HikeArizona.COM

I have been eyeing the hike from Catalina SP to Mount Lemmon, and I like it. I would like to do it, and do it either at the end of May, or in early to mid-June. I would expect to need a partner for this, as 30 miles and 7,000' up and down is too much for me to enjoy it. The partner would be for the second car to be parked at the top, or near the top. The plan would be to hike from the park to the summit. Up, not down. Multiple people would be fine, too. I would camp at the park.

Is this interesting to people? I'm flexible to days and the like. Unless something big comes up, like I have to move. I will make it the first weekend in June, but it can be a week day, and or ealier or leter, if people are interested in the hike.



Here's a thought: does the AEG count for anything, since while you hike up about 7,000', you only descend about 1000'?

I believe the 7 AM Arrival is OK. We just need to get at least 1 vehicle up to the top for descent. It would be madness to do 30 miles and 7,000+ feet in a day, says I.

Plan on at least 3 hours for shuttling a car to the top and getting back to Catalina State Park.

Is it possible to bring a car up the night before, if someone lives in Tucson? Katie?

I live about 15 minutes from Catalina SP and am happy to do a vehicle shuttle. I do have a concern about the start time. I'm only in if we start by 7. It's toasty here regardless of the altitude. I just returned from Grand Canyon and even though it was cool, the extra weight and uphill slog increase the effort.

I would want to do the vehicle drop the night before. If other people are coming in, an earlier start time with them is easy enough. Depending on morning activities, you can work that out with them. The car issue and dropping it on top is so we don't have to budget time on the morning of the hike. The other(s) look like they'll get to the area around 7. If we drop a car on top Saturday, that appears to put us back at 10 am to start, which is later than I would like.

I am generally considered a fast hiker, so if you need to start earlier, you can. We can discuss that. You mention extra weight and uphill hiking as a concern, do you hike often? What type of hikes?

I also need to make it clear that unless it was strictly for the day, I would not be dropping my car on top, as I will be living out of it at Catalina, SP.

Tucson Forecast high for today is 100 degrees, these are the data for the last few hours.
TIme Temp Dew Pt Humidity
8:53am 83 20 10%
7:53 am 76 20 12%
6:53 am 70 19 14%
5:53 am 66 20 17%

http://www.wrh.noaa.gov/mesowest/getobe ... TUS&num=72

Jim—Is there a way for us to continue this conversation offline?

I'll PM you.

Did you all arrange a shuttle so we can get on the trail at 7?

@Jim_H
Jim—We need to coordinate a Friday rendezvous to drive up to Mt. Lemon. We'll leave my car. I'm in touch with Kyle, and I think it's best that he and John drive directly to Catalina SP Saturday morning. I'll ride my scooter over and meet you there.

Will call you Thursday after I return to Tucson.

Katie

There will be a lot of water nearer to Wilderness and some at Romero. All of it is usable. Very little in between those two places, all off-trail a ways. Starting at 0700 means hitting the Pass at about 1000-1100, most likely. It will be HOT on that ascent but nice and windy at the pass and then pretty mild the rest of the way in. The AEG is closer to 7,100' if you go to the summit marker; the trail gains and loses a lot along Lemmon and Wilderness, depending on route.

I didn't realize I had a family commitment that day until this morning or I would have been there. This is probably the last time to get up that way before the real heat kicks in. Enjoy guys!! Let me know if anything needs to be updated on the route description if you go that way, thx!

Anyone bringing a GPS? I'd like to see what we end up with, since there seem to be some weird elevation gains and mileage numbers for the existing routes. One ha more elevation than any other, but yet less mileage than the other two. It looks like 7600' or so is what we'll end up doing.

Jim_H wrote: One ha more elevation than any other, but yet less mileage than the other two. It looks like 7600' or so is what we'll end up doing.

All 3 posted gps routes are different...I) is an out and back using Mt Lemmon #5 and not going to Summerhaven, 2) is a one way using Mt. Lemmon #5 and Summerhaven, 3) is a one way using part of Lemmon #5 then Wilderness of Rocks and Lemon Rock and going to Summerhaven..If you do it like the hike description(#3), you should be about 15 miles and 7,600 AEG.

