Wassan Peak Hike

Yikes, a 6:30am start for a group hike on the west side of Tucson but the early start was warranted with an unusually hot temp of 84 in the forecast.

The sun peaks over the mountains as our group, led by Paul Yurgan......

....head away from the rising sun towards Wassan Peak.  Paul, a good egg, schedules at least one hike each week.  Group hike availability has taken a hit as one of the organizers is drying out.  His problem got so bad he was taking shots of bourbon during hikes.  Now that's a problem.

How about that?  A tarantula and a really good sized one.  It was funny watching people give it such a wide berth you'd think it could strike like a rattler.

We began rising above surrounding peaks and hills.  An Ohioan who now lives in Tucson, Heidi Bunch, set a strong pace that I had difficulty matching as I was again carrying my weighted backpack.  She, Lisa and Licha put a hurt on me as I clung to them as everyone else fell away.  The trail was not steep, just kept rising from.....

...the desert floor.  There is Sombrero Peak and Panther Peak in the distance.  We reached a trail intersection and decided to wait but the pack was weighing on my shoulders and I wanted to keep going to the top, reaching it at the 4.5 mile mark.

Soon, the three ladies arrived and eventually, so too did everyone else. After snacks and drinks, we headed....

....back down, finishing with....

....nine miles and sore shoulders.  That low pressure system that brought rain to the area last week, then dipped into Mexico, then came north west into California bringing much needed rain is drifting back toward us so afternoon rain is forecast for Friday and the weekend.  It's been unusually hot but sun and mid 80's are coming soon.