At 8:00 AM Six Trailblazers and guests met at the western trailhead for this relatively new part of the Phoenix Mountain Preserve. The trailhead is a city park complete with playground equipment, restrooms, grass fields and lots of paved parking.

It was a bright sunny day, cool and a little breezy. Great day for hiking. The group quickly left the paved area and started clockwise around the circumference trail. Deem Hill looms to our right. Ahead to the north is Pyramid Peak which is not in this preserve area. As we rounded the northern portion of the preserve we could see a couple of hot air balloons silently hovering. The Central Arizona Canal forms the northern boundary of the preserve. Brittlebush was in full bloom and the grass had greened up from the recent rains.

We got to the east side of Deem Hill and began our climb to the summit. The black basalt rocks were very prevalent. We climbed to the summit and GPS measured a 900 foot increase in elevation from the trailhead. Views from the summit were great with the Phoenix Mormon Temple under construction to the southwest and the University of Phoenix Stadium to the south southwest. New housing subdivisions surround the preserve on west, east and south sides. As we descended from the summit and headed to the east side of the preserve, we could look back at the trail up to the saddle.

Near the southeastern portion of the loop trail, we stopped for a break and snacks. Traveling westward on the circumference trail back towards the trailhead, the vegetation was picturesque. Cholla, ocotillo, saguaro, palo verde and other plants were plentiful. We were lucky to catch a hummingbird getting the nectar from the ocotillo.

We reached the trailhead and our parked cars after almost six miles of hiking in 3 hours and 20 minutes.

Five of the hikers stopped at Bambino’s Sports Bar for drinks, lunch and good company.