We've been coming to Scottsdale for fourteen years. Today was the first time we hiked one of the nearest and most popular trails.
Tom’s Thumb is about six miles north of our condo as the crow flies, but we'd never visited. Maybe because it's so popular, we thought it would be overcrowded. Whatever the reason, I'm glad we finally went today.
The out-and-back trail is mostly wide, smooth, and free of annoying rocks underfoot. But there's very little flat. It's 1500 feet of elevation gain in 2.5 miles followed by 2.5 miles down.
At times, it felt like we'd stumbled into a fairy tale involving an angry cactus and a grumpy boulder.
Trudging ever upward, we finally found a bit of relatively flat trail and were happy to spot the summit.
But no, this was a false summit. We still had a ways to go, with more climbing to come.
You can see the false summit to the left and Tom's Thumb at right.
Finally, the end was in sight.
A short break for water, a snack, and a look around, then we headed back down.
As we descended, I spotted a house with what appears to be its own private Stonehenge next door.
A buckhorn cactus in full bloom. I know, it's pathetic, but it's the best they can do.
