January 7, 2020 Prehike to Alamo Springs Hike - Tortolita Mountains - Dove Mountain

Pre-hike for the Alamo Springs Hike. Jerry and Nancy set out to determine a good hike to Alamo Springs from the Wild Burro Trailhead. There were two tracks from previous hikes. Both were 6-mile hikes. One went up Alamo Springs Trail and returned back Alamo Spur trail and Wild Burro Trail. This hike did not go to the Springs. The other trail went up the middle of the canyon and along the side, starting at Wild Burro to Lower Javelina and up Wild Burro to the Springs, then returning Alamo Springs trail to Alamo Springs Spur to Wild Burro and back to the Trailhead.

We decided to combine the Alamo Springs Trail hike and the Hike to the Springs. This made the hike 7.4 miles long and took 5 1/2 hour, elevation gain 1000 ft. It started at the Wild Burro Trailhead and the Wild Burro Trail (marked with purple signs). We followed this trail across the wash and to a sign where we turned left. We followed this until a map and weather station and sign. The Alamo Trail (marked with light blue arrows) starts to the right of the sign. We immediately started to climb with short switchbacks through large rocks. There was a view of the Hotel below. The trail started to wind to the other side of the mountain and up more switchbacks. Every so often the trail levelled out. There were beautiful views and the vegetation was that of the high desert with yucca plants and agave. We walked along the top winding our way down into washes and up again. We eventually arrived at the Spur Trail that would take us back to the Wild Burro Trail if we decided to take it. Because we wanted to go to the Springs, we decided to continue on Alamo Springs Trail to the right. It was 0.9 miles to the Spring from here. We passed the Ridgeline Trail where we turned to the left to continue on the Alamo Springs Trail. We met the Wild Burro Trail near the Springs and continued a short distance to the Springs. This would be a good place for lunch.
On the way back we took Wild Burro Trail that took us down a fairly steep decline to a wash. We followed the wash until we came to a Canyon Lookout over a wash. We took the trail to the right which took us up for a short distance until it started to wind down a steep descent to a stone house and a stone water tank. We followed the trail to the right of the stone house and from here it is a short distance to the wash The trail is clearly marked as Wild Burro Trail. As we walked we came across the Wild Burro trail to the right that takes us back to the Trailhead in 1.1 miles. We go past a sign near the hotel that directs hikers to other trails, then walk past some barbed wire fences to our right until we can turn into the wash. We follow the wash to the stairs to the Trailhead. (If we wanted to walk a little farther to the weather and map station where we started on Alamo Springs, and follow Wild Burro Trail back to the trailhead rather than walking in the wash we could do so.)

There was a slight diversion onto Lower Javelina trail for about 1/4 mile on either side of the wash. I took this off the GPX track. The Lower Javelina trail starts switchbacks shortly after leaving the wash. 

Feature Picture - Enhanced by Nancy 

We took the Lower Javelina Trail both directions for a short time- about 1/4 mile each way. We found that both trails made a steep climb up switchbacks of rocks. We decided we had enough for the day and went back on Wild Burro. 

Parking Lot with Pit toilets 

April 4, 2019 - Prehike - Wild Mustang - Wild Burro Hike starting at the Upper Javelina Spur Trail

Upper Javelina, Wild Mustang and Wild Burro Trail

Mike, John, Nellie, Jerry and Nancy hiked this beautiful hike. 

Trail Rating - C+

Trail Length - 8 miles (about 5 1/2 hours)

Location - Dove Mountain, Tortolita Mountains 

Elevation - Range from 1398 feet in the wash to 4029 feet in the high trails 

Landmarks - High Country Hike, springs, stone structures and wash.
Time of Year - The flowers were out and very pretty. Maybe late March might be a good time to hike. 

Directions, distance and time to trailhead: - Go southeast on I-10 to exit 240, Tangerine Road, turn left and follow Tangerine Road for 5 miles. Turn left on Dove Mountain Blvd and follow it for 4.6 miles until you come to a roundabout. Take the first right turn off the roundabout onto N. Secret Springs Drive and continue a short way to a guardhouse. After checking with the gate guard, proceed up the road .8 miles to the third right-hand turn and go right at the sign for the trailhead and park in the dirt lot. There are washrooms available.  It is 57.4 miles and took 58 minutes.

Description of Hike 

In order to find the Upper Javelina Spur Trail we walked to the entrance of the parking
lot and across the road where we find a path that reads Hotel Spur trail. Follow that trail
for a short distance until we see another Hotel trail sign (Flag poles are to the right), turn
left and follow this trail. This trail leads to a sign indicating that we have are on
Upper Javelina Spur trail. This trail starts as a path but very quickly turns into a  steep
trail winds up through boulders and rock to scenic viewpoints of rock structures and
vegetation. We were there on April 4th when flowers were abundant. The trails in Tortolita
Mountain Park are colour-coded. The Upper Javelina is Red, Wild Mustang is Orange and Wild
Burro is Purple. (Description of the hike continues below - amoung the pictures)

The Upper Javelina Spur trail joins the Upper Javelina Trail and further along the
trail, we come to a junction of the Upper Javelina that goes back to the Ritz Carlton
Hotel and the Upper Javelina that goes toward the Wild Mustang Trail. It climbs to an
even greater view of the Mountains in the far distance toward Tucson.

This hike joins the Wild Mustang trail (colour-coded orange) where we hike for about
3.5 miles to areas of vast open spaces and yucca plants that grow at high elevations.
The trail leads down into a wash and back up again in two or three locations.

The Wild Mustang meets up with the Cochise Springs Trail, but we keep on the Wild Mustang.

This display provides geographical information about the Mountains in the distance. 

Desert Mariposa Lily

                       

Wild Mustang Sign

At the top of this trail, it meets the Wild Burro trail (colour-coded purple). After a short distance, there is a spring, on Alamo Springs Trail. A good place for lunch.
This is a picturesque stop on the top of a wash with large boulders. There is a bench,
a stone watering structure and a sign that explains the Springs.

Alamo Springs for Lunch

From there the trail heads down steeply into the Canyon where there is a stone
shelter and a hand-dug well with stones.

The trail goes into a wash and follows the wash until we come
across a set of stairs that leads to the Wild Burro Trailhead and parking area.

Trailhead with washrooms

GPS track and Data