 A cool morning as we arrive at the South Rim and begin a 2 mile descent of the Bright Angel Trail. In the foreground, our destination, the Battleship. We pass....  ...a warning sign that is far more graphic then previous ones I've seen here. It's an ongoing problem of people starting the hike down, it's easy but then you have to turn around and the return is not so easy.We met  We are stopped by a ranger who asks if we understand the dangers of hiking in the GC and to warn us they are short staffed so a rescue could take some time. I assured her we would be fine. Down we go, below the 1.5 mile rest house and then go.....  ....of trail. There is sometimes a faint path, sometimes cairns to mark the way. I frequently lose the route and we are forced to bushwhack around, looking for....  ....the cairns. I got us high on the slope and we pass.....  ....immediately below a giant band of red rock. Even though I was following a route, I was too high as the saddle below Battleship came into view so I did a course correction and we....  ....reached the aforementioned saddle. The route up the Battleship goes counterclockwise to the far side. I wanted to get Amy up to the chimney where in February I was forced to turn around as the view from there is spectacular but.....  ....we decided with rain forecast to roll in soon, we'd make this our turnaround. The views up and down canyon were terrific.  Rather than return on the tortuous route on which we arrived, I found a lower route and we made much better time, reaching Bright Angel and then ascending to the Rim. We finished with 7.7 miles and 2200' of climbing.  The following morning, we took St. Rt. 180 to Flagstaff, different from how we arrived, where we had to slow for a cow, standing in the road. Back to Oro Valley where we enjoyed a couple of days of normal temps before another few days of unseasonal temps arrive but it looks like that is summer's last gasp of record heat.
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 I've visited the Grand Canyon many times and am always struck by the lack of evidence that just around a corner is one of the natural wonders of the world. My first visit, I rounded a corner, looked to the right and my jaw dropped. So....  ....magnificent as Amy's dog Jack, seemed to enjoy the view too. We wanted to escape the heat of southern AZ so a 5 hour drive brought us to the South Rim. No pressure to leave early for an outdoor activity so after visiting the Canyon via car, we returned to our hotel where....  ...wild horses were milling around. We got on our bikes and departed Tusayan, a town a mere 5 miles from the South Rim. Reaching the South Rim, we headed west towards Hermit's Rest.  The road is closed to all traffic and with the buses not running until September 1, we had the road to ourselves except for a couple other cyclists. Several spots provide views of the Colorado River, including some of the rapids.  I wore my Ohio State jersey, expecting that to garner a few "Go Buckeyes" from the crowd except there wasn't a crowd. It was almost eerie how few people were at the Canyon. This has to be at least my 20th time here and never have I seen so few people. The buses that disgorge hundreds of people each day are absent too.  It was fun to stop and view from afar some of the trails I have hiked. The main east/west Tonto Trail was visible from many places along with the South Kaibab, Bright Angel and Hermit's Trails. Our ride was much hillier then I anticipated as at mile 16 we reached Hermit's Rest with 870' of elevation gain. Everything was closed but we were able to refill our water bottles prior to returning. Reaching the area where El Tovar Lodge and Bright Angel Lodge are located we......  ....paused to take an image of one of the mules. The mule trains are not running as frequently or with as many riders as normal. The bike rental business normally has 28 employees but only 8 are needed to meet the current demand. As we coasted down St. Rt. 89 we saw yellow tape across the road and....  ....reaching the scene saw a single engine plane had crashed. The pilot had run out of gas about 1/2 mile from the airport, attempted to land on the road, wing clipped a pole, turned the plane upside down and bam. The cabin appeared to be crushed yet the pilot survived. We finished with 36 miles and 1750' of climbing. Now comes the hike.
