Our Hike of the Month: Wind Cave Trail

HIKE OF THE MONTH WIND CAVE TRAIL IN THE USERY MOUNTAIN AREA

Every time I head east from Phoenix toward Apache Junction on U.S. Route 60-89, I wonder about that distinctive mountain just northwest of the Superstitions. The one with the stratified band of ocher-colored cliffs that runs, like some gigantic scar, just below its highest ridges. What made it that way? I always wonder. Today, for no particular reason, the question is: is it climbable?

Hmm. My errand is one of no particular urgency. I'm wearing shorts and running shoes. I have a plastic water bottle in the trunk. Suddenly the car, apparently with a mind of its own, turns north. It's early afternoon of a balmy winter day, and there's not a cloud in the sky. Who am I to argue with the car?

I help the vehicle along with a little visual navigation. When we are precisely west of the mountain, I see a sign: Usery Mountain Recreation Area. Smart car.

At the gatehouse I inquire, "What's the name of that mountain?"

"Pass Mountain," the attendant replies.

"Can I hike it?"

He thrusts a park map through my car window. "Take the Wind Cave Trail," he says. "The recreation area's got 10 hiking trails in all."

"How did those strange cliffs get up there?" I ask.

"Volcanic tuff, spewed out by the Superstitions eons ago and fused together by heat."

I'm glad for the answer. From now on, when I drive toward Apache Junction, I won't have to wonder. I pay the dollar entry fee and follow the map to a parking area on Wind Cave Drive.

Already I'm a fan of Usery Mountain Recreation Area. The place is beautifully tended, and the foothills of Pass Mountain are lush with desert foliage.

I study the map. There are, indeed, 10 hiking trails, ranging from one under a half-mile to a nearly seven-mile trek that circles the mountain. One route is a botanical hike with plant identification. But there also are overnight camp-grounds, an archery range, fresh water, flush toilets, picnic areas with shade-providing ramadas. Even a horse staging area and equestrian paths.

The Wind Cave Trail is a 1.3-mile (one way) moderately strenuous hike that rises about 1,000 vertical feet. The trail is well maintained and safe with rest areas along the route.

During the last leg of the hike, the path angles along the base of the cliffs: sheer, ragged, and unscalable. The soft formations would be unsafe even for professionals. The Wind Cave, carved by thousands of years of erosion, provides a cool, shaded resting spot at the end of the trail. Also, an impressive view that extends a hundred miles or more to the west and south.

The next Saturday, I return and take the Pass Mountain Trail. This is the longest one, circling the mountain at its base. I complete the 6.9 miles in a little less than 2.5 hours by alternately jogging 100 paces and walking 100 paces, stopping once to snack on a sandwich and a few times just to rest and enjoy the great scenery. If you intend to walk the distance at a leisurely pace, allow at least four hours.

rules you should never violate when hiking in Arizona: don't go into the desert without water; don't go into remote areas without telling someone where you have gone. When You Go: To get to Usery Mountain Recreation Area, take U.S. Route 60-89 (Apache Boul-evard) east to Ellsworth Road and tur n north. At McKellips Road, Ellsworth becomes Usery Pass Road. Continue north to the park entrance. For more information, call (602) 834-3669.

Hiking Guide: For a detailed guide to hiking in Arizona, we recommend Outdoors in Arizona: A Guide to Hiking and Backpacking, a collection of 48 great hikes through desert, mountain, and canyon environ-ments, including easy-to-get-to trails in the urban areas. For more information or to order call toll-free 1 (800) 543-5432. In the Phoenix area, 258-1000.