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| Hiking | 6.75 Miles |
856 AEG |
| | Hiking | 6.75 Miles | 2 Hrs 50 Mns | | 2.41 mph |
| 856 ft AEG | 2 Mns Break | | | |
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| no partners | | A quick-ish jaunt around South Mountain...while it is more conveniently located to me, I greatly prefer the isolation and less traffic of other areas not too much further away.
Waited until the weather radar showed I was all clear for any sprinkles before heading to the trailhead (I willingly admit that I think 40 degree temps + precipitation is my least favorite for hiking). The parking lot didn't have too many cars, not unexpected given that it was mid afternoon when I arrived.
My selected route was out Pima wash, up the Javalina Connector to Mormon Loop, out National to drop through Fat Mans Pass and Hidden Valley before returning via the National Trail.
While the area got "rain", it was probably more like light sprinkles (so I was probably being overly cautious before heading out for a walk) - the trails were completely dry and passing mountain bikes kicked up a plume.
The trail includes expansive views of Phoenix, and in some areas, it picks up a surprising amount of traffic noise from below. South Mountain is definitely not the place to go for solitude. I lost track of how many mountain bikers and other hikers I saw. More interestingly, I caught sight of an adorable antelope squirrel, though was not fast enough to capture it with a photo.
A hike on the mountainside beats a wander around the neighborhood! |
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Wildflowers Observation Isolated
spotted one ocotillo trying really really hard....otherwise, the only blooms I saw were the brittle bush and creosote with city irrigation |
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Happier when hiking....I may not move fast (and I'm often distracted by wildflowers), but I'll get there eventually  |
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