Secret Slickrock Circuit

SECRET SLICKROCK CIRCUIT

Water pools on the Secret Slickrock Trail

It’s a rare hike that packs in as much over-the-top awesomeness as the Secret Slickrock trail.  Short in length but serving up a generous dose of Sedona scenery, the 0.4-mile route with outlets on Chavez Ranch Road and Red Rock Crossing Road appears on maps as if it goes nowhere in particular.

Bradshaw Mountains view on Secret Slickrock

In fact, it goes everywhere without going too far.  That might sound like a contradiction, but the trail’s position high above Oak Creek is a unique eye-candy platform.

Drainage crossing on Ramshead Trail

On paper it reads like a touristy step-out, but when tied into a longer trek using the Carroll Canyon Area Trails network, it’s a confectionary capstone.

Located at the end of a paved street in west Sedona opposite a popular roadside overlook, the Secret Slickrock trail is not so secret.

Extend the hike using Carroll Canyon Area trails

Marked only by a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it trail sign that competes with the marquee attraction across the road, it’s low key presence doesn’t scream epic journey. But, like an icy shower, this one wastes no time delivering the shock factor.

Bear Mountain seen from the Ridge Trail

Red rocks and gullies on Ramshead Trail

However, scenic climaxes such as this one are best experienced with a little foreshadowing.  By looping it up with the Coconino National Forest Old Post, Ramshead and Ridge trails, the journey is a slow burn to the in-your-face final act.

Go either way at the Ridge Trail junction

Beginning at the Old Post trailhead, which is little more than a dirt turn out, the circuit heads north to connect with the Ramshead trail. Ramshead rolls out the teases with peeks at Cathedral Rock, the distant Bradshaw Mountains and the leafy course of Oak Creek and its floodplains.

Scenic overlook opposite the Secret Slickrock trailhead

The trail crosses a road and continues up russet sandstone ledges to meet the Ridge Trail junction where hikers may go either right or left to get to Secret Slickrock. For this trip, go left, hike 0.4 mile and head right and trudge 0.1-mile up paved Chavez Ranch Road to the scenic overlook parking area.

High desert flora on the Secret Slickrock Trail

The overlook serves as the hike’s penultimate moment.  

A fugitive cairn (center right) on Secret Slickrock

A bare rock ledge hangs over Oak Creek and the Crescent Moon Picnic Area that’s world famous for its access to one of the most photographed sites in the Southwest, the towering spires of Cathedral Rock reflecting into the river.  While the spot is great for making pretty pictures, the big show happens across the road where junipers shade the sign for the Secret Slickrock trail. A brief section of level trail opens up views of Sedona’s chiseled land forms all around before encountering an abrupt edge where a steep staircase-like trail marks the descent to a massive stone platform.

Autumn color along Oak Creek seen from Secret Slickrock

The open air, bald stage is home to a convergence of blue sky, red rock towers and the tree-cluttered course of Oak Creek flowing below. 

Cathedral Rock viewed from Secret Slickrock

Capitol Butte viewed from Secret Slickrock

The tiny paradise is a microcosm of everything Sedona. It has reflecting pools like the remote and difficult Cow Pies Trail without the effort to get to them. Heavenly views of iconic vortex Cathedral Rock looming over Oak Creek, without the crowds. A mix of cactus-and- yucca-studded high desert grasslands and 360-degree mountain vistas all in one place.

Maps like this one are posted at trail junctions

Closing up the loop hike can be tricky because the trail disappears on the slickrock. Only fugitive basket cairns mark the sketchy route that descends to reconnect with the Ridge Trail.  The trail is there, but route-finding and attention to uneven footing are required for those looking upgrade from the 5-cent tour.

Grasslands and mountains on Secret Slickrock

LENGTH:  5 miles round trip as described here

RATING: moderate

ELEVATION:  3,955 – 4,185 feet

GETTING THERE:

Old Post Trailhead:

From the State Route 179/89A traffic circle in Sedona, go 4 miles west (toward Cottonwood) on SR 89A to Upper Red Rock Loop Turn left and continue 1.8 miles to Chavez Ranch Road (Forest Road 216A), turn left and go 0.1 mile to the Old Post trailhead on the left.

To drive to the Secret Slickrock trailhead, continue on Chavez Ranch Road to the trailhead located a few yards past the Forest Road 788A junction at a road gate. The trail begins across from the parking apron and forest service kiosk.

