Mountain Hike Avoiding the Snow

The wash is dry yet full of people emerging from their huts after two days of rain/snow and a follow up day of cold.  I drove to Dove Mountain and headed up canyon via a broad, sandy wash.  The crowds soon....

….disappear as I head up a trail to bypass a pour-off too steep to climb.

Reaching the top of the bypass I find myself at the top of the pour-off and follow it for a few steps before climbing out and continuing on the Wild Burrow trail.  The trail reaches another pour-off so the trail takes the east side and soon.....

….again spits me out at the top of the pour-off where the views to the southwest are wonderful.

I climb down a ways and decide if I come back this way, I'll work down the pour-off rather than follow the trail.  The remains of a tree lie where the rush of water dissipated, abandoning the tree to continue its journey probably not until monsoon season.

I've risen high enough that snow appears on the north facing slopes.  My intent was to continue on this trail to its end at the 6 mile point but I came to an option for the Wild Mustang trail, consulted a map and decided, since I had not been on it before, to follow.  Really glad I did.

The trail rose steadily and soon I was walking in snow, reached a ridgeline and was greeted with....

...awesome views.  The Tortolita mountains in the foreground, Catalinas in the background and beauty all around.

It was a pleasure to follow the ridge with the constant urge to replenish the view memories.  I could see the aforementioned ranges but also the Silverbells, Whetstones, Rincons, etc...  All capped with snow. 

Yay but eventually the view fun ended as the trail began to drop and I was reintroduced to....

….dense saguaros.  I finished with 8+ miles and the promise of warming to normal and above normal temperatures, soon.