 Our group of nine, park at the scenic overlook at the top of Gates Pass Road on this beautiful, sunny morning. We'll hike clockwise around the formidable Bushmaster ridge before ascending to the peak. Thereafter, some ridge hopping, prior to a nasty, bushwhacking descent to complete our loop.  The initial ascent, following a faint trail, winds through many patches of the dreaded Jumping Cholla. Most of us collected at least one cone on our clothing with a few of us having to remove spines that had penetrated.  The route has a few steep but short descents that require some care while navigating. Above, top right, members of our group have stacked up a little but quickly clear through and we continue.  There are multiple peaks in the vicinity, each beckoning to be visited.  Matt emerges from a fairly steep climb with lots of loose footing. I always hike this route clockwise as the reverse direction would require a treacherous descent. In the distance, Gates Pass Road and branching from it, the Yetman Trail.  Working our way behind the ridge, we ascend a very steep, brushy section and reach.....  .....the ridge that we viewed while in the parking lot. There is some easy hiking along this until.....  ....the ridge narrows. A hiking pole or two is very handy through this section.  Gloves too come in handy as we pick our way up and down several peaks until we break at the high point. We find the summit registry and sign in before some additional ridge hopping and then....  ....descend steeply off the ridge, reach a saddle and then descend a ravine. Once the descent eases, we make our way through one last obstacle.....  ....a thicket of a variety of nasty cactus. I managed to lead us on a serpentine route until we reached Gates Pass Road and followed it a short distance to the parking lot, finishing our 3.4 mile, 1800' adventure.
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 The recovery from the Rattlesnake hike took a couple of days but back on the bike for a 40 mile ride on Monday and a.....  ....40 mile ride on Tuesday. I have a ways to go to get ready for the Planet Ultra, Solvang Spring Tour. The itinerary is below and I know, I know, you're thinking.....  ....Mark, ain't no way you can do that much riding and climbing in a week. I share your misgivings but I've done it a few times. I'll probably skip the climb up Figueroa Mountain in favor of climbing Gibraltar out of Santa Barbara. A classic that one.
 Our group of twelve gather at the Sabino Canyon over flow parking lot. I had scouted about 3/4 of our hike to Rattlesnake Peak, a few weeks ago and lamented all the time I spent wandering around the slopes. Today, despite the thick vegetation, we got through in much faster time than my earlier solo effort.  Happy hikers all, at least at this early part of our hike as we enjoy the views. The start temp was around 45 degrees but once the climbing began in earnest, layers of clothing were peeled.  The hike has many steep sections....really steep but all that climbing creates the usual, visual reward.  We spot a cave in a distant wall. I claim it is a well known lion's lair. Of course, I have no idea, ha, ha.  How to differentiate one peak from another? Hike buddy Marc produces his cell phone which has an app that identifies all significant peaks. Rattlesnake is the middle one. At some point, noting a couple of the hikers were lagging a bit, I suggested we climb the lower peak to the right, name if "Rattlesnake Junior" and call it a day. Nope, the hard core participants looked at me like I am an imbecile.  At last, we enter the burn area. While it creates a stark appearance, the hiking is so much easier.  In a canyon to our left, we detect movement and spot a deer. Since the vegetation has burned, it is easy to spot game trails, represented by the slightly lighter brown color strips, criss crossing the slopes.  There are some great rock spires as we ascend. In the distance, Mica Mountain which, rather than snow, is showing the sparkling mica around the peak.  We had become separated from 3 of our group. We decided to take a break and see if they could catch. As we waited, one of them, David, emerged from a ridge above us. Really good thing he had not followed our route exactly because he discovered a hiker, not of our group, out of water and without a cell phone. David gave him a bottle, sent him to hook up with 2 of our group and they all hiked out together although there was some drama during the descent, arguing about which route to follow. All made it back and on the spot, I declared David the winner of the group's "Humanitarian of the Year" award winner. Of course, the incident provoked much conversation during and the day after our hike. Being unprepared will, and it's no exaggeration, get you killed in these mountains.  Then, we turned our attention to the reminder of what is a very difficult hike. If we were not ascending slopes having an average grade of 30%, we were traversing them. Above, our group takes a short break as I poke around slightly above.  Then the difficulty meter, ratcheted up some more. Same steep slopes but now brush and boulders crowded in amongst us. No trail, just shoving through, backing up, probing elsewhere, over and over. At last.....  ....we reached what David aptly named, "The Rattlesnake's Tail". Lorna climbed it and being the camera hog that she is, posed like a Hollywood star at the Oscars. ha, ha. She is a wonderful hiking buddy.  The reason David named it the Tail is because, while not much farther is the peak, the effort to shove our way through the remaining 1/4 mile to the peak (head), would have taken too long. We declared victory and stopped for a short break.  A couple of quartz pieces left on a boulder.  We descended and reentered the burn area. It is with some satisfaction that I observed Shin Daggers, burned. Nasty plants.  Exiting the brush, it was easy route finding down to a saddle. While you can't identify them, there are 9 hikers in the above image.  While I was a little concerned about our amount of daylight, I needn't have worried. We took a break but rarely for long as we headed down.  So much evidence of last summer's burn. No one will be impressed with our distance of 8.3 miles but couple that with 4600' of climbing and the bushwhacking....that was a really hard hike. I've been to Cathedral Rock which is the high point in the front range of the Catalinas and judge Rattlesnake, at only 40' lower elevation, to be more difficult. After checking Strava, I saw my hike time was 4:44 but total elapsed time was 8:19. Lol, the life of a part time guide requires some waiting but that is ok. I enjoy providing a few people the chance to visit sights they otherwise would not see.
