Horton Spring Trail

Weather:  82°, sunny, slight breeze

About this hike:  Horton Spring trail is just off Highway 260, near Kohl's Ranch (~20 miles north of Payson).  Trail head parking can get tight, but just up the road is a U.S. Forest Service -maintained paved parking area with plenty of spaces and latrines.  Best part is, no Tonto Pass needed to park here.    

It's 8-10 miles out and back from the Horton Spring Trailhead to the actual spring.  This hike was well worth it.  Mostly easy overland trails lead through magnificent ponderosa pine forest and alongside Horton Creek.  The trees must've been oozing sap during my visit, because the forest smelled very fragrant.

The trail ends at Horton Spring and you can actually see where the spring gushes from the side of the mountain.

Piestewa Peak

Weather:  ~82°, sunny, slight breeze

Time to Summit:  27 minutes

About this hike:  Barely made it in 27...in fact, it was practically 28.  Then again, I  was slowed by other hikers lumbering along plus a few stops to catch my breath.  Uneventful, but fun.

Piestewa Peak

Weather:  80°, sunny, slight breeze

Time to Summit:  28 minutes

About this hike:  I went backwards on my time!!! With the number of slower hikers I had to dodge, and a couple of heat-related breaks, I guess I should be happy I missed my old time by less than a minute.  Lots of lizards and a squirrel made me jump thinking they were rattle snakes or some other unkind desert wildlife.  Otherwise, a typical and uneventful hike up Piestewa Peak.

Two Hikes in as Many Weekends

Weather:  ~90°  & sunny

Time to Summit:  27 minutes

About this hike:  Did two Saturday hikes, one on April 20, and an evening hike on April 13.  Both times it took 27 minutes to the summit.  Sunset on the 13th was beautiful.  Otherwise these were easy, but uneventful hikes.  Piestewa Peak is quickly becoming to this season what Camelback was to last season.  At least parking's much easier and I can be on the trails after dark.  

Beautiful sunset

City lights from on high...look closely and you can see the radio towers atop South Mountain

Piestewa Peak

Weather:  ~80°  & sunny

Time to Summit:  30 minutes

About this hike:  Uneventful Saturday morning hike at Piestewa Peak.  Unlike two Saturdays ago when it appeared cops were looking the other way, cars parked illegally on Squaw Peak Drive were being ticketed today.  Glad I discovered easy and legal parking in surrounding residential neighborhoods.  Spring wildflowers in the Preserve are absolutely beautiful.

Piestewa Peak by Night

Weather:  ~85°  & sunny

Time to Summit:  ~28 minutes

About this hike:  Hiked up for the sunset, which was disappointing.  Hiked down in the dark, but I came prepared with my headlamp.  Since Piestewa Peak trails are open until 11pm (parking area closes at sunset, oddly enough), there were numerous other hikers.  Seeing all the flashlights coming down the side of the mountain was pretty cool, like when everyone puts their phones up during a dark concert.  Oh, and to mitigate the parking issue, I left my car in a residential neighborhood just off Lincoln Drive.  Numerous other hikers were in violation of the no parking after sunset rule, but it didn't appear to be getting enforced.

"Loved" My Hike Up Piestewa

Weather:  ~70° & rising. Sunny.

Time to Summit:  28 minutes

About this hike:  Haven't done Piestewa Peak since July (and even then I had some "excess baggage" that quit long before the summit!).  I did try a few weeks ago to access it via Dreamy Draw, but after over an hour of navigating labyrinthine trails that don't match the map (not a fan of Phoenix Mountain Preserve) and then finding the summit trail only to hit a "Trail Closed" sign, I gave up.

Had to fight for parking this morning, but learned that it is legal to park in the surrounding neighborhoods.  The Preserve (not the parking areas tho) stays open until 11pm.  I might have a use for that awesome hiking headlamp I bought last summer...

Despite having to dodge tourists and slow hikers, I made the summit in under 30 min.  While a few catch-my-breathe stops were necessary, Piestewa is almost too easy—Camelback please open again soon!!!

This morning a totally in love couple got engaged complete with picnic basket, wine, roses, candles and a ukulele.  Always something unique every hike...