big man tips

KIWANIS TRAIL Remnants of Hurricane Sergio over Kiwanis Trail 10-14-18. Long before the craggy hills that comprise South Mountain where outfitted with hiking trails and picnic ramadas, the Akimel O�odham (Pima) people referred to them as Muhadag Du�ag or Greasy Mountain. A hiker enters the mist on the National Trail near Mt. Suppoa. The name comes from a Native American legend about how hot grease dripping from the mouth of Trickster Coyote as he consumed food stolen from a cremation fire gave the mountains their dark stains.   October rains have greened-up the desert. People have been carving their marks in the  "greasy" dark rock veneers of the mountain ranges south of Phoenix since prehistoric times. Archeologists have attributed artifacts and petroglyphs (rock art) found in the area to a wide scope of peoples who lived in and around what is now known as South Mountain Park. Hohokam petroglyphs are plentiful along Kiwanis Trail. Heritage sites in the park include a few rar...

HOLBERT TRAIL,  South Mountain Park, Phoenix Dobbins Lookout On clear evenings, the beacons on Mount Suppoa that bleep and flinch above an array of communication equipment are visible from many parts of the Valley.   The spindly forest of red-lighted poles marks the highest point in South Mountain Park.   The 2690-foot summit is off limits to the public but equally swell sights can be had at nearby 2330-foot Dobbins Lookout. Hikers on the Holbert Trail Dobbins Lookout You could drive up to this Depression Era observation deck, but for those who prefer to sweat for it, the Holbert Trail provides a moderately difficult slog and rewarding discoveries all the way up.   The hike is as much a trek through history as it is a respectable workout.   The trail winds up the north face of the Guadalupe Mountain Range---one of the three elongated ridges that make up South Mountain. The others are the Gila and Ma Ha Tauk ranges.   The first history lesson comes within a ...

BURSERA TRAIL South Mountain Park, Phoenix View of the Sierra Estrella Mountains Twisted in organic, balletic form and smelling like perfume, Bursera microphylla ---better known as the Elephant Tree�lives on the slopes of South Mountain Park. Brush up against one of these squat, red-green-barked trees with swollen, contorted pachyderm-like trunks and a pungent aroma of camphor will waif from its tiny leaves.   Related to the plants that produce frankincense and myrrh, sap from the elephant tree also can be dried and burned as incense. But, don't rush out with a collection bucket�the trees are a protected species in Arizona. Elephant Tree To get an up close look at this plant that grows only in the Sonoran Desert of Arizona and parts of southern California and northwestern Mexico, just follow the Bursera Trail which was completed in 2011. The route is simple-to-follow and connects with both the National and Bajada Trails for those who want to add mileage to their hike. Also, becaus...