Dense grey clouds prevented a bright sunrise. A cold front had moved in, but it didn't bring the rain that was originally forecasted. It brought cooler, damper temperatures, though, and I was getting chilled waiting for the sun to rise with about 20 other impatient peole, including a couple who had moved here from Wisconsin who drove up Summit road to see the sunrise but not to hike. We chatted a bit. They praised me for having two well-behaved dogs.
Once the sun was up, people scrambled to their cars and drove off. I stayed behind because I wanted to hike a loop from the Holbert trail. Finding the trail was harder than I thought, but once I realized that the trail started from the old stone cabin and then winded downhill, I opted to continue on the loop via the H trail. a trail that connected with the Maricopa trail near the radio towers. This was the highest peak in the mountain range covered with saguaro, barrel cacti and cholla.
The trails here are rocky and winding. I got myself on a secluded trail, meeting people only on that last mile back to the car. The dogs were mostly offleash and this way they weren't bothering anyone. At one point Gretel took off chasing after a coyote, crossed the street and I thought for sure she would get killed by that animal. She, like Minnie, barks when she runs after her prey. She did come back to me, tongue hanging out and panting. We crossed the street to continue on the trail and heard the yelping of coyotes. Had Gretel chased after the mother dog?
What I thought was a trail turned out to be a wide wash. The Maricopa trail continues downhill and away from the Dobbins lookout tower, so I opted to take the wash back. I was violating park policies by going off trail, but this wash proved to be very navigable. We hopped over rocks, walked in sand, and ducked under palo verde branches. The wash took us back to Summit Road, which I took, picking up a few tossed beer cans along the way.
The last half mile was the same as the first half mile, going up the steep Holbert trail back to the stone cabin and the car. We had hiked just under four miles. I had wanted to hike more in this cool, overcast weather, but I was fine with the mileage as I knew I'd do a few more miles in the afternoon.
The dogs were tired and happy to nap in the car. The grey clouds were making way to clear skies and sunshine, so we timed our stay in the mountains just right. It was time to get back down into the valley, but I wanted to check out a few more trailhead parking areas.
Next time I come here I will hike the Buena Vista trail to Hidden Valley. I stopped by there to see the trail head. It was mostly mountain bikers and kids with their families today, but the views go toward the north and west and would make a great sunrise hike. It would mean another early start to beat the heat and guarantee a parking spot. I could do the Fat Man's Pass again from a different angle.
I stopped at the Scorpion Gulch ruins near the park entrance, walked around to take pictures, and then began my brewpub tour. I googled "brewpub" and about 60 showed up on my search. I had plenty to chose from and I chose the PHX Beer Co off Washington street. Dogs are not allowed in the taproom, but I was parked in the shade and the 60F temperature was just comfortable for the dogs who were napping anyway.
I have had beer from this place before. The White Chocolate Sonoran and the Mystic Climber coffee stouts are topnotch. I walked in as the second customer but left as it got busy. I had other places to check out anyway and have lunch before my next hike.
My second stop was at the OHSO-Arcadia location. OHSO has four brewpubs in the greater Phoenix area and this is my second one. I like the beers it brews and I like the company's dog tolerance. I walked in and my biggest choice was where to sit: in a booth or at a counter? I chose a sunny counter but I probably should have picked a booth so that the dogs wouldn't be bothered by other dogs walking past. I had a very tasty cranberry-orange hefeweizen and a juicy BBQ chicken sandwich before heading out to the nearby Papago Park.
I have been here before a few times. I was here with Sadie many years ago, exploring holes in rocks and other sandstone depressions. I can't do that with two dogs, though.
Today I opted to walk the 5K trail around the red sandstone boulders, The sun was ready to set and the near full moon was rising. I had about an hour of daylight left and I needed all that I could get. The waning sun cast some nice rays over the sand. The park closes shortly after sunset and I wanted to make sure I got the 5K done on time. I was rushed to finish, yet there were people still standing on the tops of the rocks as it got dark.
I lost the trail and ended up only doing 2.3 miles, cutting a whole mile off. How did that happen? I can only surmise that that last mile is the boring mile that goes around the golf course. Oh well, I got to see the best part of this park. There were still plenty of cars in the lot as I drove off and headed to Scottsdale.
The old town here is quite scenic, but I stayed in the business center. I rested for two hours near town center, leaning back in the car and listening to the news. The Transportation Security Administration is reporting record air travel not seen since March. People are no longer taking the virus seriously. They want to be with family and friends.
My last stop of the night was checking out the Goldwater Brewing Company. This place was on my list (as was the Scottsdale Brewing company; that will have to come in January.) They make a very tasty prickly pear ale that I had a few years ago. It's a light beer great after a hike. I had already had my quota of beer for the day, so I took it easy. It turned out to be a nice visit. I tried the award-winning brown ale, the Machine Gun Teddy. It won bronze at the 2017 Great American Beer Festival. The taproom was busy the entire time. Not bad for a Tuesday night.
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