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| Hiking | 2.20 Miles |
1,050 AEG |
| | Hiking | 2.20 Miles | 1 Hour 30 Mns | | 1.47 mph |
| 1,050 ft AEG | | | | |
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| no partners | | I like to start my year out with a big hike, but I was on call in the afternoon and so I needed something quick and fun. I remembered reading Nick's description and not liking the bit about the very steep and exposed parts. I hike or drive past this peak often and knew I could take a more gradual route with no exposure by parking on the road across from the peak right before the sign that tells you that you are entering Saguaro National Park. The terrain was pretty open and other than a couple of rockfalls to avoid, it was easy to pick my way up the hill to a saddle, where I could see another saddle between the two highpoints. The peak was 0.6 miles from the car. I visited both highpoints- Picture Rocks summit is the one closest to the road. Here's a video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-VJ94IchXdA
After taking a break on the peak, I made my hike into a loop by following the ridgeline down toward the rememberance path at the east end of the peak. There is a forked saguaro at the base of the hill that makes a good landmark to shoot for. I came out at the station marked with a cross and the roman numeral V. This was about 0.7 away from the peak. I turned left on the path toward the wash, then took the wash to the left back to Picture Rocks Road and a short distance back to my Jeep. Not the epic hike I usually like to start my year out with, but a pleasant off-trail jaunt nonetheless. I was going to drive off, but my eye caught the peak on the other side of the pass, so I figured "why not?" and I hiked up that too. That peak was a lot more loose and crumbly than it's neighbor, but it was only a quarter-mile total with about 175 feet elevation gain. |
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