 Put up the Christmas tree but on the patio so the mostly spiritless people living around me can enjoy it too. Very few Christmas decorations around me for some reason.  I got reinvigorated to ride so ramped up to 51 miles last week but paused at a golf course. People were looking for a golf ball and I found it from the seat of my bike. Then, the woman who had lost the ball....  ...dropped it and prepared to hit another shot. Not real good form there but she and companions were having a good time.  There was a huge but kind of squat saguaro.  Amy and I went southwest and included Picture Rocks Road on another 50 miler, finishing with 2000' of climbing. Kind of cool at 68 degrees.  For the name of the road I'd expect the scenery to be better but kind of bland.  Ended the week with about 140 miles. Not a bunch but way more than normal.
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 A short, 2.5 mile below the Catalinas on Wednesday where I encountered...  ....a small saguaro that had fallen across the trail. Ending the hike I....  ...this across the parking lot. Yikes! The temperatures have finally returned to normal with daytime highs in the low 70's so finally able to....  ...get a fire going. How bout that! Yes, I use it to burn cardboard and yes, that's my fav cereal. Also a Louisville Slugger bat on the right that I swing like a golf club to keep my seriously atrophied golf muscles loose. The bat was signed by the great shortstop, Ozzie Smith. On Thanksgiving morning I.....  .....got in a 52 mile bike ride. Rode 42 miles two days ago so cranking up the cycling but with the cooler temps, it opens up lots of opportunities for hiking and so I shall.
 We arrive at Sanctuary Cove, an 80 acre preserve that borders Saguaro West National Park. Tracy, recently admitted to a SAR team, carries the same pack she would if on a search mission. It's rather heavy. We pause so everyone can get a look at the labyrinth then we take the preserve's main trail, ascend a steep slope and enter the Park.  Only now, at a ridge, do we get a look at Panther Peak, there in the distance. Panther and its sister peak, Sombrero, are prominent features to the southwest of Oro Valley.  We then descend a steep slope that is kind of treacherous with lots of loose gravel and rocks. No trail to follow, just head to the west of the White Stallion dude ranch where there is a fence and along it, a trail. I think the trail was put in by the ranch so guests can hike or ride it on horses.  Another look at our destination. Doesn't look like much but it's a good hike with a fun ascent of a ravine.  How about that? A horseshoe. I know to look for a cairn after about 1.6 miles from the parking lot and sure enough....  ....find it. Now we turn toward the peak and begin following a series of well placed cairns.  The climb is gradual until it isn't. Then it becomes quite steep with fun bouldering up the final section. Two of our group are struggling and take a couple of breaks, which is fine. I was in my guide mode but I made a fluid mistake. I consider the distance, temperature and climbing and decide how many bottles to take so 2 for today's 5.5 mile hike. What I sometimes fail to do is consider the added time when leading a group who hike at a slower pace. At the last minute, I had added a 1/2 bottle to my pack.  We gain on the saddle to the left of Panther and have enjoyed some hiking in the shade but the sun was gaining on us. Now we are in the steepest section. I'm leading the way when I'm told.....  ....the two who had been struggling have decided to stop, for good. Since the hike is an out/back they urged us to continue and they sit and wait. Tracy, Amy and I continue and soon....  ....reach the aforementioned saddle. Great views to the south and west. Each of us felt a little guilty about leaving the other two behind. Knowing the next 1/2 mile to the peak was relatively easy to follow, I suggested they continue since they were first timers. I've visited the peak about 3 times so I would descend to the other two hikers, get them headed back and count on Tracy and Amy to overtake us before we reached the off trail ascent. to the first ridge we encountered coming out of the parking lot.  I spend a few minutes, gawking and taking pictures. Once the ladies disappeared from view, I descended. The following images were taken by Amy....  ....as I am somewhere in the above image, watching them.  Reaching the peak, they look back and can see Sombrero in the foreground, the Catalinas in the background. Meantime, I'm escorting my two hikers, taking an occasional break before reaching the end of the official trail and deciding to wait for Amy & Tracy to overtake. We sit on some comfortable boulders and wait and wait. Hmmmmm I'm running low on water and really glad I had that extra 1/2 bottle.  The gals take their last picture, of a distant copper mine and head back. Where we are sitting, a slight ridge prevents us from seeing much more than a couple hundred yards. We begin to worry but both have gps devices to follow, both are experienced hikers so what could go wrong? Well, a fall or a snake bite but we'd know that when a helicopter came swooping in. Finally, we could see them approaching, let out a few whistles, regrouped, ascended the steep slope and returned to the parking lot.  Above is our route, 5.5 miles and 1900' of climbing, well for two of our group. I had something a bit less but it was still a lot of fun.
