Mazatzal Divide via City Creek and Pole Hollow

Weather:  71º, sun

About this Hike:  Just about a year ago I noted the City Creek Trailhead when exploring the ruins at Doll Baby Trailhead. I was intrigued and planned to come back.

A high in the 70s around Christmas is too warm for Phoenix. It's even worse when you're reaching these kind of temperatures in the high country. Regardless, warmer temps meant today was a good today to visit City Creek and hike up this section of Mazatzal Divide. 

I read some reports of the trail being overgrown. However, the trail was in pretty good shape, likely having received recent maintenance. 

It's the usual Mazatzal scrub and grassland with some juniper and the occasional pinon pine thrown in. There are some cool swirly red rock formations within the first couple miles. The climb is never overly steep, but rather steady. 

At 4.2 miles the overgrowth began to get worse. Still not impassable by any means, just the annoying mix of manzanita and live oak encroachment. I had wanted to get to the Red Hills junction as my goal for today. However, I was bored of this hike. I got my binoculars out and studied the summit of North Peak, some other distant ridges, and the plume of smoke from Horton Fire. 

I opted to turn back. Many times the return hike seems to go by quicker. Not this one. I was ready to be done with this. Besides boredom, I noted the Pole Hollow Canyon trailhead on the drive in. I wanted to check this out as well.

The Pole Hole trailhead along Doll Baby Ranch Road can only accommodate one vehicle. Luckily I was the only one there today. I hiked in for maybe a mile. I observed some interesting pale cliff faces and thickets of young Arizona cypress trees. There were also some cattle grazing along the creek and their 'cow pies' were everywhere. Interestingly, Pole Hollow is not mapped on All Trails, but it is mapped on Google Maps. The trail runs about three miles down to the Mineral Creek Trailhead.

If I'm looking for an easy close to home hike in the near future, I may consider doing the full length of Pole Hollow as an out and back. My plan is to start at Mineral Creek so as to avoid the rutted section of Doll Baby and to ensure enough parking.