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Oct 28, 2022 — Hyde Mountain is a somewhat remote mountain outside of Prescott, AZ, but there's an excellent road most of the way and a well-maintained trail to the summit. To reach the trailhead head west here (34.83216, -112.64763) and follow an excellent graded road. Take a right here (34.80085, -112.87931) and then a left here (34.80490, -112.87910), where the road then is only suitable for Crossovers or better. The last half mile to the trailhead has a washed out section that might be better walked.
The Hyde Mountain Trail #6 was originally built for access to the lookout tower on the summit, but that tower is no longer in use. What remains is a wide trail that for much of this hike. The trail starts by crossing over a minor drainage and then up a slope, where Hyde Mountain comes into view. After a flatter section of hiking I reached a junction with Grapevine Springs Trail #9825, which I would later use to complete the loop. Keeping right, the trail continues up a gully on the south side of the peak, consistently in excellent shape. A couple of switchbacks led me to the southwest side of the peak, where some nicer views to the north became visible. I passed the junction for the upper portion of the loop (known as Trail #5) before finishing up a couple of switchbacks to reach the summit and the remains of the historic lookout tower.
On the way back I descended along Trail #5 and then continued along Trail #9825 to form a small loop. This was a cute little hike in the middle of nowhere. I had originally intended to hike the nearby peaks to Hyde Mountain's north and west, but I lost interest when I realized it might be a bit brushy and settled for a the trail system. Sometimes I guess it's okay to "enjoy" hiking.
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