We always say we're going to Phoenix to visit Jodi's aunt when technically we skirt the edge of Phoenix on our way to Buckeye, AZ just west of Phoenix. This is the first trip I've ever actually made it to the big city of Buckeye, accidentally on my way back from a Sunday morning x/c run in
Buckeye Hills Regional Park. The area where Carol and Stephen live is part of Buckeye but far more contemporary than the "real" Buckeye. To locals it's a boring wide spot in the road to Jodi and me another town with much more character and potential excitement than the area growing up near the interstate exit.
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| White Tank Mountains trails |
But, I'm here to write about what happened before my grand urban discovery. In researching before we left for the weekend I had hoped to find a park with a nice set of trails to choose from for running that were closer to Carol's house than the
White Tank Mountains where Jodi and I camped and trail ran the last time we were in town or
Estrella Regional Park where I mountain biked the time before that.
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| Community trail |
Buckeye Hills passed the test by being closer, only a 25ish minute easy drive, but failed the trail system test. The website said this park has no designated trails but people do mountain bike and run there. So on Saturday afternoon after Jodi and I had done a 2.5+ mile run in the neighborhood and before we went to the pool we drove to the park to check it out. True to the website's claims there were no trails but there was lots and lots of open desert with lots of rocks, hills, dirt, cactus, bigger hills, saguaro and bigger hills.
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| Mountain biking Estrella |
I set my alarm for 5:30 Sunday morning to TRY to beat the heat. I woke up before the alarm and checked the weather on my (un)trusty Droid, it was almost an hour before sunrise and it was already 84 degrees with no wind. I dressed and grabbed cold water, a few bites and pain meds for my back (NOT so I can run, because I have to start every day this way) and headed out.
I was lucky to be met with mostly overcast skis so that helped. For once I had a good idea early in the run and headed over a saddle to the backside of a hilly range in order to run in its shadows as long as I could. I ran across rocks and gravel, down into, through and out the other side of arroyos, washes and small canyons; up hillsides, some with the easiest way to pass being across boulders, dodging cacti all the way. Then when I came to the end of the property I turned around and climbed a little higher on the backside of the hills so the shade would last a little longer. To make a long story short it certainly was not a fast run in the terrain and the heat, but it sure was fun.
I hope to find an area even closer or at least as close with at least a bit of a trail system. If not, I'll return to Buckeye Hills. Next time hopefully I will at least see a rattlesnake or cougar or wild pig or .......
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| View from the picnic tables |
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| No trails means run where you want to |
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| As early as it was it was already HOT! |
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| Saguaro everywhere |
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| Many, many arroyo crossings on this run |
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| Great view from the hill tops |
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| Rocks, rocks and more rocks. |
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| Trailess hills everywhere |
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| And more rocks |
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| The guts of a dead saguaro |
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| I love the desert |
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| From any angle |
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And the many different cacti
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