 Amy and I were invited to hike with some of our favorite hiking buddies, starting at the Cochise Stronghold campground in the Dragoons. Our loop would take us up the Cochise Trail then onto a social trail for the return. As we ascended, the views became very nice.  Many interesting rock formations. After 3 miles of ascending at a moderate grade of 6.8%, we reached....  ....the Stronghold Divide. We continued on the trail for about 1/4 mile before finding a cairn that marked the off ramp and a descent....  ....into a ravine where we follow an obvious, social trail, up to a jumble of boulders where we took a lunch break and enjoyed....  ....awesome views.  Monoliths soared around us including one called, Rockefellow Dome. Some of these are favorites of the rock climbers, who we would encounter later.  Check out the colors on this Rainbow Hedgehog.  Note the rock ball that has fallen between the two vertical slabs, above.  Wow! Check out that view! Lorna wanted to explore a route to a nearby saddle but this modern day "Daniel Boone" explorer had to turn around, thwarted by bushy plants. We got back on the social trail and began the most interesting part of our hike that began with....  ....walking beneath these two boulders and soon.....  ....pausing beneath a rock that appeared to be poised to slide at any time. Amy on the left, Kathryn on the right.  The trail was well marked with cairns, some of which were creatively displayed in a notch.  Bill B, a very knowledgeable guide, reached a point that gave him a good vantage of what was a very, very steep descent. There is more than one route down and we chose the right side of the canyon which followed the base of a wall for a good distance. Meantime, to our left....  ....we watched two climbers ascend, with ropes. That looks like fun, with ropes, of course.  We continued our descent, steeply, finally reaching the road below and then a short walk to our vehicles. We finished with 6 miles and 1500' of climbing. We shared a drink in the parking lot before starting a 2 hour drive home which included.....  ....passing a field having at least a dozen, almost life-size, dinosaurs. The location is known as "Rattlesnake Ranch" and there was a "Welcome" sign out front but our day was already a long one with a ways to go. In AZ, around every corner, you never know what you will see.
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 Driving south on Oracle Road, we spotted a cyclist, fixing a flat in the north bound lane. We had a floor pump with us so turned around and offered help. Nice guy from Canada but he ruined his spare tube while installing it and then did the same to one I offered. So, we gave he and his bike a ride to where he was staying. Then....  ....we headed to a wine festival in Oro Valley at the Steampump Ranch. The crowd was huge as the organizer had sold out all available tickets. We arrived at 4pm and stayed for about 90 minutes, visiting the vendors before.....  ....sitting for awhile to chat with hiking buddies Kathryn and Karen. Fun day but back to hiking as another weather system churns our way, making it too windy for riding.
 Willow Springs Road is usually a quiet place to go for a gravel ride but not today. We were passed by dozens of vehicles on their way to "24 Hours at the Old Pueblo" race. Thankfully, a strong wind out of the north blew the dust away from us as each vehicle passed. After riding about 10 miles, we made a left turn and came upon.....  .....this. Participants were in a long line, waiting for the start, which included running 400 yards to their bikes. How fortunate to arrive 15 minutes before the gun sounded as meantime, 6 drones hovered overhead.  A "town" had sprung up to support the race, riders, family & friends. Participants numbered 2000 so at least another 1000 people were there.  There were many encampments scattered in every direction but most were clustered around the food/retail area.  The gun sounds and they're off. Those at the front, run, those at the rear, walk. In the group are solo riders or those who are doing the first 16 mile loop as part of a team. Later I saw the winner of the team event did 24 laps, the solo male did 21 and solo female did 17. While riders were on the course, their teammates, family and friends were.....  ....in town and the celebrating had an early start. The night scene must be especially wild.  We thought this outfit was especially interesting.  Amy posed in front of a metal saguaro.  People checking out the participant list.  Many food and drink options. The line in front of this place was especially long. A pizza business had a trailer with a real, wood fired oven going. It was a lot of fun to walk around but eventually, we got back on our bikes and headed back, finishing with 23 miles.
