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Stewart Pocket Day Hike
Payson
June 8, 2024
by Tamar Gottfried
GPS Map
GPS Stats
by Tamar
group A
Trailblazers in the Steward Pocket. [photo by Tamar]

Eleven Trailblazers met at the Cypress Trailhead in Payson and took some of the last available parking spots in the culdesac. We were on the trail by 7:45 am - trying to beat the heat. The first part of this clockwise hike required some route finding due to numerous social trails, but we made good time-admiring the forest landscape that evolved into high desert with numerous balanced rocks.

Trail
Checking out the incomplete map. [photo by Robyn]
Rock
Some good size rock here. [photo by Ron]
Push
Just one more push. [photo by Ron]

After 3 miles, we transitioned to the Stewart Pocket trail and were helped by nice permanent metal signs counting the trail mileage. By late morning, the sun was beating down on us and the rocky landscape so that 80 degrees felt more like 100. We took a short break in some shade and welcomed Cindy's water bottle sprayer to cool off.

Small
Walking by a small rock. [photo by Peggy ]
Hike
Hiking up the hill. [photo by Cindy]
Look
Looking over Steward Pocket. [photo by Cindy]

Back on the trail, we found the navigation to be easier and we made it back to the cars well before noon. Some of us stopped at Mackey's in Payson for a nice lunch. It was a nice day of cooler than Phoenix climate, pretty scenery with both Pine trees and gigantic balanced rocks and great fellowship on the Payson Trail System. We still have a few trails to try within this system- Thank you Payson for setting these trails up!

B Rock
Balanced rock. [photo by Cindy]
Grow
Trees growing around a large rock. [photo by Robyn]
Bowl
Any one for bowling. [photo by Robyn]
View
Great views. [photo by Ron]
Plank
Time to walk the plank. [photo by Cindy]
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Arizona Trailblazers Hiking Club, Phoenix, Arizona updated June 29, 2024
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