Timing combined with a whole lot of luck. When that happens, it’s a beautiful thing to behold. On this particular hike, I believe the experience would not have been nearly as spectacular.

Pioneer Pass to Pinal Peak (Trail 196) is a LIGHTLY trekked hike located just beyond the mining town of Globe, Arizona. Getting to the trailhead is part of the adventure—six miles of a narrow, twisting dirt road beckons you forward. Never fear; it was well-maintained and suitable for a sedan.

Pioneer Pass Recreation Area has a campground with plenty of space for overnights (no permit required) and facilities. However, I wouldn’t recommend hauling a trailer up that road. Dave and I hit the trailhead around 8:30 a.m. and immediately started ascending. The elevation gain was 1,657 feet to the top, existing mostly of switchbacks. 

Manzanitas and agave gave way to mostly pine as we reached higher elevation. Oh, and lest I forget, we did get to hike through a fair amount of snow, which was an unexpected diversion. 

Enter timing and luck. The tops of pines were encrusted with ice, thanks to a misting of precipitation from the night before.

An ordinary radio tower resembled an alien being.

As we reached the peak, clouds were breaking, and ice was falling off in chunks. It felt like being pelted with chiclets. The best part—our return hike was swift, efficient and downhill.

Just as we began the twisting-turning portion of the drive, Dave noticed signs of fresh road grading. Which led to the question—which direction was the grader headed? Towards us, apparently. Dave quickly climbed the bank on the INSIDE as the road grader slipped by on the cliff side. I would have taken a photo but I was frozen in fear, holding my last breath.

Did I mention timing and luck?