South Mountain Park and Preserve

I began my loop hike at 12:18 PM.  My 5.4 mile hike followed the Marcos de Niza Trail, to the Midlife Crisis Trail, and then the National Trail back to my vehicle. It took me 3 hours and 2 minutes.

Maricopa Peak - South Mountain Park and Preserve

At 10:25am, I began hiking up Maricopa Peak at South Mountain Park and Preserve. The peak is located on the Ma Ha Tauk Ridge. I got a late start and it was already getting hot. My hike was 6.5 miles round trip, and took me 3 hours and 50 minutes. The elevation gain was 1,450 feet. It was 96 degrees when I returned to my car.

First it took me 44 minutes to reach the Ma Ha Tauk Ridge in 1.5 miles. Then it was another 1.5 miles, and 44 minutes to the social trail going up to the peak. Then it was a 15 minute hike to the summit. Total hike time to the summit was 1 hour and 48 minutes. Then it took me 1 hour and 24 minutes to get back to the trailhead.

Lost Ranch Ruins Loop Trail - South Mountain Park

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.

The Estrella Range from the Gila Range.

Hiking the crest of the Gila Range.

The Estrella Range from the Gila Range.

Hiking the crest of the Gila Range.

The Ma Ha Tauk Range from the Gila Range.

Hiking the crest of the Gila Range.

My hike plus a one mile mistake.