 I drove to Casa Grande to make my first visit at the CGMP. I took Africa Road to a broad parking lot and began the Spine Trail/Ridge Trail Loop, which was supposed to be 7.5 miles.  The first couple of miles parallels either 1-10 or I-8 so views aren't all that great and the trail is kind of flat and boring. Odd is that twice I encountered a three way trail junction and each of the three incoming trails were named "Spine Trail". I didn't have a gpx track to follow so used my unsound intuition. Eventually....  ....I got on the Ridge Trail which is labeled as "Difficult" but by our standards, the trail would struggle to meet the "Moderate" standard. Also strange, the Ridge trail never came close to the ridge. I wondered why it wasn't named "Foothills Trail".  Mentioning what is an officially difficult hike, Newmann Peak in the distance, on the left, across from Picacho Peak. I must have missed a loop as I returned to the parking lot with only 3.25 miles. All in all, quite lame.  We had some rain move through and behind it the clouds have lingered. Above, the Wilderness and Leviathan domes. I've always wanted to at least hike to the base of them but not yet done that.
 You know it's going to be a scenic hike to a peak when the views are already fabulous at the start. Ok, about the start.... groan. I had simple written directions of drive 7 miles from I19, hang a left on FS39 and 4 miles, we're there. We drove 9 miles, no road, no internet so turned around, drove back to I19 to pick up service and discovered, #39 was at 9.5 miles from I19!!!! We had just missed it.  We (Amy, Marcia and I) arrived about 30 minutes late. Of course the gang had already departed as was the correct choice, at 10 minutes after the appointed time. I was glad that two of the group, Lorna and Marc, had previously hiked the trail so the group would be in good hands.  As we climbed, we gained cell phone service and made contact with the group. They were somewhere around the base of that blocky structure on the left. To the right of that, just peering over a ridge is Atascosa Lookout, our destination.  The average grade of the ascent is 6.5% which isn't much but that is skewed by several "flatish" sections, one of which travels the length of the blocky structure.  The views of course are awesome as we can see well into Mexico. When last I was here, a large trash dump just across the border was burning, obscuring too much of the view but....  ....not today.  We round the afore mentioned structure and begin climbing again. We reach a saddle to begin the final ascent to the Lookout and hey! The gang had been waiting occasionally and we finally caught them.  We all made it. We sat on the foundation of a fire lookout tower that burned in the Murphy fire of 2011. And then, a discussion ensued about....  ....Atascosa Peak, 1 mile distant with about 1000' of additional climbing. I can't say I was all that enthusiastic about hiking to it as the last time I did it....  ....my arms were shredded from shoving through acres of catclaw. Lorna, Marc, Jeff and Dee planned to go and I gave them rudimentary directions which basically is, "Stay on the ridge and climb the cliff bands directly in front of you."  They headed steeply off the corner of the Lookout but Dee soon came back, as did Jeff as he thought the round trip effort would make him late for an obligation later in the day. To Lorna and Marc's credit, they made it and shared that the bushwhacking wasn't bad. On my prior visit, I must have taken a bad line.  Those that remained, lingered a bit longer, admiring the incredible colors and views.  Then, we began the 2.5 mile descent. The trail is easy to follow and soon I found myself out in front, separated from the group. I enjoy the sounds of being in the wilderness so kept out front, pausing occasionally to make sure I could see the others. I can't claim to be a hike leader today, having missed the ascent and everyone could follow the obvious trail on the descent but it was a great hike that I organized, lol.  Bottom left of the image above is a cow pond, currently empty. The cow pond signals I am near to rounding a corner and.....  ....coming into view of the remainder of the hike. Ended with 5.4 miles and 1500' of climbing. Too bad it's a 1:40 drive from home or else I'd schedule the hike again, soon and do the peak. Maybe in a month or two.
