About Us
Club Information
President Dana Thomas PCHCPres@gmail.com
VP Joe Clarkson PCHCVP@gmail.com
Treasurer Dennis Zigmunt PCHCTreas@gmail.com
Secretary Ann Rohlman PCHCSecr@gmail.com
SMUGMUG: To see pictures of our various hikes around Phoenix and beyond, visit SmugMug. See a Club Officer to get the secret password. https://pchikingclub.smugmug.com
MILEAGE STATS To see your mileage stats. please click the button MILEAGE
UPCOMING HIKEs
HIKES WEEK OF AUGUST 3
Please do not hike if you are sick or not feeling well. You will avoid infecting others and your body needs rest to get well.
Click here for our COVID 19 guidelines.
Hikers meet at 5:45 am at Eagle's Nest and leave at 6 am.
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August 3 - Monday: Caterpillar Hill Loop (Verrado). Rating B+. Challenge the heat with Bill! This is a 10-mile lollipop hike with an elevation gain of 1900 feet. For the C+ version, the first 2 miles are fairly flat, rising only 100 ft. Then the hike goes up the 9% grade Caterpillar Hill (700 ft) over the next 1 3/4 miles. You then come back down the 11% grade road you see from Pebble Creek. Finally, you skirt the hill between the two trails and return on the 2-mile flat portion of the trail. For the “B” version, you would go to the top of the hill before coming down the 11% grade road. No facilities at the trailhead. No park fee
http://pchikingclub.smugmug.com/WhiteTankMountains-Verrado/Caterpillar-Hill Photos
https://pchikingclub.smugmug.com/Trail-Maps/White-Tank-Mountains-Verrado/i-SrzQrSb Map
Directions to Trailhead at Verrado West (18 miles RT)
Go West on Indian School Road.
Turn left on Acacia Way (just past the high school).
Turn right on Lost Creek Drive
Parking for the trailhead is at the end of Lost Creek Drive.
You walk between the green and a tee on the Raven at Verrado golf course to get to the trailhead.
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Monday - Aug. 3 - White Tank Mountain Regional Park
Mule Deer/South Trail/Goat Camp Loop. Rating C. Meet at 5:45 leave at 6:00 am.
This hike description is taken from the related D hike of about 4.5 miles. This is a 6 mile loop hike that goes from the library with an elevation gain of about 350 ft. The hike meanders through typical Sonoran desert vegetation. Restrooms can be found in the library (which have been closed due to the pandemic). Trail condition - average hiking trail. There is a $7 park fee per car, which can be paid in a self pay box near the junction with the Mule Deer Trail. Driving distance is 30 miles RT.
Directions to White Tank Mountains Regional Park
Take 303 North (right).
Exit at Northern (next to zoo) and turn left (West).
Turn right on Cotton.
Turn left on Olive and follow it to the park gate.
Park fee is $7.00/car for all trailheads (except from the library which is $2.00 per hiker).
Restrooms are at the trailhead for each of the hikes (inside the library for the hikes from the library).
Library trailhead: turn right just before the gate and park on the left side of the library. Trail goes off the end of the sidewalk on the left of the building. Mule Deer trail can be accessed at the library (“B” or “C” hikes) and at Picnic Area #3 (“D” hikes).
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August 4 - Tuesday - Maricopa Trail Estrella Foothills to FINS. Level D. This is a 4.9 mile, minimal elevation, in and out hike from the High School south and west through some of the developed areas to the FINS trailhead. There are restrooms about a mile and a half into the hike. No fee. Parking at the high school.
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Wed. Aug 5 , Estrella Mountain Regional Park by the Race Track (PIR) Desert Rose to Gadsden Trail. Rating C/D. Meet at 5:45 leave at 6:00 am.
This is a 5-7 mile in-and-out hike with an elevation gain of 800 ft. The trail meanders through typical desert terrain with many bushes and Saguaro cactus. There is no restroom at the trailhead. Trail condition - average hiking trail. Park fee is $7.00. Driving distance is 26 miles RT. https://pchikingclub.smugmug.com/EstrellaMountainRegionalPark/Desert-RoseGadsden
Directions to Estrella Mountain Regional Park – Desert Rose Trailhead
Turn left out the main gate onto Pebble Creek Pkw/Estrella Pkw (on other side of I-10).
Turn left onto Vineyard Ave. just across the Gila River.
Follow Vineyard as it curves to the right, becoming 143rd Ave
Turn left on Indian Springs Road
At the fence that begins the parking for PIR turn right
Follow signs to trails
Pay park fee of $7.00 per vehicle at the self pay station
Angle right immediately after the self-pay station into the open parking area.
Drive across at a 45 degree angle – there is a trail sign indicating the trailhead.
No restrooms are at the trailhead.
