 Jack the Dog says hi!  Saturday morning and after 50+ days, we're getting some rain. Maybe as much as 3/4" and based on what I witnessed so far today, it sure looks like a reasonable forecast. Amy's birthday is today so helping a neighbor prepare for a party.
0 Comments
 Amy, sister Tracy, friend Dawn and I made the short drive to Aqua Caliente trail. We embarked on a planned 4 mile, round trip hike. This being the Thanksgiving weekend, a lot of people were out, enjoying the beautiful weather. We brought Jack with us and many dogs were engaged along the way.  I had a ride planned for Sunday and decided to stop after a mile of climbing while the others kept going.  One of those peaks is Aqua Caliente Peak but not certain which one. The next day, Saturday, we.....  ....attended an OSU viewing party. Good heavens what a shocking outcome. Enough said about that debacle.  Sunday morning, I and 22 others drove to Tombstone to begin a 48 mile loop ride. It's been awhile since I did a ride of this distance but was pleased my legs held up to the end. I did get spit out the back of the fastest group somewhere out there but blended in with a second group and enjoyed the balance of the ride, finishing with a 17.2mph average and 1800' of climbing.  After the ride, I rode around the town. There are several bars and restaurants and a worthwhile destination.....  ....when you are in southern AZ.
 Our group of 7 gather at the Pima Canyon trail and begin a 3 mile hike before heading off trail. I was kind of dreading it actually, given my hike to Finger rock Guard of a couple weeks ago and experiencing the conditions I found there.. We pause, to take off a layer of clothing.  We reach an old dam, adjust our clothing another time and.....  .....bow to pass below the arch formed by a tree. We enter a boulder filled wash, hop from one boulder to another for about 1/4 mile and then, groan....  ....enter an exceedingly steep and grassy gully. I planned to stay out of the gully, on the right side, until the walls close in and force a gully entry. However, someone noted it did not look too congested in there so....  ....we descended. The Bighorn fire passed through here two years ago and took care of most of the brush so that's good. The monsoonal rains of the last two years invigorated grass growth so that's bad. I know, you look at the image and think, "That doesn't look too bad" but the only pics I took were the rare instances where I wasn't using all my appendages to stay erect.  Fabulous views whenever we paused our effort to enjoy the scenery around us.  About half way up this roughly mile long gully having a 30% average grade, we enter a boulder field. A fall in here would be bad but it was a relief to exit the vegetation, briefly.  We near the exit of the gully. One member of our group, Jen, fell and became a bit disoriented so we paused and again admired our surroundings.  Past visits to the gully and what comes after yielded a series of cairns that aided immensely to the navigation. Not this time as the only cairn I saw, unless I happened to accidentally walk by one, was the above at the head of the gully.  We were all kind of beat up at this point. Jen was having bouts of dizziness so she and her friend, Mitch Stevens, elected to turn around. Now we turned our attention to....  ....the ascent of Table Mountain. The route is a long, "C" shape to the precipice that would reward us with incredible views.  Well, ok, the views were already incredible! To stay on route, one has to stay to the middle of the Table, otherwise.....  ....you become cliffed out and have to reroute. Without the benefit of being able to follow the grass covered cairns, grass obscuring everything not higher than 4' and me having to constantly check my device's gps route, our progress was creeping along. I called a halt and....  ....considering the time of day and a .9 mile advance still to negotiate, I decided we ought to turn around. Jeff on the right, a funny guy, said it was a good hike but that I had failed, lol. There was another threat of recrimination from Marc G that too was funny. I hated to not reach the peak but in retrospect, it was a good thing since our return to the parking lot was 3:30pm, giving us 2 hours of remaining light. It would have taken at least another 2 hours to reach the peak, ohhh and awww the scenery and return.  For our return, we stayed in the gully and had fun navigating a couple of steep down climbs. Finished with 8.45 miles and 3000'+ of climbing. I fell more times on this hike than all others combined and must say, I'm staying away from bushwhacking routes until conditions change.
 Whoa! Fire on Mount Lemmon but later found out it was a prescribed burn so all ok.  Amy spend a few days with girlfriends, hiking in Sedona so I took care of Jack the Dog. We did a short hike out of Honey Bee Canyon off Rancho Vistoso Road. A decent network of trails but nothing long.  Long ago, someone built this dam but it has since had a gap made so we can walk through.  It's a beautiful but short canyon and soon....  ....we emerge from the canyon and I note Saturday's destination, framed by two saguaros, Table Mountain. I'm a little anxious about the hike. It is always a brutal, off trail bush whacking adventure but given what I have encountered recently when going off trail.....I'm also feeling a small bit of dread.