 Pass Mountain sits slightly southwest of the Superstitions in the Usery Mountain Park. I drove to one of several trail heads, this one at the top of Meridian Road in Apache Junction. I've read the Pass Mountain ridge line route is a good one but not to do it on a windy day so I decided to try the Pass Mountain Loop trail. 8 miles with 1000' of climbing so given what I have scheduled for this Friday, not too strenuous. In the distance, the western end of the Supes.  From the Meridian trail head, there is no signage nor did I encounter any for over half of the hike so have a gps track for reference. You'll discover several trail intersections that will leave you confused at times. The trail climbs almost 2 miles to a pass from where....  ....the views are great, including the Four Peaks.  From the pass, rather than dropping down, the trail....  ....stays high and traverses the slopes.  Someone hung Christmas ornaments on a cactus in the foreground.  The trail descends slightly and eventually I reach a broad area with more good views where I talk to a couple of hikers.  The trail descends in earnest and rounding a corner I can see the "PHOENIX" directional sign on a nearby hill side.  Continuing, I reach the Wind Cave trail head where there is a steady stream of people making the 1.5 mile mile climb. The cave is somewhere at the bottom of the cliff band.  Nearing the end of the hike, the sun has changed the appearance of the Supes from how it looked 2.5 hours earlier. This is a good hike and worth doing but probably not again. Portions of the trail are runnable so you can motor around it faster than your normal pace should you want to.
 Since I began organizing group hikes a couple of months ago, the hikes tend to be on the adventure side of the equation, with distances in the 8-10 mile range. With 3300 members in the group I thought I'd organize a shorter, slower hike to see if that appealed to a different crew. Ahhh, no. Only 3 of us showed up and as I was walking, I realized I wasn't getting much cardio benefit so not to be selfish but that's the end of that little experiment.  Today's hike was around and over Brown Mountain. I had time if not to stop and smell the roses, to stop and take pics. Well gang, it's been a good winter for hiking but the upper 70's and low 80's are right around the corner. I've signed up for a cycling camp in So Cal for March so I need to put in a bunch of bike miles before then. Don't worry, will still hike, just amping up the saddle time.
 Wow, clouds? Our group of nine, ascend the Bluff Springs trail. At mile one, I show the group a faint trail coming in from the left, the Cave Trail. So named because there are several caves along its 1.5 mile length. I should have never mentioned that as throughout the hike, while not on the Cave Trail, I was asked, "Where are the caves?" or "Is this where the caves are?" ha, ha.  The usual brilliant blue sky is covered for part of today although the clouds add some drama to the scenery.  After 1.5 miles of hiking, we descend Bark's Canyon where the fire damage is extensive. At least the vegetation at the bottom of the canyon remains. Weaver's Needle in the distance.  Water is flowing at the bottom of Bark's Canyon. We ascend to a ridge, drop down into....  ....another canyon having a broad rock base with another stream. Really beautiful place. I look for a boulder on which miner A.R. Peralta had inscribed his name and....  ....find it. I opened a water bottle and poured it over the surface to enhance the viewing pleasure of the group. Only then did I think, "I just poured half a bottle of my water over that boulder. That's really stupid." Especially with water flowing through the stream bed a step away. Fortunately, I still had plenty at the end of the hike.  The skeletal remains of burned plants but the roots survive and already, green shoots have emerged. We ascend out of this canyon and take a break at a ridge.  During the break, most of us explore a nearby formation.  David takes a break as the Needle continues to, if not dominate, at least almost always present itself in the distance.  I know to look for a left breaking trail at mile 3.1. I'm at 3.5 miles and a tad anxious that I may have missed the trail. About the time I decide I did miss it and will need to announce the embarrassing news to the group, at 3.6.....  ...whew! There it is. I had parked a distance from the trail head so that added enough to the hike to skew the trail find an extra .5 miles. Now on the unsigned, Weaver's Needle Crosscut Trail, we soon see....  ....the standing lion formation, upper right. The walk through Needle Canyon is typically....  ....beautiful and it still is but so different. With all the brush burned, our attention is turned to the surrounding rock spires and other neat features, much of which would normally be obscured.  