Hiking Piestewa Peak is a famously popular Phoenix-area, StairMaster-like workout that can get really crowded. Most people take the short, direct route up Trail 300. For this year’s Arizona Winter Six-Pack of Peaks Challenge, I wanted to explore a different route that would add both mileage and net vertical gain to the hike, and hopefully […]
Hiking Volcan Mountain
The Volcan Mountains are a relatively small range about 13 miles long and 7.5 miles wide. Located east of San Diego, near the town of Julian, this hike up Volcan Mountain gives you a perfect excuse for a weekend trip rewarded with a slice of Julian apple pie. The out-and-back double-track trail has and entrance […]
Hiking Gray Butte from Smith Rock State Park
Gray Butte is not particularly rugged nor jagged. The soft-shouldered butte is home to a cluster of antennas and a utility road the climbs there. But this 13.3 mile out-and-back route begins and ends in beautiful Smith Rock State Park, taking you down across the Crooked River before climbing out of the park, across a […]
8 Days Hiking the Arizona Winter Six-Pack of Peaks Challenge
2019 was the first year for the Arizona Winter Six-Pack of Peaks Challenge, featuring six iconic hikes based around Phoenix and Tucson. Until this past January, I had never done much hiking in Arizona. The challenge provided the perfect excuse to get acquainted with this beautiful area. For this trip, I flew into Phoenix and rented […]
Hiking to Mount Saint Helena
A peak in the beautiful Mayacamas Mountains overlooking Napa Valley and beyond, Mount Saint Helena will give you the best views all around. In Robert Louis Stevenson State Park, this hike is great at different times of the year and one of the few mountains in the Bay Area to get snowfall in the winter. […]
Hiking to Humphreys Peak in the Coconino National Forest
The highest point in all of Arizona, Humphreys Peak towers above the surrounding region. Millions of years ago a massive stratovolcano called San Francisco Mountain stood around 16,000 feet tall, but it eventually collapsed leaving an arc of peaks which rim the Inner Basin. Hike through a beautiful forest of conifers and aspens up along the […]
Hiking to Mount Elden in the Coconino National Forest
Take a hike up Mount Elden and perch yourself atop Flagstaff. This route starts out on the Fatman’s Loop, then splits off to climb all the way to Elden Lookout standing at over 9,000 ft. From the top you are rewarded with sweeping views of O’Leary and the San Francisco Peaks. Getting to the Mount […]
Hiking to Kendrick Peak in the Kaibab National Forest
One of the tallest mountains in the San Francisco volcanic field, Kendrick Peak offers spectacular views stretching from Humphreys Peak to the Grand Canyon. The trail begins in a quintessential ponderosa pine forest, travels up through a decades old burn area, and passes by a century-old historic cabin. At the very top, enjoy the scenery from […]
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