Sunrise and Andrews-Kinsey Trails

For the second consecutive Saturday, I headed to the McDowell Sonoran Preserve's Sunrise Trailhead. The first time around I arrived too late and was forced to make other plans, as there was no available parking. This week I made sure to arrive early and secured a spot in the nearly empty overflow lot.

It's a 0.2-mile walk from the overflow parking to the trailhead and another 4.2 miles to where the Andrews-Kinsey Trail crosses into Fountain Hills Preserve, the location of which would serve as my turnaround point. In between, there would be more than a 1,000-foot elevation gain. You're actually gaining elevation as you move toward the trailhead, but once you hit the trail itself it's game on.

Climbing through a sea of Saguaro

At the junction of the Sunrise Trail and the Sunrise Peak Spur, I could see and hear many other hikers already on the spur making their way to and from the peak. Because I had visited this same peak only a month or so prior, I decided to skip the view and stay straight on Sunrise. Past the peak, it's a short hike to the junction of the Sunrise and the Andrews-Kinsey. I headed north on Andrews-Kinsey in the direction of my planned turnaround two miles away. Now further away from the trailhead, the crowds really started to thin out. In fact, I don't recall seeing anybody on the Andrews-Kinsey Trail until I was well into my return trip.

View from the Andrews-Kinsey Trail

I stopped for a snack just inside the border of the Fountain Hills Preserve. I don't remember exactly when I first observed the two helicopters, one chopper appearing to hover while the other circled, but I don't believe it was long after my nutrition break. The helicopters would come in and out of my view for the remainder of trip, depending upon my location on the trail. At some point I was able to get a good view of the landscape beneath the choppers and could see traffic was backed up for what appeared to be miles. I feared there had been a tragic accident on the roadway. Selfishly, I hoped the wreckage would be cleared before I was down from the mountain.

Fountain Park in the distance, as seen from Andrews-Kinsey

As I drew closer to Sunrise Peak, I could again see and hear all the people. Again, I stayed straight on Sunrise and began the descent to the trailhead. I passed a lot of folks heading up the mountain and a few people who were making their way down. One thing I've noticed about some people is they're happy to take as much room as you're willing to give them. Move to the right and many people will stroll merrily down the middle of the trail, brushing shoulders with you as they pass. This goes for sidewalks, too, as I've observed this phenomenon on paved and unpaved trails alike. I especially like when two or more people are walking side-by-side and simply refuse to humble themselves to the point of walking single-file until the oncoming pedestrian traffic clears. Sometimes it feels like a game of chicken. But I digress - just an observation of mine and another reason I like to get as far away as possible from the crowds.

A splash of color on the last full day of winter

Ready for final descent, near the Peak Spur Trail

As I made my way back to overflow parking, I was closer than ever to the hovering helicopter. My chances of a leisurely drive home weren't looking so good. Heading west on Via Linda, I soon encountered the traffic jam, which, fortunately enough for me, was affecting only the east-bound side. I still didn't know what was going on, just that it had been like this for hours. Only later that evening did I learn Donald Trump had been campaigning in Fountain Hills and protesters had blocked the road. Politics notwithstanding, I was just glad to know there hadn't been some kind of horrible traffic accident. So, all's well that ends well, right? Nobody died and I turned in an 8.8-mile hike, breezed home with the top down on the open road, and made it to my daughter's soccer game on time. Another outstanding day in the Great Outdoors!