 | | Author: | Art (ID: 1009) | | Posted: | 2009-02-08 02:45 GMT+00:00 | | Mileage: | 6.23 km | |
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 | Tags: | Photography, Hiking, Landscape, desert, hike, photographs |
| Views: 1092 |
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There are a couple of trails that leave from the end of Meridian road and go up to saddles in the Goldfield Mountains. Today I hiked the trail that goes to the saddle on the west. The trail splits and then re-joins itself. I took one side up and the other side down.
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This is the parking lot at the trailhead. I have never seen it so full before.
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The trail is very easy to follow.
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Most of the ocotillos have leaves now.
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I hiked up to that saddle a few months ago. Got some good pictures of storm clouds then.
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Look closely and you can see some hikers on the trail ahead.
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Here the trail descends to cross a wash.
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This is the view looking upstream in the wash.
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This is where the trail goes back up the other side.
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The trail parallels the wash for a little ways.
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The Superstition Mountains are visible in the distance to the east.
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You won't get lost on this trail.
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This is new growth on buckhorn cholla cactus.
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The trail is very rocky in some places.
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There are a lot of saguaros along this trail.
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The views get better as the trail ascends.
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This saguaro is putting out a lot of arms all at once.
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Those are barrel cacti in the foreground.
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That's Pass Mountain to the west.
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My objective is to be on top of those rocks to the right.
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This large saguaro fell across the trail.
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This is the first Mexican Gold Poppie I've seen this spring.
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Here are some more Mexican gold poppies.
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There's a large group of hikers on the other side of the trail.
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This barrier was built to reduce errosion.
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Getting closer to my destination.
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There is something wrong with this barrel cactus.
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This ocotillo has some flowers. They are the red things on the ends of the stalks.
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Somebody was burning something down there. I could smell it.
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I don't think it's a house fire.
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A view of the parking lot. From here you can see that it is overflowing.
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That's Pass Mountain back there.
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Pass Mountain. There are beautiful views in every direction.
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Down there is the trail I'll take on the way down. You can see several people on it if you look closely.
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Zoomed in. I'll be going between those two large rocks soon.
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A lot of people bring their dogs with them on this trail.
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I think this is a scout troop.
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I've reached the saddle. The trail continues on and goes all the way around Pass Mountain.
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Looking out over Bulldog Canyon OHV area. I frequently go hiking out there.
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There are people on the trail for perspective.
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I think those mountains are pretty. I love to hike over there.
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That's Stewart Mountain back there.
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Both sides of the trail can be seen in this picture.
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That is Meridian road.
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My house is right over there somewhere.
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That's the saddle down there. I've continued climbing for a better view.
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I've started my descent.
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There's the two large rocks.
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The lighting is getting better for photographing these mountains.
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The trail is just as easy to follow on the way down.
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The Superstitions are coming back into view.
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The trail that goes up to the other saddle can be seen in this picture.
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There were a few lizards along the trail, sunning themselves on rocks.
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The trail snakes back and forth.
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I went hiking early in the day because it was supposed to rain later.
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This side of the trail is rocky in spots, too.
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This plant is called fairy duster.
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The trail going up the other side of the wash.
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Almost back to the parking lot.
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A last look back at the mountains.
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