With birds chirping the only audible sound, the beauty of the vast views capture the imagination along the new Mesquite Hollow Trail in the McDowell Mountain Preserve.
“Oh, the views are incredible,” said Fountain Hills Parks Superintendent Brandon Putman.
The Mesquite Hollow Trail was built entirely by hand thanks to the all-volunteer Trailblazers group with the Sonoran Conservancy of Fountain Hills. The trail is accessible through the Adero Canyon Trailhead via the Promenade Trail. The trail is a five-mile roundtrip, moderately difficult hike that was the ninth in a 10-trail project the Trailblazers have worked on for two decades.
[[WATCH – Building the Mesquite Hollow Trail]]
“This trail was made so that people could get back into the depths of the preserve, find areas that are isolated and away from the hustle and bustle of our busy urban environments, and, more so, to be able to come and sit under the shade of [a] beautiful mesquite tree,” Putman said.
The mesquite tree that lies along the trail is estimated to be around a hundred years old, or perhaps older, and has survived such a long time since it has grown in the path of a small waterfall of the arroyo, receiving the runoff from the surrounding slopes directed to its roots.
“This tree was fortunate enough to land in this spot,” Putman said, also noting the tree and trail name symbolize the resilience of nature.
The Mesquite Hollow Trail officially opened in early March, alongside a lot of fanfare and support from the Trailblazers. The official opening also celebrated the group’s longtime leader, Bill Craig, who helped design and build the trail.
“The McDowell Mountain Sonoran Preserve has more than 200 miles of trails, so the fact that we’re able to continue finding and building new ones is incredibly special,” Craig said.
Each Saturday, roughly 20 volunteers would meet and help build the trails for about three hours at a time. Along the Mesquite Hollow Trail, the group would use various tools such as picks and rakes to build the trail under Craig’s guidance. He noted that in searching for new trails, he looks at safety, sustainability, and points of interest, such as unique rocks or, in this case, the mesquite tree.
“After I work on a Saturday and come back to the trailhead, I usually stay here a while and listen to people coming back from the trails,” Craig said. “I don’t know of anytime where there hasn’t been anything but a positive [response].”
During the grand opening of the trail, Mayor Friedel, along with former Mayor Ginny Dickey, spoke in addition to several other Town officials and Conservancy members. The celebration was bittersweet, as Craig is passing the torch after leading the Trailblazers for many years.
“It gives me a great deal of satisfaction knowing that not only was I able to be involved in building [the trails], but knowing these are going to be utilized for many years ahead,” he said.
Following Craig’s retirement, Jim Kanya will be the new Trailblazers leader and spearhead construction of the final trail part of this project. The final trail will also be the one with the highest elevation and more rugged than others in the network, with a length of more than a mile. It is estimated to be completed by Christmas of this year.