We reach the saddle below Weaver's Needle. There is an option to take a cairned route to get a closer look at the Needle as from our vantage point, it is completely hidden, but I opt not to go. Our hike is taking quite a bit longer than I anticipated and that would have added a good 30-40 minutes. The wind is rather strong so I suggest we descend to a warmer and more sheltered location. The descending route through the boulders is no longer cairned and I am glad I have been through here a few times. The notch toward which I am walking, above is not at all obvious as part of the route. On the other side....  ....a giant boulder balances with an awesome background.  The descent is rather sketchy but a fun, bouldering experience. Reaching the Peralta Trail, we regroup and make a left.  The clouds have begun to shift out of our vicinity and the sun feels great. Reaching Fremont Saddle, we have the option of descending the very busy and boring Peralta Trail or descend via the exciting Cave Trail.  The caves, some shallower then others, are plentiful. Here again, because of time constraints, I had to bypass one section higher up that had some nice cave examples. A couple of our members chose to visit and glad they had the opportunity while I escorted the others through some challenging route finding that included...  ....descending several steep drainages, visiting the Devil's Bathtub (see last week's report for details) and of course.....  ....down climbing the wall. I guessed the grade was 40% and later checked and it was 41.5%...that's steep and a couple of us had some issues but Marc was always there to assist. Hey! I could have but I was taking pics and offering verbal encouragement, "You're not going to make it!" The experience was complicated by wind gusts reaching 30+mph. After 1.5 miles, we reach the Bluff Springs trail again and....  ....descend to our cars. I finished with 9.5 miles and 2400' of climbing. I badly missed my estimated overall time (4 hours) by a bunch (6) hours. I need to build in more time on future, adventure type hikes like this one.
 A group hike I organized for this Saturday, had us hiking down the Peralta Trail, which I have done way too many times. Above Peralta is a little known alternative, the Cave Trail. Been a few years since I hiked that and on-line descriptions were alarming enough that it undermined my route finding confidence. At home on Thursday, I thought, "Well damn. I better check it out" so here I am, ascending the Bluff Springs Trail.  Bluff Springs is a rapid elevation gain type trail, ha, ha. Looking back I see the parking area and soon, gain a ridge with....  ....awesome views of the interior of the Supes. The Cave Trail breaks left off Bluff Springs and is more obvious then the last time I hiked it. I caught a foursome who only had a vague idea of where they were going. I gave as much information as I could to help out.  I heard them discuss their plans, which included following me. After climbing a bit, I watched to make sure they did not follow my route. They never would have made it.  Sometimes, people have placed objects on a breaking right or left trail to keep me on the correct route. Probably all trails lead to the same place but who knows? I tried not to check a gps route I had on my phone as I enjoy the route finding challenge but a couple of times, I had no choice.  One of the many nice things about this route is while I am hiking in solitude, far below me, the masses hike the Peralta Trail and we're all going to the same destination; Fremont Saddle.  I remember from a prior visit that the dome in the distance is the mid hike objective. The challenging route is up the ridge facing me. There is a less challenging route to the right. Soon, I arrived at....  ....this. Rarely does an image accurately capture the slope but this one does. There are enough pockets on the surface to make the wall climbable. This was one time I checked the gps route as I walked to the right and left but nope, ya gotta go up this. Once I reached the top I realized....  ....yep, this is the correct route as I encountered the "Devil's Bathtub." This brought a sigh of relief, confirming I was on the same route as I previously hiked and understanding, the worse was over.  I scrambled up a series of drainages, rounded a corner at the top to my left and soon....  ....hiked past several caves, one of which is known as "Geronimo's Cave".  One of the alcoves used to have many rock stacks but someone has torn them all down. Over time, they'll be rebuilt as it was a neat sight.  I frequently hear faint voices coming from Peralta Canyon but I have largely oblivious to the people below.  Most of the time there is no real route finding but when the route crosses broad expanses of rock, it takes some time to figure the way forward. There are some but not many cairns.  The route briefly enters a burn area and then ends at the trail coming off Fremont Saddle to the Lone Pine tree. It took me 2:06 to cover the 3 miles from the parking lot...not good. But, with the route finding mystery solved, I figured I'd make the return in a better time and did, 1:10.  This is such a more enjoyable alternative to Peralta. I'm looking forward to showing this to the group. In the distance, Miner's Needle. Doing a group hike around that beast in a couple of weeks. Finished with 5.6 miles and 1300' of climbing.