 Reaching the top of Gates Pass, I descend the curving road, distracted by the views to the west, then turn into a small parking lot. Surprised mine is the only car there. My hike today is short at only 2.5 miles round trip but has a good, off trail climb to the top of Golden Gate Mountain.  My hike begins at David Yetman trail. I ascend to a saddle and am greeted....  ....with this early morning view. Little Cat and behind it, Big Cat Mountains, in the distance. I begin a descent while watching for a.....  ....cairn that marks where to begin the ascent of the mountain.  The peak is not visible until you reach the low point in the above ridge.  As always, the higher I go, the better the views. I reach the aforementioned ridge, go counterclockwise around it and reach....  ....a saddle and at last can see.....  ....the peak. Throughout the off trail portion of this hike, cairns are plentiful and enough people have followed them that a well worn trail is visible in most places. Be careful when ascending the above. It is very rocky and balance is required as you hop across boulders. The visual reward....  .....is.....  ....well worth the effort. Peering over the side opposite of the side you arrive....  ....there is a shooting range below. No action today but I have been up here once before when it was very active. Ha, ha, we all stayed away from that side for concern over ricochets.  Bobcat Ridge in the distance with Little Cat and Big Cat mountains. The sprawling Tucson Estates on the right.  I begin my descent and can see the Yetman trail winding its way through the valley. While only a 2.5 mile hike, I gained a good 1500'.  Jumping Cholla. I keep a healthy distance from these plants. However, while helping a friend look for a lost golf ball, I emerged from the thicket, felt something on my back, reached back (big mistake) and brought my hand back with a clump of Cholla attached to it. Fortunately, someone had tweezers and I removed 5 spines from a finger.
 A relatively easy, go-to hike (following a more rigorous hike like the Ramsey hike) is the Brown Mountain loop off Kinney Road in Saguaro East National Park and part of the Tucson Mountains.  The loop consists of a wonderful Ridgeline trail with nice views though once you drop off the ridge, the balance of the route is flat/rolling and kind of boring. Again, as a recovery hike it is fine.  It being Amy's first visit, she enjoyed all parts of the route. Finished with 5 miles and 800' of climbing.
