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| - This is a TOUGH hike! And I've done echo canyon. I guess I didn't expect it to be so difficult, but the elevation is intense. It's part of the McDowell Sonoran preserve, which I've done other trails from like Lost Dog, Sunrise, Gateway Loop, and Bell Pass. I'd wanted to do this one for a while and I finally got to. It takes a while to drive out to the trailhead and the maps app for the iPhone gave me the wrong directions, but my brother had come before and knew where to go (the correct directions are on the website, FYI). It's pretty open so not much sun protection except for some areas where there are switchbacks. We came early-ish, started around 6am, and it was already hot. It was worth it though! Barely any people, and more wildlife than other trails. A snake crossed our path. It made me yelp haha. We also saw a cardinal and lots of bunnies and lizards. The top (the thumb) is pretty neat and it looks small from the trailhead, but when you reach it it's a good size. I enjoyed coming down and we ended up running most of the way. Pay attention to the signs, there were a couple of times I went the wrong way. This trail can connect to others, elongating it, but we just reached the top and came back, which totals ~4.2 miles.
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