Joshua Tree National Park - Stubbe Spring Loop Trail

On September 29th, I hiked the 12.8  mile Stubbe Springs Loop Trail. It is located at the Juniper Flats trailhead where there is no sign for the trail, and Joshua Tree National Park does not list this as an official hike. So you get lots of solitude here. I didn't see anybody for the entire 12.8 miles.

The Devil's Playground - Petrified Forest National Park

On September 18th, I secured a permit for hiking in the Devil's Playground in the Painted Desert at Petrified Forest National Park. Only 3 permits are given out each week. At the trailhead, NPS posts provide the direction for the trek across the desert to the Devil's Playground. Once at the Devil's Playground there is no formal trail system. You just go where you want to explore. I did an 8 mile, 5 hour hike. I was the only person out there too. Loved the solitude.

Hiking off trail is always exciting, with unique challenges, dangers, and added benefits.  Foremost, I have to make sure I don't get lost. I always bring a compass, and my Garmin InReach Explorer so I can track my route. If the Garmin fails, I have my compass as backup. Additionally, I always make a mental note of where I have been. The health benefits are enormous too. You get peace and solitude, and finding a route is like assembling a jigsaw puzzle. How does my chosen path fit into this big crazy landscape? It's a great cerebral workout of memory, and attention. It also nearly eliminates my OCD that often runs in the background of my mind. Those unwanted distractions are replaced by the challenging terrain and the stark beauty of eroded badlands.

The route I hiked.

The Blue Wash - Tonto National Forest

On September 15th, I did a night hike down the Blue Wash near Cave Creek.  Night hikes in the summer always bring an unique perspective to Sonoran Desert, and it's fun to look for scorpions.

Stripe Tailed Scorpion

Cathedral Rock Loop - Sedona, Arizona

On September 7th, I hiked the 8 mile, Cathedral Rock Loop: Hiline and Templeton Trail in Sedona. I also included the steep trail up to Cathedral Rock. I started at 9:00am and hoped to beat the afternoon heat of 97 degrees, but I did not. The hike took me longer than anticipated, and I ran out of water 3/4 of the way around the loop. I had brought only 2 liters of water and wished I had at least 3 liters. But, I was fine, just very thirsty. It's very hot out on the barren slick rock. I also could have bailed out from the trail at any time to a residential neighborhood which were less than 2 miles from the trail. Unfortunately, over development has marred the natural beauty of Sedona, and you never get that wilderness feel on this trail.

Grand Canyon National Park - The Grandview Trail

The Grandview Trail begins at 7,400 feet, and was built in 1893 as a mining route. It is exposed and strenuous with extreme drop offs.  It is 3 miles to Horseshoe Mesa, 31 switchbacks, and drops nearly 2,500 vertical feet. At the mesa there is a faint trail leads another mile out to a high rocky point.

I left early in the morning on September 4th. I wanted to avoid the hot afternoon heat on Horseshoe Mesa. The views all the way down are spectacular, and this is my favorite day hike from the South Rim. The only place I encountered other hikers was within a mile of the trailhead. For 5 hours I didn't see anybody. I had the entire Horseshoe Mesa and trail to myself. The entire trail round trip took me 7 hours.

I have OCD, and this hike completely wiped out my OCD, and wiped me out physically too. The scenery is incredible, and OCD just can't compete, so the Grand Canyon wins every time. The harder the trail the more effective it is.  So I keep looking for hard trails, for longer trails, for steeper trails, and more challenging trails.

My feet at the end of Horseshoe Mesa.

Horseshoe Mesa

Rainbow in the canyon.