 That is a very ominous sight, smoke hanging over the Catalinas. Fortunately, rather than a spreading fire, it was a prescribed burn of wood piles.  Our group of 10, descend from Reddington Road to Tanque Verde canyon. The plan was to go up canyon to a beautiful falls and visit the famous Nudist Beach above the falls. Then we would reverse course. These boulder hopping "hikes" are always great fun. The challenge is not the distance but the route finding and navigating around, under and over boulders and walls that fill the canyon.  We pass the signage that alerts us of what is to come. The morning though is way too cold for naked people to be sunning themselves on the beach.  We reach the falls but the water flow is way down, signaling the snow pack above is almost gone.  To reach the top of the falls a wall on the right side must be climbed. It's a challenge for most, including me. In these situations, I'm always glad I was gifted with long arms and legs.  We reach the beach but part of our party stay on the opposite side, fruitlessly looking for an alternative crossing. Note the size of the boulders. Would hate to be in here during a seismic event! Eventually we regroup and decide to explore a bit farther up canyon. I've never pursued this option, always turning around at the beach.  I was surprised at how much more of the canyon is available for hiking. Eventually we decided to turn around but I'll come back soon and find out how far one can go. The texture and colors of the rock are amazing.  Occasionally we'd encounter small patches of sand but that was rare. Once back at the nudist beach, we discovered....  ....a couple of hula hoops. Lorna, on the left, lacked the moves to keep her hoop above her waist while Hillary was capable. Then it was back to the previously climbed wall for....  ....the descent. When down climbing, we could not see the small ledge nor know how far we have to stretch to reach it. One of my many, many good qualities is caring for my fellow hikers so I was quick to assist anyone who needed help. Yes, if one was to give me a nickname, I certainly qualify for "Mr Considerate." :).  We reached the point where we entered the canyon but continued down canyon as far as we could. First timer, Gina on the right, pointing to some feature. I usually pluck one or two newbies from our wait list to give them the opportunity to check us out. We've found some really enjoyable personalities....ok, a couple of really odd ones too but not many.  We couldn't quite reach the point where the water tumbles over a cliff, creating the Lower Falls, which we visited a few weeks ago. We ran into a guy who told us about a route that bypasses this section and will bring you to the point directly above the falls. That too must be checked out in the future. Finished with 2.4 miles and 500' of climbing. Fun day with a good group.
 A 2 hour drive but it took me north of the Superstitions into an area I had not previously visited. I went through Mesa, got on Bush Highway then St. Rt. 87 and arrived at...  ...a very small parking area in a very remote location. Oh well, I geared up and....  ....began the hike on FS27.  There has been a lot of mining in the area and several remnants of it exist.  The fire of 2020 must have been especially intense in this area as all trees are mere skeletons now.  The road is easy to follow but lots of evidence of erosion from run-off.  At some point, someone maintained the road but at mile 2.6....  ....I ran into this. Too wide to jump and the ditch was much deeper than I am tall. I walked back and forth, plotting, examining and saw there was a way out going forward but the way back was a wall of loose dirt. I looked down canyon and it appeared I could exit the canyon eventually if I got stuck and...  ....looking to the hill above the trench, more loose dirt and really steep. I got about 3/4 of the way up but nothing to grab to pull myself farther. I walked down the road to see another approach and then, checking the time, decided I ought to turn around. OK, could I have found a way up, bushwhacked beyond the trench, probably but it would add too much time.  Looking to the north, I could make out the Mongolian Rim. Bummed I did not arrive at the peak but am aware of an alternative and will be back soon.  Walking back, I noticed several other trenches being formed by water run-off which will soon create obstacles that may not be passable in time. I doubt this road will ever receive the attention it deserves.  The drive allowed me a good look at the Four Peak Wilderness. Beautiful.
 We needed to drive back to Miami to stay at an airport hotel but no reason to arrive early so jumped on the 10am hotel shuttle and headed back to Key West.  A short pier with a lot of birds. Of course, everyone who visits the area just has to....  ...pose at the Southernmost Point in the US!  It seems every block has some point of interest and always....  ...a lot of funky looking people.  At last, it was time to head north but not before Amy drank from a coconut.....our final drink of our visit.
 We visited a park and despite signs stating not to climb on the rocks, we just had to as it reminded us of some boulder fields we have crossed when hiking in AZ.  Miami, of course, has some great restaurants and before visiting one, we posed. Then....  ....we picked up a rental car, got on the "1" and headed south, stopping somewhere for lunch. We arrived....  ....in Key West just as the sun was setting. If you ever thought driving from Miami through the Keys to Key West....DON'T DO IT!!! Brutal drive, bumper to bumper with few places to pass. Just fly into the Key West airport...trust me.  We ate oysters at one restaurant and began walking, stopping in at the very entertaining Sloppy Joes where we.....  ....had another picture taken of us. Yes, we were having a good time. To be clear, I am not drunk despite my appearance. Next morning we....  ....walked miles through Key West and stopped....  ....for lunch. Lots of roosters throughout the city. Our walk included....  ...passing a cruise ship the height of which far exceeds the tallest point in Key West. There were a couple hundred protestors out, protesting the arrival of each of these ships when they arrive. Thousands of passengers disembark, don't stop in restaurants as they eat/drink on board, visit a few retail shops close to the ship but otherwise considered a nuisance. The water depth is only 40' so the ships scrape the bottom. Several liners no longer visit Key West and the locals are working to make them all avoid.  We visited the Hemingway House, the Truman "southern" White House and a variety of other places. We stopped in a few art galleries and then....  ....this caught my eye. It was expensive enough that we were escorted to a room, given wine to drink and I decided I needed it for my wall at home. Can't wait to hang it. More to come but also very glad to say, we have already returned to our beloved, southern AZ and am hiking on Monday. A new destination!