 I had long heard about a hike to Roger's Rock but never visited it so had no idea what to expect. A worthwhile destination as it turns out. Much of the route is off the official trails but the route to the Rock is well defined and easy to follow. I start on the Super Trail and less then half a mile, see a trail breaking left at the above fallen log.  Now I'm on what locals call the Pipeline Trail. It has a few steep ramps but mostly contours around a mountain and generally is a fun, rolling trail to follow. Along the way there are.....  ....many fine views. The trail is above the very steep, Kent Springs Trail and eventually......  ....skirts it but I bear right and head up a boulder strewn ravine. The trail remains easy to follow although without knowing to go up the ravine, it would be easy to continue on the Kent Springs Trail.  The hillsides are covered with pine needles. Such a different environment from what is a couple thousand feet below me. My hike started at 5400' elevation so the temperature difference is significant.  After perhaps 1.5 miles from the parking lot at the top of Madera Canyon, I reach this tree with an oddly shaped trunk. Here, a spur trail breaks left and it too is obvious.  So far, I've not seen any significant rock but rounding a corner, this has to be it. There are several options for climbing around and above it on the right. Reaching the back of the rock I am greeted with....  ....a beautiful opening onto Roger's Rock. Don't ask. I have no idea the origination of the name.  The top of the Rock is relatively flat and expansive. Some good rock seats are available right at the edge.  California wild fires are having an impact on the views as smoke drifts to the east and fills our sky.  There is a really good example of a hedgehog growing on the Rock. The Rock was not my final destination. I read that a trail continues above it and in 2 miles, reaches Shovel Saddle. It was not my intent to go all the way, just scout the route so I continue up a ridge.  A lizard appears to be giving me the evil eye.  Surprisingly, the unofficial trail is easy to follow although brush is encroaching a bit.  Seeing that the route is much easier to follow then I thought, relieved, I turn around.  When I reached the Pipeline Trail, I spotted a Border Patrol Agent, my 3rd encounter in the last week. I've enjoyed talking to each of them and their perspective. One thing has puzzled me though; I always assumed the drug runners and other border crossers used the network of washes to move through the area. I asked this guy about that and he said partly it was the availability of springs for drinking water but mainly, if a group is spotted (in this case there were 15 some where in this wilderness), it takes the agents hours to respond, gear up and hike. By that time, the group can be long gone. Finished with 5.2 miles and 1500' of climbing. Well, headed north to the Grand Canyon and much cooler temps. Will report back soon.
 You can't say you have not been warned as we.....  ......descend into Tanque Verde Canyon. We head up the canyon which is littered with enormous boulders that are great fun to climb over, around and under.  One giant boulder has a message, warning we are entering an area where nudists sunbathe. Way too early for that crowd as we.....  ....plot a careful route. Don't want to have to call 911. The monsoon has been disappointing again this year so rather than enjoy the flow of water....  ....it's very dry. The absence of water opens up alternatives so when we approach....  ....this wall which usually has a healthy flow of water.....  .....we are able to climb up the throat. Pretty steep but enough hand holds that Amy and I are able to reach the top.  At the nudist's beach, we spot a sign that offers recovered items for free. We reverse course and go down canyon, passing the point where we entered the canyon as we see how close we can get to.....  ....the head of the "big" falls. This is about a 70' drop into a pool and supposedly there is a way down. I poke around as Amy.....  ....watches from a safe shelf. I did see a rope which would provide access to a lower level but that looked very sketchy so we turned around and headed out of the canyon. Finished with a very fun, 2 mile hike. It's about the obstacles rather than the distance of course.
 The west is baking from AZ to the Canadian border. Daytime highs are 10 degrees above normal so most days are 107ish. It's a cliche but a day out here in the upper 90s is rather pleasant but dang, 107....big diff so off I drive prior to the rise of the sun towards the higher elevation of Madera Canyon and the Santa Ritas.  It's a nice low 70s start as I gear up while a flock or gaggle of turkeys pecks at an unseen food source. I have parked at the Ampitheatre parking area, cross Madera Canyon Road and begin a nice loop hike, first on the Bog Springs Trail.  The size of boulders, long fallen from surrounding cliffs, are huge. Even at this higher elevation, maybe 5500', there are still some....  ....pointy cactus like plants but the saguaros are at much lower elevations. I get on the Kent Springs Trail and began a really steep slog first to....  ....Sylvester Springs. Some of the ramps are at least 35% and the final .25 miles, averages 30%. However....  ....the forested slopes and I enjoy a nice, cooling breeze as it travels down mountain.  I hate that an image rarely shows the steepness of the trail but anyway, the trail is wide with ferns prevalent as I continue the grind before.....  ....at about 2.5 miles, reach Kent Springs. It is a nice spot with a mature forest providing plenty of shade.  My early start, about 6:30am, kept me in the shade for almost the duration of the hike although the sun was closing on my slope.  In the distance, Mount Wrightson. Didn't seem too far away and of course it isn't. Some people were attacked by a goat up there a couple of weeks ago and so it was put down. Hikers retreated from it down trail but it kept pursuing them, bumping or ramming into them so and this activity continued over several days. Too bad.  Beautiful as a Manzanita's red branches are highlighted by the sun. Once I reached Kent Springs, the climbing was mostly over, thank goodness. I continued until reaching my 3rd.....  ....Spring, Bog Springs. I continued, finishing with 6 miles and 1700' of climbing. Reaching my car, I noted the temperature was a still, relatively, cool 85 and then watched the temperature rise as I headed into the lower elevation. The heat won't last much longer and as I run into others from the midwest, a summer here is far more livable then a winter, there. Having said that though, next summer, I'm plotting a cooler, alternative.