 To my southeast lie the Huachuca Mountains, about a 2 hour drive from Oro Valley. The mountains tower over the city of Sierra Vista as I drive through, on my way to the Nature Conservancy Preserve which lies just outside the 1.75 million acre Coronado Wilderness of which the mountain range and the Miller Peak Wilderness is part.  Our group has arrived for an awesome hike of 11.2 miles, 3300' of climbing but more importantly, the fall colors. We were not disappointed as the changing leaves were at peak. We began our hike at Ramsey Canyon trail head. I had underdressed and shivering even though the temperature at our elevation of 5500' was 54 degrees. My condition improved dramatically as we began our hike with a decent climb.  The network of trails are well signed and easy to follow as we frequently pass small pools of water fed by, yes, a babbling brook. Today's hike was led by....  ....Bill Bens who has an encyclopedic knowledge of all trails throughout southern Arizona. OK, I happened to take this image the solitary moment he was slightly, directionally confused. He quickly recovered and we continued our upward trek.  After crossing a stream, the climbing began in earnest as we passed densely forested slopes on either side but at one point we arrived at an overlook and got a great look into Ramsey Canyon.  This section of our climb was 3.5 miles having an average grade of 12.5%. Seemed steeper to me but eventually a saddle came into view and we reached.....  ....the Huachuca Crest Trail. I expected a spectacular view but not yet as we took a break having gained about 3000' in 5 miles. At an elevation of over 8000'....I was freezing in my long sleeve and perspiration dampened, shirt. Glad I thought to bring another shirt so not all my clothing choices were stupid ones. That helped but I was glad when Bill made the "2 minute" announcement and then....  ....off we went. Big thanks to Chris and I think Sid and perhaps one other who offered me excess clothing but I was in the mood for self flagellation, lol. I expected our pace would remedy things anyway and was correct. We followed the crest trail for about 2 miles and the views were....  ....awesome.  One had to pay some attention to the trail as a fall to the left side of the trail would only be broken by a tree trunk. Rather steep in there.  We passed a group of I think Agave in a sort of rock garden. We descended to Bear Saddle,.....  ...where we caught a final view of the amazing vistas that included portions of Mexico. Thus began a long and steep descent.  Regaining Ramsey Canyon where relief of the knee buckling descent portion of the trail ended, we saw the largest Alligator Juniper I have seen. Hiking buddy Lorna poses to give size perspective.  I'm unsure of the history of this structure but a sizable fireplace remains which I think is still put to good use on some evenings. Regaining the parking lot, I was eager to get going so hustled up driving companion Kathy and began the long drive back home.   Amy acquired an iPhone 12 so gifted me her 8+. What an improvement over the image I was taking with my Galaxy (awful) and camera (average). The iPhone was taking images in a HEIC format which was not comparable with the blog so fixed that and here we go again. The sunsets have been magnificent and the above scene caught my eye. No rain this day but it was headed our way.  While in Ohio I cracked a rib which didn't bother hiking/cycling but was a problem for golf. Almost fully healed, I hit the Views golf course for the first time. Such an aptly named course.  I've made a couple of golfing friends and enjoy playing on rest days. Played badly on the front 9 with a 42 then had it one under through 7 holes on the back but was outside my comfort zone and choked, finishing 3 over for the final 2 holes for an 80. OK, back to hiking.
Hey gang. Having some trouble putting up images. Working on it.
 A cold front finally swooped in and with overnight lows (for a day or two only) in the upper 30's, I got a good fire going. Note, this is a real fire with wood. It was awesome. The next morning....  ....the clouds began to part and what the??? Snow at 6000' and higher.  Kind of a dramatic scene with the clouds and mountains. Got a good hike to report in a few.
 Situated between the Catalina and Rincon mountains is Aqua Caliente Hill, on the Far East side of Tucson. The trail is easy to follow and a heck of a good workout. At mile 2.7, I reach the above intersection  The peak on the right is not the final destination although the trail climbs steadily toward it but at the last moment, shifts right and heads to Aqua Caliente, there on the far right.  I look back and can see how the trail abruptly departed from its inexorable climb to the false summit.  Soon after bypassing the false summit, the views really.....  ....open up to the east/northeast. Walking this flat piece is a treat but it doesn't last for long since....  ....this beast must be climbed. This is the steepest part of the hike and....  ....some of the ramps are formidable. Eventually....  ....I reach the peak and thus rewarded with grand views of the Catalinas to the north and the Rincon to the south.  There is a Juniper tree that provides some shade as I tank up with fluids. I begin my descent and while walking by a bush, the distinct sound of a rattlesnake alerts me. Actually, alarms me. I did not observe it so walked next to it when it decided to let me know. It slithered into a rocky area where....  ....I was unable to get a good picture of it. Too bad. Finished with 9.3 miles and 2900' of climbing. It seemed like a lot more climbing then that. Hard hike for sure.