 The javelinas return to eat small acorns that are widely scattered below me. I've seen plenty of baby javs but never a brown one.  Amy and I arrive at Pima Canyon trailhead to hike 3 miles via the maintained trail. At 3 miles, I wanted to check the conditions where on Saturday, I will lead a group off trail, up a gully and on to the top of Table Mountain.  Peeking out from behind a nearby hill, the top portion of Table Mountain can be seen.  The trail crosses a creek bed numerous times with a trickle of water keeping numerous pools filled.  One of us should have stood next to the trunk of this tree for size perspective. It is huge.  Much of the hike was in the shade but eventually the sun cleared the canyon wall.  Just short of 3 miles, we reach a couple of man-made dams which were constructed to gather water for the wildlife. The back of the damns are filled with sand and debris so don't really serve a purpose.  Finally, we reach the point where I will leave the maintained trail on Saturday and ascend the gully to the base of Table, hang a right and continue to.....  .....the top of Table. From this vantage point, it doesn't seem like much but it is a truly epic hike.
 We reach the parking lot at the top of Alvernon Road to begin our hike to Finger Rock Guard, the prominent spire of rock, right of center. To the left is Finger Rock, not reachable without climbing gear and to the left of that, Prominent Point. It is 9:20am on an unusually cool morning, 48 degrees. I've completed this hike 4 times, taking around 6 hours so we are fine with the kind of late start time.  Tracy on the left, Amy on the right. Tracy is a member of SARA (Southern Arizona Rescue Association), very fit and having a 31 lb pack for the exercise as a handicap, seemed appropriate.  There is a short, steep start and then the route is moderate for about 1.3 miles as it parallels a ravine. Then.....  ....the trail steepens but at least we had great views to the southwest and of course of the small diameter, Finger Rock to our left..  Finger Rock Trail, which oddly does not take you to Finger Rock (upper left above) but instead to Mount Kimball, is bordered by tall grass and other vegetation. I've not hiked very often the last couple of months so have not seen how overgrown are the areas around the maintained trails. Not a surprise given the very healthy monsoons of the last two years but I did begin to wonder what the off trail portion of our hike would be like.  Ohhhhh, what wondrous views we have the opportunity to enjoy.  We reach a point where the Finger begins to disappear behind the Guard and soon reach a plateau at about mile 2.8 which signals the start of our departure from the maintained trail to a social trail. However, there was so much grass, I wasn't certain this was the point so I hiked a little farther, confirmed the plateau had been reached and we waded into thick grass. I was glad the cool temperature probably drove the rattlers into their dens. It would suck to hear their distinctive buzz, look down and have no idea where were the fangs, beneath the grass.  We descend, steeply into a ravine. I suppose because the down climb is a north facing slope, the social trail was not overly difficult to follow as we reach the bottom. It is a beautiful spot with water trickling into a small pool. Then....  ....the next .7 miles is a grueling climb having an average grade of 31% but at least the grand views are always there too. My previous trips were at about the same time of the year and I covered this section in 23 minutes but today.....an hour and twenty minutes!!!!!  Between not seeing the trail, frequent checks of the gps route, stepping on hidden obstacles, etc... well, it was brutal. My companions began some low level grumbling and I feared a revolt.  We finally reach the saddle below the Guard. Once we reach the labyrinth of spires and rocks on our way to the top, there will be no more grass yet still, more of the stuff to navigate before we reach that point. One of us thought to look at the time and it was almost 1:30!!!!! Four hours to reach this point and likely another hour to the top and then, too late, way too late if we wanted to avoid hiking in the dark.  There was common agreement we should turn around. It sucks because you put in all this work just for the pleasure of navigating the labryinth to the top of the Guard. In the distance, Table Mountain and to the right, Table Tooth. Awesome view!  Amy poses to show all the trail junk that had accumulated on her clothing. Not sure all the clothing will survive the onerous plucking of junk from the fabric. After a snack and drink....  ...we begin the descent to the aforementioned ravine, then a brief up climb and then down the maintained trail. The hike was slightly less than 8 miles but 4000' of climbing and all that bushwhacking!!! Brutal yet it left me disappointed to have not completed the hike so I'm likely to go back, start earlier, and enjoy the top of the Guard experience.
