Tag Archives: fireweed

Prescott Circle Trail, Segment 1, Part 2: Trail’s End

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Posted by on in Hiking and Nature, Personal goals, Striving

May 22, 2016, Prescott- There are lots of challenges left in the world, for those who think it’s all been done by others. I know that, no matter where I go, there will be someone who’s already “done” the trip, gone along the trail, gone up the mountain, forded the river, negotiated the canyon. I’m happy for them, and hope that many will follow after us. The world is for learning and for appreciating.

In twelve section hikes, I have explored the entire unpaved course of Prescott Circle Trail. Ten segments, spanning 53 miles, separated only by a 1.8 mile gap of neighbourhood and ranch, offer a variety of terrain and ecosystems: Pinon juniper forest, manmade lakes, grassland, highway underpasses, scrub oak forest, tall pines and, always, granite or shale badlands and Dells.

I started this effort last autumn, with a view towards getting a holistic sense of my adopted home base and the condition of its natural environment. This afternoon, the final section of trail presented itself: A loop, starting and ending on the side of Granite Basin Road, a bit south of Cayuse Day Use Area, an equine staging area.

Hence, the photos:

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Two days of steady rain, this past week, have brought the fireweed into a healthy state of being.  I took a brief walk to an area I explored last week, to see how they were doing.
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Once up on the Ho-Kay-Gan Trail, the settled homes of Williamson Valley’s horse lovers come into view.
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As is often the case, the stone watchmen are on the job.
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A rock that resembled an ancient sage sits with its back to the trail.
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I like finding hills that resemble pyramids.  Ho-Kay-Gan is a steep little mountain, and the trail skirts its slope, with a sharp descent into Alfano Gorge.
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Here is a view of Alfano Gorge, headed upstream.  This part of Williamson Valley resembles Pioneer Park, not surprising, given that the two are  a scant two miles apart.
Ho-Kay-Gan Trailhead

Above, is Ho-Kay-Gan Trailhead.

A nice party of three hikers, who had passed me, while completing their own loop hike, graciously took this keepsake.

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Ho-Kay-Gan Trailhead

So, my first long-distance trail system is now completed , at least the unpaved portion. I will walk the gap, from Katahn Drive to Pioneer Parkway, for the sake of integrity, early next month. Then, too, completing Black Canyon National Recreation Trail by the end of 2016 is also a goal.

Prescott Circle Trail, Segment 1, Part 1: In Granite Basin

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Posted by on in Hiking and Nature, Inspiration, Striving

May 19, 2016, Prescott- This is a different sort of Throwback Thursday. Last Sunday’s hike took place, in between two social gatherings. It’s important, somehow, that I complete Prescott Circle Trail, before summer starts. So, May 15’s sumptuous afternoon found me hiking from Iron Springs Road to just above Granite Basin Road, a distance of 3 miles each way.

I began by crossing the first fairly busy roadway, Iron Springs Road, then down a mildly steep path, across Willow Creek’s relatively benign gorge, and along an easy trail to the overlook for Granite Basin, one of the most majestic places in Yavapai County.

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South trailhead, Prescott Circle Trail, Segment 1, near Iron Springs Road
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Granite Mountain, peaking over the south ridge of Granite Basin

Granite Mountain lords it over this area, as it does, by extension, over the cities of Prescott, to the south, and Chino Valley, to the north.

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Thumb Butte, to the south, isn’t about to be ignored.
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As always in the Southwest, boulders are a huge presence in Granite Basin.
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This resembles an ancient philosopher king, from some city-state in the Mediterranean region.
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Granite Mountain comes into clearer focus, at the edge of the Basin.
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The Basin itself has been the source of hours of pleasurable exploration for me, in the past few years.
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The sweep of Granite Basin, leading to the great mountain.
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The summit of Granite Mountain, through the afternoon haze.
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An old friend, “Mini Sphinx”, about a mile along Willow Trail, my diversion for the early evening, before hiking back to Iron Springs.

Lastly, here are a couple of flower-gems, so that the little beings are not overlooked.

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Fireweed flowers punctuate the sandy brushland.
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Desert Dandelion are found, closer to the Basin rim.

This area has been an old comfort to me, both when I first came here, in April, 2011, and at various points along the Grief Road. That it is the near ending of a 55-mile circle around my adopted home base seems most appropriate. In a few days, I will complete Segment One, from Willow Trail to Williamson Valley Road. Summer looks to be soothing, followed by a return to a secure work environment.