Tom's Thumb Hike | What Is It and How Does It Rank?

Tom's Thumb Hike | What Is It and How Does It Rank? | Scottsdale, AZ

Рет қаралды 5,910

3 жыл бұрын

Often seen on the eastern horizon from Phoenix, Tom's Thumb has mystified us for decades. What was the hike like? What was Tom's Thumb and why is it named that? Curious to know more, we set out to explore it and see what it is all about.
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Surrounded by numerous mountain ranges, Phoenix has no shortage of hiking trails of varying difficulties. Being no stranger to Piestewa Peak and Camelback Mountain, one that has been skipped over until now is Tom's Thumb, part of the McDowell Mountains, located in Scottsdale, Arizona. Having lived with the mystery for two decades, we couldn't wait any longer.
It turns out, the name is actually not as old as one would think. A local rock climber, Tom Kreuser, was the first climber to reach the top of the formation in the 1940s. As a result, the formation was named after him later on. Trails were built and now it is a popular trail among locals.
The trail from Tom Thumb's Trailhead to the thumb is rated as moderate to difficult. Lots of switchbacks make this an uphill climb and one particular part gains 700ft in about a half-mile.
The trail itself is 4 miles out and back, however, for those more ambitious they can take the Windgate Trail at a spur which makes for a 10-mile loop.
Be mindful when you hike as temperatures can get hot and there is little to no shade on the trail. Make sure to bring plenty of water as there are is no water at the trailhead, however, there are restrooms.
VIDEO FILMED: 07/25/2020
▬▬ L O C A T I O N I N F O ▬▬
⚪ Tom's Thumb - www.mcdowellsonoran.org/2020/...
⚪ Directions to Tom's Thumb - goo.gl/maps/CQKdLyz9G3rcAUW1A
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Welcome to the Cactus Atlas! We are Glenn and Amy and invite you to join us as we visit all sorts of locations across the American West. We tour both natural and man-made attractions.
Our base of operations is in the Phoenix, AZ area. We do a lot of hiking and day trips as well as campground reviews and hope that we will be a great resource if you are planning a trip to the American West. We also hope to delight you with our exciting adventures!

Пікірлер: 36

@user-ey6uk1bl1h Жыл бұрын

Glen, I enjoyed your video of your hike to Tom's Thumb. It was very complete and gives one a good look at what to expect when hiking to The Thumb. I especially liked your "confession" at the end on the dangers of hiking in hot weather. I think your truthful comments will be a help to other hikers and may make others think more carefully before hiking in hot weather. I have a special connection with Tom's Thumb. I am the TOM of Tom's Thumb. Yes, as you said "a dude" who climbed there in the early days. Here are some details....I hiked cross country to the base of Tom's Thumb with two friends, Diana Hartrim and Bill Sewrey. This was in the fall of 1963. In September it will be 60 years since we did a roped climb to the summit by The Standard Route. I was the first leader from the Arizona Mountaineering Club to lead a climb to the summit. At the monthly meeting of the then newly formed club I reported on the climb. The President of the AMC, Doug Black, suggested we call it Tom's Thumb. So, Tom's Thumb came into common usage over the years with climbers and hikers. I was one of the honored guests at the opening of the Tom's Thumb Trail and trailhead with the Mayor and other honored guests a few years ago. The "ribbon cutting" was done with two climbing ropes being unclipped when a caribiner (climbing snap link) was undone between them. I was nineteen years old when I first climbed Tom's Thumb. In August I will be turning 79. Wishing you many more happy hikes and safe journeys. Tom Kreuser (Ps..Tom's Thumb is the common usage name for the peak. The Board who oversees the Official naming of landmarks says in order for it to be officially named for me, I would have to be dead for five years AND some one would have to request it be named. For that reason I am in no great hurry for it to be officially named for me. Common usage is good enough..... My fifteen minutes of fame.

@CactusAtlas Жыл бұрын

Oh my gosh. Thank you SO much for your comment and sharing the information about the climb! Don't blame you one bit about not being in a hurry for the official naming of the peak. 😅 Really appreciate you stopping to take a moment and comment.

@AdventureMikeTime 11 ай бұрын

Very cool ! going to tackle this one on Tuesday. This gave me good insight of whats in store for me ! awesome videos keep going!