 A neighborhood on the east side puts forth the effort with decorations. Note Amy standing to the right of the very large skeleton as a size comparison. Children and adults arrive for trick-or-treat by well over 1000.  The displays are very creative.  Frankenstein hanging from a noose. Note all the blow up displays laying on the ground so there was a lot more to this and other yard presentations.  Another giant skeleton with black witch's hats in the entrance.  Boxing skeletons, lol.  Not sure what is going on here.  Hilarious. Distracted mower rolls over a skeleton.  Climbing the flagpole!  Oddly, most of these displays were turned away from the road.  Too much going on to describe but it was fun to look at it all. Note the "JAIL" sign over the front door.  I'm glad I arrived from Ohio in time to check this out and get a few pics. Next year we'll visit the night of trick-or-treat and see what that's like.
 Grandson, Anthony and I pose on Berger's Night or as some know it as Trick or Treat. Anthony was dressed as Mario and our first stop was at a home where....  ....an adult Luigi was passing out candy. Mario thought that very cool.  Granville, OH is such a nice village. It's as if someone plucked it from the Boston/Hartford area and transplanted it in Ohio. Denison University is here and the local school system is outstanding.  At one stop, off to the side, a woman was making free lattes with the option of a shot of alcohol.  There are many homes dating to the 1800's and the above is one example, built in 1861, the year the Civil War began. What the walls would say if they could talk.  I don't know how much wood I cut and split but enough, even for an Ohio winter. The family members who burn will have access to it.  I visited Anthony one last time where we played soccer, basketball and golf. On my way, I passed this cleaver display of "OHIO" with skeletons. I'm back in southern AZ and glad to be, mainly for the weather, the outdoor activities and of course Amy. Lots of outdoor activities to come and soon, including a climb to Finger Rock.
 Planted as seedlings about 35 years ago, my oak trees are thriving. I pose with one for a size perspective.  Over the 35 years, this creek has shifted about 12" toward the trees. Eventually a tree will be undermined so I'm going to have to get in there and alter the course of the creek while shoring up the left bank.  It's a jungle in there except for this one row and a few paths. During each visit, I select a section and clear it of the brush but it is a slow process.  The Buxton Inn, the oldest continuous running inn in the state. It was on the balcony, 5 years ago that I, children and a grandchild posed for a pic. We were going to recreate that image on Tuesday evening but the place caught fire that morning!!! What are the odds????  I drive to Zanesville to visit my 102 year old mom, passing the famous Longaberger basket which used to be the corporate headquarters. Now, it sits, empty as no entity wants to make it a home.
 Always a very welcome sight, the 400 red oak trees I planted as seedlings, 35 years ago. Walking among these trees, I have something analogous to parental pride, to see how tall they have become and healthy they remain.  Part of my visit is to continue to cut the ash trees that have died from the Emerald Ash Borer. When I see one, I hack a path to it, try to make it fall on the path (rarely), cut the tree into fireplace length pieces and.....  .....push the pieces to a stack where family members can access for burning in their fireplaces.  Wow, a pleasant surprise! A tree fell at some point since my visit in May so th makes things much easier. The weather on this visit is as good as it was bad in May. First three days, temps in the mid 70's and sunny. Rain tonight and much cooler temperatures beginning tomorrow but that's ok for the work I am doing.
 I took Jack the Dog for a morning walk. He is so much more energetic on the outbound route than the inbound route. On the return, I felt a tug on the leash and there he sat, refusing to go farther. It took a lot of tugging to convince him to continue.  I rode the previous day and than Amy and I got out for about a 25 mile route that included checking out the new pavement on Kolb Road and then doing a loop above Ventana Canyon Resort.  I arrived at the top of a pretty good climb a few seconds before Amy and snapped this pic as she was going by. On our way back....  ....passed this SUV. It's interesting to me how the locals put far more effort into Halloween decorations than they do Christmas. I suppose the climate has an influence. The times I froze stapling lights to the front of a house in December yet here, no weather barrier exists. I put off visiting Ohio so we could attend....  ....friend Dawn and Tim's Halloween party on Friday evening. Amy, above on the left, Dawn on the right.  Dawn put in a heck of a decorating effort and we had a good time. Of course....  ....had to pose for the couples pic. Why do I still look paunchy???? Pull in that stomach Mark!!!! My costume was that of a mortician, caring for one of his customers. We kinda ate and drank too much and then the following morning, Amy drove me to the airport and I arrived in Ohio for a briefer visit than normal. More to come.
