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Es werden Posts vom November, 2020 angezeigt.

Hassayampa River Hike from Kerkes Trailhead

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Kerkes Trailhead The leafy fringes of the Hassayampa River Hiking on sand has many benefits.   The constant sinking and shifting of the soft, uneven substrate helps build strength in foot, ankle and leg muscles while the extra exertion required to slog through the pace-slowing mineral grains is a calorie-busting bonus.   A sandy place makes for a great post-holiday redemption hike to atone for those extra slices of pie that somehow settle around the waistline. The Kerkes Trailhead in Wickenburg offers legal access to the river bed Although land-locked Arizona is located many miles from the nearest ocean, it’s still possible to get all the benefits of sand hiking without the long drives; if you know where to go.   Cottonwood trees display golden foliage in late Fall Washes, desert sand dunes, drifts of weathered sandstone and dry riverbeds serve just as well as any coastline.   A good place to gain your inland sea legs is the Hassayampa River. Domestic cattle roam the area near Downtow

Black Canyon Trail to Russian Well

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Black Canyon Trail to Russian Well The working windmill at the Russian Well site The Black Canyon National Recreation Trail is quietly expanding its northern reach. Efforts to extend the 80+-mile historic route that stretches from Phoenix to the outskirts of Prescott are taking shape in the Verde Ranger District of Prescott National Forest. Black Canyon Trail is expanding in the Prescott National Forest While there are already numerous easy-access trailheads scattered along the route, plans for better connectivity and loop options in the Verde Valley are in progress.   Scenic spot at the hike's high point One off-the-beaten- path trailhead that’s currently open and flagged for enhancement is the Russian Well segment northeast of the town of Mayer.   Situated in stunning back country of rolling hills, washes and scrubby rangeland, this remote stretch of trail, which (as of this writing) follows a signed temporary alignment on dirt roads is also packed with relics of the area’s past

The Best Valley Hikes Not Named Camelback Mountain

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LOCAL HIKERS PICK THE VALLEY'S BEST TRAILS Black Canyon Trail: Gloriana Segment I get asked this a lot—"What are the best hikes in the Phoenix area?”   While my answers are unapologetically subjective (and off the wall), I find that when I turn the same question back on the asker with a, “What do YOU think?”, I get consistent responses: Camelback Mountain and Piestewa Peak. Which leads me to ask, is there a   difference between “best” and what first comes to mind? Clearly Camelback and Piestewa have high-name recognition. Any hotel concierge with a pulse can rattle them off, but does that mean they are the “best” hikes?   While these iconic trails do have their finer points such good workouts and great summit vistas, they are also notoriously crowded, noisy, prone to search and rescue incidents, and they often smell like laundry additives and cologne. Finding parking at these trailheads can be a door-dinging nightmare. Not big plusses per my rating criteria . South Mountain Pa