Hike #14 - Sonoran Preserve - Apache Wash - Sidewinder Trail Phoenix AZ

Hike #14

Date: January 26, 2014 

Location: Phoenix AZ

Hikers: Jim & Linda 

Directions:  
101 to Cave Creek Road.  Travel North on Cave Creek Road.  Go past Pinnacle Peak Parkway and the next left is E Sonoran Desert Drive.  Follow for 1/4 mile and trailhead on your right.  No Water. Restrooms Available.

Sonoran Preserve - Apache Wash Trailhead

http://phoenix.gov/parks/trails/locations/sonoran/index.html
or    http://phoenix.gov/webcms/groups/internet/@inter/@dept/@parks/documents/web_content/095100.pdf

Sunrise over the McDowell Mountains

This morning I found a new trailhead that is less than 15 minutes north of my house.  The Sonoran Preserve has two new trailheads.  Jim & I are going to check them up.  Trying to still stay flatter than usual.  

I did research online and found out that Apache Wash Trailhead is on the North side of Sonoran Desert Parkway.  We started a little before 7:30 and it was beautiful as the Sun rose.  I took several pictures of the trailhead area.  Very impressive.

This is the planned hike we will do today.  Should be approxiametly 5 miles.  A couple ups over little mountains.  Sidewinder to Ridgeback Trail to Ocotillo. 

The trail is well marked with Letters for the trails. Lots of horse marks on the trail.  You can also see that this is a big biker area.  The Sun was still coming up as we headed a mile into the hike.

The trail is excellent and a different area that allows you to see the Mountains north of the Valley and to the West. 

The vegetation was unique in this area.  There were alot of Saguaro and Cholla cactus.  Alot of Phoenix has been stripped of the cactus but this area has been preserved.  This one cactus had three different plants growing in it.  Jim enjoyed seeing that. He told me what everything was.  He is a desert guy, not me!

The balloons take off and land in the valley to the North of the trail.  I remember when we took Ricky for his graduation on a balloon ride we went over these mountains.  There were only two hanging in this area this morning.

We stayed on Sidewinder until we saw the left to head up RidgeTrail.  This will take us to the peak and then we will head down the South side.

 This is the top of Ridge Trail overlooking the North.  Toward Carefree Hwy.  Balloon behind Jim.

View from the top of Ridge Trail looking to the South.  You can see the parking lot below. 

At the bottom of RidgeTrail we pick up Ocotillo back to the Trailhead.   

GPS for this hike was a little over 5 miles. 

Hike #14 Done!  

Next time we will try the South Trailhead Desert Vista Trailhead