 We arrived in South Miami Beach where my daughter is a big wig at the Royal Palm, an Art Deco type hotel. We had a nice room with good views of the Atlantic. A short walk took us to....  ...the beach! Soon....  ....my daughter picked us up and took us to Key Biscayne while passing one of the many docked cruise ships. We had a fun evening and returned to our hotel....  ...which had nice views of the city, after sunset. Next day, we did some more touring....  ....which included an iguana sighting and a...  ....visit to a light house.  Like both nights, we had a good meal at an upscale restaurant. Well, now for the drive to Key West.
 My daughter, Olivia, assured me she sent a Christmas gift and so it finally arrived. Not just the wine but a nice wood package. Awesome!  Amy bought a gravel bike and wanted to try it out so we headed to Marana and began a ride to Owl Head Butte. That's it in the distance.  At mile 15, we arrive and enjoy the scenery.  Amy on her new 3T gravel bike. She's happy with it other than the water bottle holders are so tight, it's really hard to withdraw a bottle from the holders.  We reversed course and headed back while seeing a better view of the Owl's Head. Intrigued by the name of the dirt road, we looked for a crested saguaro but did not see one.  We reach the CAP canal and catch a blimp, heading west into a fairly strong head wind. Finished with 30 miles and a fun, first ride on Amy's new bike.  Looks like an extension is being added to the CAP canal.
 The gang of 11, gather 4 miles from the end of the pavement on Reddington Road. Amy and I were a bit late....well....we arrived prior to our 9am start but not early enough to gear up and begin walking at 9am. This makes me look stupid when I insist others be ready. I'll blame this on Amy, just because, ha, ha.  This is an unusual hike in that rather than follow trails, we mostly follow unmaintained, roads. The off-road crowd loves this area but for hikers, the path is kind of rugged and in places.....  ....steep!  Mica Mountain in the distance but is that mica glowing in the early morning sun or snow? Had to be snow to feed the streams/washes by which we hiked.  At mile 2, we reached a pond and then took a short foot path to another road while passing under.....  ....a huge juniper tree. Upon reaching a junction or two, Mark and I checked our gpx routes, debated how to proceed and settled on the correct direction. We crossed....  ....Tanque Verde Canyon. Nice flow of water.....  .....through here. After about 4 miles of kind of boring dirt road walking, we round a turn and....  ....whoa, ok, this makes the road hiking more than worthwhile. Spectacular! The final 100 yards of our hike is mostly....  ....boulder hopping as I look back and see how the others are progressing.  There is a shallow pool at the base of the falls and what a good place to luxuriate if only the temps were warmer. In the shade at about 60 degrees, too cold for today. In the image above, right of center, a cave!  Most of us climbed to it and got a close-up of.....  ....the top of the falls as it tumbled off a ledge. Then, some of us found a nearby slope, scrambled up it and emerged....  ....above the falls. Poking around a bit, there was no place where you could stand directly above the falls and look down but....  ....Lorna, aka, Spider Monkey, got about as close as anyone, along with Hilary. We worked our way back down, took a quick snack and headed back.  A RAZAR passed us but it was the only vehicle of its type that we encountered today. I understand the weekends are particularly busy with that traffic. We finished with 9 miles and 1100' of climbing.