 I entered Saguaro East National Park and drove to the Tanque Verde Ridge trail head. Parking was tight but I was able to squeeze into a last spot. I had signed up to join a group hike but never got off the waitlist. I shoved off at 6:45am, 15 minutes after the group departed.  The group had planned to hike about 2 miles up trail and I thought 3 was about right given the forecast high of 108. The trail descends for a short distance prior to climbing but not too steeply. The average grade of the distance we hiked was 11%. In the distance is the 8 mile drive that loops through the park.  The main group had gotten separated with some choosing to turnaround prior to the completion of their planned ascent. I reached the front of the group, which was down to 3 people, paused, regrouped with a couple others and on we went. I was told of a granite dome that was a neat destination and could see it in the distance.  Reaching a saddle at mile 2.6, we went off trail although there is a fairly obvious social trail that is followed. The final hundred yards is fun, scrambling up the dome. In the distance, members of my new group are about to join me.  Good views all around.  The dome is fairly large so I....  ....walked to a lower portion and scouted around. Looking back my group too is admiring the views.  I regain the summit and just then, discovered a fluid issue. I brought 3 bottles but drank from one during the drive. At the summit, I emptied the 2nd and reaching in my pack, withdrew the 3rd bottle, half full.....IDIOT! I excused myself rom the group and scurried down the trail, rationing the water.  Not much danger of not making it of course but I was very thirsty when I reached my car. I stopped at the visitor center and had a nice, cold drink from the fountain. Finished with 6 miles and 1600' of climbing.
 Catalina State Park opened last week (post Bighorn Fire which burned 119,000 acres) and when first we enter, park, all appears normal but of course, how could it be given what has occurred. So, no surprise.....  .....we park at the end of the drive, walk a few feet to a wash and see the above. It's impossible to know how much of the plant life will survive. Time of course, will tell.  It appears the wash was one backstop and when that failed, crews pitched in to limit the burn to the main trail.  As sad as this is, I spoke to many volunteers from various states who had been brought in to assist the fire fighting effort and they all saw the burn as a good thing. It had been about 100 years since the area had last burned. Lot of good fertilizer on the ground and already, many shoots of new growth are apparent.  The surrounding hills, stripped of vegetation, seem ripe for rock fall if we get a good rain during this 2nd consecutive monsoon season of little rain.  Many hikers were on the trails within the park, including this dog wearing glasses. My timing could not have been better, capturing the tongue out.  Nothing green in this image and a nearby Saguaro....  ....made us wonder if it would survive. I have no idea how quickly the fire moved through or how much it lingered, burning fuel while the Saguaros suffered.  The biggest disappointment is when reaching state trust land, trails are closed at least thru October. Frankly the justification for closing some of these trails is really weak....really, really weak.