INFO:

Coconino National Forest

https://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/coconino/recarea/?recid=72089

Paloma Regional Preserve

PALOMA REGIONAL PRESERVE

An ironwood tree frames views on Compass Rose Trail

Bounded by two desert waterways, a CAP canal, freeways, isolated mountains and the geometric grid of cul-de-sac communities, Paloma Regional Preserve is an island of natural outdoor space. 

Mountain vistas on Multi-Use Path A

The ephemeral character of desert rivers creates seasonal shows of monsoon surges that fade into trickling rivulets and residual pools, all along, feeding swaths of lush greenery in otherwise dry, prickly places. A walkable tour of this critical cycle is on display on the trails of the preserve.

Mesquite trees on the New River Trail

The mostly-flat block of open space straddles the floodplain of New River,  in Peoria, east if the Agua Fria River.

New River Dam bolsters the south end of the preserve

The preserve is anchored by Paloma Community Park which opened in 2020. The amenity-rich site has playgrounds, a dog park, restrooms, sports fields and picnic ramadas. Access to the preserve hiking trails begins at a gate near the dog park where Multi-Use Path A heads east away from the barking commotion.

Speckled Rattler trail leads into Westwing preserve

Wide and sunny, the path serves as a gateway to the preserve’s 12+ miles of trails that also link with the Westwing and Eastwing Mountain Preserves as well as Sonoran Mountain Ranch Park. 

Interesting geology on the New River Trail

With a backdrop of mountain vistas and acres of saguaros, the path soon enters the floodplain of New River.  Mudflats, sandy drainages and water-scoured channels fringed with mesquite and palo verde trees clinging to embankments speak to the power of running water. At the 1.1-mile point, Multi-Use Path A encounters its first major junction where it meets the New River Trail-- a multi-use pathway that runs from Bethany Home Road in Glendale to Pinnacle Peak Road in north Phoenix and serves as a main artery running north-south through the preserve.  

Friendly advise at the trailhead gate.

Park maps available online and well-signed junctions with QR codes and emergency help locator decals, make getting around and staying safe a cinch. While each trail offers excellent hiking, the not-to-miss route on the menu is the Compass Rose Trail. 

View from Multi-Use Path A

The 1.42, moderate-rated path ascends a knoll overlooking the New River Dam for sweet views of the river’s course through the landscape. 

View of New River Mesa & Skull Mesa from Compass Rose

The extra height also opens up views of the Cave Creek Mountains to the northeast and the Sierra Estrella Mountains to the south. From the high point, the brilliant connectivity of the preserve trail system is obvious. The grid of trails below hint at the dozens of options for completing short loop hikes or long distance treks in and around this distinctly desert-water-centric environment.

New River floodplain bisects the preserve

LENGTH:  12+ miles of interconnected trails

RATING: easy - difficult

ELEVATION:  1,369 – 1,550 feet

TRAIL HOURS: sunrise to sunset daily

PARK HOURS: 6 a.m. – 10:30 p,m. daily
FEE: none

GETTING THERE:

Paloma Community Park Trailhead
29799 N Lake Pleasant Pkwy, Peoria.

From Interstate 17, take the Loop 303 exit 221 and continue west to Lake Pleasant Pkwy.

Turn left (south) and go 1 mile to the park entrance on the left.

Trailhead is at the gate at the end of the road near the dog park.

HIGHWAY CONSTRUCTION NOTE:

As of this writing, the Loop 303 exit was closed. Use State Route 74 (Carefree Highway) as an alternative. Take the SR74 exit 223B and head 6 miles west to Lake Pleasant Pkwy. Turn left and go 3.5 miles south to the park entrance on the left.

INFO & MAPS:

City of Peoria

https://www.peoriaaz.gov/home/showpublisheddocument/26718/637774189542300000

 

On the Suburban-Wildland Interface: 136th Street Trail

136^th STREET EXPRESS TRAIL

Saddle Mountain (right horizon) seen from 136th St. Trail

People suck.  It seems this barb gets spit out by hikers more so than by any other category of humans. The misanthropic affront appears on t-shirts, stickers and hats, the wearers oblivious to the irony.

Tonto National Forest mountains on horizon

While I don’t presume to know what’s going on in the heads of hikers who hate people, I kind of understand why they feel that way.

Saguaros clutter at the base of Granite Mountain

 Trail overcrowding, trash, graffiti, suburban sprawl, noisy groups and the guy who overdosed on Bleu de Chanel cologne is enough to drive anyone over the edge.  While cathartic, an all-purpose vent is like a self-fulfilling prophesy.  Embrace negativity, and that’s what you’ll get.