 We're having great fun with the car camping experience. We stayed lower on the slope of Mount Lemmon, at mile 11 at the General Hitchcock camp ground. Admittedly, Amy does the lion's share of the work  I brought 6 bundles of wood, the packages you see when you enter gas stations or stores in southern AZ. But I also scour the surrounding area to find kindling and once again, also got lucky finding stumps at which I could hack to gain additional fire fuel.  Our campsite was next to a dry creak bed and across from it, a rocky slope that Amy climbed.  The fire is the focal point of the experience. I found a very long limb and placed it over the fire. Eventually it burned in two and became a nice, continuous source of fuel.  Oh if Jack could talk....  The temp was around 60 when we arrived. Starting the fire is one thing, keeping it going while building a nice base of embers is another but soon....  ....we were able to heat our dinner. It's such a pleasant experience to sit by the fire, it crackling, throwing off heat, we're talking while Jack simply stays warm in his own chair.  Ohhhh, the morning. I'm first out to restart the fire. Soon after, Amy emerges from the tent and prepares hot tea and breakfast. Today, scrambled eggs, bacon and ham.  The surrounding area is interesting with all the boulders and not a good idea to walk in the dark at this campsite.  I did some exploring, crossing the creek bed next to our site. I was surprised, with all the recent mountain rain, the water was not flowing here. This site, and all others above us, close 11/1 for the winter but a couple others open on that date, below us so we'll be back to do it again.
 We attended an event at Dove Mountain with some friends, listening to a flutist who was playing from a nearby hill. Above, a guy gave a brief history of what motivated the event.  After a month of riding, I had neglected hiking but the month is over and back to the trails. I'll still ride frequently since I don't want to give up the cycling fitness but I'll work in a hike at least once a week. I thought Wasson Peak would be a good reintroduction so I arrive, Monday morning.  Rather than start from the popular King's Canyon trail head (I think that trail is exceedingly rough with lots of loose rocks) I start from the Sendaro Esperanza trail off Golden Gate Road. That trail is smooth dirt and a more enjoyable hike. Eventually it intersects with the Hugh Norris trail, another alternative to King's Canyon.  The route gives good views of Panther and Sombrero Peaks. I reach a ridge and....  ....am greeted with great views to the south.  A beautiful morning for a hike with temps in the low 60s to start.  I reach Wasson Peak in a bit over an hour. There were 4 other people there but they soon left and I had the peak to myself. But, I could not linger because in a few hours, Amy and I were headed for our second car camping adventure so I too left soon.  The trail leads me back and soon I had finished with 8 miles and 1700' of climbing. A good return to hiking.
 Jack and I went through a Macdonald's drive through so we could each acquire an Egg Mcmuffin. Upon returning home, there were 12 javelinas which, because of poor eyesight, mistake dogs for coyotes, a natural enemy. I did what I could to hustle them away and then ran Jack inside.  Safely upstairs, Jack watched them make their way back to a wild area.  A storm came through overnight so we enjoyed the dramatic scenes post storm.  Wasson Peak in the distance with a layer of clouds well below the peak. I hiked to the top a couple of days later.  Beautiful!
 The setting sun creates awesome views of the western side of the Catalinas. Every minute produces a slight change of color as I sit, waiting for a turn to play pickle ball. It was only recently I discovered that an evening group gathers at these courts. I kind of enjoy the evening group more so than the morning group. The evening gang is younger on average, have a wider variety of interests other than playing pickle ball every day...I don't know, I just prefer the atmosphere a little more.  Friday morning, Amy, her sister Tracy and I got in a 60 mile ride that included the long climb up Helmet Peak Road where....  ....the road deadness at Mission Road with a view of Helmet Peak. From this vantage point it doesn't look like a helmet but from other points, it does. Note that Helmet Peak Road is newly paved so really enjoyed that.  Our route included passing the Pima Air & Space Museum. With this mornings ride, I'm 21 miles short of 500 for a month and will pick those up on Saturday. I'll still ride frequently but will work in more hikes, beginning on Monday I think.  Post ride, I took Jack with me while Amy was spending the night, dog sitting, at Tracy's house. Meantime, Tracy would be spending the night on top of Mount Lemmon, doing search and rescue training (SARA).