 The early morning views are so awesome as I arrive on the west side of Gates Pass at the Yetman trail head. From the parking lot, I can see Goldengate Mountain to my right and to my left is the little known Bern Mountain. I've read a couple of hiking reports and there are a few different approaches. I follow Yetman to a point where I see the above view. I've reached one access point from a gps track I have but see 0 evidence anyone has ever tread so I turn and follow a.....  .... trail that is well worn but not on the park's maps. It goes clockwise around Bern and gives nice views of Gates Pass Road and the distant Bushmaster Peak.  I approach a saddle and soon am in an area of the Tucson Mountains I have not previously visited. The trail mostly climbs and when reaching another saddle, I hear a noise to my left and...  ....see a couple of deer bounding away. I continue to look for a way up and see a couple but don't see any cairns and have no interest in pioneering a new route in today's heat.  I started the hike in roughly the 6 o'clock position and now at about the 12 o'clock position, see a cairn and begin heading up. It's getting too late so I turn around but now know the access point. The trail I have been following continues but not certain where/if it emerges on a known trail (it does I learned later), turn around.  Retracing my route, I see the serpentine Gates Pass Road and as I continue my descent I....  ....see a black tail rattlesnake cross the trail a few feet in front of me. I suppose it is returning from its morning hunt and pays me no attention as it slithers into its den. Finished with under 4 miles so not a difficult hike but will be back to finish the trek to the peak.
 I arrived at the trailhead and began the hike. About 1/2 mile in I woke the heck up and realized I was on the wrong trail, returned to my car, drove a few miles and began the hike. Not a good way to begin but after way too many false starts, I was not going to spit the bit again. I reached....  ....the trailhead at the top of Sarasota Road and began. The trail goes through a pass that separates Little Cat from Big Cat Mountain. I got on the Explorer Trail and began hiking clockwise around the Cat. Yes, there is a route that begins in the pass and I have poked around in there but was discouraged by a wall.  So green but the state is in a moderate drought and the monsoon so far, just like last year, has been mostly dormant.  About 2 miles into my hike, I reach the cairn that indicates it is time to begin the off trail climb that eventually reaches the above ridge. Just looking at what was before me I guessed the route would cut right below a rock band but wrong again. The climb to the ridge is about .7 miles with an average grade of 26% so pretty steep.  The route has numerous cairns and is not much of a challenge to follow other then I was taking it very slow partly for rattlers and partly because each time I reached a cairn I'd have to pause and locate the next and the next and on and on. Lots of barrel cactus in the area.  Approaching the aforementioned rather deep, rock band, I was surprised when the route cut to the left but there was a nice staircase that eventually came to a ridge, far to the left of the peak. I did not realize it at the time but I still had almost .5 miles to go but what an awesome time!  It begins with a wall that has enough foot and hand holds that I was able to clamber up. A fall here would not be good! Then, there are a series of....  ....false summits as each slope would result in a view of another and another. The ridge is kind of narrow in a few places but always there were boulders jutting from the ground to hop across but again, don't trip.  At last, I reached the peak where someone had painted some messages. More significant was....  ....a transponder that PIMA County installed. Their effort at camouflaging it was not so good. In the distance, Golden Gate Mountain.  Greeaaatt views from the peak.  The option exists to continue ahead and descend the northwest side as mentioned earlier. I walked a little down and checked it out. Given the rising temp, if I got down there and became cliffed out or lost the route, I didn't have enough fluids to retrace my route so instead.....  .....I headed back the way I came, finishing with 5.4 miles and 1350' of climbing. A fun hike. Back at the car, with the temperature at 100, I removed my shirt and could wring sweat from it. It was soaked, so too most of my shorts. Hot hiking these days with humidity.
 Another hot one so another early start as the sun rises over the still closed, Catalina Mountains.
 Some butt hiking caused an opening in a pair of shorts. Not wishing to dispose of the "seasoned" pair, I was ironing a patch over the opening while failing to realize the back of the iron was resting on the freaking shorts! For gosh sakes you idiot!!! My so far fruitless search for an alternate way to the peak of Cat Mountain was finally solved today. This is about my 4th attempt at finding "the way" and not sure why. Chalk it up to lack of due diligence. I once again park at the top of Sarasota Road, go through the pass between Big and Little Cat mountains as shown above. I've poked around on the slope at the base of Cat a couple of times and know there is a route but looks kind of sketchy so I....  .....get on the Explorer Trail which winds clockwise around Cat. It's early and the views are fantastic as the sun rises. After about 4 miles, I spot a cairn indicating the start of the route to the peak. I start up it for a hundred yards and find it is easy to follow with lots of cairns if not an actual trail, to follow. It's getting a bit late and I'd rather do it next week with more fluids now that I know exactly how to ascend.  I head back and spot Starr Pass Resort in the distance. Going to visit that in a couple of weeks for a staycation. Finished with a little over 4 miles for this day.
