After exploring an abandoned forest service station earlier we are now ready to visit the Arizona Trail starting from MCFarland TH which is very close from the parking lot we used for our previous hike. Surprisingly this parking lot is huge and empty, we didn’t expect to have it all to ourselves. So we park under the only shade here and then it is time to find the trailhead.
The trailhead is actually quite well marked and there is lots of information about the trails and the Arizona Trail so now it is time to use that information and find the actual trail.
Of course we promptly follow the wrong trail but then discover that the actual trail follows the creek up into the mountains so on we go following the beautiful trail.
The trail goes up and up towards the intersection with the Arizona Trail and we are huffing and puffing and stopping to enjoy the great views and desert.
And then we reach the intersection and the trail levels off and we are quite happy as we walk through this beautiful landscape.
There are some birds here and everything is green around us and we have some great views of the valley and we enjoy the area as we continue along the trail.
Soon we reach a hiker’s gate and after passing the trail starts to climb again, it seems that now we have to go up a canyon towards a saddle.
This climb again is quite steep but passes through some nice areas and also it mostly it has shade, something that we like as it gets hot when climbing in the sun.
As we go up we follow the creekside and there is some leftover water in some puddles that attract birds and butterflies. And something bigger that scares us as it moves around but we are not able to identify it as we never see the animal. Maybe it was only a squirrel :).
The area continues to be quite scenic and we rest a few times just taking in the cooler atmosphere near the creek before we have to climb out of the wash.
Because that is next, the steepest section of the trail climbing the mountainside and seemingly unending. Here we take a lot of stops as we catch our breath before continuing up and up.
The climb evens up right as we reach the wilderness border and this is where we decide to return back to the trailhead. Just to avoid the case of our animal deciding to come out onto the trail in the darkness and eat us.
Going down is not surprisingly much faster and with fewer breaks. It also allows us to enjoy some great views of the valley towards which we are descending now with speed.
Of course there are sections of the trail where we have to be careful when descending, especially the rocky sections. There going down takes as much as going up as we take careful to not roll our ankle or fall down on the rocks.
As the sun starts reaching the horizon we are reaching the level area and we enjoy walking it, it seems we escaped our mystery animal.
And then it is time to descend on the original trail to the parking lot, here we look carefully for any animals near the creek but no luck. And then just as it gets dark we reach the car and then it is time to return back to Phoenix after a beautiful day out.