 I park at the Sabino Canyon over flow lot. Some where in the distance is Rattlesnake Peak but not sure which one. This is an exploratory hike although I held out some hope I'd make it to the peak but typically, for hikes like this, it takes me 1 or 2 efforts to figure out the way.  I take the trail out of the parking area, reach Sabino Canyon Road, follow it briefly and then make a left onto Esperero Trail. Later I figured out there is a back trail that saves half a mile. Then I go off trail and wind my way through somewhat dense brush. Although I have a gps track to follow, I stay too low and miss.....  ....being on top of the above. Again, later, I return and stay up there and that too was easier. I was wasting a lot of time, checking the track, winding through the thicket but that is part of the learning process. Won't make the same bonehead mistakes next time...just a time killer those.  But hey! The views were great.  I work around the obstacle, climb up to where I should have been and gain the top of the ridge, much later than when I should have been up there.  In the distance, a number of peaks and still unsure which is the destination.  Hey, how bout that, a nice cairn. I am aware there is another route coming from the right but it is longer than the route I have chosen. Here though, they meet and I now had cairns to follow, at times.  I enter a burn area that is quite extensive. Hiking is much easier now although some of the climbing is quite steep as I gain one prominence after another.  In the distance, still some snow on the Rincons.  Someone had made a nice cairn using a fallen saguaro as a platform. The slope above it is way steep.  Finally, I realize which of the peaks is Rattlesnake, the one to the left. Left of it is....  ....Cathedral Rock. Beyond Rattlesnake, there is a way down to Hutch's Pools and a return on West Fork trail to the top of Sabino Canyon Road.  I climbed too far up a prominence and had to retrace my route a little. Seeing what was ahead of me, I figured time was going to be a problem but the way forward seemed obvious. Thinking I'd run out of time, I decided to turn around and grab the peak another day, rather than fall just short farther up. I wasted at least an hour wandering around down range.  On the slopes, I noticed a lot of deer scat. Amongst it was the above and I could not identify it. There was no hair in it so likely not from a carnivore. Upon reaching Esperero Trail, I crossed directly over it, gaining a new trail that is a back way to the parking lot. This would save over a mile on a return to the Peak.  The over flow lot was quite full and slightly above it to the right, the regular Sabino Canyon parking lot was too. Finished with 5.5 miles and 2200' of climbing.
 Our group of 11 gathered at the Wild Burrow trail head at Dove Mountain and began the trek to Big Caprock Peak in the Tortolita Mountains. The first 1.5 miles we hike in a broad sandy wash, climb to a second, sandy wash, climb to a third level and....  ...enjoy a short break with grand views down canyon. The gang.....  ....relaxes. Dee, with her back to me, carries a full pack and I have often wondered what all is in there. I'm kind of a minimalist while others are maximalists. Later she declared she carries three different pairs of gloves in her pack so there's that, ha, ha.  At mile 3 we turn left onto the Wild Mustang trail. Marc hangs back to close a gate I opened. So helpful is he on these hikes that I should promote him into an unpaid position. We climb steadily and soon the Catalinas come into view to the east but not nearly as spectacular as just a week ago. So much of the snow has melted but the streams/washes are surging.  At mile 4.5, we go off the Mustang trail onto a faint trail that soon leads us....  ....to a ravine coming down from our left at the base of Big Caprock. You can kind of see how it acquired the name. The routes is fairly well cairned and soon we...  ....are at the top. In the distance is the well kn own Picacho Peak on the left and the much lesser known Newman Peak on the right, which is 1100' higher than Picacho. I've been up Newman a couple of times and likely will schedule it for a group hike soon. Kind of brutal that one.  Not a lot of room on the primary Caprock peak so I stayed for only a few seconds, taking a few pics and scrambled down so others could ascend. The peak soars over Cochise Canyon to our north.  After scrambling down I climbed an adjoining peak and was asked if the Superstitions would be visible to our north. Turning, I looked at sure enough, faintly visible, upper right in the above image is the western end of the Supes. The Flat Iron on the left, Peak 5024 above it and to the right, Superstition Peak. Couple of great destinations there too. Yet more hikes to organize.  Looking across from our small group, the other group snacks as they too enjoy the 360 views.  We begin our descent, which had a healthy area of slick rock with enough of a slope that we had to be careful, being ably demonstrated by Lorna and Marc.  All the gang safely navigated the slope and soon we were back on the Wild Mustang trail and completed our 9 mile loop hike with 2000' of elevation gain. Unfortunately, for the second hike in a row, Katherine left a hiking pole somewhere in the wilderness. I thought of suggesting she just cut a branch on future hikes so when she loses one, it's far less expensive.  My short drive home was interrupted by a road construction delay so I was able to catch a hawk, standing on top of a saguaro. Beautiful day with temps in the 60's, cooling wind at times and abundant sunshine.