 We drove up Mount Hopkins Road, made a left on a forest service dirt road and followed it for 2.5 miles. Actually drove past the trail head so turned around and found the small parking area. Off the three of us went, first following a trail that rises and falls a couple of times prior to dropping onto an old mining road. Pretty overgrown, much more so then when last I was here in 2016.  At some point, we catch a glimpse of our destination, Elephant Head. It's a fun hike/scramble to the top of that. We continue to ascend via the road and soon pass....  .....an abandoned mine having appropriate warning sign about the dangers lurking beyond the entrance.  The road bends clockwise around a mountain and then....  .....we got a really good look at the objective. We got a late start to our adventure, 7:50am on a day with a forecast high of 109. Just past the 2 mile point of our hike, we noted a cairn on the left side of the road and began the very steep and sketchy descent. We would lose about 500' prior to....  ....finding the bottom of Chino Canyon. Nice spot with shade and running water. We paused briefly before beginning the climb.....  ....the canyon to the saddle below Elephant Head. The climb out of Chino Canyon gains about 700' but is not nearly as steep as the other side.  Looking to the south we see Little Elephant Head. Been there once but don't remember much about it. We found the trail that breaks left off the saddle, followed a faint trail over a couple of protrusions before coming to.....  ....the base of the neck of Elephant Head. It's an awesome sight as we ditch our hiking poles and begin the ascent.  My companions, Amy and Tracy, had a great time as we slowly worked our way, bypassing the steepest sections on the right while enjoying some modest scrambling up the nape of the neck. Finally....  ...we reach the top. Unfortunately, the peak was swarming with some kind of flying ant, the presence of which made it too annoying to stay. We quickly signed the register and departed.  I took a few quick images and led....  ....the ladies down. There is surprisingly not a lot of exposure but I think for some hikers, there are a few places where there is enough they may be freaked out. There definitely are many spots where a fall would cause serious injury, perhaps death so be careful. We reach the saddle, find the trail into the canyon where.....  ....arriving first, I cool my feet and douse my head. I underestimated my fluid needs so ran out soon after climbing out of the canyon and reaching the road. Tracy had extra so with that, I scooted ahead to reach the SUV where there was more water waiting. The hike was 6.8 miles with 2500' of climbing yet it took us 5 hours to finish. I really underestimated the time and that got me in a bit of trouble as I walked the final mile with empty bottles.
 Began the day driving through for a breakfast sandwich as a hawk dined on another bird, nearby. Headed to the west side of the Tucson Mountains, arriving at a trailhead at the top of Sarasota Road. We were headed for the pass between Big and Little Cat Mountains. Reaching a signed junction, we go left and visited....  ....the famous buried vehicle. Continued counterclockwise around Little Cat, staying on trail until it topped out.....  .....at a ridge and then went off trail to our left and began a fairly steep ascent.  Ugh, evil looking things that are plentiful in the area. The dreaded Jumping Cholla.  It's not a long hike to the top of Little Cat but once up there, it's a beautiful view. It's fun to top along the ridge line with a several hundred foot drop to the west.  In the distance is Big Cat Mountain. I've not climbed that yet but pretty sure it's on my schedule for next week.  We were going to return the way we came, as I once did before but as we descended the ridge, hopping among the boulders, we spotted an opening that appeared to allow a descent down the west side. What the heck, if we get cliffed out we'll just climb back but while the descent was very steep, we made it. I became rather cautious when we passed the skin of a rattlesnake. Below is....  ....the route we took. Finished with only 2.5 miles but a very fun hike.
 The 119,000 acre, Bighorn fire is out. In anticipation of runoff, the washes are being cleared. This one is across the street from me in Oro Valley. Typically, it is packed with trees and brush but....  ....looking across to the mountains, rain has come and the forecast is for a bunch of it.  The work crew is working their way down stream but have a couple of miles yet to clear.  The runoff is black from the ash but the majority of the rain hit the south side of the Catalinas where many roads were closed but on my side, not so much. Well, many days left in monsoon season so we shall see if it is a "Nonsoon" or a "Monsoon".