 Did a recovery ride this morning on the east side which included a ride through a neighborhood which includes a golf course, the 49er Club. Kind of a goat track of a course but the dozens of homes that surround it really get into the Halloween spirt. More displays added since I went through last week. I liked the above with the freshly dug or uncovered graves and then of course....  ....skeletons driving a tractor or being driven was creative too. I talked to a home owner who describes the scene when the kids arrive as chaos. Thousands descend on this neighborhood and the displays will grow until then.
 Amy took this image of me, yesterday evening. It almost appears I know what I am doing. If my winning percentage was that of a baseball team, the manager would have been fired a long time ago. Most of these people play almost everyday and so usually, on which ever team I am playing, I get drilled but it's still fun. Well, I'm in week 4 of the plan for a 500 mile cycling month and I am comfortably on track. Rode 38 this morning, riding with Amy tomorrow morning, doing 50 on Friday and was invited to join a new group called "Shift Happens" and may ride with them on Saturday so that will put me well over 500. Then, back to a combination of hiking/cycling since the weather now is perfect for both. More to come, honest.
 Amy had meticulously planned our entire adventure. Since I was designated the "hunter/gatherer" my work would come, ha, ha. We were about 5 miles up the mountain when she realizes while she had planned out the meals, we had actually forgotten to bring them. So, back down to retrieve, which wasn't a problem since home is close.  Amy sets up the tent. The temperature was around 60 with some wind. I quickly.....  ....got a fire going. Too bad we had to use the large kettle in which to make the fire as that blocked some of the heat.  Our site even had a container for storage with warnings about bear activity. We had bear spray just in case. We had brought 6 packages of wood but it became apparent that may not be enough so....  ....I went out to gather more. I brought a maul and began hacking at the side of stumps, cleaving off some nice pieces. Those pieces burned especially hot.  Night falls. We warmed chili and ate in the tent, drinking champagne (only a very small portion) to celebrate our 3rd anniversary. So far, our first camping experience had been very enjoyable. Next time, a sleeping bag on top of an inflated pad, won't be repeated. It was too hard. I've had this arrangement a few times in the Grand Canyon and it didn't bother me but I was probably so exhausted, it didn't matter. The next morning....  ....yikes was it cold!! OK, 50 degrees but it seemed freezing. We had slept as long as we were going to sleep under the circumstances so up before the sun rose. Amy made tea and oatmeal while I got the fire going again. Jack the Dog had come too and if I had to guess, he too thought it too cold.  Amy invited him to lay in a chair, covered him with a sweatshirt and he stayed there, until we packed and headed down to the warmth of the valley. We'll do this again soon but at a lower elevation (the camp sites up here close in two weeks) for some added warmth and with alternative sleeping arrangements.
 Officially, monsoon season ended with the entry of October but it continues to rain, which is a good thing. I intended to get out for a good ride but was thwarted by a long line of showers so ended up with only 30 miles. Then....  ....Amy and I drove way up Mount Lemmon to check out some camp sites. We became interested in overnight camping and bought the requisite gear. We're both really looking forward to it. The daytime high up there will be around 60, the overnight low in the 40's so we're taking a lot of wood! On the drive down, we viewed an incredible sunset.  We paused at Windy Point Vista to take the above image. Note the group of people a little farther out and with a slightly better vantage point. Incredible view!  I've kept this blog going for well over 10 years. In that time, it's 97.25% about the hikes and rides. I think that's why anyone wants to visit and you number in the millions...ok, a slight exaggeration, lol. I think I have made certain statements in the last 6 weeks that would cause one to wonder if my personal life was ok so in the interest of full disclosure, Amy and I separated for reasons that only I and any other idiot would understand. I was so, so freaking stupid which is not easy for me to admit cause I'm generally kind of somewhat intelligent. The six weeks was a well deserved kick in the side of the head which really shook me to my core. Anyway, we are again, a very happy couple.  And the drive continued with a neat look at Thimble Peak and its surroundings.  Next morning, we did a 30 mile ride which included a visit to the 49er neighborhood. The people who live here create the most amazing and comprehensive displays I've ever seen. They've just begun.
 Only 3 miles from the start of a Cactus Cycling club group ride, I departed from my place at 6:30. Brrr, may have been 69 at the time as the sun begins to clear the mountains. Did 30 miles and then the following morning....  ....rode with Amy on another 30 mile route that included a stop to watch....  ....miniature planes taking off, performing impressive maneuvers and then landing.  Aqua Caliente Park is a unique attraction in the region, having many mature palm trees, ponds, walking paths, just a beautiful location. A lightning strike a couple of days ago ignited the above so Amy and I drove....  ....there this morning to check it out. It's a relatively small area affected but it's at the entrance. Interested to see if any of these palms survive.