 After Saturday's hike, I took Sunday off. I've got an Ohio cycling friend coming out in early March and then will spend a couple of weeks in Ohio in late April. I would really like to at least ride with the "B" group if not the "A" group while in Ohio so plan to work in more rides to get ready. I rode 30 miles on Monday then 40 on Tuesday. Average speed is rather slow at 17 so a lot of work yet to be done. lol.  On Wednesday, Amy and I decided to take Jack, her Wheaten Terrier, up Mount Lemmon to see his first snow. I was surprised how far we had to drive to reach significant snow, all the way up to mile marker 21.  Two friends of Amy's, Frank & Lisa from PA, had arrived for a visit so they came too. We were all curious how Jack would respond to the snow so after taking care of "business", he....  ....ran around and enjoyed the experience.  Finally exhausted, we gathered him and headed back to the SUV.  I think we were at 8000+' while higher up, there was 2' of snow on the ground, especially at Ski Valley but the snow line is advancing rapidly up as we enjoy several days, in the valley, at temps in the low to mid 70's. Well, big hike coming tomorrow.
 Twelve outdoor loving, adventure seeking hikers signed up for this hike in the Superstitions with most of them making the long drive from the Tucson area. Overnight rain made the 6 miles of dirt road leading to the trail head a bit of a mud track. So prepared were the hikers that we even departed a couple minutes early...how bout that?!  At about mile 1, distracted by conversation, I walked by the turn onto the Carney Springs trail. Kind of embarrassing but I blamed the person behind me for the mistake as they should not have created interesting content that caused me to listen, ha, ha. I got turned around and we began a long, steep climb.  We regrouped a few times as Katherine, David and I wait while people remove a layer or two. The temp was around 50 but the sun, coupled with the strenuous climb, made it seem much warmer.  Barry, Bill and Chris seem happy on another regroup. All three are hiking machines and enjoyable company on any hike.  The Carney Springs trail ends at the Superstition Ridgeline trail where we took a much deserved break, while admiring the views. Making a right turn, we heard the sound of running water and soon.....  ....crossed a stream a couple of times as we followed the trail that was pretty well defined in most places. The rain had made the rocks.....  ....kind of slippery. There were a few slips/falls with David having the most spectacular followed by Dee but both immediately recovered and on we went.  Reaching the giant rabbit formation, many of us took turns posing inside the mouth. Amy gives perspective to the size of the opening.  Awesome views, all around us as I searched for the correct ravine that would take us to the entrance of the Roost.  Stan (left) and Barry watch as I poke around looking for the correct approach.  However, at last, I find the entrance and what.....  ....a grand opening it is.  Chris provides a size reference. Stupendous as we squeeze beneath the choke stone.  Several of us pose beneath the giant boulder as Amy demonstrates her form. The temperature was kind of chilly inside the Roost so we decided not to take our lone snack break there but instead....  ....exit the Roost, climb to a nearby ridge with great views and sun.  Note the boulder in the foreground closely resembles the shape of Weaver's Needle in the background. We descended to a very crowded Fremont Saddle and quickly headed to.....  ....the Lone Pine Tree. It appears insignificant from Fremont but towers over us as we reach it where we scramble onto nearby boulders and....  ....pause to enjoy the sight. After a few minutes we regroup, head back to Fremont Saddle and descend the Peralta Trail. This trail is one of the most trafficked in AZ and today did nothing to make us think otherwise. Our fun group finished with 9.5 miles and 2600' of climbing.
 I wanted to check out the snow capped peaks and few better ways then via the Tortolita Mountains. While they too received snow, a day in the 60's probably took care of that since these mountains do not exceed 5000'. I hiked 3 miles on the Wild Burro trail before reaching.....  ....this nice few from the head of a ravine and where....  ....there is a nice bench to take in the great view. Then I got on the Wild Mustang trail and began.....  ....about a mile ascent where the Catalinas slowly emerged.  It appears the Tucson Mountains, also with a high point just beneath 5000', are now absent snow.  I continue to hike and eventually reach the high point of this trail and am rewarded....  .....with this view. Awesome view of the Catalinas and Mount Lemmon.  This trail is not as rocky as most so am able to glance about frequently and glad I did.  The Catalinas begin disappearing as I descend....  I reach a nice area with benches and signage noting the distant mountain ranges.  Time to return to the parking lot where I finished with 7.8 miles and 1500' of climbing.
 Sunday evening, it's raining and the snow line is creeping down the mountains. Went for a quick hike Monday prior to another round of precipitation and colder air moving in. Tuesday morning.....  .....I was relieved that the snow line stayed above Oro Valley. It's close but missed us by a couple hundred feet as the overnight low stayed above freezing.  The Tucson Mountains got a good coating.  Interesting cloud formation lingers amongst the peaks of the Catalinas.  Table Mountain emerges as the clouds pass.
