Just before Christmas of 2011 I ran across a hiking book at REI. It was Charles Liu’s second edition of “60 Hikes Within 60 Miles” of Phoenix, Arizona , where I live. Soon a case of madness swept over me, and I decided to see if I could do all 60 in 2012.
NOTE: AndI couldn’t. Starting in May, the desert heat clouded my brain and dampened my enthusiasm. No way after missing the summer hiking season, could I come close to 60. So I’ll plod along and, hopefully, in time I’ll make Liu proud of me.
I post below a list of hikes completed. Distances in the instances (ah, a little rhyme) of over-and-back trail are round-trip.
2012
January Hikes (9)
(1) January 6, Papago Park, urban, north Phoenix, loop trail, 2.2 miles, difficulty easy, (Liu hike #7).
(2) January 7, Lookout Mountain, urban, north Phoenix, over and back, 1.1 mile, difficulty moderate, (#5).
(3) January 8, Pinnacle Peak, suburban, northeast Scottsdale, over and back, 3.5 miles, difficulty moderate but strenuous on return up west end, (#18).
(4) January 15, Piestewa Peak: Freedom Trail, urban, north Phoenix, loop, 3.8 miles, difficulty strenuous coming up to Summit Trail from west, (#8).
(5) January 17, North Mountain: National Trail, urban, north Phoenix, loop, 1.6 miles, difficulty moderate, (#6).
(6) January 19, Shaw Butte Trail, urban, north Phoenix, loop, 4.2 miles, difficulty strenuous, (#11).
(7) January 25, Piestewa Peak, Summit Trail, urban, north Phoenix, up and back, 2.4 miles, difficulty very strenuous, (#9).
(8) January 28, Quartz Ridge Trail, urban, north Phoenix, partial loop, 4.4 miles, difficulty moderate with some strenuous, (#10).
(9) January 29, Sunrise Mountain, suburban, east Scottsdale, one-way, shuttle cars, 5.2 miles counting side-trip to summit, difficulty moderate, (#19)
February Hikes (8)
(10) February 3, Wind Cave Trail, suburban, east Mesa, one-way, 3.2 miles, difficulty moderate (#23).
(11) February 8, Hidden Valley via Mormon Trail, South Mountain, south Phoenix, balloon, 3.9 miles, difficulty moderate, some rock scrambling, (#4).
(12) February 10, H-3 Trail, Hedgpeth Hills, north Glendale, loop combined with H-1 Trail, 3.6 miles, difficulty moderate, (#21).
(13) February 12, Tom’s Thumb, McDowell Mountains, far northeast Scottsdale, 4.2 miles from temporary trailhead, difficulty first half strenuous, the rest moderate. (#22).
(14) February 16, Telegraph Pass and Kiwanis trails, South Mountain, Phoenix, 4.4 miles, difficulty moderate, (#20).
(15) February 17, Camelback Mountain, summit, via Cholla Trail, urban Phoenix, 4 miles, up and back, moderate but last half difficult, (#2).
(16) February 22, Pass Mountain Trail, Tonto National Forest, east Mesa, 7.4 miles, loop, difficulty moderate. (#17).
(17) February 25, Scenic Trail, McDowell Mountain Regional Park, north of Fountain Hills, 4.2 miles, loop, difficulity easy. (#16).
March Hikes (5)
(18) March 3, Siphon Draw Trail, Superstition Mountains, east of Apache Junction, 5 miles, up and back, moderate. (#36).
(19) March 9, Hieroglypic Trail, Superstition Mountains, east of Apache Junction, 3 miles, up and back, easy to moderate. (#28).
(20) March 10, Vulture Peak Trail, south of Wickenburg, 4.2 miles to summit, up and back, moderate to difficult. (#55).
(21) March 13, High and Main trails, Boyce Thompson Arboretrum, near Superior, 2.5 miles, loops, easy. (#25).
(22) March 25, Butcher Jones Trail, Saguaro Lake in Tonto National Forest, 5 miles, up and back, easy. (#39).
April Hikes (1)
(23) April 7, Alta and Bajada Trails, South Mountain Park, urban Phoenix, 8.3 miles loop, difficult. (#1)
May (1)
(24) May 7, Hayden Butte Preserve and Tempe Town Lake, urban, Tempe, 4.3 miles, loop, easy (#14).
September (1)
(25) September 15, Badger Springs Wash, Agua Fria National Wilderness, 2.5 miles, up and back, easy (#50).
2013
February (1)
(26) February 4, National Trail, South Mountain Park, 15.5 miles, done in five segments going back to last year, (#12).
[34 to Go]
