Sat, Mar 23
|Gateway Loop McDowell Mtn Preserve
Gateway Trail to Tom's Thumb (R2R)
The Gateway to Tom’s Thumb Loop is an extremely challenging, 12-mile loop that includes East End, Windgate Pass, Tom’s Thumb trails and Bell Pass with many very steep and loose sections and three major climbs
Time & Location
Mar 23, 2024, 6:30 AM – 12:30 PM MST
Gateway Loop McDowell Mtn Preserve, 18333 N Thompson Peak Pkwy, Scottsdale, AZ 85255, USA
Guests
About the event
Some will meet at Back to Heath to carpool and others will meet us at the trailhead at 6:30am sharp to start hiking.
The Gateway to Tom’s Thumb Loop is an extremely challenging, 12-mile loop that includes East End, Windgate Pass, Tom’s Thumb trails and Bell Pass with many very steep and loose sections and three major climbs. Provides exceptional views of dramatic rock formations in the McDowell Mountain range throughout the hike. Also, seldom-used sections of the hike offer great solitude, and the route crosses one of the few springs in the Preserve. Overall, you will experience about a 3100 foot elevation gain in this northern area of the McDowell Mountains, a section of Preserve that is slightly cooler and receives more rainfall. This climate difference leads to the establishment of a different variety of wildflowers, unique plant selection and more wildlife. Travelling uphill through a field of granite boulders, to a rolling upland nearly 4,000’ above sea level, you’ll find canyon wrens, white-throated swifts, and perhaps peregrine falcons.
If you cant get this done in under 7 hours, I am going to ask you to sitout this year and train more.
ROUNDTRIP DISTANCE 12 miles ELEVATION GAIN 3100 feet