 The day prior to our Saturday hike, I considered canceling due to a 20% chance of rain. OK, in the midwest, a 20% rain chance means there is a 100% certainty it will rain. Out here, 20% is 20% but the closer one is to the mountains, the chances increase. And so it would be true today. Amy and I drive to the trailhead where the rising sun illuminates peaks. Our destination on the left and In that mass of rock is the Window.  Our group of 10 arrives, gears up and starts a little late, entirely my fault as I mispositioned the "map pin". on the hiking site I use to announce hikes. We begin our hike on the Ventana Canyon trail which requires several stream crossings as we make our way up canyon.  Then the climb steepens, significantly. We eventually reach a saddle, drop down a bit and pass the Maiden Pools. This 2.5 mile distance to the pools is a popular destination so the trail is well worn. The trail above the pools....  ....was surprisingly easy to follow given the Bighorn Fire and heavy monsoon of last summer that inspired thick new growth of vegetation. While the Maiden Pools is the most popular spot, there are many other waterfalls and pools that would be fun to visit....on a warmer day. Today's high in the valley would "only" be 64 while higher up, where we were headed, the temperature would be much cooler.  At about mile 4.2, we get a good look at the Window! Looks kind of small but the opening is huge when once inside.  I had told the group that once we are even with the top of a spire (shown above), we are almost at the top of Ventana Canyon. And so we were which had....  ....lots of examples of the remains of the fire of 2020.  In the distance, it appeared it was snowing around Mount Lemmon. Clouds had gathered, thickly, around us too, so it was only a matter of time before we would become wet from snow or rain.  Reaching the saddle, even with the cloud cover, we had grand views as we are now on the Esperero Trail, following a ridge toward a rock formation that houses the Window. The "nose" of rock, pointing right, slightly right of center in the above image, is just above the Window. So, a little more climbing required.  So many trees blackened and dead from the fire. Mount Kimball in the distance. At last....  ....we reach the Window. The wind was blowing, the temperature was in the low 30's or upper 20's so many of us retreated to seek shelter behind a wall. The exception was Marc G., on the right, who is impervious to the cold as the rest of us wore gloves, hats, jackets, etc...  Through the opening I could see Window Peak but none of us had the appetite to continue on to that as a secondary destination. I've been there only once and it is kind of tricky navigating to the top.  Marc took the above image of me. I ventured as far from the opening as I thought was safe. The exposure is not as bad as it appears although I like the fact that it appears "scary". Maybe I should send this image to my mother.  I sat, legs extended, enjoying one of those, "it's good to be alive" moments. For most of us, it was too cold to enjoy the opening of the Window so we did not linger for long and began....  ....the descent which included passing a few patches of snow. The elevation of the Window is about 7000' which is almost 3000' below Mount Lemmon where there is much more snow and 4-6" forecast for today and tonight.  To the south, we could see precipitation approaching and wondered, would it be snow or rain....  ....the wind roared through the pass as it brought in snow. Later, Amy and Katherine dubbed it the "Blizzard of 2022"! We were glad it was snow rather than rain. Once we got off the ridge, the wind abated as we....  ....continued down canyon with the rock formation we had left, barely visible through the snow. So, there we are, descending when we begin to hear screams. I was skeptical, attributing it to kids climbing on the other side of the canyon but in fact, it was a hiker in distress. He was yelling, "Help me!" over and over and even after we shouted our replies, he continued to scream. Given his distance and surroundings, it was difficult to see where he was so we repeatedly asked him to stand and wave. Marc immediately descended to the bottom of the ravine, well up canyon of the hiker and then traversed the slope toward the him. I descended via the trail until I was below the hiker, found a crossing and headed up.  Members of our group asked if the hiker was hurt and he replied "a little". Marc reached him first and found the hiker, uninjured, just, well, terrified may not be an overstatement. It's a story too long for this format to tell about why he was, where he was but we led him down to the bottom of the ravine and then up to the trail where our hiking buddies were waiting. We had called 911 and before his cell phone died, the hiker had texted his mother stating he was lost and she too had called. As we hiked back with the hiker, his parents arrived and soon thereafter, a team of 3 from SAR, then a team of 5 then a team of 2 more. He was well cared for so....  ....we resumed our merry descent. Above is our track to and from the Window, shown in red. The longer blue line is how I think the lost hiker reached where we found him. He had gotten off trail and kept hiking but at least stayed to the left of a ridge and within sight of the bottom of Ventana Canyon.  Another hike, another adventure. We finished with a little over 13 miles and 4000'+ of climbing. Tough hike.
