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Arizona Trailblazers
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Loy Canyon Hike
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The first half-mile of the Loy Canyon Trail skirts along the eastern boundary
of the vast Hancock Ranch, marked by a long barbed wire fence. We spot this
long-abandoned ranch building near a small grove of trees nestled against the
base of a red rock butte about mid-way along the fence line. Appropriately
enough for a trail running parallel to a ranch, Loy Canyon Trail was originally
built as a cattle trail in the late 1890's to run cattle to the top of the
Mogollon Rim during the hot summer months. This trail is one of the very few
that manages to forge a passageway to the top of the rim, rising sharply for a
thousand feet above the surrounding land as a seemingly impenetrable rocky
fortress.
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Once we leave the ranch and all remaining signs of civilization behind us,
we soon start following a dry creek bed northward along the floor of Loy Canyon,
criss-crossing the creek bed from time to time through an open pinyon-juniper
forest. The canyon begins to narrow down and close in on us after a couple of
miles of hiking, and we begin to gain elevation as the trail steepens and
swings to the northeast. In another mile or so the trail leaves the canyon
floor behind and begins to switchback in earnest up the north side of Loy
Canyon, as our lungs and leg muscles start to get a major workout. We will
climb a total of 1,700 feet before leveling out at the top of the trail.
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This vantage point gives us a great view of the canyon, with the Mogollon Rim
rising sharply in the far background. Having already put about half the
elevation gain behind us at this point, we stop for a brief rest break and
enjoy the views, as well as the cooling breezes sweeping up from the canyon
below us. In the following picture Mike and Zeke, along with Janet, Peggy, and
Brian take a breather on a large tilted slab of sandstone, before pushing
onward and ever upward.
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With most of the trail and climbing now behind us, we pause for another rest
break in the shady glen of a mixed grove of pine, oak, and juniper trees
nestled at the foot of this spectacular butte thrusting high into a sparkling
blue Arizona sky. Some elect to turn back at this point, while the rest of us
push onward toward our final goal, which is the saddle between Secret Mountain
and the Mogollon Rim, in addition to being the junction where the Loy Canyon
Trail meets the Secret Mountain Trail coming up from the east. Sitting at an
elevation of 6,400 feet, the saddle provides the hiker with the third option of
pushing to the north and gaining another 1,000+ feet of elevation, before
topping out on the Mogollon Rim.
This marathon hike we will save for another time, as well as a loop hike combining the Loy Canyon Trail with the Secret Mountain Trail. For now, we enjoy the views, take a few pictures, and head back down the same trail to our waiting vehicles. |
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| Home | Club Info | Officers | Meeting Minutes | Activities | Trip Reports | | Hike Descriptions | Trip Planning Guide | Lessons Learned | Links | Arizona Trailblazers Hiking Club, Phoenix, Arizona For comments regarding this site contact . updated January 6, 2006 |