Hike-a-Bike / Pixie Loop - 7/11/24

View from a road Crossing

Hike-a-Bike Trail

Pixie Trail

New sign below Robbers Roost TH

A group of five club hikers parked at the Robbers Roost Trailhead for a cool <4 mile loop on the bike trails in the North Loop / Telephone Canyon area. It was early Thursday morning so we did not expect to be in the path of any zooming bikers. We started down the little trail behind the informational sign and reached the perpendicular trail junction with a new sign as seen to the left. Our left turn put us on the Hike-a-Bike Trail. It has been a couple of years since I did this route and the trail has changed in appearance since then. After coming to another new sign, we followed the directions to stay on the Hike-a-Bike Trail. There are a few trails coming down from the left. One of these is the bottom of the Pixie Trail.

Hiking the Hike-a-Bike Trail

Circling around to the right, we hiked below the Deer Creek Road and climbed up to another trail junction. This junction is not signed, however, we know that the trail to the right is the Trough Trail and the trail to the left climbs up to the Camp Loop. Continuing straight along the Hike-a-Bike, we finally came to the signed Showgirl junction. Here, if you turn to the right, you will continue along the Original Showgirl Trail that eventually leads all the way down to the curvy section of Kyle Canyon Road, or the Lower Showgirl Trailhead. We continued our straight trajectory where we were now hiking the Upper Showgirl Trail. We passed two other trail junctions to the left (very vague) which were each end of the Camp Loop. Around to the left, we came to a spur trail leading up to the road (left); a connector trail for our route.

Hummingbird Gulch across Telephone Canyon

Nearing the end of Hike-a-Bike Trail

New sign at Showgirl Junction

Uphill after road Crossing

At the top of the hill, we crossed the Deer Creek Road and climbed up the embankment trail to an abandoned road that continued up to the Gypsy Trail. A right turn on the Gypsy Trail continued our climb up and around to the left paralleling the Deer Creek Road. Somewhere near the high point of the hike, we stopped for a short break. Afterwards, we soon came to the Pixie Trail junction. A left turn put us on that trail and we finally began our short journey down. The Pixie Trail zigzags down the steep terrain with views of the surrounding escarpments. There is one large wash that we crossed two or three times. It was very much gully-ized from last year's "gully washers," but the trail is well maintained through them for the bikers.

Pixie Trail View

At the bottom of the hill, we junctioned again with the Gypsy Trail as the Pixie Trail continued its downward run. A right turn onto the Gypsy Trail put us on the Old Deer Creek Road where we passed the gully mess, the Jumpline Trail and and hiked through the Mountain Laurel "tunnel." One last left turn down to one more road crossing, and we were back at the Robbers Roost Trailhead. Fun cool morning with even a little cloud cover. (The new signs are great! ... but, they aren't at every junction. Be aware!)

Stats: 3.8 miles; 600' gain; 2 hours

Gully crossing on Pixie Trail

Nearing Pixie / Gypsy Junction

Old Deer Creek Road