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August 5 - Wednesday: Parson’s Trail #144 (Cottonwood). Rating B-. Enjoy a cooler hike. This is an 8-10 mile in-and-out hike with an elevation gain of 800-1100 ft. Parson’s Spring and Summer Spring provide enough water to have a running creek all year. There are 6 creek crossings (rock hops) and great scenery along the trail. Trail condition - the first quarter mile is a steep stair-like descent, then the trail is good with the 6 boulder-hopping crossings. No restrooms and no park fee.
http://pchikingclub.smugmug.com/Cottonwood/Parsons-Trail Photos
https://pchikingclub.smugmug.com/Trail-Maps/Cottonwood/i-843jtJH Map
Directions to Cottonwood - Parson’s Trail (110 miles RT)
Take 303 North to I-17.
Turn north on I-17.
Take exit #287 to Cottonwood.
Turn left on 89A in Cottonwood.
Stay on Main St (right) as 89A goes left.
Turn right on Tuzigoot Road (towards the Tuzigoot Monument).
Turn left on Sycamore Canyon road (just past the river).
Drive 11 miles on unpaved, rough road to trailhead at the end of the road.
No restrooms. Trail immediately drops down to creek.
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August 6 - Thursday. Verrado Petroglyphs SOB. Level D+. 4.8 mile, 550’ elevation loop hike. Loop hike from the Lost Creek parking area to the Petroglyph rock, then following all of the South of the Border trail back to the parking lot. No restrooms
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August 7 -Friday: Willow Spring-Mesquite Canyon (White Tank Mountains). Rating B. Postponed from last week. It is a 9-mile lollipop hike with an elevation gain of 1650 ft. The hike starts on the Mesquite trail in area #7 just off Ramada Way, with lunch on the rocks above Willow Springs. Trail condition - average hiking trail with several steep climbs.
https://pchikingclub.smugmug.com/Trail-Maps/White-Tank-Mountain-Regional-Park/i-w5MKbQb Map
Directions to White Tank Mountains Regional Park (30 miles RT)
Take 303 North and exit at Northern, and turn left (West).
Turn right on Cotton, then left on Olive and follow it to the park gate.
Mesquite Canyon/Waddell trailhead is at Picnic area #7. Turn left on Waterfall Canyon Rd and then left at the road just past the Waterfall Trail trailhead to find Picnic area #7.
Park fee is $7.00/car…restrooms are at the trailhead.
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Friday - August 7 - Dog Bone Airport Road Trailhead Hikes (Buckeye). Rating B/C/D. These in and out hikes are 4+ miles & 400 ft elevation gain for the D level hike, 7 miles & 800 ft for the C hike, and 9+ miles and 1200 ft for the B hike. The Dog Bone trail system is a sister bike trail system to FINS. These hikes are in the far eastern section of the system. While the overall hike is through typical desert terrain, there are several interesting rock formations as well as views of the surrounding mountains. The first 2 miles (D hike) are on open desert with a gradual incline to a saddle with a quartz outcropping. The C hike then continues for another 1.5 miles across the side of the mountain to a field of quartz. The B hike goes off trail for a bushwhack up the mountain. Trail condition – typical desert trail with the last part of the B hike being a bushwhack. No restrooms at the trailhead. No park fee. Driving distance is 32 miles RT.
Directions to Dog Bone – Airport Road Trailhead (Buckeye) Meet at 5:45 leave at 6:00 am.
Drive south on Pebble Creek Pkwy for 9.3 miles and turn right (west) at Elliot Rd.
Continue on Elliott Rd for 2.6 miles and turn left (south) onto Rainbow Valley Rd.
Drive 2 miles on Rainbow Valley Road and turn right (west) on Ray Road.
Drive 2 miles and veer right as the road turns (and changes name to Airport road.
Drive 100 yards and turn left into a dirt parking area just this side of a dirt road going left.
Park here. Hike down the dirt road for .25 miles and turn right on the trail.
Saturday August 8 - Library to Waterfall Trail (White Tanks). Rating C. Meet at 5:45 am at EN and depart at 6 am. This is a 7.3 mile in and out hike with an elevation gain of 550 ft. We head north from the White Tanks library with expansive views of the west valley, before turning on the Black Rock trail that connects to the Waterfall Trail. This could be a great hike after winter or monsoon rains. For those interested in seeing some of the desert wildlife in a controlled environment, there is a small nature center with several rattlesnakes, a Gila Monster, a tarantula, and some scorpions at the nature center in the library. Trail condition – an average hiking trail. Restrooms are in the library. Park Fee is $2.00 per hiker (county park pass is good for 5 hikers). Driving distance is 24 miles RT.
Directions to White Tank Mountains Regional Park
Take 303 North (right).
Exit at Northern (next to zoo) and turn left (West).
Turn right on Cotton.
Turn left on Olive and follow it to the park gate.
Park fee is $7.00/car for all trailheads (except from the library which is $2.00 per hiker).
Restrooms are at the trailhead for each of the hikes (inside the library for the hikes from the library - closed during the pandemic).
Library trailhead: the sidewalk on the left of the building - turn right just before the gate and park on the left side of the library. Trail goes off the end of the sidewalk on the left of the building..