 As many know, I live at the base of the Catalinas but they are off limits, perhaps until early November because of the fire. Also off the board is the Superstition Mountains. There is a mountain range to the southwest called the Sierittas. Never visited but did some research and discovered there is a way to Keystone Peak, the high point. Following directions, I eventually get on McGee Road and park at this water tank.  Don't block this entry nor go through it in your vehicle. The McGee family allows access to hikers so park (probably 4 vehicles max could fit) and begin your hike.  Soon, you pass the family cemetery on the right. I counted at least 25 grave sites. You will pass several intersections so it's a good idea to have a gps route to follow to avoid the confusion of guessing which direction to go.  The entirety of the route follows a wonderfully groomed, dirt road. In place, it is quite steep.  Eventually, I reached a turn that gave me a view of the peak, except it was not, just a hill that aligned perfectly with a more distant peak.  I passed an old mining camp. This being only about 20 miles from the Mexican border, I wasn't overly curious to look inside. This area is remote so I'd recommend having a hiking buddy for the effort.  Looking back, the road is very easy to follow and so after about 4.3 miles I.....  ....reach the peak on which there are several....  ....antennas and similar structures. I read a hike report where someone claimed he met a member of the McGee family up here and he said it was ok to climb "their" antenna to the platform for an even better view. I looked at that and decided....no.  What's that?!?!? A cloudburst in the distance, slightly right of center. Would rather not get caught in that so....  ....headed down. To reiterate, there are several places where the way to go is kind of confusing so download the track of the internet, via the Hikearizona site.  Some cows watch me as I pass, finishing with 8.7 miles and 1560' of climbing.
 The day prior to this hike, I read it was only 1.3 miles (actually 1.5) so I filled a water bottle about 3/4 full and arrived at the parking lot. Hmmm,.......  ....I could see people climbing steep sections and thought, "Damn, I don't have enough water for this!" We began....  .....while passing the signpost for the "Easy Breezy Trail" and I thought that would probably be better but we stayed on the cathedral Rock Trail.  Check out the cairns which dotted the route. So much of it is over slickrock, without the cairns it would be a navigating challenge although for today, there were lots of people too.  Of course it doesn't look like it but this was very steep.  Fresh, the views were abundant for the entirety of the climb and so too were....  ....more steep sections as Amy surmounted them all. Note the parking lot in the distance. The average grade for the climb is 38% and that includes a few flat sections. Where there is climbing, it is steep.  We pass an alcove that had a couple of trees growing from inside. Soon thereafter we reach....  ....the end of the trail, marked as such too.  Off to the right was a ledge so I walked out there and posed. Looking back across the gorge....  ....wow, what a great scene as a dozen or so people gather to enjoy.  We began the descent.  Here is one of the flat sections prior to another....  ....steep section. This type of "hiking" is so much fun. Note, no one wore a mask and you are sharing many hand holds so we applied the hand sanitizer upon returning to the car. I'm a bit of a skeptic about mask use. I have a cousin who worked at the CDC for 3 years, sequencing viruses and developing DNA vaccines. at a BSL3 lab. Yes, washing your hands is good, maintaining distance is good, don't stick your fingers in your orifices is good but the cloth masks are worthless. In his words, "you may as well wrap your head with pantyhose". I never delve into politics, here and won't ever but in this day and age, I trust my cousin and his experience far more than any health agency. Well, on to another hike!
 Following the hike to Humphrey's, we took a day off to take 89A from Flagstaff to Sedona. I'd not driven this route so enjoyed the winding descent followed by a pleasant drive along a stream in which lots of people were playing.  We drove through Sedona, going on to Cottonwood and then driving half way up Mingus Mountain to visit.....  ....the small town of Jerome. Interesting history of this long time, mining town with many unique shops and good restaurants.  Following lunch, we headed back to Sedona, paused at Red Rock Park where a ranger advised me keep going to get the best view in the valley of Cathedral Rock so off we went....  ....but paused in front of a beautiful home built into a rock formation accessible only by the home owner's tram. Just then, a guy driving his truck in the other direction stopped and gave us the story, "He is an engineer and his mama gave him a bunch of money!" We got a good laugh then drove and found.....  ...the spot from which to take the great image of Cathedral Rock.  A closer look and the next day, we climbed that.  We drove back and note the serpentine climb out of the valley.
