Since I have a dentist appointment in Avondale tomorrow, I decided to do a hike at South Mountain Park near Phoenix. I
started my 5.9 mile hike at 6:07am to avoid the heat of the Sonoran
Desert. I actually got up at 4:30am and drove south from the North Valley to the trailhead. The hike took me 3.5 hours with 1,256 feet of elevation gain. At more than 16,000 acres it is America's largest
municipal park with three mountain ranges. I started at the Pyramid Trailhead, and took that trail to the Gila Trail, then connected to the steep Lost Ranch Ruin Trail and followed that to the National Trail. I followed that trail to the Eliminator Trail, and then to the Mine Drop Trail back to Lost Ranch Ruin, and Pyramid Trail.
The highlight of the hike was seeing a Speckled Rattlesnake. The quiet rattle caught my attention, and I saw it about 2 feet from the trail. Unfortunately, I couldn't get a photo because the snake quickly hid beneath the rocks.
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The Estrella Range from the Gila Range.
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Hiking the crest of the Gila Range.
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The Estrella Range from the Gila Range.
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Hiking the crest of the Gila Range.
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The Ma Ha Tauk Range from the Gila Range.
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Hiking the crest of the Gila Range.
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My hike plus a one mile mistake.
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