Bee gathers pollen on a turpentine bush

While the world does host a fair number of certifiable boneheads, most people are alright. Take for instance the people who invented stuff like the wheel, light bulbs, life-saving medical procedures, and beer. Also, there are people who dedicate themselves to the land preservation, fundraising, grant writing, education, sustainability and trail building and maintenance-- causes that hikers rely on to get away from the perceived enemy.

Four Peaks seen from the trail

Hikers--all is not lost because the alright people take the high road and do the grunt work of fixing the malfeasance of the few. Want an example of a people-powered success story? Take a hike on the 136th Street Express Trail in Scottsdale’s McDowell Sonoran Preserve.

A cardinal serenades from a tree snag

Located on the eastern edge of the preserve’s north region, the easy trail marks the divide between pristine desert and a growing suburban footprint.  The permanently-protected large north Valley desert habitat has over 200 miles of non-motorized trails and is the result of grassroots (people)  efforts and the City of Scottsdale’s (people) recognition of the value of retaining open space for recreational purposes.

People will always need places to live, transportation, food, and water, and certainly the means to these ends can be contentious.

Antennae cluttered Mount Ord on left horizon

Until we can master a perfect society and negative-impact living, we compromise. A walk on the 136th Street Express Trail reveals how, in an imperfect world, that is done.

Desert hackberry trees thrive near washes

Running parallel to the hilly, paved course of 136^th Street, the singletrack dirt path debarks from the Granite Mountain Trailhead. Heading due north, the route passes among gorgeous specimens of yucca, cholla, desert shrubs and giant saguaros.
  The massive form of Granite Mountain stands to the west of the trail, its slopes spilling boulders and weathered stone chips into sandy washes that splay the terrain and feed green ribbons of water-loving desert hackberry, mesquite and palo verde trees.  

Mountain vistas emerge as the trail makes a barely-noticeable uphill crawl to its northern terminus near the border of Tonto National Forest. 

Skyline of the Superstition Wilderness area

Cholla frame mountain vistas on the trail

Across the rooftops of ranch homes and barns along 136^th Street, the distinctive silhouettes of Four Peaks, Saddle Mountain, Mount Ord and the iconic spire of Weavers Needle and the Flatiron stand out from their protected homes in the national forest and the Mazatzal, Four Peaks and Superstition Wilderness areas that were all designated by, you guessed it—people.

So, instead of wallowing in negativity and hiding behind a snarky t-shirt, how about trying a proactive approach. Maybe volunteer for a conservation organization.

Tom's Thumb (right horizon) in McDowell Mountains

Gloria Steinem summed it up best when she said,

“So do not allow anyone to take away your hope or your laughter. It is an imagination of the positive that is the first step toward creating it.”

Might make a great t-shirt. 

TO VOLUNTEER

McDowell Sonoran Conservancy

Education, Stewardship, Events, Trail Maintenance

https://www.mcdowellsonoran.org

 

Maricopa Trail

Trail Maintenance, Events

https://mctpf.org

 

Natural Restorations

Clean Up Events

http://www.naturalrestorations.org

 

Arizona Trail

Education, Stewardship, Events, Trail Maintenance

https://aztrail.org/events/

The trail crosses Old Paint Wash

  

LENGTH: 8.2 miles round trip (out-and-back hike)

RATING: easy-moderate

ELEVATION: 2,570 - 2,696 feet

GETTING THERE:

Granite Mountain Trailhead,

31402 N 136^th St., Scottsdale.

HOURS: generally sunrise to sunset daily

FACILITIES: restrooms, shade ramada, interpretive signs

INFO & MAPS:

City of Scottsdale

https://www.scottsdaleaz.gov/preserve

 

Hike Book Volume 3: City Summits

 PHOENIX magazine The Hike Book Volume 3: City Summits

Just sent this puppy to press! 

The third volume of PHOENIX magazine, The Hike Book: City Summits lives up to its title with 15 mountain summit hikes in the Metro Phoenix area. Plus, the book calls out long-distance treks, loop hikes, local classic trails, family-friendly strolls and a handful of quirky outliers.  Enhanced with colorful maps and insider recommendations, this guide casts a wide net over the the Valley's diverse menu of hiking options. From extremely difficult climbs to super easy  walks-in-the-park, we got you covered. 

Your Phoenix area hiking checklist starts here.