 Amy and I continue our trek into the thin air above Flagstaff. The trees are becoming scarce and not much higher, we climb above the tree line.  We reach a saddle and in this exposed area, the wind is howling. We seek shelter behind a rock wall while....  ....admiring the view. This is looking, I think to the northeast. As we sat and looked....  ....at what was left to climb. The trail ascends the other side and you can't see the summit, just a series of false summits but I know what is coming and advise Amy not to be discouraged as we access false peaks and discover that is not THE peak.  A series of posts guide the way. Not needed now but when snow is present, no way to follow the trail without these useful items. The wind is ferocious from my left and I was always on guard when lifting one foot off the ground. A few times I was thrown off balance but lots of boulders to steady myself.  At last, we reach the final slope, a stark moonscape. I was very excited when Amy reached the peak, a goal of course, having fought through the altitude complications. An opening in one of the rock walls to protect against the wind opened so...  ....she gladly laid for a few minutes to recover.  Note the small patches of snow on the north facing slope.  A guy uses binoculars. Beyond him is the Little Colorado River flowing into the Grand Canyon.  My previous two visits, I was swarmed with buts but not today. Maybe that is because the wind was 30+mph on this day. 12,633" at this peak.  If you look closely, I am almost always wearing an Ohio State item. It is rare for someone not to yell "OH" or "Go Buckeyes". We are loved all over except maybe in the state of Michigan:). After about 15 minutes, we put our backpacks back on and begin the long descent.  At the aforementioned saddle, we run into a woman with a dog carrying some supplies. Dropping below the saddle, the wind thankfully diminished as we retraced our route. Note the descent is really time consuming and requires patience to pick through all the tree roots and boulders. Finished with 10.5 miles and 3400' of climbing. That doesn't seem that difficult but couple that with the wind and elevation, quite the worthy hike!
 We make the 4 hour drive to Flagstaff with a plan to climb Humphrey's Peak, the high point in the state at 12,600'. The timing of the trip was not random, had to choose a time when there is 0 chance of rain because up there, above the tree line, in a storm....yikes.  Of course, while Flagstaff is at 7000' elevation, the start of our hike is at the Snow Bowl at 9000', despite being just a few miles out of the city limits. Temperature is a consideration so we wait until about 8:30am to begin where it is in the low 60s here and by the time we reach the peak, in the low 50s. Lots of Aspen mixed in the pine forest.  We arrive at the large parking area and I take a pic of the moon. We gear up and walk to the.....  ....trail head. Round trip, the hike is 10.5 miles from where we parked.  Such a benign start to our adventure. Many wild flowers blooming as we cross the ski slope and head to the.....  ....forest. This area receives an average of 260" of snow so plenty of water to support the giant trees. The trail is not smooth. Between the roots and boulders, it is a head down kind of hike. The average grade is 12% so not as steep as Mount Wrightson in my neck of the woods. But, where it is steep, it is really steep.  Early, all we see are tree trunks and a canopy that keeps us in the shade. Eventually, we reach a point in the trail, maybe at mile 2ish, where the views open.  We reach a broad swatch of rock fall. Above this point, a WWII era plane crashed and you can visit the site and see relics.  Another of the peaks in the San Francisco Peaks area is seen across a valley. We continue to climb but Amy lets me know she is starting to feel the effects of the altitude. That is normal for most people and I hope that.....  ....with another 1000' of elevation gain to go, the condition does not worsen. Amy pauses at a prominent sign and as always, smiling despite some dizziness. My first visit, the altitude was a problem for me but on my 2nd visit, I did not notice it. I assumed I too would have an issue since I've not done much higher elevation hiking with the fire forced closure of Mount Lemmon. We shall see in the next installment.
 I'm climbing via the Aqua Caliente trail. Decided to get in one more hike before the drive to Flagstaff. Beautiful view of the Catalinas.  Great trail but I dislike climbing, then yielding that effort to drop into a ravine, climb again, drop into another ravine. I prefer a constant climb.  After about 3 miles, I reach a saddle where there are good views of the eastern end of the Catalinas.  There is an odd shaped cloud in the distance.  Do I want to climb all the way to the peak? I sit on a rock and think about it. Damn, it is going to be really hot soon, even at this modestly higher elevation....  ....I remove a bottle of Gatorade that I had removed from the freezer earlier today. Sip off some of the ice cold fluid, add water, a wonderful cocktail. I'll have a cold drink all the way to the parking lot, which I decided would be where I go now.  During the return, I pause to peer into a canyon. Finish with just under 6 miles and 1500' of elevation gain. OK, now on to Flagstaff.
