After eating Thanksgiving leftovers for two days, it was high time to get outside and do a hike! So, under sunny skies, with little to no wind, we decided to explore Mustang Pass - one of the trails located near our new neighborhood. Although we planned to do it as and "out and back", we came across an unmarked trail that allowed us to make a loop hike by incorporating the
Icehouse Trail on top of Broken Mesa. This route made for a most enjoyable afternoon hike!
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The right arrow points to Mustang Pass . . . our original destination
The left arrow points to our "sneaker route" to the top of Broken Mesa . . . more on that later! |
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Mustang Pass skirts along the left side of Peak 3714 . . . an old volcanic cone
(Hiking to the top of Peak 3714 is on our list for another day) |
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| The trail (actually an old road) leads up to the pass |
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Kent is working his way up to the saddle
(This picture is looking back towards where we started - near the base of the prominent black ridge)
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Up on top we had nice views of the Red Cliffs and a decision to make . . .
Should we continue on the Mustang Pass Trail, hike Peak 3714, or take an unmarked trail up Broken Mesa?
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| Looking back at Mustang Pass and the backside of Peak 3714 |
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We figured we'd come back for Peak 3714 and the thought of hiking back the way we had already come,
paled in comparison to a loop hike that had some nice elevation gain . . .
So off we went on an unmarked trail, hoping that it would connect with the Icehouse Trail |
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We learned later that Mustang Pass was the sight of an old earthen dam . . .
What the purpose for it was or where they got the water to fill it was unclear to us,
but somebody put a lot of work into it! From atop Broken Mesa, the old dam site berms were clearly visible |
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| Desert marigold |
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| Kent is pointing to Peak 4184 . . . a hike we did a few weeks ago |
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We were right . . . the unmarked trail did join up with the Icehouse Trail!
Now it was time to head to the end of Broken Mesa, and then descend, to complete our loop |
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Here's a good view of the cut where the Mustang Pass Trail passes through
(Earlier, we saw a small airplane fly through the Pass . . . it was below both rims!) |
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| Coming off the mesa and heading for the trailhead that begins at the edge of the houses |
Altogether, we were able to log just over four miles and about 650 ft of elevation gain. Just about what we were hoping for on this late November Saturday. Now, it was time to head home and set up our Christmas tree! What an enjoyable afternoon . . . you may want to consider this hike if you have a couple of extra hours on your hand!