 Our group of 11 arrive at a small pullout at the first hairpin turn on Catalina Highway as it begins the long climb to Mount Lemmon. This being a popular parking spot for rock climbers, we were lucky to grab the coveted spots. We gear up and begin our hike just as two climbers head toward the canyon too.  In the 2 miles to our destination, simply the point at which we can go no farther, we will have gained 1700'. In the distance, the hairpin turn and all traffic noise soon disappears. I am anxious to arrive at the first major obstacle....  ....the wall. This image was taken during our return but it gives perspective on the height of the wall. Too bad there was no water flow as that adds to the experience.  Above the hardy hikers all make it. The hikes I have been organizing have attracted some regulars who are very fun people to be around. Marc, Lorna, Katherine, Barry, Dee, Lorie, etc... with Amy in charge of the entertainment committee while I focus on the route finding. I become a little anxious prior to these hikes I suppose because hiking solo I just have to worry about me but the "what ifs" mount with others. These hikes tend to be a tad on the dangerous side, ha, ha.  The colors of the rocks with layering is amazing. New hiker, Mitch, has a background in geology so he provided some explanation which I won't pass on here as I trust all know how to use a search engine.  The group for which I am an organizer has 3200 members so I expect new people to join our hikes and all have been up to the required effort. Well, expect for this hike. A new guy was lagging behind significantly which caused some unneeded regroups. I've never had to instruct someone to turn around but told him it would be ok if he wanted to wait for our return. He declined and kept going which I respect but at some point it can impair the enjoyment of the others. I'm sure that line was crossed but everyone stayed patient and then after the hike, the guy quit his membership so that's that. Note the water in the concave area of the rock. That was about the extent of our water exposure.  There is more than one way around the many obstacles and Karyn on the right went one way while Amy and Lorie follow me. Usually that is a wise choice but not always.  Occasionally there would be breaks in the climbing but that never lasts long.  We arrived at the most significant obstacle where I decided to climb high on the west slope to avoid a mass of huge boulders in the middle. On the return, we went down the middle and that approach was more difficult.  Our hike continued and provided great but narrow views to the southwest.  At last, we enter a narrow section and Amy officially touches the end. I had read there was a way to exit the canyon to the east and pick up the Soldier Trail. Some of the group had become a little weary of the bouldering so I wanted to make a good faith effort to find a way out and pick up the trail option.  Mitch, having an extensive rock climbing background, offered to climb the wall and see if it was a viable exit option. I was curious so followed him. After some climbing, it appeared the exit was doable but we could not see far enough ahead to be certain so we returned. My reentry to the floor of the canyon.....  ....was less than graceful but I made it.  We headed back the way we came. For perspective, note Mitch on the bottom right of the image and how he is dwarfed by the boulders. Some of us wondered how cataclysmic of an event is required to tear the boulders asunder from the cliffs above.  Upon entering a sunny area, we paused for a snack. Then.....  ...we resumed our return. This section was made a little easier by an abundance of vines that we could grab and control our descent off yet another large boulder.  Check out the above. This is the section that I had avoided by climbing on the west side but I thought going through the middle would be fun. I was kinda wrong about that. That there is a route is a small miracle.  As we neared the end of our adventure, we saw a couple of rock climbers on one of the east walls and later encountered a few taking a break from a climb on the west wall. Fun experience but this is not for everyone and certainly not every week. A return to regular hiking comes soon.
 With recent rain, I wanted to make sure there would not be a problem with too much water flow for Saturday's hike through Soldier Canyon. Although our region didn't get much rain, the mountains always receive more so may as well check it out.  Dry but snow melt at higher elevations or maybe drainage from the rain has not percolated down here yet. By tomorrow we could have some flow which will make a spectacular hike even better.
 Around the corner from me is a development called, "LaCholla Airpark". The roads are wide because in the middle of the development is a runway so some of the home owners can jump in their small plane, taxi to the runway and take off. Above, a home has the nose of a single engine plane extending from it and the hull of a 727 attached to a hangar.
 BGE Amy, sent me the above image of "flying saucer" type clouds that have arrived ahead of a low pressure system that is forecast to bring us rain over several days. That means the Hairpin Canyon hike for this Saturday will likely have a good flow of water for our bouldering adventure. More to come.