 Driving through Florence, the Superstition Wilderness begin to fill the horizon. There, right of center, is the high point of the Supes, Superstition Peak, today's destination.  The parking lot is ample but the Hieroglyphic trailhead is one of the more popular ones so we had to loiter briefly for a parking spot to open. The trail is crowded but 99% of the people are going to and stopping at....  ....the petroglyphs of which there are many, fine examples.  Looking to the southwest, we've gained a few hundred feet, following a wide trail but everything changes as we now duck beneath an over hang and head up canyon.  A balancing rock in the distance. How do those things stay that way?  The trail mostly stays above the canyon, on the right side but sometimes dips.....  ....into the bottom where there are multiple fun obstacles to navigate.  Climbing a few walls requires the use of hands and knees.  It's a dramatic scene, enhanced by building clouds. It rained, lightly and briefly.  Especially fun was hiking along a slope with a lot of loose shale. Had to be very careful in here.  At last! We close on a ridge and beyond is.....  ....a fabulous scene with Weaver's Needle on the right. Note the hill on the right that burned this summer during a major fire.  From this point, we would follow the Ridgeline Trail to the Peak. Note the woman standing on an outcropping, to the right.  Alas, we started too late to actually reach the peak so we explored a bit and then....  ...retraced our route. I've visited the peak a few times so it didn't bother me to have to pull the plug but regretted that Amy did not experience the exciting hike to the peak.  Carefully we descend, watching for obstacles both below and at head high. Finished with 6.3 miles and 2300' of climbing.
 My first visit to the burn area via Pima Canyon. There was no signage at the trail head warning not to venture beyond a certain distance so I was hopeful I could go the 3 miles on the trail where I could access a ravine that would lead me to Table Mountain. Thats it, upper left in the above image. Last time I hiked it, I thought the ravine needed a good burn as it had become densely vegetated.  At mile 2, I came to the burn area and a sign stating the trail was closed. A volunteer ranger had also warned me of the trail closure during my hike. He claimed the ask was 3-4" deep in places.  You don't realize how rock laden is the landscape when all the brush and trees are present but once they have burned, it gives a clear impression. I decided not to proceed farther so did not make it to the ravine leading up to Table.  I turned back and headed instead.....  ....up the ridge that leads to the Cleaver. It was outside the burn area and good for hiking. Looking back to the floor of Pima Canyon. Alas....  ....I was wearing shorts and did not want to push through a variety of nastiness so headed back to the trail head, finishing with about 4 miles. Well, headed to the Super for a big hike.
 Driving through Sedona, we find Schnebly Hill Road where just before the pavement ends, reach a large parking lot to hook up with the "Arizona Strong Hikers" group. We were lucky to snag two of the ten available spots for one of the premiere hiking loops in Sedona. The sun is rising as are many hot air balloons, all up to enjoy the brilliant dawn show.  The organizer of our group, Wade, gathers us for the introductions and then we leave, promptly at the designated start time of 7am. Of the many things I enjoy about Wade's hikes, always departing on time is high on the list. Today's trek begins on the "Munds Wagon Trail".  To describe the hiking pace as brisk would be a gross understatement so rather than hold people up, I drifted to the back of the line to take an image or two. Then, to close the gap I'd scamper to the end of the line. Considering our surroundings, I'd have enjoyed a pause now and then to take more pictures BUT....since Wade will be reading this, IN NO WAY IS THIS CRITICISM!! To get on Wade's bad side means never finding oneself getting off the "Waitlist". lol.  At trail junctions, we would always pause to regroup but all of us managed to maintain the pace, averaging over 3mph, not counting stops or rest breaks. There are some very fit hikers, actually, better said, there are no unfit hikers in the group. The name of the group, Arizona Strong Hikers, is apt. The trail rises modestly but is almost always rising so soon....  .....with the sun up, the scenery is brilliant. We reach a knob or butte called the "Merry-Go-Round and decide to scramble up.  The slopes of the feature are steep but manageable and we all enjoy our time at the top. Amy especially enjoys the scrambling and on this hike, there is plenty of it.  We resume our hike and soon, looking back, get a good look at the Merry-Go-Round. From a distance, it's hard to believe that we scrambled, clockwise, around and up it as the slope looks impossible to manage.  