 The story begins in Iowa....ok, kidding. This is in Marana where the plains are spotted with a variety of crops. Soon.....  ....I am on Silverbell Road, dirt, where I pass a couple of cows undisturbed by my passing. Smart cows as they seek the shade on this hot day.  Following directions from the "hikearizona.com" website, I find a turnoff and follow it a short distance until I decide my car ought not go farther. I park and begin the trek toward Ragged Top in the Silverbell Mountains. I've done this hike once but a long time ago.  Reaching this obvious point, I head into the thicket, following a gps route that I also downloaded from the AZ site.  I look back from where I started to make a mental note of where I should return, just in case I lose cell phone power. The function that enables me to follow the route is a battery eater. I know, just heading toward the distant mountain I'll eventually reach Silverbell Road and could probably figure out how to get to the car. Today's high is 105, a very dry heat of course but still...105....yikes.  Round trip, the hike is only 4 miles from where I started but it is all bushwhacking. Fortunately, the hiking is not too encumbered by brush but it was a good idea to wear long pants.  I'm headed toward a saddle, just over the above ridge. I pause and ask myself a question I am forced to ask, too many times; "What the heck are you doing out here?" You're supposed to do this hike in the late fall or winter but before lambing season. In July??? It's freaking hot already and I am going through fluid bottles like crazy. Then I think, just out of the blue, "Turn around you idiot!" So the "Good Mark" who sits on my right shoulder wins the day and I turn around. The "Bad Mark" merely stews but will have his say, another day. Headed to Flagstaff for cooler hiking.
 I'm anxious to check out the burn area below Bighorn Mountain but also to see if I can access the ridge between Bighorn and Table. I approached it from the Pima Canyon side and stood at the ridge, looking down and it appeared I could get through if not for the dense brush. I also think it would be really neat to find the lightning strike. A fire fighter told me it had been located from where the fire began.  I park in front of the park in Ram's Canyon Pass and head up via the dirt road.  Beautiful as always, prior to reaching the burn area but at a fence.....  .....I am stopped by a strongly worded notice. Jail time and/or a serious fine for going beyond this point. I don't think anyone will remember to come out and remove the sign so I'll wait, as the notice stated, for the "Incident Command Center" to be dismantled. There was also a phone number that I tried to call a couple of times because the Catalina State Park based fire folks have all moved to the east side. Maybe that triggers the expiration of the notice? Probably not.  In the distance, some lingering smoke in this early morning. Back, I hope, soon.
 OK, forget about the snake story, mentioned below. The hike was not that interesting so I'll move on. We park outside a gated community after driving on Snyder and a left on Avenida de Suzena. We walk on a road that is sometimes paved and sometimes dirt. They have extended the road to accommodate more lots so it's a little different from a recent visit. Walking up a steep but short hill, we drop into a canyon and ......  .....ascend the Milagrosa trail. Easy to follow as we hike while sometimes peering into....  ....the canyon. My partner.....  ....Amy's first visit so she takes a few pictures as I watch for a cairn at mile 2.5 (from the car park). Finding it, we leave the trail but what follows is also easy to follow.  We drop into Aqua Caliente Canyon, follow it down canyon for about 300 yards while watching for a trail departing from the left. We begin climbing again and pass a faint trail going right but it has rocks across it so ignore. At some point, the trail jogs back to the east which has a nice....  ....view of Aqua Caliente Peak. We reach an intersection having a large cairn and break right. Going straight takes one to Aqua Caliente Peak trail.  We pause to take in some more great views. The trail is descending now and we pass through....  ....a gate. Eventually we reach an opportunity to break right or continue straight but I suspect going straight leads to an overlook so we go right. The trail is very steep here as it drops into the canyon. We found.....  ....a key that was placed on a rock in the middle of the trail. Odd. Probably someone found it and placed it there, hoping the owner would retrieve it. This is a fun loop as we finished with 6.45 miles and 1500' of limbing. Seemed like more climbing then that to me.  |
