The thumb is sticking up on the horizon on the far left
You might recall I hope to climb to the summit of Arizona’s highest mountain in June. So I’m in training.
First time I’ve seen a backhoe doing trail repair
I started this hike at the Tom’s Thumb Trailhead at the north end of the preserve. I made it to the base of the landmark then turned around and came back the same way. Total trip length is between 4 and 4.5 miles and I figure a 1000 feet of vertical elevation gain. The footing is mostly gravel/dirt. Lots of folks were hiking it with less sturdy shoes than mine. It took me 1 hour and 50 minutes round-trip.
At the base of Tom’s Thumb, overlooking Scottsdale and the Valley of the Sun far in the distance
On the way down I was wishing I’d brought my trekking poles to take some of the strain off my knees.
The thumb up close and personal
Advanced Mediterranean Diet 