Distance

0.7 mi to summit

5.3 mi total

Elevation

1,325 ft start

1,795 ft max

Vertical

816 ft gain

Time

24 min to summit

2 hr 36 min total

So good to have my hiking partner in town! As I'm still new to the Phoenix area and we're both not exactly in 3,000+ elevation gain at high elevation shape, we decided to stick around at my new base camp and explore some trails from there. Summer has definitely arrived here in the valley, with mornings starting around 70°F and temperatures climbing rapidly as the sun rises. So - we decided to head to Thunderbird Conservation Park to check out the trails from Glendale city parks and compare them to Phoenix. Verdict: about the same, Phoenix has fancier signage but both groom their trails well! It was a good hike; we started up West Thunderbird Peak, which was *very* popular. Very straightforward trail for both peaks, no off-trail exercises to get to the summits. From West Thunderbird, we went to a short overlook and down what must have been a mountain biking singletrack to join the paved road that many people were walking on, and followed that to a different parking area to join the trail that got us to North Thunderbird Peak. The grades were not bad, everything was well switchbacked, and it was interesting to be nosy and look down at the different housing developments. We were warned of a rattlesnake once we got to the ridgeline for North Thunderbird Peak, but it must have moved away from the trail as we never saw it and ran into several hikers coming the other direction that kept asking if *we* had seen the snake. (Not that I'm complaining.) Well-used trails, lots of people out, a very nice way to start the morning and long holiday weekend!

Obstacles

no info yet

Key gear

GPS device

Other peaks climbed on this trip