• 136 pages 

• 7.25" x 9" 

Volumes 1 and 2 also available

ORDER ONLINE: 

https://cities-west-publishing.square.site/product/HikeBook/295?cs=true&cst=custom

ALSO AVAILABLE IN STORES beginning Nov. 2022 at:

• REI: Paradise Valley and Chandler   

• Wide World of Maps  

• AZ Hiking Shack 

• Just Roughin’ It Adventure Company

• 38 Sprouts locations  

• Whole Foods

ALSO AVAILABLE AT THESE UPCOMING EVENTS:

SATURDAY OCTOBER 22, 2022: AZ Craft Beer Awards

https://www.azcraftbeer.com/

SATURDAY NOV 12, 2022: Phoenix Home & Garden Home Tour 

https://www.phgmag.com/event-details/phoenix-home-garden---2022-home-tour-3QguAA

SUNDAY DECEMBER 4, 2022: F. Q. Story Home Tour & Street Fair

https://www.fqstoryhometour.org/

SUNDAY DEC 11, 2022: AUTHOR SIGNING at REI Paradise Valley

https://www.rei.com/stores/paradise-valley  

SUNDAY DEC 18, 2022: AUTHOR SIGNING at REI Chandler

https://www.rei.com/stores/chandler

Northwest Passage - Peavine Circuit

NORTHWEST PASSAGE-PEAVINE CIRCUIT

High point view on the Northwest Passage Trail

This out-and-back lollipop loop hike uses part of the Peavine National Recreation Trail, to access the Northwest Passage trail which occupies the outlands of the Storm Trails maze of little loops northeast of Prescott’s Watson Lake. 

Watson Lake & Granite Mountain seen from Peavine Trail

For a short, moderate trek, this one packs in a full house of diverse, scenic beauty.

A Great egret forages the shore of Watson Lake

The hike starts out at the south end of the lake where the leafy belt of Watson Woods Riparian Preserve bursts with cottonwood, boxelder, walnut and other water-loving trees that provide living space for dozens of species of birds.

Cottonwood trees in Watson WoodsRiparian Preserve

Great fall color viewing, too! The first two miles follow the Peavine Trail, a 6-mile repurposed railroad bed built in 1893 by the Santa Fe Railway. Passing beneath arching riparian trees, the wide cinder-base road traces the lake that’s as popular with kayakers as it is with waterfowl.  It  takes little effort to spot ducks, herons and egrets gliding over open water and poking around for food among reed-choaked inlets. As the trail plows north past meadows and through stony corridors, it enters the jumbled rock wonderland of the Granite Dells. 

Boxelder trees blush gold in autumn on the Peavine Trail

White dots mark the Northwest Passage Trail

The billion-year-old jointed pillars and blobs of volcanic rock have been weathering and cracking for millions of years, gradually sculpting into a surreal ochre-colored landscape punctuated with junipers, creek beds and a now defunct railroad route.

A cottonwood tree soaks up water in WatsonLake

Benches are placed at dramatic spots along the route including one overlook with amazing views of the lake and distant Granite Mountain.

Bridge over Boulder Creek on the Peavine Trail

A bridge with an old concrete base surrounded by discarded rail ties that spans Boulder Creek marks the second stage of the hike.

Alligator junipers shade Northwest Passage Trail

Over the bridge at just under the 2-mile point, this trip veers right onto the Northwest Passage Connector. After a few yards, turn left onto the Northwest Passage Trail, where a singletrack moves among the innards of the dells. While the trail is mostly obvious, white paint dots mark the route where it traverses bare rock slabs and sketchy passages. 

Hooker's Evening Primrose bloom July - October

Ducking among massive outcroppings resembling melted taffy and yeasty bread dough, the hike tops out on a stony crest before descending back down to the Peavine for the return leg of the outing.

Billion-year-old granite blobs on Northwest Passage

LENGTH: 4.8 miles

RATING: moderate

ELEVATION:  5,135 – 5,200 feet (380 feet of accumulated elevation change)

GETTING THERE:

1626 Sundog Ranch Road, Prescott.

From State Route 69 in Prescott, go 1.7 miles north on Prescott Lakes Parkway to Sundog Ranch Road, turn right and continue 0.2-mile to the Peavine Trail/Watson Woods Riparian Preserve parking area on the left.

FACILITIES: restrooms, picnic tables

HOURS:

Summer: 7:00 a.m.- 10:00 p.m.

Winter: 7:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.

FEE: $3 daily fee per vehicle. Self-serve pay station accepts cash and credit cards.

INFO & MAPS:

City of Prescott

https://www.prescott-az.gov/recreation-events/recreation-areas/trails/