As we are still tired after two long weekend trips the previous two weeks we decide on a shorter trail today. There are still a few caches from the Horse Trailhead that we didn’t try last time and we decide to explore them using a loop trail. Parking is relatively easy and after crossing the main road it is time to hit the trail.
We are surprised right from the beginning. While we laughed last time that a road had a no car sign now it is fenced in and blocked. Quite surprised that the change happened in one month only.
We can now explore a few areas where previously cars were parked and find those caches. We are surprised that there is a bicycle trail here marked carefully to avoid remnants of the pipes in the ground. And then we return to the main trail to find the caches that we skipped last time.
But first birding. There are a few birds here, common but still fun to see like kestrels and phainopeplas. The most special bird that we see is a cardinal, cool!
The caches in this section are easier than we expected and quite imaginative. They are following the theme of turtles with the best being a couple turtles taking a ride in a classic car with the cache in tow.
This section is more popular than we expected both for horses, not unexpected given the name of the trailhead, and hikers. We have a quick lunch with some nice views and then continue on trying to find the trail we need to take to continue on the loop.
This area is full of saguaros and some are quite special. We are especially impressed by the saguaro which has a prickly pear growing out of it. We assume a bird brought the seed, but how was the soil carried there?
We keep an eye out for wildlife and birds and see a rabbit as well as an antelope squirrel while a black vulture is circling above.
We find the loop trail, it is an actual path as we depart from the dirt road passing by the arch we explored about a month ago.
As we start moving back towards the highway the trail becomes more impressive as it passes colorful rocks and water pools. Here we search for a way to climb to the top of a hill that seems unconquerable.
But our persistence gets rewarded and on a circuitous route we make up to the plateau and are rewarded with some magnificent views and a rarely found cache. We catch our breath for a few minutes before descending carefully back to the trail.
Returning to the trail we have a really unexpected encounter with a motorbike speeding on the trail. We are quite sure that they are not allowed here but what can yo do? After the silence returns we enjoy the views of the surrounding mountains including another one with a difficult cache on top…maybe some other time.
We pass the road and then return to the parking lot on the other side of the road finding a few more caches. Overall it was a great outing of about six miles in the mild Phoenix winter weather finding quite a few caches and seeing birds and animals along the way.
