cute he knew the path that they were taking and caught up to his Cowboys quickly.

We never know what we will see when we are out on the trail but it's always better than anything we would have seen sitting at home watching the TV!  I encourage you to get out there and enjoy the wonderful trails that Arizona has to offer.  This was another great day of hiking and I'm happy to report once again that I'm even more in love with my new boots than I was yesterday. 

Kiwanis Trail Hike - South Mtn. Park

Saturday, November 6, 2010

First stop a trip to REI to get new hiking boots for me!  I've got to tell you don't skimp on a good pair of hiking boots they are the foundation of your body that takes the most abuse.  I have learned the hard way that you need to bite the bullet and make the investment.  I purchased a pair of Lowa hiking boots and they are great!  They have a nice high ankle support and it feels like I'm walking on air.  Plus my toes do not touch the end of the boot which is the main reason why I needed these new boots.  I couldn't wait to hit the trail.

I've hiked this trail many times however, I always discover something new each time I hike here.  They have added some very fine gravel almost sand quality to part of the flat trail which makes it seem like hiking on the beach.  We were surprised that not many hikers were hiking this particular trail as it is usually pretty popular but it was a pretty warm day and we were getting a little later start than we normally would.

This trail is popular for mtn. bikers, folks riding horses and hikers of all ages and a lot them bring their dogs with them. 

Rock Dam - Kiwanis Trail

We hiked all the way to the lookout point and would have gone further but forgot to bring an energy snack so we decided it would be best to just to hike back.  

All in all a very good hike and my feet/toes were not hurting so I was one happy hiker!!  I could tell a difference in the speed of my descent and my hiking partner commented on how much he saw my confidence improve when scaling the more rocky part of the trail.  So if you have been putting off the purchase of a really good pair of hiking boots they are well worth the investment.

Happy hiking!