West Wing Mountain Preserve - Peoria, Arizona

I'm hiking every morning now. Hiking in the 90s isn't bad on this last day of summer.  In fact it felt good. The summer was too hot in the Valley. It was Phoenix's hottest summer ever recorded with 50 days above 110 degrees.

The hike at West Wing Mountain Preserve is in Peoria, and near my job at Walmart. I did a 4 mile loop and up West Wing Mountain at 1,903 feet. Unfortunately, this hike begins in a residential area with a half mile hike along roads and houses. However, it is a beautiful and rugged trail once you leave the houses behind.

West Wing Mountain

The ugly part of the trail.

Leaving the residential neighborhood.

 

Estler Peak Campsite - Dugas Rd., Prescott National Forest

I'm camping tonight in the semi desert grasslands at 4,000 feet. It's a beautiful night at the base of Estler Peak. At night a cool breeze blows through my open car windows while I sleep. I'm about an hours drive north of Phoenix. 

Here I am enjoying a good book by one of my favorite authors, Larry McMurtry. I'm reading Comanche Moon, the prequel to Lonesome Dove. My favorite way to relax is with a good novel, and enjoying an expansive view of the wild.

  

McDonald Trail - Camp Verde, Arizona

I hiked the McDonald Trail up to Sinagua cliff dwellings in the Verde Valley near Camp Verde. These structures are know as the Mindeleff Cavates. A cavate is a man-made cave.

I then hiked up to the top of the mesa, and hiked off trail going north. I need to come back and explore further when it is cooler. It was a 2 mile round trip hike with 440 feet of elevation gain. The hike took 1 hour and 42 minutes.

 

My Route

 

Estler Peak - Prescott National Forest

I hiked up Estler Peak near Dugas, in the Prescott National Forest. It was an easy half mile round trip hike with only 112 feet of elevation gain to the 4,263 foot summit. I read that the views were beautiful, and it was accurate. No trail, just a parking area. Trailhead elevation is 4,039 feet. I also spent the night here, and it was beautiful, and I loved the listening to the high-pitched barks and yips of the many coyotes.

My Car

My Car

On the summit.

Estler Peak

My Campsite

 

Wasson Peak - Saguaro National Park West

This was my second time hiking up Wasson Peak to the 4,688 foot summit. I took the 8 mile loop trail that combined the Gould Mine, Sendero Esperanza, Hugh Norris, and King Canyon Trails.

Waterman Peak - Ironwood Forest National Monument

I hiked up Waterman Peak to the summit at 3,830 feet. It was about 3 miles round trip with an elevation gain of 1,260 feet. There was a faint trail to the helicopter crash site memorial, and then it was an easy off-trail scramble to the peak. I camped overnight in my Honda CRV at the Titan II Missile Interpretive Site near the mountain.

 

I also had an exciting encounter with a Western Diamondback Rattlesnake on the way up. It was hiding under a bush by the trail. I heard the ominous rattle, and froze. It was about 6 feet away, and wouldn't come out for a photo.

Titan II Missile Interpretive Site and Waterman Peak

Waterman Peak

Helicopter Crash Site

Waterman Peak

On the summit.

The Summit

The Summit