Occasionally we would emerge on flat, red rock and enjoy the change while always....  ....admiring the views. Just awesome. At about mile 7, Wade signals we....  ....can take a lunch break. A large boulder provides ample shade as we look across the valley, soaking in the scenery. Eventually, we gear up to resume our hike but not before....  ....the happy couple have an image taken with a brilliant background. Hmmmm, I'm looking kind of paunchy:(. The hike begins anew on the....  ....Hangover Trail. The trail encircles, or nearly so, a large butte. Note the cliffs that hang over the trail and do so for a great distance. Soon, our effort brings us within site of our next destination....  ....Elephant Arch (note the arch on the left side). The scramble up that is great fun and once inside the arch....  ....WOW. Only 1 or 2 people can fit in it at a time so after taking my image, I slide down the other side, work my way back around and able to take an image of....  ....Amy, posing inside. Once we finish that visit, we climb down a band or two of rock and....  ....hike to the other side and....  ...scramble to another arch and above it, the top. Wade and Karyn successfully having summited it. I think I set a new personal record for amount of time "butt hiking" as several times I was more comfortable sliding then standing. We resumed our hike.....  ....the track of which is seen above. We finished the hike with 12 miles and a little over 2000' of elevation gain. Our reward was to drive to the nearby town of Cottonwood where....  ....most of us gathered at "Colt 804 Grill" for good food, a beer by the name of "That" and shaded eating. Left to right, Kimberly, Tom, Karyn, me, Amy and Michael. Thanks to Wade for use of this image.
 About 30 minutes from me and about 2000' higher is the small town of Oracle. With summer highs being what they were, that additional elevation isn't enough to offset the heat. Now, even though our temps remain unusually warm, it's a great place to start a hike and so I started on the Oracle Ridge Trail. It is believed that a couple by the name Sara and John Lemmon, hiked this route in the 1880's to the summit of the prominent mountain. Soon thereafter, John named the mountain in honor of his wife, thus Mount Lemmon acquired its name.  There are multiple steep ramps during the first mile and elevation is quickly gained, delivering great views  Hey! There's the Biosphere II in the distance.  Oh gee. I stopped several times to admire the views and took many images.  Previously, there had been no trail signage but at mile 2.6 came to this one. Ran into a group of 9 hikers who were doing a loop and had a nice chat with them. One guy said I was brave to be out here alone. Soon after they departed, I removed my M&P .380, as planned as the area is very remote. It makes a nice noise maker and I have practiced enough that I probably won't shoot myself.  At times, the trail is a dirt road and other times a trail but always easy to follow. I had a gps on my phone as a backup should I need it but I never had to reference it. In the distance, Apache Peak. The trail would climb much of it before going counterclockwise around it.  There was a very nice water tank that had so much water some of it was seeping down hill. I thought that odd considering the lack of rain this year. Would be great to have a wildlife camera here to see all that come for a drink.  Soon thereafter, I arrived at the beginning of the burn area, clearly shown in the above image. When watching the Bighorn fire blaze from a distance, this summer, it appeared all was engulfed in flames but there are many areas that were spared, apparently there not being sufficient fuel for the fire.  Brush had been cleared in places to create a fire break.  A couple of times, forest service roads merged with the trail but to me, it was always obvious how to proceed.  I worked my way around Apache Peak and tossed through a couple of gates, being careful to always close them behind me. There was evidence of cattle grazing and would not want them to exploit an open gate.  I looked carefully for a cairn or something to mark a route to Apache Peak but did not find one. Being in the burn area, I should turn around and soon did as I was not going to make it to my original destination of Rice Peak.  I was kind of mesmerized by the views and kept wanting to see what was around the next turn or rise.  The burn damage wasn't all that bad and it appears this area will quickly recover although the above image suggests otherwise.  Rice Peak in the distance but I had turned around, spitting the bit on today's destination.  Wow. Mount Lemmon in the distance.  Another.  Note the seed pods on the above plant. Rain, great fertilizer and seeds. Next year it will look much different.  A long dead tree stands beside the trail has I return, finishing with 10 miles and 2400' of climbing. Great hike, great views. And now it's to Sedona for an epic. More to come, soon.
