I just hate to see a weekend with no Arizona Trailblazers hikes. And yet, one was coming up. I waited and watched for a while to see if any other hike leaders scheduled an event but they didn’t. So finally, with about ten days to go, I scheduled this one.

The Groom Creek Loop was my first hike north of Phoenix and the first in a national forest, and will always have a spot in my heart. Now I must’ve done it half a dozen times and it never gets old. And it’s an old club favorite. And because it was so familiar with it, and because timing was short, a hike there required very little planning. If that makes me lazy, so be it.

The hike is a ten-mile loop, my favorite distance and configuration. Total ascent is a respectable 1900 feet, fairly distributed over the first four miles. That is, no one section is particularly steep. The trail is well-maintained, fairly well-marked, and relatively popular. You do meet other hikers but never a crowd. I’ve tried both directions and prefer clockwise, so that’s what we did.

During the climb, up trees block most of the view, but there are some occasional opening. The best view, of course, at as the summit, especially of the swatch tower is open. I think the same watcher has been working there as long as I’ve hiked the trail, and she’s very friendly. Just climb up the stairs, knock on the trap door, and she’ll let you in. Prepared to be awed.

Near the tower are picnic tables and a restroom, so that’s a great spot for a mid-hike snack and break.

The way down is much like the ascent except, of course, that it’s easier going down. Just be careful at the #377 Isabella Trail junction, which is about half way down. If you’re going clockwise, a right turn is the correct choice. Or, be sure to read both sides of all the trail markers.

After the hike we planned to grab lunch neat the Prescott city square, but they had some sort of parade going on, and so the area was even more crowded than usual, and the restaurants were quoting seating times of an hours and half or more. So instead we headed to Lonesome Valley Brewing in Prescott Valley, where we’d eaten a couple of weeks before. Once again the place was great even though twice in two weeks is a bit repetitious.

I don’t think I’ll ever get tired of this hike!