Hike of the Eights
Trail 8 Trail 8a Trail 8b

Total hiking distance covered (per the GPS)  7.84 mi.

Total time on trail 3 hour 30 minutes

Maximum elevation  1,510 ft.

Starting elevation 1,802 ft.

 

The Hike of the Eights is a very unique hike in that it is not too easy or too hard.  The hike consists of hiking all of the #8 trails, 8, 8A and 8B; and is just under 8 miles in length.  It is actually 7.84 miles but that is close enough to call it 8 miles. The hike has three different places to start even though it covers the same trails.  A hiker can start from 32nd St / Lincoln, Phoenix Mountains Park (Squaw Peak) or 40th St. south of Shea.  There are facilities at either 40th St or Phoenix Mountain Park but none at 32nd St.  My preferred starting point is the 40th St trail head primarily because of the parking   On Sunday, January 10, 2010 four of us, along with a dog completed the Hike of the Eights and this report is going to cover that hike. 

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Parking Area (With facilities) The Trail Head
   
Trail 100 Crossing Gentle climb
   
One type of Trail Marking Approaching the first saddle

 The four of us met at the 40th St. trail head at 9:00 A.M. in the morning. They were I, Larry Wayt, Donna Pasieczny, Kim Gilchrist, Rachel Burkhardt and her dog Dakota.  After waiting for a little time in case someone else wanted to join us, we started the hike.  The weather was cool, broken clouds and perfect for hiking.  Trail 8 actually starts from the North West end of the parking lot and not where a trail is obvious at the east end.  That trail is the L.V. Yates trail.  As soon as we started the hike the trail goes to the left and down into a dry stream bed.  We then take the fork to the left which leads us out of the stream bed and south onto trail 8.  After about ½ mile trail 8 crosses trail 100 the trail that goes east and west across the Mountain Preserve.  After we cross trail 100 the trail starts its gradual climb.  This climb is a good warm-up for the remainder of the hike.  As we proceed along the trail we can look to the left and see the L.V. Yates trail as it proceeds toward the summit of Quartz Ridge, and to the right where we can see the trail 1A as it proceeds around the mountain.  About 1 mile from the start, looking to the left we can see a large boulder of white quartz.  Just beyond that we reach the first saddle.  After proceeding past the bench we start the first slight descent.  We continue on where we find the trail marker that indicates that we need to turn right off the road scar toward the next dry river bed.

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Quartz Ridge No One Around
   
More Uphill Approaching the Squaw Peak Parking Area
   
The South end of the Trail The Way Back
   
Natures Saguaro Damage 40th Street Trail Map

 Although we have passed many forks in the trail, the correct route is easy to follow.  As we reach the lowest point and are in the stream bed we see another fork in the trail.  Trail 8 goes to the right and trail 8A goes to the left toward 32nd St.  I tell the group that we will now proceed on trail 8A but when we return we will come in to the same point on trail 8.  Trail 8A then proceeds upward at an easy slope with the exceptions of a few places which are worn down and steeper.  About 2 miles after the start of the hike we arrive at another saddle where trail 8B crosses trail 8A.  That’s when I inform the group that we will remain on trail 8A and go down the slope to the 32nd St / Lincoln parking lot.  This part of the trail is somewhat steeper, narrow and more frequently hiked.  I also inform them that we will then return back up the trail to the intersection of the 8B trail where we will proceed to the saddle and back down the other side into Phoenix Mountain Park.  We continue down the trail and when we arrive at the 32nd St. parking lot we have covered almost half of the hike.  At 32nd St we took a short break and then proceeded back up the long climb to the trail 8B junction where we turn to the left and continue to climb to the saddle.  After the saddle we proceed down trail 8B which in now very steep with areas where we have to proceed down some large drop off boulders. 

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Trail 8a Trail Head About as tough as it gets
   
Easy to make good time Near the junction with Trail 8

After reaching the bottom of trail 8B Donna and I waited while Kim and Rachael proceeded to the trailhead where the facilities were.  When they returned we started up the trail which had again become trail 8.  This climb is the steepest part of the hike and the trail is in very poor condition which made it even more difficult to traverse.  After the about ½ mile climb we then proceed down the trail which goes around to the right and back to the junction of where we turned onto trail 8A.  From that point on all we had to do was retrace our route back to the 40th St. trail head which is primarily down hill and a very good cooling off feature.  We arrived back at the 40th St. trail head at 12:30 P.M. after having a wonderful hike.

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Turnoff to Trail 8b Up we go.
   
The saddle The Junction with Trail 8a

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Larry Wayt (gnhikn@cox.net)