Land Trust Schedules Fall Hikes

Season Underway with Hike to Windgate Pass

The McDowell Sonoran Land Trust kicked off the hiking season on Saturday, October 18th with a "special, local Friends of the McDowells-Only hike" to Windgate Pass. You could not have asked for a better outing. The weather was warm and clear. It was obvious that the Land Trust had done an excellent job planning the event. Along the 4 1/2 mile route through Scottsdale's McDowell Sonoran Preserve, we found bottles of cold water and other supplies that had been stashed in anticipation of the event. And you could not ask for a more experienced and knowledgeable trail guide. Our group was led by Greg Woodall, a professional archeologist and McDowell Sonoran Preserve visionary. Greg has logged thousands of hours exploring the McDowells.

The photograph above shows Greg describing an interesting feature to our group (click to enlarge picture). Scottsdale and the Valley of the Sun stretch to the west behind Greg's back. The photograph to the right shows Howard Myers at Windgate Pass. Howard is facing east and a strong wind as he photographs the Four Peaks area. Greg explained that years ago there was a gate near this spot. The gate is gone. And so is the cowboy that aptly dubbed the place "Windgate Pass." The wind, the mountains, the cattle, and the view remain.

If you have never explored the McDowells, there is no better way to get started than with a hike led by the Land Trust. You will find a link to the Land Trust's Web site in our Links section.