Mark's Cycling & Hiking Blog
  • Home
  • Mark's Cycling Blog
  • Contact Us
  • Boulder Canyon Posts
  • Cycling Event Meet-Ups
  • Home
  • Mark's Cycling Blog
  • Contact Us
  • Boulder Canyon Posts
  • Cycling Event Meet-Ups

Valentine Peak Hike/Climb

12/18/2012

0 Comments

 
Picture
With the cancellation, due to weather, of the hike to the top of Table Mountain, I was lucky to find another hike that still had an opening for the next day, Sunday.  Eight of us gathered, took the obligatory group image and shoved off out of the Pima Canyon trailhead for what was promoted as a 9 mile hike.  However, Joel, the lead hiker let me know the actual mileage was to be 7, 6 on trail and 1 off trail.  This group and other hiking groups, routinely exaggerate the distance, the exposure and the climbing to deter the marginal hikers.  However, what I have also discovered is they under estimate the amount of time to complete the off trail hikes.  Instead of starting at 7:30am, the start was pushed back to 9:30 to allow for the last of the rain to clear the area.  It's not a good idea to hike over wet rocks.
Picture
After a somewhat brisk 3 miles, we stop, check the map and try to figure out if this is where we plunge into the thicket.  Left to right are Joel, Belinda, Lisa, Gary and Stephanie, who I later described as a bulldog with wings.  Just when things looked most desperate, she plunged over, under and around boulders and various obstacles to get us back to a trail.
Picture
Yep, this is the place and so once again, we begin the bushwhacking, up a fairly steep drainage through the usual suspects of pointy type plants that are all poised to inflict projectiles into my skin.  This time though, I outsmarted the bastards!  I wore a pair of pants and a pair of shorts over top.  Seems the spiney things would enter the fabric of the shorts but then the movement of the fabric between the clothing would sheer off the pointy things. 
Picture
Somewhere about 3/4 of the way up, we got cliffed out and had to stop and plot a workaround.  The temperature at the start had been around 45 and now, a couple of thousand feet higher and with our gloves wet, several of us had problems with frozen fingers.  One of us, Belinda, had been shivering and with that and the calories burned from the hike, began to bonk and suddenly sat down and became faint.  Some food and drink allowed her to recover rapidly.
Picture
We found a way up but it still involved some steep climbing in spots.  Joel above, waiting for us to catch up.
Picture
Gary Tenen, interesting guy and story.  Back in the 70's, he was hiking around a property with a friend and they came across an opening in a field. Upon further exploration, they discovered what became known as the Kartchner Caverns.  They kept it a secret for 20+ years as they explored the expansive network of caves and after much effort, had the natural wonder turned in to a state park, officially opening in 1999. 

With only a little way to go, we were confronted with a class 4/5 climb, meaning ropes would be needed to ascend about 30 feet.  Gary climbed up, established the webbing/ropes and up we went.
Picture
Prior to that, some wanted to climb up via an alternate route on a nearly vertical wall with just a wee bit of exposure over a 1000' drop.  No thanks.
Picture
Upon reaching the top of Valentine Peak, we signed in at the sealed register, apparently the first to visit the peak since 2010.  I thought we spent way too much time at the top, yes eating and resting which was needed, but also too much mucking around.  I was getting antsy since it was almost 3:00pm, the sun sets at 5:15ish and the way down was unknown.  To make a long story short, we down climbed through the brush and rocks, reached the trail at 4:30 but farther up then where we had entered.  I and two others began trail running and at 5:37, I arrived in the parking lot.  Above, a cool view with the sun below the horizon.  The other hikers must have had flashlights and exited later.  Ended up with 10 miles and 3800' of climbing.  Long day but lots of fun.
0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Author

    Mark is a long-time cyclist, hiker, golfer and plays some table tennis...ok, it's ping pong.

    Categories

    All
    April
    California Riding
    Grand Canyon Backpacking
    March
    The Characters

    Archives

    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012
    May 2012
    April 2012
    March 2012
    February 2012
    January 2012
    December 2011
    November 2011
    October 2011
    September 2011
    August 2011
    July 2011
    June 2011
    May 2011
    April 2011
    March 2011
    February 2011
    January 2011
    December 2010
    November 2010
    October 2010
    September 2010
    August 2010
    July 2010
    June 2010
    May 2010
    April 2010
    March 2010
    February 2010
    January 2010
    December 2009
    November 2009
    October 2009
    September 2009
    August 2009
    July 2009
    June 2009
    May 2009
    April 2009
    March 2009
    February 2009

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.