Hike Schedule–November and December 2010

Skip and I took a short course in running a blog and this is my first go at it. The intent of the new blog is to make it easy to communicate with all the hikers in the park and those who aren’t here but would like to be. It will hopefully be a very useful tool to keep everyone informed of what we are and have been doing.
I thought the first entry should be the schedule for the rest of the year 2010.
November 26 – New Hike
Long Hike – Picketpost North – This is a ten mile hike from the trailhead down to a valley, across the highway, over a dry creek bed and climbing to a ridge. The trail then goes along the ridge travelling up and down a series of low hills. It is very scenic with wide open views of the surrounding area. The trail continues on for a long way but we will stop and turn around at a convenient point. (B-)
Short Hike – This is the same hike only you will not go as far before turning around. About 5 miles  (C+)
December 3 – New Hike
Long Hike – Cochie Canyon – This new hike is a climb to three ridges and then a hike along the flank of a mountain overlooking a broad valley in the Tortolita Range. For those of you who have hiked the Wild Mustang trail this will be familiar as the hike up the three ridges is part of that hike. It  is very scenic. This will be our first visit to the new trailhead located in the new Ritz Carlton Hotel complex. 7.5 miles
Short Hike – Wild Burro/ Lower Javilina Trail – This is an easy hike in the valley of the Tortolita Range. It is very scenic and uses the same trailhead as the longer hike. 5 miles (C+)
December 10 – New Hike
Long Hike – Coffee Flat Trail – This new hike  starts at the Peralta Trailhead in the Superstition mountains. It goes over a ridge and down into a valley and along the valley to a watering hole for cattle. There is a working windmill there and gigantic Saguaro cactus. 10.6 miles (B-)
Short Hike – Hyroglyphics CanyonTrail – This is an easy hike and a short one along a ridge to a canyon. It has pools in the canyon if the water is running and numerous petroglyphs on the canyon walls. 3.5 miles (D+)
December 17 -
Long Hike – Phoenix Mountains – Mountain Hike – A very scenic hike in the Phoenix Mountain Preserve. It climbs over a ridge, down to valley, up to another ridge and down into a broad valley before climbing up and over a range of hills.  8.5 miles (B)
Short Hike – Phoenix Mountains – Valley Hike – This is a hike from the same trailhead as the shorter hike but goes over a ridge into a broad valley and climbs along the flank of a hill, back over a ridge to the trailhead. 5 miles ( C )
December 24-
Longer Hike – Kings Canyon – Our first hike of the year in Saguaro National Park. This hike climbs up an old mining road to a saddle with great views of the valley. We will then descend on another trail and pass some petroglyphs in a wash before returning to the trailhead. 5 miles ((B-)
Shorter Hike – Cactus Wren, Valley View, Wild Dog Trails. These series of trails are an easy but scenic hike in the flat part of Saguaro National Park. There are petroglyphs here as well. 3.9 miles (D+)
December 29 -
Long Hike – Phoneline Trail. This is an interesting, scenic hike in Sabino Canyon. We will take the tram up to the end of the canyon, climb steeply for 1/2 mile then hike back down the canyon from along the flank of the mountains and overlooking the road. It is very scenic. We will descend, cross the road and hook around a hill before returning to the trailhead. 5.5 miles (C+)
Short Hike – This is the same hike as above but with the option of catching the tram back to the trailhead once you descend to the valley floor. 3.9 miles - (  C )