Wow, what a hike! I have been wanting to climb The Cleaver since I caught my first real glimpse doing the Finger Rock/Pima Canyon Traverse. With the weather finally nice and cool, and off trail hiking prohibited in January, I figured there was no better time to hit the trail!

The hike description is spot on: this hike is a brutal trek through some of the worst brush & cacti that I have ever encountered. I think the plants actively tried to prevent me from summiting The Cleaver! I am not a big fan of heights and was a little freaked out by the short climb after the saddle, but there was no way I was going to turn around. The views from the top are fantastic and the hike itself unforgettable (I have the scars to prove it).

After getting back to Pima Canyon I decided I still had some energy (and blood) to spare and that I might as well hike to Rosewood Saddle. The hike to the saddle was much easier than the cleaver, but the view was not quite the same...