Guys, it's confirmed that my son and I will be camping a couple nights in W. of Rocks, exploring the area off-trail, and playing in the cold pools. Watch for us, if you want. One old gal, (5'2", glasses, brown hair, floppy hat), and one young hippie with beard, dark brown hair. At least, last time I saw him that was his mode...

Jim_H wrote:Anyone bringing a GPS?

I'll have my gps on me.

rlrjamy wrote:All 3 posted gps routes are different...

I vote on going the way of the trail description. Sirena says Wilderness of Rocks is one of the best trails in the area and since I hike Tucson so rarely, I'd hate to miss it. The alternative is apparently old road.

It looks like the default route by davis2001r6 is the one that follows the description so I'll have that loaded.

Tough_Boots wrote:The alternative is apparently old road.

Only about a mile of it is old road....its where Sutherland comes in. The majority of it is single track.

rlrjamy wrote:

Jim_H wrote: One has more elevation than any other, but yet less mileage than the other two. It looks like 7600' or so is what we'll end up doing.

All 3 posted gps routes are different...I) is an out and back using Mt Lemmon #5 and not going to Summerhaven, 2) is a one way using Mt. Lemmon #5 and Summerhaven, 3) is a one way using part of Lemmon #5 then Wilderness of Rocks and Lemon Rock and going to Summerhaven..If you do it like the hike description(#3), you should be about 15 miles and 7,600 AEG.

Look at them again. I grasped that they are different routes. I take issue with the accuracy of one and wanted to know why that might have been. I guess I just should have asked, "what is wrong with labhunter's route", but I didn't.



David has his, and it follows the Wilderness of Rocks Trail and is 7600' and 15 miles. I plan to do that one and so I wrote the line about 7600' being what we'll do. His route looks good and makes sense.

Joe's route goes up and down and therefore has the most mileage, and should have the most elevation. It looks good and makes sense.

The weird one is by the labhunter. His follows the same route more or less as Joe, but has the most elevation of all 3, despite being one way. He has the shortest mileage, too, but that is because he took the mount lemmon trail and not the wilderness of rocks trail. There is something very wrong with his route's elevation. There is no way he did more than Joe, who would have added more elevation gain while going uphill in spots on descent. Lab hunter probably has 1000 feet more than he should, since he took the Lemmon Trail and that has 500 feet less feet gained over the loss and regain of the Wilderness of Rocks trail.

So, what is wrong with Labhunter's route? It is one way, and follows a route with less elevation loss and regain than the official route by davis, but it records the most elevation of all three posted routes?


Kyle,
I thought the Wilderness of Rocks route was the one we would do, but if you bring your GPS, can you record points for a second official description route? See how much elevation we get?

I would be interested in joining in as a last minute contender but it sounds as though Katies car may be full for the ride down? If there is room I could drive and/or carpool down to Tucson. Let me know.

I think all three routes are flawed....some obviously more than others. All posted before Joe upgraded the sync feature. My gps registered under 8k on the same hike as Joe's. Also, It was under 7,000 going up Sutherland to the same point. There isn't a whole lot of up and down on Romero..although there is some...and there is also some in WOR. The TH to peak difference is 6,360 in elevation change. I just don't see where the addition 1,260 per the official route comes from but it is probably the best one compared to the hike description?.

Obviously, gps models and output vary...and sometimes quite a bit.

It is closer to 8,000. The lower trails don't make any appreciable difference, where you start to lose\regain is at Lemmon trail and beyond. Another option is to go around to Marshall which shaves a little gain off and adds a lot of scenery.

JuanJaimeiii wrote:I would be interested in joining in as a last minute contender but it sounds as though Katies car may be full for the ride down? If there is room I could drive and/or carpool down to Tucson. Let me know.

My car accommodates 5 comfortably. If you're old enough to remember station wagons that had a third seat, my car has such a seat. But if you're taller than a 5th grader, you may not be comfortable back there. Doesn't matter to me, as I'll be driving.