 I drove about an hour to the Loma Alta trail head on the western side of Saguaro East NP and at the base of the Rincons. I was headed to the Quilter's Trail but first had to hike 2.2 miles on the LA Trail.  The trail is actually a fairly wide dirt road and mostly flat to slightly rolling. I wanted to get in a longer hike or 2 before a truly epic next week in Sedona. Along the way was an old windmill and a few....  ....examples of some magnificent saguaros. I was at a Home Depot and saw a couple of saguaros for sale, about 3' high....$500+. Wow.  I reached the Quilter's Trail and turned to the east. This begins a mostly gentle, rolling rise into the Rincon foothills. Nothing too steep but it's a fairly long climb until at mile 5.....  ....I reached the head of a ravine and decided to that was enough for today. Had I continued I would have reached the Manning Camp Trail. Most of the climbing to this point is in the final mile, having an average grade of 12.5%.  Nice but far from awesome views. Typical Sonoran desert appearance.  After a brief break, I head back, finishing with 10 miles and 1400' of climbing. Don't think I'd do this again unless there is a better way to reach the start of Quilter's. That 2.2 miles on Loma Alta is rather boring.
 My first full day back in the ghetto and so I curiously decided to hike the beast, Pusch Peak. While I did hike a couple of times in Ohio, those hikes were really mild compared to this peak. I concluded my legs were out of shape so do a really steep hike followed by a longer one and maybe I'd be back, or not.  The west facing Pusch Ridge provided shade almost for the entirety of my hike. The Tortolita Mountains in the distance.  I start at the Linda Vista trail head, hike .8 of a mile to the above sign. This section has an average grade of 15%, the balance of the hike averages 30%. It's a knee buckler for sure.  The social trail is easy to follow in most places as it parallels the above divine, then crosses in front of the stone wall, at the top of the image.  Soon, I encounter the "wall" which is fun to scramble up.  Views to the southwest appear as I struggle higher. Damn, I have lost some fitness.  Higher I go and I have always found this particular view to be spectacular and distinctive. I think this is around my 8th time to do this hike. I get bored easily with trails so rarely do any trail more then once a year (ok, this summer I did hike in the Santa Ritas frequently because fire closed the Catalinas and Superstitions) and am glad the region has so many options.  Just before reaching the peak, I get a good look to the northeast where the fire raged this summer.  Awesome to the north.  Looking down on "The Cleaver" as it casts a shadow. Its southeast side was consumed by the Bighorn Fire as were the areas around it. The damage is pretty obvious.  After just over 2 miles, I've gained 2700'. The summit register, found in an ammo box, is missing so was not able to sign in. I suppose someone removed it thinking this peak too would be consumed but it was spared. I bade farewell and began a descent that takes longer then the ascent, finishing with 4.3 miles.
 My visit to central Ohio included hiking around the Dennison University Biological Reserve. What a gem of acreage with some good climbs. Thanks to Ohio friend Eva, who set aside virus concerns to hike with me. Some of the most mature Beech, Red Oak and Maple trees I have ever seen populate the BR. After visiting family I spent many hours in 3 acres of woods I own. I planted over 500 trees many years ago and take something akin to parental pride when I walk among them. I split a bunch of wood, cleared brush and throughly enjoyed myself.  But, it was rather cold with overnight lows in the 40's, rain several days with lots of clouds and wind and so, I was ready to head to the southwest. I began my drive.....  ...took the southern route through Cincinnati, Memphis, Little Rock, Dallas, etc...  I think in AR or TX, I noticed a few examples of the above. A car pulling a car pulling a car. Passing through....  ....western NM and eastern AZ, I spotted distant mountain ranges and wondered if there were trails that led to the peaks but above all else, very glad to be back in Arizona. What a hot summer where the average number of days above 100 is 62 but this year, well over 100 days. The first 4 days of October, the high has been 13 degrees above normal and still hitting 100. But 100 degrees, in our low humidity, isn't bad. Well, sorry for my absence but lots of hikes coming up.
