Spruce Mountain Loop Hike

Recently I spent a week in Scottsdale, Arizona attending a wireless infrastructure conference as a part of my “real” job. The conference was held at the beautiful Omni Scottsdale Resort and Spa. It was a great conference and it provided an opportunity to reconnect with old friends, gain some information and stir up new business.

After the conference I had one extra day to spend in Arizona so I decided to spend it in Prescott. I chose Prescott because I had never been there (I like to see new places) and the temperatures should be cooler than in the Valley.

After a quick review of the trails in the Prescott National Forest I decided to hike the Spruce Mountain Trail. I picked this trail for a few reasons. First it looked easy to find and it was accessible by a 2wd vehicle. Typically, I prefer areas that are off the beaten path but since I was driving a rental car I thought I would play it safe. Secondly, it was at a higher elevation so the temperatures should be a cooler and provide a completely different ecosystem. Finally, the trail could be hiked as either an out and back (6.5 miles) or a loop trail (9.8 miles).

The trail starts at the parking area on South Senator Highway. It is a generous parking area with ample places to park. It also has a restroom and information kiosk showing the route of this and other trails in the area.

The trail immediately forces you to make a decision. Do I go left or right ? Left (Clockwise if looping) is a more direct route (3.2 miles) to the summit. It is shorter but more strenuous with a rapid altitude change near the summit. Right (counter clockwise) is a longer route (6 mile) but much more gradual. I chose left.

The trail starts off gradual with a wide, smooth trail. It is easy to follow and provides plenty of shade.

The trail then gradually climbs with a good mixture of inclines and level sections. Not far into the hike the trail opens up and rewards you with some awesome views, both of the City of Prescott and the surrounding mountains.

The flow of the trail continues in this manner for about 2.5 miles. Due to the many “level” sections scattered throughout the climb I began to think this is was going to be a breeze. However, with only a mile left before the top, the trail became much steeper and incorporated several switchbacks, but it still was not too bad.

At the Summit there is a lookout tower and a half dozen picnic tables. I did not climb the tower but it obviously was operational as I saw a worker carrying a microwave up the tower stairs to the residence. I really wanted to see the inside so I yelled…DO YOU NEED HELP?… she said no. Just my luck. My guess was that she planned to be there for an extended period of time and would need some popcorn. I also thought, what a a great place to watch a thunderstorm roll through. I want her job 😉

If you take the trail past the tower you will discover a small rock outcropping providing outstanding views. I found a nice flat rock ate a snack and just absorbed the views.

To the south was the Prescott National Forest with several peaks and to the north the San Francisco Mountains. It was an awesome view no matter which direction you looked.

I hung out for about 30 minutes and then decided I would finish the loop. Why go back the way I came? It was a longer, but the weather was great, I was in the forest, and it was going to be a gradual downhill walk. Unlike my return trip from Flatiron (see the Flatiron blog post).

The terrain and views were much the same on the backside of the loop as the front. Mostly forested peaks with a little snow clinging near the tops. I crossed 2 small creeks toward the bottom but other than that the trail was dry.

I pretty much had the trail to myself and only saw 5 people. I was a little disappointed though at the lack of wildlife. I did see what appeared to be an Acorn Woodpecker, Dark Eyed Junco, Red Shafted Woodpecker (Flicker) and heard a few warblers, but without my binoculars I couldn’t get a positive ID. One the most exciting moments came when I found myself face to face with a horned frog (toad). Not positive, but I don’t believe they are either frog nor toad, but more like lizard. Regardless he was really cool. They seem common place in these arid lands but for a guy growing up in the midwest I found them fascinating and although they kept an eye on me at all times they didn’t seem to mind if I took a long up-close look.

This is a great hike. It provides a decent physical challenge and rewards you with some awesome views. Next time I will pack a bigger lunch and spend more time Losing Track of Time on Spruce Mountain.

~Slow-LEE hiking