Munds Wagon Trail, Cow Pies and Hangover Loop

3/30/2021: "Big views and lots of variety." "Wall-to-wall beautiful." This was Marguerite's favorite hike of our week stay in 2021 but it took its toll on her: “You better believe we’re having beer!” This was a beautiful hike. Again, very happy that we got an early start. Still, we met several people later in the day as the crowds hit the trail. All three parts (Munds Wagon, Cow Pies and Hangover Trails) had their unique contributions to the hike. Hiking counter-clockwise, we paralleled a pretty stream all the way up the Munds Trail before taking the Cow Pie Trail. I wondered why they called it Cow Pie and discovered that the rock formations look like huge cow pies. I am glad it wasn’t because a bunch of cows left real cow pies along the trail 😊. We hiked counter clockwise, going up the Munds Wagon Trail to the Cowpies intersection, and followed that to the Hangover Trail. This is a Lolli-pop loop.

Munds Wagon Cow Pies and Hangover (1)
Cool at the start with beautiful views
Munds Wagon Cow Pies and Hangover (2)
We continued toward Cowpies counterclockwise
Munds Wagon Cow Pies and Hangover (3)
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Juniper (Gin) Tree?
Munds Wagon Cow Pies and Hangover (6)
Pear Cactus everywhere
Munds Wagon Cow Pies and Hangover Video (1)
Moving towards Cow Pies
Munds Wagon Cow Pies and Hangover (7)
View from Cow Pies
Munds Wagon Cow Pies and Hangover (8)
Munds Wagon Cow Pies and Hangover (9)
Note trench in rock - How many years of water runoff?
Munds Wagon Cow Pies and Hangover (10)
Top of Cow Pies - which way? Follow GPS
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From Cow Pies
Munds Wagon Cow Pies and Hangover Video (2)
Munds Wagon Cow Pies and Hangover (12)
More views from Cow Pies - we had lunch right there
Munds Wagon Cow Pies and Hangover (13)
Warning for bikers, but hikers be careful too
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Moving onto Hangover Trail
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Take your time and you should be fine
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That's why they call it Hangover
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Munds Wagon Cow Pies and Hangover (18)
Yucca budding
Munds Wagon Cow Pies and Hangover (20)
View from saddle at top of Hangover Trail
Munds Wagon Cow Pies and Hangover (21)
Crazy rock - what caused that?
Munds Wagon Cow Pies and Hangover Video (3)
Nice trail on backside of Hangover Trail
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Still a Hangover
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Munds Wagon Cow Pies and Hangover (24)
Requisite Selfie
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Steep but steady. Boots grip the rock very nicely.
Munds Wagon Cow Pies and Hangover Video (4)
But there is still a bit of butt sliding when necessary
Munds Wagon Cow Pies and Hangover (26)
Munds Wagon Cow Pies and Hangover (27)
So few flowers yet in bloom - flower (wild onion?) and butterfly