 Below Pusch Peak is the nice, 2.5 mile, Linda Vista Loop hike. It was closed for quite awhile even though it was unaffected by the Bighorn Fire. However, the area was involved in the fire fighting effort. Fire fighters cleared a small portion that borders the trail.  While one can see the brush dragged to the west side of the trail and the absence of mesquite and other trees on the right, mountain facing side, it's not real obvious so the area seems about the same. Then my followers, I had a flight scheduled to Ohio for Friday, began pondering and decided to....  ....drive again! WTF is wrong with me but I wanted to take my back-up bike to Ohio to have it tuned up, take my golf clubs so I could play golf with my son, etc... Above, I pass through turbines in TX as the sun rises. A little later I....  ....stopped at a gas station where I met a guy who was doing a grand circle around Texas. He was riding a Salsa gravel bike. I forget the distance but quite impressive. And not soon thereafter....  ....I entered the great land of the Buckeyes. "Fear not my wonderful followers. I will be here but a few days to cut down dead trees, visit my 100 year old mother, visit other family, play golf with my son, participate in the wondrous Thursday New Albany Cycling Club group ride (where last week the "Rivet" group averaged 25.7mph) and shiver as the temps drop. Back soon!
 A fun weekend of hiking and cycling with the Amster. After taking the pic of Bill at the start of his 250th trip up Mount Wrightson, Amy and I headed to Roger's Rock, a first for her. She challenged me to do a handstand but I declined and then she showed me how it is done. That will take a looottta practice for me to do. Then a 30 mile ride on Saturday and.....  ....then we headed to Sanctuary Cove to hike to the top of Sombrero Peak, also known as Safford Peak. This too was Amy's first visit and I always enjoy taking first timers on hikes to a variety of destinations so off we go.  A first climb brings us to a short rolling section where we find a very nice hiking stick. Later, we encounter a couple who did not make it to the peak but told us they lost a hiking stick. We assured them the stick was just a ways down trail.  It was rather windy today and as each of us attempted to pose, it was hard to stand upright.  After another steep climb, we hike along a quality grove of saguaros. The peak....  ....comes closer. Actually, I put this image out of order as it should have been placed sooner in the order but who will notice???  The views are grand of the surrounding Tucson Mountains. After the 2nd significant climb, we go clockwise around the mountain until reaching....  .....the final climb. A hiking pole will only get in the way so we stash it and excess weight and begin the fun climb up where we.....  ....encounter the rock bridge that is much narrower than shown and a fall would be injurious so Amy scoots across the bridge which has decent exposure. Soon thereafter we....  ....make it to the peak where there is ample space to roam around, sign the register in a ammo box and grab a snack and drink before heading back down. The distance of our hike is only 3.5 miles and 1600' of climbing but very fun.
 A hiking friend of mine, Bill B., hiked to the top of Mount Wrightson for the first time in 2005. Since then, he has hiked it 448 other times and today, organized a group to accompany him for the 250th time. For perspective, Wrightson is a hike of 11+ miles and 4000+ feet of elevation gain. During those hikes, he encountered 20 bears but modestly tells us all that he knows a married couple who have done the same hike 500 times. Well done sir!