 Our group of 8, gather at the Canyon Lake Marina, off St. Rt. 88 (Apache Trail), 2 miles west of Tortilla Flat. Hopping on the Boulder Canyon Trail, we ascend about 600' in a mile where the views of the lake and its surroundings are amazing but so too.....  ......the interior of the Superstitions. In the distance is Weaver's Needle with Battleship Mountain and Geronimo Head bordering the canyon to which we will soon descend.  Four Peaks Wilderness can be seen in the distance as we continue our hike. Not surprisingly.....  ....several other hikers are sharing the trail with us. Note the three standing on an outcropping in the distance.  Below us, La Barge Canyon winds its way towards the Narrows. At about mile 3, the trail reaches the canyon but rather than make the scheduled left turn, I lead the gang a little farther so we can visit an abandoned mine. Just before reaching the mine....  .....a small group of horseback riders approaches. We exchange pleasantries and then reach....  ....the mine. A foundation of a cabin still exists along with (upper right) a wall that was built to catch water. We reverse our course and.....  ....enter La Barge Canyon. At first, the going is easy as we walk across bowling ball size rocks but soon they become much larger. The route finding is not too difficult as we work up canyon and see....  ....our destination, marked by the above, jagged wall. As we draw closer, it appears the canyon is a dead end.  It's kind of slow going as we navigate the boulders with the awesome escarpment of Battleship Mountain touring over us.  Just when it would appear there is no way forward, the canyon cuts sharply left and we enter the awesome Narrows.  We drop our packs and explore the Narrows. Just an amazing destination.  The jagged, vertical walls frame the narrow canyon. It's as if someone with a huge chisel, cut a serpentine route through solid rock.  Given the lack of rain, we are surprised there are pools, with an especially large one containing many guppies. With rain likely for this week, the pools will receive a much needed replenishment.  Note the reflection of our surroundings on the water.  The walls are several hundred feet tall. After a storm, it would be spectacular to watch the water churn through the canyon. Had we continued through the canyon, we would emerge on the Cavalry Trail which we could take back to our cars but that would add about 4 miles to our hike so we gathered our gear and began the trek back.  Note the brush, piled against the trees. At some point, water over 6' deep had filled the canyon.  The distance and bouldering had our group spread apart so we paused occasionally to regroup. Always plentiful places to sit and recover.  The end of Battleship. Odd how the sun is behind the structure but the light bounces off Geronimo Head, on the opposite side to illuminate the front.  We emerge from the final, steep climb (still a few moderate ones to go) and as always.....  ....we all take many images of all that is before us. Great group of hikers as we finish our 10.5 mile hike with 2000' of climbing....seemed more climbing then that. On the last of the hard climbs, I assumed there would be a Strava segment so gave the climb a good effort but missed the KOM by 15 seconds. Dang it.   A mighty saguaro, dead now as part of the destruction of the Bighorn fire. I planned to hike to Romero Pools via the Romero Canyon trail. There is a way to check activity on this trail through Strava and I saw there have been people who have been doing the hike.  Signage at the entrance stated the trail was closed. A ranger, a couple of weeks ago, made some vague reference to liability concerns when I questioned him. Seems odd to me that all trails in the Superstitions are open including the many miles through their equally devastating burn area. Yet in the Catalinas, that considerable network of trails are mostly closed.  After a mile of hiking, I arrive at the point where signage restates the trail's closure. I planned to keep going and complete the hike but then.....  ....whoa, a newly installed, heavy duty gate with barbed wire fencing. The fence doesn't extend so far that you can't work your way around it. What to do, what to do? I suspect this is a show to protect the Park from liability issues from inexperienced hikers who get in over their heads. I know the trail and terrain very well. The burn has removed much of the ground cover and I could be spotted from a long distance. I see a couple of volunteer rangers working about 1/4 mile away, I turn around.  The trails that are open are simply flat and lame. I encounter a nice family of 5, visiting from Louisiana. They ask if this is the best Park in the area and I say, no, and give them several, better options  Finish with 4 miles. Back on the bike for a couple of rides and then leading a group to the Narrows, in the Superstitions.
 A truck transporting a saguaro. This is not an unusual sighting and interesting how they could an arm to it would not detach from the main body. So, I've got a flooring project going but can't do that all day so out each day for a short hike including....  ....driving Catalina Highway, passing Hairpin/Soldier Canyon where I'm leading a hike in two weeks, then hiking up Soldier Trail. I was looking to find the top of the canyon. I noticed a faint trail coming fin from my left so jumped on that and soon....  ....how bout that!?! I found myself following a faint but cairned trail that bordered the canyon far below. I wonder if this continues for the length of the canyon???  Some interesting rock formations but exited the canyon on the right....  ....regained the faint trail and then onto Soldier Trail. Will come back and complete that rim trail to see if it goes to the end of the canyon which I think is likely. Then, of course, can I drop into the canyon and hike down canyon to the road? On Monday, still working on the floor project I.....  ....needed a midmorning break and headed to the Tortilitas where I picked up the Lower Javelina Trail. The sun rises and illuminates two saguaros.  I've not previously hiked this loop but it was a decent, albeit short hike of 3 miles. OK, back to the floor while waiting for kickoff of my mighty Buckeyes later today.