@CactusAtlas 11 ай бұрын

Awesome! Thank you! Have a great hike! 😄👍

@HaswellTravelled 3 жыл бұрын

Wonderful hike! The first view of Tom's Thumb didn't look that big - until I saw you walking up to it - it is big! Good you found some shade. Thanks for sharing and have a great day 😀👍

@CactusAtlas 3 жыл бұрын

Yeah, it appears deceivingly small until you reach it for sure! Thanks for watching and the comment! 😄

@SwiftyTravels 3 жыл бұрын

I lived there for seven years and never heard of that spot! Congrats on making it! I was quite worried about hiking out there on a phx afternoon in July YIKES! Up at the top with all the rocks remind me a lot of the Sandia Mountains in ABQ.

@CactusAtlas 3 жыл бұрын

Hahaha! He's kind of nuts, isn't he? I always wonder how anyone can stand hiking in the heat but for some reason Glenn loves it. And despite him telling me about Tom's Thumb I've never heard anyone else mention it here so I don't think you're alone. 😊

@TheAdventureBuddies 3 жыл бұрын

Wonderful video and lovely hike for sure 👏

@CactusAtlas 3 жыл бұрын

Many thanks! It really was!

@photolifetravel9108 3 жыл бұрын

Nice video, glad you made it back safe. Hiking in the direct sun is no joke.

@CactusAtlas 3 жыл бұрын

You got that right! The trade off is less people which these days isn't a bad thing. 🤔

@heidia6270 Жыл бұрын

I hiked Tom’s Thumb today. It was a tough hike, a lot of elevation. It was in the 70s today and perfect. I couldn’t do that at 90 degrees! That would be tough! Good job! I had to take many breaks on those switchbacks to catch my breath. The views are definitely spectacular!

@CactusAtlas Жыл бұрын

Agree. The elevation gain in the heat can really sneak up on you. 👍

@heidia6270 Жыл бұрын

@@CactusAtlas it sure can! I’ve been out here 16 hrs and I have learned my limits the hard way!

@mikeanderson9266 2 жыл бұрын

LOVE Arizona such a great place! Did the hike today with 2 friends it was not that bad at all! Saw a rattlesnake 3 feet away we went with no water too this guy played it up for sure.

@CactusAtlas 2 жыл бұрын

Couple things… I hiked this in July, you hiked it in November. Quite a difference in AZ during the seasons. And, you are probably in much better shape than I! I see some folks run trails like this with ease, and I’ve seen people rescued via helicopters 🚁 from trails like this. All depends on the person! Very jealous that you got to see a rattler though and I did not.

@CactusAtlas 2 жыл бұрын

Also want to chime in that Glenn hikes while filming which often entails hiking the trail essentially twice to get far off shots like those in this video. Not exactly a quick hike when temps hover around 100 degrees.

@fatmanhikes 3 жыл бұрын

Good video dude!

@CactusAtlas 3 жыл бұрын

Thanks! Glad you liked it! 😄

@markgorton5865 3 жыл бұрын

Glad you made it through. I said to my wife where the heck did he leave camera right before you explained it.

@CactusAtlas 3 жыл бұрын

That, one was pushing it. Was a long walk, that’s for sure. I suppose I could use the exercise! 😂

@gstiles7 3 жыл бұрын

wow didn't know we had that hidden gem so close

@CactusAtlas 3 жыл бұрын

Curious, isn't it? And after Glenn's sweat angels on it, maybe it is more of one! 🤣

@ryanhudson5643 2 жыл бұрын

I think the reason there's hardly any saguaros on the tombs thumb hike is because it's on the cooler north side of the mountain and saguaros disappear at a lower elevation and. The cool wind from the near by lakes probably hits the north side of the mountain more then the south side and makes it even cooler then it already would be so mabey it's just a bit too cold in winter for a decent population of saguaros to grow there.

@CactusAtlas 2 жыл бұрын

Very plausible explanation! We tend to think about higher elevation being the reason as evidence when climbing out of the valley along I-17 because it is so obvious but winds bringing in cooler weather would very much explain it. 👍

@ryanhudson5643 2 жыл бұрын

@@CactusAtlas yah and the tombs trailhead is at a pretty decent elevation at around 3000 ft almost the same elevation as cottonwood or camp verde but it's kinda unexpected since it's so close to phx.