 The sun rises, illuminating Blackett's Ridge as I walk Amy's dog, Jack. Then, a few hours later, I clean out my Corolla, drive it to the Honda dealership and.....  ....pick up my new CR-V. I drive to Amy's to give she and Jack a short drive in it. Jack seemed unusually comfortable so maybe he's a fan of the "Buckeye Red" color. It's quite an upgrade over the Corolla.
 No one wants to see my bare feet but instead, look at the reading on the scale. I did it, lost 10 pounds and back in the 160's. Actually, at 168 today so that's enough. I returned from Moab with Covid. It finally got me and I was kind of pissed. Symptoms were very mild and gone after a couple of days (no, I did my research and decided against what most people now know is not a vaccine but a very temporary therapeutic). Anyway, my desire to lose 10 pounds, given my activity, should be easy and it was. Took about a month.  Got out for a 40 mile ride that included one of my favorite views from Saddlebrook. I'm back on track to average 500 miles a month and intend to continue. Cycling is such a low impact, highly aerobic activity, I'm enjoying it and looking forward to rejoining group rides now that I've regained some endurance.  And then, I did something I've thought of doing a long, long time. I've been frustrated that some of the hikes I'd like to do, my Corolla can't reach the trail head. So many people have also commented, it seems odd to see an outdoor active guy like me driving a car, rather than an SUV. Plus, I like sitting higher in an SUV so....  ....the best friend I've ever had, Amy, did this marvelous research and I narrowed my choices to a Honda CRV, Nissan Rogue and Toyota RAV4. Amy and I visited the dealerships yesterday. I'm not a car guy. I put far more research into a new bike than a new vehicle, lol.  We test drove a few SUV's, with her asking pertinent questions I'd never think to ask, discovered a used SUV costs roughly the same as a new one and so I bought a new one. It's kind of a scarlet color (like the scarlet of my Ohio State Buckeyes!).
 We meet at 9100' on top of Mount Lemmon. I had a lot of trepidation about this hike because on the day I returned from Moab, I finally got Covid. My symptoms were very mild and disappeared after a couple of days yet I was plagued by muscle fatigue (yes, that is a symptom) that really limited my outdoor activity. Now 12 days after testing positive and being largely inactive, I'm leading a group of 12 around on a 9 mile hike with significant elevation gain.  What a beautiful opening scene as we descend from the peak.  The trail is very rocky as we descend a ridge that also has....  ....nice views to the northwest. Many of the standing trees are casualties of the Aspen Fire, not yet fallen.  Hiking buddy Karen K is following me and notes I lack my usual spring in my step. Great, that's what I needed to hear, the unvarnished truth, lol. Couldn't argue with her as my descending muscles were already feeling it. So, the descent of almost 5 miles continues when suddenly.....  ....I hear the buzz of a rattlesnake just as I am walking by this critter. Black rattlesnakes are known to be fairly docile as rattlesnakes go and I was glad it chose not to bite. I used my hiking pole to lift it from this spot and slide it off trail so we could pass. Black rattlesnakes are found at higher elevations and I think this my 4-5th time I've encountered one.  We got onto the Mount Lemmon Trail as the descent continued with marvelous views into the Wilderness of Rocks.  Oh, wow. There's the east facing side of Table Mountain, center in the above image. I've got a hike scheduled for that in November. We took a snack break where we left Mount Lemmon trail and picked up the Wilderness of Rocks trail.  The trail went through numerous patches of slick rock where route finding could be a challenge. I thought it a good idea to hang back and make sure three of our members who had fallen back, would navigate the challenge, It was dumb of me not to alert everyone of my intent so at some point, they stopped to regroup for us and had to wait a long time. Upon reaching them, I urged them to keep going.  The trail crossed a creek a few times and finally leveled for a short while as we....  ....passed through this benign scene of ponderosa pines. Then we reached a left turning Mount Lemmon Lookout trail. The next 2+ miles would be all uphill as we returned to our cars.  I was in agony and had to stop many times to rest. WTF was I thinking, hanging with my commitment to lead this hike. Three years ago I ascended this section in 46 minutes, today, 1:30!!!!! 2+ miles having an average grade of 16%. I stumbled into the parking area like a zombie, could barely communicate and drove home.
|