 I belong to a gravel riding site where someone posted a 30 mile route that included a visit to petroglyphs on the east side of the Tortolitas. That sounded like fun so I drove to Catalina and jumped on my gravel bike on East Edwin Road.  Soon I encounter a deep, sandy section. My tires are not wide enough to plow over this surface, sinking in instead so I have to walk.  I head north, circle a power station off St. Rt. 79 and get a good view of Newman Peak.  I retrace my route following a good section of road with Mount Lemmon in the distance. Beautiful. I hang a right on Cochise Springs Rd and follow it for 3 miles. Way too many sandy sections so am forced to walk, a bunch, which sucks. Then my Garmin starts barking at me that I am off the route, then I got back on route but if the remainder of the loop I am following is similar to the 3 miles I have covered.....  ....so I turn around. Later, I realized where I happened to turn around is exactly where the rock art is and I missed it!!! Oh well. Did a couple of rides this week with the Cyclefit gang, which was fun as I ease into the start of an epic hike to the Window on Saturday
 Upon leaving the "paved" portion of Silverbell Road, we drive about 4 miles on good dirt before making a left turn onto a very narrow road. I should have designated how far onto the road we were to park and meet because when we arrived, our group's cars were lined up, stuck. It wasn't long before we got it sorted, cars pulled to the side and were good to go.  The first mile is a mild bushwhack across the slopes of the Silverbell Mountains on our way to Ragged Top peak. There is no trail through here, just spot the north gully, which provides access to the base of the peak and wind our way through the obstacles. Then.....  ....it becomes steep, really steep in places. A hiking pole is both a help and a hinderance. We are following a social trail which means it's not maintained, just enough people have hiked through to establish a faint, foot worn path. Well, where foot traffic could create a path.  We slog our way upwards and everyone seemed to enjoy surmounting the many challenges. At last, our destination comes into view. Was it worth it?.....  .....yes! Jaws drop, cameras are pulled and we all take images of what we see.  Beautiful but our work is not yet done. We make a left and climb steeply until.....  ....we reach the peak. Catherine balances herself over the final pitch with Silverbell Mine in the distance. Previously, I stated the mine was no longer a working mine but it was restarted a few years ago. In addition to copper, the yields of gold, silver, zinc, lead and molybdenum, over time, is impressive.  We arrive at the barren peak, drop our packs and celebrate our accomplishment as.....  ....Nancy and Peter, two new members to our hikes, arrive.  We sign the peak register, eat snacks, hydrate and....  ....enjoy the magnificent views. The comfort of the break must eventually end so....  ......Amy demonstrates the down climb technique, referred to as "5 Point Hiking".  There is a large population of bighorn sheep in these mountains and I frequently scanned the adjoining peaks and crags but no luck spotting any.  I was leading the way down, heard a yelp or two and watched as everyone gathers around Amy to watch or assist in the removal of cactus needles from her leg. The jumping cholla had snagged yet another victim. After a brief pause, we got going again and renew our descent, which is necessarily slow. We reach the bottom of the gully with relief and....  ....march across the slopes where we find a good example of a rare, crested saguaro. Our hike ends with around 2000' of climbing and 4 miles.
 Back to Marana to do the entire, 33 mile loop. Early, I passed a sign, long disrespected and only stating the obvious.  The route extends northwest of the Tortolita Mountains and is.....  .....very remote in long stretches.  The first 10 or so miles is a gradual uphill until reaching this point with a good first view of the buttes.  I passed Owl Head and.....  Other prominent points. Note the recently graded road. Very nice.  The saguaros were thick and of course the area is beautiful. There is a route up these buttes that I should check out some day.  I can't say I've ever seen street signs like this, all in white.  Then I arrive at this intersection. Not that long ago, a Titan missile was stored in a 10 story silo near here.  At the bottom of this ravine, there is a turn onto the final 2 miles of the route. The road is comprised of deep sand. My tires, too narrow for the conditions, sink. It would be a long, 2 mile walk but then I noticed....  ....the raised area above the road could be ridden, like hiking cross country. A fun route which I will do again.
 I drove to the bottom of Tangerine Road, just before I-10, parked and hopped on the gravel bike. The first 4 miles of the route parallels a canal.  The first 2.5 miles of the route was a road (not the above which is good) that basically was a wash with deep sand. I need wider tires for that so turned around and continued the route in the other direction which had a nice, scraped dirt road.  After confirming the start of the counterclockwise loop was on an acceptable surface, I turned around, returning to my car with only 12 miles. I'll go back tomorrow and do the entire, 30 mile loop.
