Tom's Thumb
4/26/2023: This trail is marked at the trailhead as very hard and only experienced hikers do it. It just didn't seem that hard. There was a lot of elevation gain at the beginning, but the trail was nice and smooth so not so bad. We thought that Peralta to Lone Tree was much harder and also much more enjoyable and scenic, but we've been known to be wrong. But on the Tom’s Thumb hike you will see great views, some wildflowers and not too many people. We saw a Greater Roadrunner, but I wasn’t able to get a pic. Tom’s Thumb was cool. Anyway, it was worth the hike.
Marg’s Notes: Slept in a bit but still out by 5:50. Had a bagel & cream cheese on the drive to the Tom’s Thumb trailhead. [Got bagels at Costco…good breakfast!] on the trail by 6:30. It was breezy at the resort and fairly cool on the trail. I wore my rash shirt! I got a slight burn on my arm the last couple of days so that was good [to wear rash shirt]. Trail was a bit tough for ~ the first 1.5 miles. Views were of all the construction around ☹. As we climbed higher, the views got better. The trail is rated hard but wasn’t that bad…leveled out closer to the top. Very windy at the Thumb, but beautiful views. Didn’t take long to get back down the trail and wasn’t as slippery as I feared it might be 😊. Back at the Resort a bit after 10:00! Read & rested. Then went in the hot tub. Then lunch & another rest! We read most of the afternoon, then showered & went out to dinner | happy hour. Went to O.H.S.O. which stands for Outrageous Homebrewers Social Outpost. Beer was OK. We like the Four Peaks we got at Costco better. I had a turkey burger. Rod had Asian Chicken Salad. Very good! Back by ~5:30 to hang out! By the pool now with G&T.
Rod’s Ramblings from the Trail: The trail is very well-groomed and easy hiking. Saw a lady at the trailhead who said she was here 9 months ago and none of the construction that you can see now was here. She said it was very disappointing.
The cacti are not blooming as much as we've seen. But we are on the west side of the mountain. Maybe that has something to do with it.
Small gravel in the trail does make the trail a little bit slippery but not too bad.
Even though there is a lot of construction below, the views are really quite beautiful if you can subtract the house construction out of your mind.
We came one mile and 500 feet elevation gain to a viewpoint. It's a big expansive view but mostly of houses. Looking to the east and there still houses ☹.
We saw a roadrunner but not able to get a picture.
Go to the prairie fountain overlook, about 1.6 miles. Beautiful view over the saddle from there and in the direction that you'll be hiking.
We reached Tom’s Thumb at about 805 a.m. The elevation is 3,848 feet. Yes, it was worth the hike. It is very windy at the top.
It didn't take too long to get back down. We got back to the trailhead at 9:30. It was a good hike, but not the best. We both believed that our best hike on this trip was Peralta Canyon to Lone Tree. And it was harder than this one.