 Amy and I park at a small park in Ram's Pass subdivision. It provides better access to the wilderness below Bighorn and Table Mountains rather than Catalina State Park. We hike up a graded road with our goal being the ridge between Bighorn and Table in the distance.  We reach state land and the signs that warned of jail and/or fines for trespassing, now gone. After about 2 miles of hiking.....  ....we reach the Bighorn Fire burn area. A pipe that used to deliver water to a large tank was destroyed by the fire (that's residue from the prior pipe alongside the new, blue pipe) but someone has laid a new pipe. Now it just needs rain.  The fire damage is extensive yet there are.....  ....signs like this burned Barrel Cactus, that some of the plants will survive. While the needles have mostly burned off this cactus. the flowers are promising.  We followed a trail for awhile but it was leading us too far to the north so we went off trail. Normally, this would be heavy bushwhacking but the hiking is easy. In places, the amount of ash....  ....is kind of deep with so much brush burned. Of course....  ....there is no avoiding the branches that are still standing but burned, which leaves black marks on our clothes.  In the middle, a saguaro is definitely dead but the mesquite tree in the distance has leaves wilted from the heat but maybe it will survive.  We close on our destination. While much of the ridge is blocked by vertical walls, there is a "Y" that appears hikable. I thought these choke points would have burned but at this closer look, still chocked with plants. Likely impenetrable so while Amy was more then willing to continue, I thought it a waste of time so convinced her to turn around.  We walked in areas that previously would have been largely impossible to visit. The amount of large boulders which are normally hidden by the brush, is impressive.  During our off trail hike down, we found where the pipe originates. It is set in cement in a small recess where water collects during rain. Curious if water was in the tank we reached it.....  ....but it was dry. Amy, aka Axl Rose, poses in front. We finished with a little less then 7 miles and 1500' of climbing.
 The numerous west coast wildfires have contributed smoke to our area of paradise, providing some unusual looking sunsets and sunrises. I signed up for a group hike originating in the Santa Rita Mountains at Madera Canyon. It's about an hour's drive but I arranged to carpool with Amy so we arrived at the trailhead together.  Most areas of the Catalinas are now open after the Bighorn Fire so I don't plan to drive to the Santa Ritas very often. But, this looked like a good group hike with a fun bunch of people and we were not disappointed. We hiked the 12% average grade of the Old Baldy trail to.....  ....Josephine Sadle. Someone left a hat hanging for unknown reasons on the sign. Usually, from this saddle I break to the left and continue on to Mount Wrightson or right to other destinations but today.....  ....the 7 of us continued straight on Josephine Canyon trail, a first for me. Actually, in the many times I have been at Josephine Saddle, I'm not sure I ever noticed this trail. Above, Mount Wrightson beckons but not today.  We follow the trail steadily down through a pine forest having a.....  ....thick covering of pine needles as the Ponderosa Pines were plentiful in this south facing canyon.  We passed this oddly shaped tree along with.....  ......many huge Alligator Junipers. I don't think I have seen so many fine examples as our group leader, Lorna, poses in front of one to give a perspective on the tree's size.  We stopped short of our planned turnaround point due to some of us having later commitments and finding this abandoned structure as a good spot for a break. It would be fun to take on a project of rebuilding the structure. Certainly all the rocks are still present but the....  ...timbers would need replaced. In this lush environment, that wouldn't be a problem. We finished with 9 miles and 1900' of climbing. Good hike with good people.
 Well, since I did not make it to the destination, this isn't all that of an interesting report. Yes, parked at Madera Canyon to escape the heat and as always, walking in a pine forest is a fun experience when you live in an area that some of my midwest friends think is mostly sand dunes. I'm not sure how I screwed this hike up.  I got on the Pipeline Trail which is not on any maps but easy to follow and once again I.....  ....breezed by Roger's Rock and it's great views but I was going much higher.  The trail above Roger's Rock follows a ridge and is fairly steep before arriving at the Springs Trail where I made a left....that was a mistake but I was following a gps route so....what happened? The trail descended and I followed it for about 1/4 mile before concluding it could not possibly end up going to a saddle.  The trail was easy to follow and crossed a rock fall. Finally, I turned around and headed back. I reached the trail where I hung the left and continued, now ascending but....  ...didn't have the fluids to continue and needed to do some more research. Good news, the temperatures are finally going to moderate and the Catalinas have reopened after the Bighorn Fire.
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