 I received the Golden Ticket invite from Lorna and Marc to attend a hike to Ragged Top. I've been there once, several years ago but as an out and back hike while today's would be a loop. We drove in two SUVs but the one I was in, bottomed out on the knoll to the left while Lorna's made it. We parked, gathered our gear and began trudging. Soon, Lorna came back and picked us up, delivering us to the trail head. Sadly, Amy was absent with a case of food poisoning.  We enter Ironwood National Monument and begin our hike, first via a wash.  There was some debate about which saddle was our intermediate goal and we agree on the one having the saguaros. We strike out, bushwhacking.....  ....up a steep slope, really steep. Finally, we....  ....reach the saddle and enjoy views to the other side. The day was a little windy, mid 50's start with some cloud cover. Now we discuss which saddle in the distance is our next goal, agree on one and shove off.  Marc and Lorna check out a nearby cave. I was going to see it too but only if they discovered a wild animal to make the climb worthwhile. I look back to the saddle from which we came and note all the Jumping Cholla plants. They would become a real pain over the course of our hike, literally.  The 2nd saddle was so much higher than where we were. That looks steep!!! It was. I had downloaded a GPX track and was checking it occasionally to make sure we were on the correct route. Since doing so drains my battery at an alarming rate. I'd turn it on, check and then turn it off.  Lorna must swerve when she walks as she was frequently bumping into the Cholla. I had one encounter with a clump that attached itself to my left calf. Lorna had a pair of pliers, counted down from three and gave it a hard pull, OUCH! I think she gave it an unnecessary twist while extracting, to add to the pain.  Marc discovered a recently stripped leg bone of either a deer or bighorn sheep. Mountain lions are around, watching us but never to be seen.  The climb to the saddle had an average grade of 41% so mostly it was 4-point hiking/climbing. Checking GPX, we were right where we needed to be and concluded, the above chute was what next needed to be climbed. Lorna led the way and I was surprised it was not as nasty an experience as it appeared. There is a distinct, social trail that was pretty easy to follow.  We passed these small caves but saw no evidence of any animal activity. No sane animal would make a den in such close proximity to a trail.  Our route continues to be steep and over loose rocks. I dreaded the down climb.  While we regrouped momentarily, I scouted around, found a faint trail and began climbing. Such a rugged landscape. At last....  ....we scramble a bit of a wall that had some serious exposure (meaning a fall would be injurious to your health or death) and reach....  ....a small and barren peak. We had a good view of the Silverbell Mine which is now closed, as well as....  ....the Catalinas and many other mountain ranges. What a thrill for us all to reach this seldom visited peak. We eat, drink and gear up for the down climb.  Ugh, all hands and feet are required and an occasional butt slide.  Lorna takes the above image of me as we descend to a saddle from where we make a right, to continue our clockwise loop. The ravine that we follow is very steep but there is a social trail that is usually easy to follow. I took few images because my hands were constantly in use and grateful that Marc had loaned me a pair of durable gloves.  Upon leaving the ravine, we begin a long walk across the desert to the trail head. Looking back, I can see why the name "Ragged Top" was given to this portion of the Silverbell Mountains. We finished with 4.8 miles (actually, if you can start from the trail head rather than farther out where our vehicle parked, it's about 3.3 miles) and a healthy 1975' of climbing. We celebrated with a beer or water.
 Amy decided to try the gravel riding experience so rented a bike from a local bike shop and off we went to Patagonia. After 3 miles of pavement, we reached Harshaw Creek Road and began riding on dirt.  The ranchers mostly don't bother with lining the roads with fencing to keep the cows from wandering. The cows seem to stay close to their food source although you do see an occasional cow pie on the road.  After climbing for 13.5 miles, we reach American Peak. Rather than continue on a loop route that would take us over some nasty wash boarding, we turned around and enjoyed a long coast.  We passed an active mine, likely copper. I could hear the movement of machinery but they've done a good job of keeping it largely invisible.  We reached an intersection where we had the option of continuing on a dirt road or take the paved option. I chose paved as I didn't want Amy to get too beaten up from the vibrations during her first ride. Mount Wrightson in the distance.  We finished with 25 miles which, after yesterday's hike, was enough.
