Black Canyon - Black Canyon City, AZ

Since it had rained on Christmas, I decided to drive to the Black Canyon National Recreation Trail and hike down into the canyon and see the high water of Black Canyon Creek. It always an incredible sight to witness so much water flowing through the Sonoran Desert.

Jewel of the Creek Preserve

On Christmas Day, I headed out to the Jewel of the Creek Preserve near the town of Cave Creek. Since I had nowhere to go for Christmas it was a wonderful opportunity to do some photography under partly cloudy skies after it had rained all night.

Jewel of the Creek is a unique desert oasis with a perennial stream that supports a multitude of plant and animal species.

Jewel of the Creek

Three Sisters - Superstition Mountains

The Carney Springs Trail up to the Ridgeline Trail is a lightly traveled route despite the beautiful scenery and fantastic views. The steepness of the trail keeps most people away. It gains over 2,400 vertical feet in just 3.1 miles. I encountered only 2 people on this hike. The trail is easy to follow, and is 6.9 miles out and back.

I enjoy a challenging trail, because it gives me a goal and something to conquer. While I focus on the destination and route, it nearly eliminates my OCD. I'm surrounded by incredible scenery, and my legs are marching over rock, and I'm trying to avoid the cacti. It keeps me busy, and away from those annoying OCD conversations I have in my head.

The Three Sisters

Carney Springs Trail

Carney Springs Trail

Ridgeline Trail

Weaver's Needle

On the Three Sisters Summit

On the Three Sisters Summit

On the Three Sisters Summit

On the Three Sisters Summit

On the Three Sisters Summit

On the Three Sisters Summit

Weaver's Needle

Carney Springs Trail

Carney Springs Tail

Peak 3465 - Hells Canyon Wilderness

On December 12, I hiked 11.4 miles round trip on the Walkin' Jim Trail to the summit of Peak 3465. The hike took me 8 hours and 55 minutes. It is located in the Hieroglyphic Mountains near Lake Pleasant. On the entire hike I only passed one person. I love the solitude of solo hiking, with no other hikers around. It's incredibly peaceful. Since I have OCD, these long solo hikes are my medicine for anxiety.

Peak 3465

Peak 3465

Peak 3465

On the summit of Peak 3465

Me on the summit of Peak 3465

On the summit of Peak 3465

On the summit of Peak 3465

On the summit of Peak 3465

On the summit of Peak 3465

Peak 3465

The route