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Weekend Warriors Arizona Hiking Guide
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If a lazy climb through a desert park, with good views of the Scottsdale area, appeals to you, this is your hike. This hike is located in Scottsdale, AZ. From the Phoenix area, take US-101 North to the Pima Road Exit. Continue North on Pima until you reach Happy Valley Road. Make a right turn (East) onto Happy Valley Road and go about 1.5 miles to Alma School Road. Turn left (North) onto Alma School Road and follow for about 0.7 miles. Turn left on Pinnacle Peak and travel another 0.25 miles to the trailhead and parking. Parking can get crowded on weekends. Be Aware of: Crowds 30 yr old Recommendation: Not much climbing here and the views are good. The problem with this hike is just when you start to get into it, it's over. This is an easy hike. Elevation change: about 300 ft gain. Distance: 0.75 miles to the highest point on the trail. Time: It took us 20 minutes to reach the peak elevation on the trail. Time of year: All year (hike early in the day during the summer) Solitude: This is not the hike for those seeking solitude. This area is extremely popular during weekends and holidays. Expect to meet 50-100 other hikers. This trail has a storied history. Back in the 1989, hikers and rock climbers had access to this peak for recreation. This area was "temporarily" closed in 1995 as new homes and a golf course were put up around the peak. The closure was supposed to last one year. When it came time to re-open the access to the peak, the new homeowners decided they didn't want to share the peak with anyone and refused access. Now, after nearly seven years, access to this trail and it's excellent climbing routes are once again open to the public (as of April 2002). For a detailed history of this epic battle, visit the web site of the Phoenix Rock Gym at www.phoenixrockgym.com. This trail is well marked and located in the North part of Scottsdale. These two facts make it a very popular trail on weekends. Follow this link for a map of the trail. The trail starts at the parking area and traverses the base of the peak to a viewpoint. You can continue on the trail to the west end of the park for more of the same. There is no parking at the West end of the trail. Since there is a large number of people with all different abilities, remember your hiking etiquette. Yield to those people going uphill. Let faster hikers pass you. Horses are also allowed on this trail. Remember, hikers always yield to horses. Dogs are not allowed. The hike is pleasant and easy. The trail quickly switchbacks as you climb out of the parking area. Look around for views of the parking area and the expensive homes around as you climb higher. Once you reach the maximum elevation (a helpful sign marks it for you), take a look around and enjoy the view. If you still have energy, you can walk all the way to the West entrance to the trail. If you are still restless and have advanced hiking ability, perhaps you want to check out the mysterious route to the summit. When you are finished snapping pictures and enjoying the views, return the way you came.
view from just under the peak
Secret summit route from trail: After 0.3 miles of walking from the east trailhead, a sign appears on your right, "Mountain climber access only". By following this trail, you can reach the base of the rocks that make up Pinnacle Peak. This trail is much more steep than the more heavily traveled main trail. It took us another 20 minutes from the highest point on the main trail to get to the base of the peak on this trail. You gain another 100 ft by taking this route. There are much fewer people up here, and it's more interesting. We sat down on the rocks and watched the climbers scaling different parts of the peak.
Picture of base of Pinnacle Peak
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