This late afternoon we decide to explore once more the Usery Park as the temperatures have dropped significantly and we want to use our pass as often as possible. This time we choose a different trailhead that we used only once before, the trailhead near the exercise equipment. We like it as it is not that popular and the trail is quite level and can be used to start multiple loops of different lengths. Today we want a shorter one given that we don’t have that much time so we are planning an about two mile loop through the beautiful desert.
The loop really starts in a nearby larger parking lot where we take the Blevins Trail and enjoy the beautiful desert as the trail passes through multiple washes with flowering palo verde trees, very beautiful. And lots of butterflies and birds also that we quite enjoy.
We go for a relatively short distance on the Blevins Trail before we deviate following the Amigos Wash Trail. As the name implies this trail is through a wash and there is no one else using it. And that is for good reason, going through sand is more difficult including for bicycles which are the majority of the users of the trails here. We also like that it is more shady and make good time until we meet again with the Blevins Trail that went around on a much longer route.
We then soon reach the major intersection here between our trail, the Blevins Trail and to North South Trail named imaginatively No-So trail. Here there is a bench and some beautiful views of the surrounding mountains.
And then we continue on enjoying the sunset reaching the parking just as the sun falls below the horizon after a beautiful hike through the area.
But we are not done. We have one more stop planned at the pond trailhead we parked some time ago and enjoyed as we saw some deer through the bushes. Since then the area has changed significantly with lots of improvements including a new trail that of course we have to follow to see where it leads.
And it leads to a nicely maintained pond, previous we weren’t able to even see it. It is quite popular with the birds here with a group of about 50 mourning doves roosting right next to it and being quite annoyed at our late visit. So we enjoy the area for only a short while and then return to great views of the city from the slightly higher elevation to our car and then back home.