 A couple of weeks ago, local station KGUN, an ABC affiliate, contacted me about doing a story on group hiking in our region. I have no idea how they found me but over time, an arrangement was made for a station rep to visit us at the start of our hike to Tanque Verde Falls. I think each of our 11 member group got some time on camera and here is a link to the short video that aired on Wednesday morning: https://www.kgun9.com/news/local-news/strength-in-numbers-group-hikes-gain-popularity-in-southern-arizona?fbclid=IwAR1FzOTpkBsgXK0AydyWLOAoyZil7jUxL-zHEh6UiiqieBTIxFJ58CTJB0A  We descend to the canyon floor. To the west, the canyon broadens as it becomes a wash to move excess rain or snow melt through Tucson. But to the east....  ....oh what a wondrous boulder hopping, canyon crawling, slick rock walking experience it becomes. This is my 5th visit to the segment of the canyon that leads to the falls (another segment starts above the falls and leads to an honest to gosh, nude beach). Yet, it's such a jumble of boulders, turns and bewildering obstacles, prior experience doesn't count for much.  The first of many stream crossings is reached and How Bout That!?! Someone has left a couple of pieces of plywood to assist our crossing. Hiking buddy, Lorna, leads the way.  I think one of the reasons it appears somewhat unfamiliar to me is I've hiked it when the canyon is dry and one can walk straight up the middle with no problem. Other times. like today, the water flow is healthy and alternative route finding is required. Whatever, it's a very fun hike with wondrous views.  The sun begins to peak over a nearby ridge.  This is a full body workout rather than a typical hike as we reach and cross the stream, many times.  Amy decided to pioneer a new route and hoisted a boot as her reward.  So, so atypical of what we normally encounter during our hikes.  And then we reached this spot. The rock extended too far out to allow passage as Marcia gives it a good try. I stuck a foot into the water and crawling out, as did Marcia and Amy. Meantime, Marc and Lorna did some alternative exploring behind and above us and found a much better route. OK, I've filed that for next time!  Our 3, having waded through the water, were committed now to climbing this wall, on the right, where we would be reunited with the others who wisely took the workaround. The problem though, since our shoes are now wet, the rock surface becomes very slippery. Being the first one up, I benefited from dry rocks but of course my passing left behind wet rock. Amy....  ....was next and began to have a problem as both her hands and feet were sliding. Having an obligation to this report, I took a couple of pics before leaping into action and saving her. And then....  ...after 2 hours of hiking but having covered only 1.5 miles, we reach the falls. An amazing place to spend some time, soaking it all in. After awhile, we geared up and began the hike down canyon.  As we continued our descent, we observed an awesome sun halo!!! Note the rainbow around the perimeter of the sun.  At some point we became too spread out and had three different groups, looking for a different way down canyon. Lorna led one group on the opposite bank where she made it through. The others too made it but not before one, Marianne, slid about 15' but managed to catch herself before tumbling into the water. Ummm, did I already say that the majority of rescue missions and deaths in our region are sourced in this canyon?  It wasn't all walking over, under and around boulders, ha, ha. We all made it out and then, Amy invited the group for pizza and drinks.....  All but one of our group made the short drive where we ate, drank a little and enjoyed the company.
 I enter Wild Borrow Canyon in Dove Mountain. Recently, the wash had flowing rain runoff and I enjoyed following the wash up canyon, watching the pattern change.  Surely all the rain we had during the last week will produce bountiful wild flowers this spring. This plant was already blooming with pink and yellow flowers.  The Wild Burrow trail follows the wash then bypasses a boulder filled ravine to a 2nd level of sandy wash, then bypasses another obstacle laden ravine before reaching....  ....this beautiful spot where there is a bench if one wants to take a break. After 3 miles, I depart WB trail for the Wild Mustang trail. What caused me to do this hike is eventually, surrounding hills fall away to.....  ....see grand views of Mount Lemmon, recipient of 20" of snow from the weekend.  Beautiful views on a beautiful day for any outdoor activity.  The trail reaches a well known location above the Ritz Carlton resort where signage illustrates the region's mountain ranges. Reaching the Upper Javelina trail I take that and soon find the Hotel Spur trail and a return to the parking lot. Fun hike, not too challenging, finishing with 7.8 miles and 1500' of climbing. Now, get this, a local TV station, KGUN contacted me a few weeks ago. After an exchange of emails, they are sending a reporter and camera crew to where we are starting our Wednesday hike, off Reddington Pass Road. They're doing a story on hiking in Tucson and hiking groups. I have no idea how they found me but hope to get some of my hiking buddies some camera time.
 Wow, Friday night and early Saturday and the rain came as forecast. Higher up, so too did the snow. Blackett's Ridge on the left and Thimble Peak to its right with snow covered Mount Lemmon in the distance.  Aqua Caliente wash had a healthy flow while Tanque Verde wash did not. I saw Reddington Pass received almost 2" of rain so maybe that feeds into the former rather than the latter wash. Anyway, I have a hike organized up Tanque Verde Canyon on Wednesday so there certainly will be a healthy flow of water either from rain run-off or from snow melt. Should be spectacular.  Amy and I hooked up with hikers and friends Lorna and Katheryn and had a very fun time playing pickle ball. There are 16 courts where we usually play, all full and lots of people waiting for their turn to play. I'm surprised at how many young people play. I always assumed it was a game for the oldsters.
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