We were supposed to meet the group at the Cave Creek Ranger Office parking lot. However, it appeared the gate to the ranger station was closed and locked! There was a nice parking area off the road where we met up with: Michelle and Jim Kranzberg with their dog, Major, their friends Emi and Stuart Landrum and Vince Rector, Ben Velasquez, Elaine Cobos, Chuck Parsons, Kathy Webster, Laurie Jacobson and her dog, Tony Grundon, Joyce Parrish, Anatoli and Natasha Korkin, Renee Bryant and her dog, Lady, Ted Tenny and Rick August.

The hike starts out on the Cave Trail for a short distance, then turns left onto the Cottonwood Trail #247. Then the trail parallels Bronco Creek a short distance and rock-hops the creek to connect with the Skunk Tank Trail #246.

After a steep climb up a ridge, the Skunk Tank Trail passes through a dense saguaro forest and edges along the rim of Skunk Tank Canyon as it heads back to the Cave Creek Trail.

The Cave Creek Trail follows the creek back to the trailhead. Along the way, we scramble through a jumble of boulders and cross the stream three times. Cave Creek is a perennial stream that can occasionally sink below surface in the summer, leaving a few pools.

The stream is home to longfin dace, fathead minnow, green sunfish and the Gila Topminnow which is an endangered species. Along the trail we came across a crested Saguaro.

We all returned to our vehicles and headed home, some with plans of big parties and others planning to quietly ring in the new year, new century and new millennium.