 I've organized a group hike to visit Robber's Roost, high in the Superstitions. While I have visited the Roost several times, only once via the route I have planned and that was 4 years ago. So, thought I better hike in so I don't get the gang lost. I hate when that happens:). Quite a story to read at the entrance to the trail at the Lost Goldmine East trail head. It's a nice cool morning as I begin my hike at 10:30am.  I get on the Wave Cave trail and then break from it onto the Carney Springs trail which is unsigned. The views all around are wonderful. Ugh, Carney Springs is.....  ....rocky and.....  ....steep. I've been on my bike twice and hiked once in the last 3 days and kind of feeling it on the climb.  A great fake-out. Yes, I eventually reach the above saddle from where.....  ....the views are magnificent but.....  ....I still have another climb about as difficult. Each climb averages over 30%. I refer to these as "knee bucklers".  Looking back, I can see the trail break over the saddle and wind its way toward me.  At last, I reach the Superstition Ridgeline and see Superstition Peak in the distance. That too is a great hike starting from the Hieroglyphics Trail. There is a beat up sign post here with a barely discernible etching. Now the route....  ....moderates as I swing right and begin following a trail that winds to another saddle. The route finding is moderate I guess as I have to stop a few times and figure out how to go. I brought a gps track but don't look at it as I enjoy the challenge.  The final slope from where at the top....  ....the giant bunny stares at me, open mouthed. My group will have the opportunity to climb in and have their pic taken. The route now is rolling as I look for a side canyon. Unfortunately, someone has swept away almost all of the cairns, which I think is a selfish act.  I start down one canyon, realize I made a mistake, retreat and one canyon over begin the descent.  Yes, somewhere in that jumble of boulders is the entrance to the Roost. After poking around and despite having done this a few times, it took awhile but at last....  ....I gain access. Very cool place. Evidence that it was discovered....  .....long ago can be found on the walls. At one end of the room is an opening to a....  ....lower level where I see someone dropped a hiking pole. There is a sling fastened around a boulder but I don't have rope and would not try it solo if I did. I don't spend much time in the Roost, scramble out and regain the route. In the distance....  ....I see a shelf and hike over, which affords great views of Peralta Canyon. I run into a hiker who is doing my route but in the reverse direction. He said he was going to try to find the Roost but had no route info so I thought, "Good luck with that."  I continue my hike which has grand views of the volcanic plug, Weaver's Needle. Got a little off track but eventually found Peralta Trail and followed it for 2 miles until just a couple hundred yards from the parking lot, my attention is drawn to the cliffs above where I see....  ....5 bighorn sheep. An unusual find. Of course, Peralta is a heavily trafficked trail so they are used to humans and simply stare at me. Finished with a bit under 8 miles and 2400' of climbing. I'm good to go with the group later this month.
 Our group of 11 departs from the Cam-Boh Picnic parking lot PROMPTLY at the designated time of 9am, lol. It's a pet peeve of mine that other hiking groups give as much as 30+ minutes leeway, penalizing those who make the effort to arrive on time...crazy. The first mile of this route is kind of boring, walking on flat, sandy ground but soon....  ....we reach a ravine and begin an entertaining route through a boulder field. Not an official trail but enough cairns that the route is not too difficult to follow.  We are headed to a saddle, still a bit distant above but the gang....  ....continues to climb and we are encouraged to see....  .....our destination come into view. Eventually.....  ....we reach a saddle and regroup. After a brief regroup we make a left and begin a more modest ascent.  In the distance, the more well known "Sombrero Peak" as Barry leads a contingent of our group with others just behind.  Check out the above view to the south. All the mountain ranges in the distance...love it!  The group gathers at the peak where we refuel, talk a bit.....  .....enjoy the great views while.....  ....hiking friend Lorna scrambles to a prominent point to pose. Of course, any climb is followed by.....  ...a down climb as Amy demonstrates one of the many challenges. We finish with 5 miles and 1400' of climbing. Good group as always.
 This is not a drive I would like to take again. Originating in Silver City, St. Rt. 15 is the "windiest" road I have followed. It's only 34 miles to Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument but it took us about 90 minutes to arrive. Interestingly, the "Tour of Gila" bike race occurs on this and other roads. The main circuit is 72 miles with a robust 6000' of climbing. May have to come here in warmer weather and do that ride.  An unusual type of cactus. We stopped at a couple of overlooks where....  ....Jack could exit the SUV for some exercise. As we close on our destination....  ....the mountains grow taller, almost hitting 11,000', capped by Mogolon Baldy. We arrive and do a warm up hike that includes....  ....hiking along a trail that has flooded due to beaver activity. A guy came along and carried his dog while maintaining a good balance on the log. Later, as we came back....  ....Amy came through demonstrating almost as good balance but the poles sure helped which I too used. Putting Jack in the vehicle we....  ....walked across a bridge, climbed some and reached....  ....the cliff dwellings. These date back to 400AD and housed several families.  It was awesome how close we were allowed which included a climb....  ....into the interior. Of course, a climb in required....  ....a climb out as I demonstrate something less than able form. A trail routes us back to the parking lot but...  ...via a loop that allowed us to look at the valley we had hiked a portion of, earlier. Finished with 4 miles.
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