For this hike, four of the Trailblazers who were at Canyon Point campground for the weekend met up with three Trailblazers who drove in from Fountain Hills. Although both parties experienced slight delays, we happened to arrive at precisely the same time. The seven Trailblazers then began the 7 mile Horton Springs Day Hike in the Rim country East of Payson, at a temperature of 70 degrees.

True to a Trailblazer’s curious nature, one adventurous hiker enticed us to explore an unmarked trail that we passed on the way to the actual trailhead. It quickly led back to the road, so we went to the signed trailhead instead (it was worth a shot!).

Not more than 10 minutes into the hike, one hiker had an issue with his hiking boot.

The sole was separated halfway off of the boot, but “Dr. Barry” came to the rescue and administered a duct tape wrapping job, so the hiker was able to continue for the duration of the hike.

Yet another use for that “miracle” duct tape!

We were treated to small accents of fiery red and brilliant yellow fall colors throughout the hike.

The trail climbs gently and steadily a total of approximately 1400 feet, with only a couple of short, fairly steep sections. It had a nice mixture of sun and shade, smooth and rocky terrain, creek sights, sounds and quietness.

There are many splits in the trail, but most of them join back together after several yards. We encountered a fair amount of downed trees and branch debris in our path, but it was pretty easy to maneuver around or over this.

We had a nice lunch in the shade surrounding the springs before heading back. Some doused their hats in the chilly waters of the creek to help stay cool.

The exploratory urge struck again, as two hikers opted to check out another trail spotted across the creek, hoping it would more closely follow the creek the entire length of the return. No such luck – it went uphill and away from the creek, and since the hikers were a bit beat from the uphill trek to Horton Springs, they went back to the main trail. They tried a couple more times to follow the creek, but eventually decided to re-join the others.

But one benefit of their creek exploration was spotting a horny toad. Later, the women in the group couldn’t resist the treat of dipping their feet in the creek. Cold but delightful and invigorating!

With numerous stops along the way to snap photos and catch a breather, the hike ran from approximately 9:30 AM until about 3:00 PM, with a temperature of about 91 degrees by the time we finished.

Great weather and enjoyable company — a perfect way to escape the lingering heat of Phoenix!

Pictures by Wendy Rennert and Ted Tenny.