East coast hikers looking for 1 day long hike in Tucson area

[kskilskyj]

We'll be in town for a few days and have 1 full day to get out on the trails. Looking for a day long hike that is difficult, has little traffic, and has killer views.

We're experienced east coast backpackers/hikers. Have also climbed/hiked/backpacked quite a bit in CO and MT.

We'll be in the Tucson area in late September.

Any recommendations? So many great hikes listed on the site, it's difficult to narrow it done.

Thanks,
Kevin

[Jeffshadows]

There's some truth to that statement. I refuse to be run-off by a bunch of refugees from CA and HI. They'll get bored and move to Houston or somewhere else, eventually.

[JimmyLyding]

Refugees from Hawai'i? Jeff, the folks who leave Hawai'i are very unfortunate souls indeed!

[Jeffshadows]

I wish that were the case with the group here, I truly do...

[JimmyLyding]

I don't remember any Hawai'ian restaurants in Tucson. That might change your mind, but yeah I get ya. A lot of the Hawai'ian folks are pretty nasty people. Too many of them love to drink and then get in a fight(s). The only thing that has kept my skinny haole self from being turned into all-natural fertilizer by some 300-lb. guy named "Junior" or something like that out there is my pidgin-speaking uncle. The aloha spirit is seemingly not universal.... However, I'm still looking forward to going out there to my mother's homeland next year again.

[Jeffshadows]

I really shouldn't pigeon-hole the entire group, either; it's just been bad around here.

[dysfunction]

I don't remember any Hawai'ian restaurants in Tucson. That might change your mind, but yeah I get ya. A lot of the Hawai'ian folks are pretty nasty people. Too many of them love to drink and then get in a fight(s). The only thing that has kept my skinny haole self from being turned into all-natural fertilizer by some 300-lb. guy named "Junior" or something like that out there is my pidgin-speaking uncle. The aloha spirit is seemingly not universal.... However, I'm still looking forward to going out there to my mother's homeland next year again.

I can take you for some kine grinds brah, right here in Tucson... ;)


Or, if Lani's don't do it for you I can probably get my wife to cook some up

[JimmyLyding]

Rock and roll dysfunction. My uncle inserts "kine" every time he can't think of the right word to say, and that's very very often. Your wife make kahlua pig? I was born and raised in Arizona, but my mom was raised in the islands, and even now I call my flip-flops "slippahs"

As for our friends from the east coast, I would recommend going up to Mount Kimball. There isn't a better hike in this state that allows folks to go from saguaro cactuses to ponderosa pines. You can go up Finger Rock Canyon, and it's the roughest route, but also the shortest at 10 miles round-trip from the trailhead. You can also go to Mount Kimball via Pima Canyon, and that route's a little more gradual and 14 miles round-trip from a different trailhead than the Finger Rock route.

[dysfunction]

Eh, my wifes not big on making it. Lani's, which is on Golf Links and Harrison (nw corner), though does a pretty good job of it ;) Along with everything else I've eaten there, including lumpia.

[JimmyLyding]

How's the moco loco?

[dysfunction]

Haven't had it, not my thing at all.. besides, I normally gravitate towards some musubi or some manapua .. and have to leave some room for some katsu or teriyaki ya know. To be honest, nothing I've had has been bad.

[azbackpackr]

Huh, thought he was talking about me! I lived on the Big Island for 8 years, but am originally from San Diego. (Big Island mo bettah!)

Incidentally, Hawai'ians notwithstanding, have you ever asked very many of those California transplants if they were actually BORN in California? I have, because I was curious if they were the same crowd that moved to CA in the 70's, about when I left because it was getting too crowded. The answer, unless they are kids, is almost always "no." They are usually from Michigan or Ohio or New York or somewhere, moved to CA, left CA.

[Jeffshadows]

Huh, thought he was talking about me! I lived on the Big Island for 8 years, but am originally from San Diego. (Big Island mo bettah!)

Incidentally, Hawai'ians notwithstanding, have you ever asked very many of those California transplants if they were actually BORN in California? I have, because I was curious if they were the same crowd that moved to CA in the 70's, about when I left because it was getting too crowded. The answer, unless they are kids, is almost always "no." They are usually from Michigan or Ohio or New York or somewhere, moved to CA, left CA.

I try to avoid most of them at all costs. Besides, they think me uncouth since I don't drive Lexus or Benz and I don't insist on living in the "foothills." One actually told me that, could she not live on Tucson's extreme east side, she would never "Stay in a place like this." They make me ill.

[azbackpackr]

We lived in trailer parks in Tucson. No regrets, either. I'd do it again. I'd leave Hawaii again to move to Tucson, and live in a trailer again, in a heartbeat. Hawaii is no place to raise your kids. The schools are terrible there. Your kids will get beat up and ridiculed. Hawaii is ok for awhile, but not for your whole life.

There is no paradise on this earth. I miss Hawaii sometimes, but have never wanted to move back, unless it would be just for a couple of months or so.

[kskilskyj]

Hey, sorry to drag us back on topic again, but...

Thanks for all the opinions on hikes. We did Kimball via Finger Rock yesterday. Thought it was great! Will post details later.

In a few days we're going to do Rincon Peak. Would love to have the GPS file posted here, but the requirements are that you upload a unique GPS route in order to download a route. Since we're not from Arizona, we unfortunately don't have any unique routes to upload (just Kimball via Finger Rock from yesterday).

Any way someone could get the GPS file for Rincon to us in another way? Email? Post elsewhere?

Thanks!

-Kevin

[joebartels]

You can post a GPS Route for Ohio or any US state, we're not picky!

[Jeffshadows]

PM me your email and I'll send you my raw file with the way-points and all...

[kskilskyj]

Thanks to all the suggestions. Made a few stops to the 2 Summit Huts in town to gear up and enjoy the sales!

On Saturday, we completed the Finger Rocks hike up to Mt Kimball with a stop at Linda's Vista. What a killer view and a rocky descent. Our entire trip took us 5-1/2 hours. There was only 1 other single guy that caught up to us at the top. Nice to chat with him about the area. It was very cool in the AM shade, but a warm one coming down. Definitely made a hot tub stop that evening.

On Monday, we were on the Rincon Peak trail off Happy Valley Road at 7 am. Summited by 11:45 am, enjoyed an hour long lunch at 65F, and rolled on back to our car by 3:30 pm. We spotted a gray fox, lots of dear, 2 tiny water holes, had a few stubborn gnats, plenty of birds, and 3 gov't gals doing some sort of field work. Our passenger car had no troubles on the gravel Happy Valley Road, minus one stubborn horse who wouldn't move out of our way!

Completed both hikes in low hiking shoes and didn't have trouble with the toes The legs and calves took a beating, but that's what we do this for!

If you ever come east, let me know and I'd be happy to share my recommendations!

[Jeffshadows]

I'm glad you had fun.