Hike #15 – Tiger Mine Trailhead North – 20 Miles

As the weather turned overcast and chilly in Arizona, my hiking friend, Tom and I decided to take on some of the desert trails just outside of Oracle AZ. Starting at the Tiger Mine Road Trailhead, which is just a dirt road drive up a steep hill off Highway 77, this hike is a combination of what I call a shark tooth and slight fish bowl.  Up and down and up and down.

Starting at an elevation of 4078 ft and dipping to 3640 ft, this hike is a slight roller-coaster of hills, gullies and washes filled with open range cattle….. and even a couple bulls. Keep your eyes out for the many Jack Rabbits that roam around mile 6 to 7 in the Windmill Junction area. This area has some open flat land, which lends itself to the large rabbits fast speed. Good luck getting a picture of them.

With Mt Lemon in the southern background this desert hike was simply amazing and even though we had to suffer through bouts of hail, lightening and down pouring rain during a good portion of the day, it was well worth it. Warning though, this would not be a hike I would do with peak day temperatures warmer than 90 degrees.

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